First Trip to a Casino... Advice?

[Hendricks433]

Well Im going to a Casino for the first time tomorrow. I will mainly be playing Poker with a little Black Jack and maybe some other games for entertainment factor. Any advice for my first time going? I do not know what limits I will be playing yet or home much money Im gonna take.

[valenzuela]

youre on the wrong forum, I assure you much better replies on brick & mortar.

Don't puke on the slot machines.

[Hendricks433]

well Im a sng'er and thought Id post it here to see replies from fellow sng'ers.

You're going to a casino to play a sng?

[Hendricks433]

No. I play sng's online. Im playing cash tables at the Casino.

[bawcerelli]

go into the small stakes limit forum and ask them about playing in a live no limit tourney.

[lacky]

drink lots, play the lowest stakes possible, have fun

Steve

i love you!!!

[Hendricks433]

Thanks Lacky, I think thats what I want is to have fun, I dont need to go there and try to make as much as possible. Well see how it goes. Thanks for the advice.

[MegaBet]

The best advice is not to lose your money playing blackjack! /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[SlackerMcFly]

Take at least $300 with you.

If you are seriously going to play BJ, avoid the 10 deck shoes. Find a 2 deck table if possible. You'll lose your money more slowly.

As for poker, get on the 2/4 list and spend a little time playing tight with your $100 stack while observing the other players. Loosen up a bit and limp into some pots with low PP's and suited connectors once you have figured out each (good) player's style of play. Be aggressive around the button.

Then have fun and yack it up with the guys on either side of you. Drink a lot if they are free, drink a tad less if you have to pay.

Once you have lost ~$50 or so, find a Let it Ride table with only 3-4 players and double up a couple of times....Have fun!

[A_Junglen]

After every hand leave the table to go talk to your friends about random hands, or "reads" on opponents. Be sure to arrive late so the entire table has to wait on your arrival.

Don't forget to stare down your opponent for an extended period of time before making a no brainer call getting 15:1 pot odds.

Scream DAAAAAA!!! loudly after folding.

[MegaBet]

$100 buy-in for a 2/4 game? That might not last long...

[Shilly]

I think it will, as long as you don't lose 3 or 4 big pots in a row.

[MegaBet]

A good guide is to buy in for 100 big bets.

[Shilly]

Trust me, you'll get A LOT of funny looks if you bring $400 to a 2/4 game. (Not saying that you won't need more than $100, but keeping any more that than on the table kind of makes you look like a tool.)

[SlackerMcFly]

$100 is plenty for a HE game. In a NL game, perhaps the 100 BB guideline would apply. Remember this isn't a tourney situation and re-buys at any time are available. Not that you should need to.....

$60 is all you need for "SlackerMcRide" tables /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[BradleyT]

$100 buyin for $2/$4 here is above average. Normal is $60 - $80.

[bawcerelli]

Jesus Megabet, calm down with the 100BB buy in! The "normal" rule of thumb is 20xBB. But most people buy in with just a rack ($100) at 2-4 3-6 and 4-8.

[MegaBet]

[ QUOTE ]
Jesus Megabet, calm down with the 100BB buy in! The "normal" rule of thumb is 20xBB. But most people buy in with just a rack ($100) at 2-4 3-6 and 4-8.

[/ QUOTE ]

I like to buy in for 100 big bets, it's my standard. It works well, if you can afford it.

[bawcerelli]

You're talking about the actual $$ you place on the table right? Or do you mean your bankroll for that level? I just can't see what having 100BB on the table is good for. Other than MAYBE intimidating some fish, but other than that it's just gonna get in your way of seeing your cards.

[MegaBet]

[ QUOTE ]
You're talking about the actual $$ you place on the table right? Or do you mean your bankroll for that level? I just can't see what having 100BB on the table is good for. Other than MAYBE intimidating some fish, but other than that it's just gonna get in your way of seeing your cards.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yes of course on the table!

Argue with Daniel Negreanu if you want, it's not a difficult concept to understand:
http://www.pokerpages.com/blog-players/daniel-negreanu.htm

[bawcerelli]

All he talks about is how it's advantageous to have a big stack at a NL table, he doesn't say a thing about limit.

[MegaBet]

Correct.

[beeyjay]

dice is fun and your odds are good if you keep it conservative.

[inyaface]

[ QUOTE ]
Correct.

[/ QUOTE ]
My brain hurts...
2/4 HE is different the 2/4 NLHE last time I checked.
20 BB's is fine.

[stanzee]

[ QUOTE ]
Correct.

