Cash Game Advise for First Time Playing 1/2 NLHE in a Casino (3 Viewers)

[AWenger]

Not really strategy related, but I remember my first time playing at the casino, and I had no idea how the reservation system for seats worked. You'll & your friend will put your name in at the desk, but if tables are full, seats may open only 1 at a time. If you're looking to play at the same table as your friend it may not happen right away, but after you're both seated and playing for a while, you can request to a floor supervisor (or at the desk?) a table change to his table if a seat opens up at his table or vice-versa. Although if you get a seat at a good table you may not care to sit with your friend.

The first time I ever played 1/2 at a casino, I was with a friend or two at the room, but we were split up at different tables. But the next day, we got the chance to sit at a table together, and I found it helpful to keep track of hands he & I played and to discuss them after the session was over.

 

[Beakertwang]

Run good.

That’s all I got.

 

[Mr Tree]

Maybe @AfterTheFact and @Mr Tree will come show me how it's done.

You’re asking me for advice on how to make money in a casino?

 

[saleen121212]

You’re asking me for advice on how to make money in a casino?

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Nah nothing to do with making money. More about being able to play for a while without losing it all too fast lol

 

[Highli99]

Nah nothing to do with making money. More about being able to play for a while without losing it all too fast lol

If that's your goal you might try playing 2/4 limit. I once played a 24 session of 2/4 at the flamingo on one $60 buy in. I drank like 46 red bulls that night and have never really been the same.

 

[Coyote]

Most substantial advice has evidently been given, but I guess that someone in your shoes (I might get in these shoes soon too) should take advantage of their inevitable "harmless noob" table image- just don't try to produce another (fake / wannabe) image.
Poker is a game of deception (among other things) and "harmless - supposedly clueless- noobs" can occasionally be pretty harmful if underestimated (that's what you want).

I wonder (this is indeed a question to experienced players) if, with the image of a noobish rock-solid player, you could steal some pots pre-flop or on dry flops with thin air, in very late position (cut off or button), if there are just limpers (even if too many of them?)

 

[Mr Tree]

Nah nothing to do with making money. More about being able to play for a while without losing it all too fast lol

Lol my comment was more driven at the idea that asking me how to stay safe in a casino is like asking a lemming how not to jump off a cliff.

 

[CABRON JAMES]

I would have at least 3 buy-ins ready (or $900-1000) and expect at least one to be gone within the hour......but I suck at cash games.....

you just got an invite to my home game :+)

 

[CABRON JAMES]

Sit down.
Order Drink.
Win Pots.
Order more drinks.
Repeat.

Edit - also occasionally mumble "I don't know why you thought you were good there" as you stack chips. The other players LOVE that one.

yeah - starting saying stuff like that - laughing when you win - acting drunk or better yet really being drunk - you will have the whole table trying to bust you - and if you get any hands YOU WILL GET PAID.

 

[CABRON JAMES]

sit down and the first thing you say is - "how do you play this game"

everyone will assume you are a lying shark and be very wary of you -

limp early with AA and KK - when some one raises and comes back around push all in.

 

[CABRON JAMES]

I once played at MGM Las Vegas and there was a real bully at the table...berating everyone including the dealers and waitresses. So, I took it upon myself to mess with him. I was bored and not playing many hands, so I started subtly copying him. If he said something, I would say the exact same thing about 30 seconds later. If he put his elbows on the table, I would do it. If he ordered a drink, I would order the same drink. I did this for about 30 minutes before the table started to notice, but it took him another hour almost to notice. It was a fun joke that the table enjoyed, especially the dealers, because they were taking the brunt of his abuse. Finally when he noticed, he got so pissed...went on tilt and dumped all of his chips (he had a much bigger stack than anyone else). He stormed off pissed off and the table erupted in laughter. It was a really fun night.

god that sounds like it might have been me - but i was playing at the golden fuggit and i was up about 600 bucks at one point - i think i walked with about 400 bucks and then me and my sister had $150 dollar break fast at Encore with other peoples money.

man that was a good bloody mary and omelet.

