Poker Room Question...

[Odder]

I have never been to an actual casino poker room in my life. I plan on going to Vegas during December and had a few questions.

Is there a site that lists general tables rules used in Vegas?

What is common for a buy-in? I've read 30-50x the small blind depending on what kind of player you are, this true?

Are there any tournaments casinos host that aren't over 1k for the buy-in, like say $20-$50 buy-in's?

Lastly, which casinos have the best poker rooms? I'd probably end up playing tables less then 5/10 if they are available...

[hutz]

At a $3/6 or $4/8 table, just ask for "a rack and a stack" at the cage or if a runner gets your chips. That will set you back $200 ($100 for a rack of 100 $1 chips and $100 for a stack of 20 $5 chips). That should get you going. At a $6/12 or $8/16 game (I'm not sure there are $5/10 games in Vegas), I'd get more reds and fewer whites. I'd also get another $150 or more in chips. The minimum amount of chips you should have in front of you at any time is 15x the big bet (not big blind) for a casino that caps the betting after the fourth raise. I like to have more than that in front of me in a casino where the cap is lifted heads-up (hey, you never know when you'll catch quads against a frisky player with a full house!). Cash plays, so I'll usually keep a $100 bill or two tucked under my chips. Good luck!

[Odder]

thanks for the help

[Jezebel]

You are going to have a blast in Vegas. Where are you staying? Last time I was out there I played the 3/6 game at the Mirage. It was very tight for a 3/6 game. The dealer even asked, "Is this a 3/6 or 30/60 game?" The mirage is a non-smoking room and one of the nicer in the area. I also played a little 1/4/4/8 spread limit at the Sahara. This room is a bit of a dump and mainly consists of regulars. I tried to get a seat at the 4/8 game at Binions, but the wait was longer than I could stand. If you have never played in a B&M casino, familarize yourself with the string bet rule. Basically, if you are going to raise, announce it verbally before putting your chips in and you can't go wrong.

[CrackerZack]

I played 5-10 at the Monte Carlo when I was there but Dynasty has told me he's never seen that game so I'm guessing it was an anomoly. Monte Carlo and Mandalay Bay spread 1-4-8-8 with 1-2 blinds. good times.

[ElyJon]

I suggest Poker For dummies, all the basic questions about what to do and what to expect are answered. Lots of low limit tournaments in town, Orleans has small buyin events at noon and seven. Pick up a copy of card player, available for free in all rooms, to find schedules for other places. All poker rooms have low limit games below 5/10, most do not have games above that.