[/ QUOTE ]

What casino do you play at megabet? serious question

[Fletch46]

If you're a decent player, I don't think 2-4 is a good idea. The rake is too high and the pots too small. I'd play at least 4-8 or 3-6 if that's all they have. You'll still see some pretty weird play (lots of chasing) but when you do win a pot it will probably be a better size. Most of my experience is at the casino & I always buy in with $100 to 150.

[Hendricks433]

Well I just got back. I played 3/6 and made $200. The players there were so horrible. That was with some bad plays leaking chips and a chop of a huge pot after I flopped the nuts /images/graemlins/frown.gif . It was so much fun though and if I lived near a casino I might play there a ton. The players are so bad its like you cant help but be profitable. I dont play much limit so it was also a big learning experience in that regard also.

[bawcerelli]

Nice take at 3/6. remember though, it won't always be like that, remember the V word? Yeah, variance. Also if you become a regular there, the other regulars will start to recognize you and won't pay you off. anyhow nice job.

[MegaBet]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Correct.

[/ QUOTE ]
My brain hurts...
2/4 HE is different the 2/4 NLHE last time I checked.
20 BB's is fine.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was talking about NL! No one specified limit. I don't play limit, it sucks!

[MegaBet]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Correct.

[/ QUOTE ]

What casino do you play at megabet? serious question

[/ QUOTE ]

For the last few years when I lived in New York my "home" casino was Foxwoods, although I'd dabble at The Player Club once in a while on Sunday nights. Now I'm back home I play mostly at the Grosvenor Victoria Casino in London.

[Uppercut]

[ QUOTE ]
After every hand leave the table to go talk to your friends about random hands, or "reads" on opponents. Be sure to arrive late so the entire table has to wait on your arrival. Don't forget to stare down your opponent for an extended period of time before making a no brainer call getting 15:1 pot odds.
Scream DAAAAAA!!! loudly after folding.

[/ QUOTE ]

You forgot the part about wearing sunglasses so that your opponents can't pick up any tells on you at the 2-4 limit table. (You know, the opponents who are watching TV or reading the newspaper during the hand.)

[Scuba Chuck]

[ QUOTE ]
well Im a sng'er and thought Id post it here to see replies from fellow sng'ers.

[/ QUOTE ]

You never said what Casino. I thought I heard Foxwoods has SNGs. /images/graemlins/confused.gif

[inyaface]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Correct.

[/ QUOTE ]
My brain hurts...
2/4 HE is different the 2/4 NLHE last time I checked.
20 BB's is fine.

[/ QUOTE ]

I was talking about NL! No one specified limit. I don't play limit, it sucks!

[/ QUOTE ]

It was clearly implied above that everyone on this post but you was talking about limit even if nobody specified it.

For some reason you decided to make a link to Daniel's blog where he says it is often a good idea to be deep stacked in NL games. Then when somone points out that he was talking about NL you respond by saying correct. Since the posts previous to yours were clearly about Limit HE your no limit arguments don't really seem to have any use in THIS argument about live casino play. The whole concept definatly is interesting in other contexts as sometimes it is not actually smart to be super deep in NL.

Also saying limit sucks is a bit ridiculous. It's a pretty cool game (in its own right) with a lot of interesting concepts. It might not be as "exciting" or "action packed" as NL but you should really give it a try at some point since it also happens to be super profitable with farily low variance. Also you need to know how to play limit well if your going to venture outside of HE as a lot of other games are played as limit.

[MegaBet]

No one specifically implied limit, I was talking about NL! Hello?? Do you play 7 card stud? Omaha Hi-lo? Probably for the same reasons I stay away from limit hold'em...I am more profitable at no limit. If you can't understand this very simple and basic concept then there is little or no hope for you.

And seeing at this is completely off topic and I don't have the energy to explain these ideas to you, this is my last post on this topic. Either think about it and believe me, or don't. Makes no difference to me at all.

[inyaface]

By someone saying that they should be in for 100 bucks at 2/4 pretty much implies it is limit as I don’t know any informed person who would buy in this short to a 2/4 NL game.

No I don't play that much 7-stud or Omaha however there is probably a point where I would want to learn to play these games when/if hold em gets boring for me or if I would just want to broaden my poker horizon.

Right now I am not playing these games that much because I am trying to improve my game at NLHE sng's. That doesn't mean I won't play anything else and more importantly that doesn't mean other games don't have the potential to yield more profitability at some point.

I have played NL cash games, Limit HE and NL sit and go’s all of which at the time I thought to be the most profitable. The point is if you don’t try other things you will never know.

What do you mean there is little or no hope for me? In what sense? Please stop making blanket statements when you really don’t know much about me or where I play.

Also what do you mean by “believe me or not”. Judging by your seemingly limited knowledge on poker outside the realm of $55 sng’s and your stubborn attitude I pretty much would have to choose to ignore most of what you say.