 

[CABRON JAMES]

I think i read that for every year over 50 years old a player is decrease the chance the he is bluffing by 1%.

so if your villain should be bluffing in a spot.... say 25 percent of the time but he is 70 years old.... then there is now only a 5% chance said villain is bluffing.

 

[CABRON JAMES]

Not really strategy related, but I remember my first time playing at the casino, and I had no idea how the reservation system for seats worked. You'll & your friend will put your name in at the desk, but if tables are full, seats may open only 1 at a time. If you're looking to play at the same table as your friend it may not happen right away, but after you're both seated and playing for a while, you can request to a floor supervisor (or at the desk?) a table change to his table if a seat opens up at his table or vice-versa. Although if you get a seat at a good table you may not care to sit with your friend.

The first time I ever played 1/2 at a casino, I was with a friend or two at the room, but we were split up at different tables. But the next day, we got the chance to sit at a table together, and I found it helpful to keep track of hands he & I played and to discuss them after the session was over.

that's a good tip

 

[CABRON JAMES]

• Keep your cards in front of you and visible to other players and to the dealer.
• Keep your larger denomination chips in front of your stack and visible to the other players and to the dealer.
• Stay off your phone while you're in a hand.

that's good etiquette....

 

[Trihonda]

ABO

Always Be Observing...

Watch other players. Don’t look at the flop... Watch other players looking at the flop.

 

[longflop]

This is important. The first time someone sucks out on you, flip the table over, set your chair on fire and run out of the poker room, punching each woman you see directly in the face. This may seem strange, but it is generally accepted behavior.

 

[saleen121212]

Update: total success, I was targeted as a fish from the start, there were 2 other drunk fish feeding the table and 4 regs with 1500 to 2k in front of them at a 200 max buy in 1/2 game. The staff new both of them well. I sat down with 150, 20 whites rest reds. I wish someone told me not to bring whites cause that was a clear sign I was the fish, no one else had any 1s. In a casino this is easy because they make change. At home I'd hate that.

Anyway, I fold for an orbit and look down at queen jack suited and call a 15 open from one of the crushers. Flop comes queen 7 2 rainbow. He starts aggressively trying to put pressure on me and I call down to the river where he puts me all in on essentially the first hand I've played in, I could tell he was trying to assert pressure and I call, the person next to me was all in on the flop, the reg says "good call I guess" visually pissed that I didn't fold and shows his triple barrel bluff, I scoop just short of a triple up and go back to folding a ton. Basically had nothing playable at all, lost some here and there until I lost a big one with a low flush vs his higher flush.

At this point I have 50 left and my friend is ready to do something else. I finally get a hand worth playing, pocket 10s, jam for 50 preflop, get 2 callers and flip trips for a triple up. Next hand I have 5s, call 20 open from same villan, flop trips, he C bets 40 and I jam on him, he gets super pissed shows everyone his hand except me and says I really like my cards then folds. I leave after this down 20 on the night. Basically excalty what I wanted.

Tldr: played for 4 hours with 150 buy in and left for 130. Nice to get the feet wet in a "real game"

 

[Coyote]

Congrats man!

 

[Beakertwang]

Update: total success, I was targeted as a fish from the start, there were 2 other drunk fish feeding the table and 4 regs with 1500 to 2k in front of them at a 200 max buy in 1/2 game. The staff new both of them well. I sat down with 150, 20 whites rest reds. I wish someone told me not to bring whites cause that was a clear sign I was the fish, no one else had any 1s. In a casino this is easy because they make change. At home I'd hate that.

Anyway, I fold for an orbit and look down at queen jack suited and call a 15 open from one of the crushers. Flop comes queen 7 2 rainbow. He starts aggressively trying to put pressure on me and I call down to the river where he puts me all in on essentially the first hand I've played in, I could tell he was trying to assert pressure and I call, the person next to me was all in on the flop, the reg says "good call I guess" visually pissed that I didn't fold and shows his triple barrel bluff, I scoop just short of a triple up and go back to folding a ton. Basically had nothing playable at all, lost some here and there until I lost a big one with a low flush vs his higher flush.

