sitting down and waiting for BB

[Meatmaw]

Newbie question. I went to cache creek this weekend, and when I went to get my chips and go sit down, I was planning on waiting for the BB. If I were to join immediately, I would have been UTG so I figured I'd simply wait the hand instead of pay the charge, but as I sat, the dealer dealt me in right away. I did not think I could simply say "no thanks" since there were cards in front of me, so could someone clarify for me:

A) Would it have been proper to just say 'I'll wait for BB', or do people never 'wait for the blind' like they do in online.

B) The $3 charge I paid (3/6 table) was, I assumed, like the charge you pay when you sit down at a non-BB seat to play online. Was it, instead, just some table charge that people pay regardless, i.e. if I sat down at BB I would be asked to give $6 ($3 to house and $3 to the BB)?

Thanks for the clarifications.

[Bill Bixby]

In Tunica you get to play for free until the BB comes aroud [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

[Percula]

Most rooms will not require a new player to post. Makes me wonder if the deal knew you were a new player or not.

[joshman1204]

I have never been asked to post unless I missed my BB at a table i was already seated at.

[Jimmy The Fish]

Some rooms require a post when joining from off the BB, and some don't. I usually ask when sitting down, "Do I need to post?" Unless it's the dealer's first hour on the job, he's heard the question before.

In general, Missouri card rooms require a post, and Oklahoma ones don't. Can't say much about other areas yet...

[Ilovephysics]

At Foxwoods, I'll often announce that I'll wait till the BB. The dealer will (I'd guess, 95% of the time) know what to do and won't deal me in... sometimes they'll put a marker in front of me just to remind them that I'm not to be dealt in if it will be more than 2 hands..

I'll typically notify the dealer as I'm arriving and putting my chips on the table... They'll usually ask, often because I believe they are supposed to check and make sure all the blinds are posted first before they deal...

I think about 5% of the time, the dealer *will* forget at some point (sometimes even with a marker in front of me) and often it will result in a miss-deal. Usually, they will just reshuffle and redeal. Players typically get more upset at the dealer than me when this happens... though I'm sure many are upset that I chose to wait in the first place...

[Guthrie]

When I played at the Bike and Commerce it was pretty standard to wait for the BB. Dealers would usually ask if you wanted to wait, especially if the blind was coming up. When they get to know you, they sometimes don't even ask, just assume you aren't going to post UTG.

Mistakes happen though. I'd probably take the cards and post in late position, but push them back in early, especially UTG.

[KenProspero]

To state the obvious --

The issue here is whether a new player is required to post a bb in order to play their first hand.

In places that make a new player post, there is some advantage to waiting for the blinds to come around to you before playing.

In places that allow you to play for free until the blind comes around, there's no advantage to not playing immediately. So you might as well do so.

The dealer will always tell you whether you have to post, but if you're not sure, ask the dealer, when you sit down, what the custom is at the place you're playing.

[Meatmaw]

Thanks for all your responses. I was just a bit confused and have heard of charges that I am not too familiar with, like "time charges". So I wasn't sure if this was a post that goes toward my bet, or a charge paid to the house, i.e. something I'd have to pay above and beyond even if I were in BB (in which case I'd have simply waited for the button before playing). I have a much better feel now, thanks.

[KenProspero]

Time charges are completely separate from the blinds.

Essentially, a casino makes it's money either by raking the pot or by charging each player a set amount (e.g., $5 per half hour) to play.