There’s nothing quite like a live poker tournament. The casual banter at the table, the familiar faces you get to know if you visit the same casino often, the thrill of the cards and the highs and lows of the river.
It’s a very different atmosphere from online poker, but it doesn’t come with its warnings, either. Live gaming is a very unique experience, and if you’re wondering how to play live poker, then this is the guide for you.
Rules
When you’re playing online poker, it’s almost impossible to play in a way that breaks the rules of the game. You simply press the buttons and options given to you and that’s it. The transition from online to live poker is very similar to that of chess: You feel confident that you know what you’re doing... Until there are no guidelines there to help you.
Before you play live poker, try to learn just the basics of the rules. For example, if you’re playing online poker and don’t like your hand, you can tick ‘Fold’ and walk away to make yourself a drink. However, it is very poor form to fold out of hand in live poker and can even see you penalized by the dealer!
There are also minimum betting amounts when it comes to raising that you’ll have to figure out yourself at the table, and you won’t have access to any online equity or hand-history tools either. If in doubt, ask the dealer.
Etiquette
These are similar to live poker rules, but more unspoken between the players rather than enforced by the dealer. These include not talking loudly during a big decision from other players (and don’t start a conversation with someone while they’re tanking!), not getting food or dirt on the cards and chips, or constantly leaving the table.
None of these are breaking any rules, but they’re a fast-pass to making yourself unpopular at the poker table.
Prepare for a long night
Live poker tournaments can go on for a while. Some have the final tables done and dusted within a few hours, while even the smallest entry tournaments on an unassuming Tuesday night can last 14+ hours if the stars align. In the same way that online games often are, live poker tournaments are a test of endurance and a battle of wills.
There’s no way to know how long a poker game will go on for, so it’s best to come prepared. Bring a powerbank to charge your phone with, some money to buy coffee while at the table (most poker rooms will give coffee to players for free, but some don’t) and expect to get a taxi home at the end of the night.
Strong personalities
You might have noticed this already from online poker, but the game attracts some very strong personalities. It’s easy to ignore antagonizing people when you can mute them online, but it becomes a little more difficult to handle when they’re physically sitting at the same table as you.
Most poker players are genuinely lovely people, but the game lends itself to some very stressful and high-pressure moments. Fights or disagreements aren’t uncommon at the table, and even with the dealer there to smooth things out, it’s a rare poker tournament if there aren’t some heated words exchanged at some point!
Try not to take it too personally and remember that we’ve all sworn when the other player nabbed a full house on the river when they shouldn’t have been in the hand in the first place! It’s the beauty of the game.