At this point I have 50 left and my friend is ready to do something else. I finally get a hand worth playing, pocket 10s, jam for 50 preflop, get 2 callers and flip trips for a triple up. Next hand I have 5s, call 20 open from same villan, flop trips, he C bets 40 and I jam on him, he gets super pissed shows everyone his hand except me and says I really like my cards then folds. I leave after this down 20 on the night. Basically excalty what I wanted.

Tldr: played for 4 hours with 150 buy in and left for 130. Nice to get the feet wet in a "real game"

Sounds like a lot of fun! However I have to take issue with being down $20 is "exactly what I wanted."

Also, you flopped a set of 10's, and a set of 5's. Trips is when you have one, and the board shows two. A minor thing, for sure, but it was one of the first things I learned on PCF.

 

[saleen121212]

It was a very strange night. My friend was at a table that would have been super profitable if we weren't so tired. There were tons of "pros" playing 1/2 absolutely hammered and talking about how they were down 2500 in 1/2 which made no sense as several 2/5s were running. One guy talked all night about how he sponsors people in the wsop including a world ranked pro at our table? Pic below, don't know who he is. The sponsor dudes dad was at the table too and the 3 of them were shit face wasted to the point where 1 of them got escorted by 10 employees because it was taking him 15 minutes to count 25 in chips every hand. Basically every hand someone went all in for big stacks with nothing and if I was a grinder I'm sure it would be a dream table to play super tight and make piles of the people who were essentially giving away money for free. Super fun experience and night but I feel like this wasn't a typical 1/2 night, people were opening at both tables for 25 to 40 almost every hand.

 

[saleen121212]

Sounds like a lot of fun! However I have to take issue with being down $20 is "exactly what I wanted."

Also, you flopped a set of 10's, and a set of 5's. Trips is when you have one, and the board shows two. A minor thing, for sure, but it was one of the first things I learned on PCF.

10 years of playing casual poker and never new trips and a set were different. Interesting. (n) :thumbsdown:

 

[saleen121212]

Sounds like a lot of fun! However I have to take issue with being down $20 is "exactly what I wanted."

Also, you flopped a set of 10's, and a set of 5's. Trips is when you have one, and the board shows two. A minor thing, for sure, but it was one of the first things I learned on PCF.

I fully expected to lose 300 with it being my first time so "paying" 20 for an experience and fun was worth it to me. Anytime I can spend 15 hours in a casino with a free room and be out 60 total on the trip including food is pretty good. My friend lost 1300 Friday and left with 400 on Sat. So he's down 900.

 

[saleen121212]

Also snagged two of these and wish I could get a mint rack.

Here's the guy everyone was saying is a pro? Blue shirt hand on face.

 

[moose]

Any 'pro' playing 1/2 is either busto because he sucks or lying.

 

[Beakertwang]

Any 'pro' playing 1/2 is either busto because he sucks or lying.

Could be waiting for a bigger game.

 

[moose]

Pro Paul Magriel, x22 playing Bally's 1-2 in 2014. Died this year.

 

[Highli99]

Any 'pro' playing 1/2 is either busto because he sucks or lying.

Lol or just unemploy

Pro Paul Magriel, x22 playing Bally's 1-2 in 2014. Died this year.

View attachment 230314

His name tag says Eric

 

[saleen121212]

Any 'pro' playing 1/2 is either busto because he sucks or lying.

I'm not kidding when I say the 3 of them lost 10k at 1/2 while we were sitting there. They bought in, went all in, rebought over and over. Sooooo drunk. One dude I didn't meet lost 18.5k before we got there (I think they said in a mix of craps and 1/2). I wanted to ask why they were playing 1/2 but the table broke after the dude got escorted out by security.

 

[Highli99]

I'm not kidding when I say the 3 of them lost 10k at 1/2 while we were sitting there. They bought in, went all in, rebought over and over. Sooooo drunk. One dude I didn't meet lost 18.5k before we got there (I think they said in a mix of craps and 1/2). I wanted to ask why they were playing 1/2 but the table broke after the dude got escorted out by security.

I dream of playing at at a table like that.

 

[saleen121212]

I dream of playing at at a table like that.

same. If we weren't drunk at 3am and tired from working all day and driving 3 hours it would have been a dream come true. I was hoping my friend would play tight and make some money, instead he went all in with pocket 3s and decided not to rebuy after losing.