How to Play Poker in Las Vegas: A First-Timer’s Guide

Images courtesy of the World Poker Tour

If you’ve never played poker in Las Vegas before, then the prospect can seem as daunting as it is exciting. From arriving at the airport and your hotel to sitting down at the felt, you need to know what to expect, how to act, and most importantly, how to make your trip as enjoyable and profitable as possible.

Every year, approximately 31 million people gamble during their stay in Las Vegas, representing over 80% of the city’s total annual visitors, according to iGaming Business. Making yourself one of the 5% – 8% who actively travel to gamble is a risk but can come with lucrative rewards.

In this article, I’ll give you a practical walkthrough for how to get the best out of Las Vegas, leaving you wanting to come back to Sin City at your earliest opportunity.

Game Selection

Assuming that you’ve flown or driven to Las Vegas and sorted your accommodation, the next step is choosing which game to play in Las Vegas. This can be tricky because, to the outsider, there are so many choices that narrowing down your destination can feel pointless. Surely there’s great value everywhere in Vegas? Wrong.

Our weekly column on the best places to play in Las Vegas each week will help, but game selection is key.

The first rule to give yourself is that you won’t just stroll into a poker room in Las Vegas and hope that a seat is available. Most Vegas cardrooms use apps like Bravo Poker Live or PokerAtlas to keep their players informed in close to real-time.

You can download both of these apps for free, and I’d recommend you do so before you travel, allowing you to hop on once you arrive in Vegas to check which games are running and how many people are waiting for seats. If you’re looking for a $1/$3 No Limit Hold’em game on the Strip, find one before you set out. Some cardrooms will let you join the waiting list before you arrive at the casino.

If you’ve never played cash games in Vegas before, then no matter what your level elsewhere, I’d recommend you start with a little $1/$2 No Limit Hold’em, whatever your limit, just to find your feet.

If you prefer tournaments like me, then a daily deepstack or similar NLHE event could be for you. Big guarantees are as important as getting to know the local play and the feel of playing in the gambling capital of the world.

Walking in the Cardroom

While it may sound simple, for many, the act of walking into the casino itself and finding the cardroom can feel daunting. Casinos aren’t just packed with neon lights and gambling machines everywhere. They’re often a labyrinthine maze where you need to seek out the poker room, which is behind a lot of one-armed bandits, video poker, and table games.

Even when you reach the cardroom, between dozens of tables and tournament clocks flashing on giant screens around the room, it can be difficult to know where to put down your money and make your choice, making newcomers feel like they’re a step behind.

Before you attend the casino, familiarize yourself with their set-up. Watching a physical walkthrough video on YouTube can often settle any nerves and give you the route to registration before you’ve set foot in the cardroom, making you look like you know where you’re going.

Dealers, floor staff, and even your fellow players want games to run smoothly rather than make anyone feel uncomfortable, so don’t feel intimidated by those who know what they’re doing. They just have more experience than you.

After arriving at the cardroom, don’t just sit down. Instead, approach the cash desk and either let them know what cash game you want to join if you’ve reserved a seat or enquire about the tournaments they have running.

Many Vegas casinos offer a rewards card, which you should take them up on. It will cost nothing to sign up as a member and can pay you back in food or drink credits or other benefits simply for time spent playing in their cardroom.

In a cash game, floor staff will either seat you immediately or place you on a waiting list if you haven’t pre-booked your seat. A wait is quite normal while tables are balanced and players are catered for around the room, so don’t panic. Many Vegas poker rooms will text you when a seat becomes available, while others will call your name over the room’s speaker system.

Once your name is called, a staff member will take you to your table or point you in the direction of it. Buy-ins will vary from room to room and game to game. A typical $1/$3 game often might see players buying in for $200-$300, but this will change depending on the player pool.

Some cardrooms will ‘sell’ chips directly at the table, so you can exchange dollars for clay with the dealer. Others require you to buy chips from the ‘cage’ first. If you’re unsure which rule applies, ask at the desk first rather than turning up at the table without chips you might need.

Playing at the Felt

There are several things to remember to do while you’re playing at the Las Vegas felt. Always keep your largest denomination chips at the front of your stack and make the chips neat and easily able to be counted.

Pay attention before and during hands, especially if you’re posting blinds or antes. Don’t act out of turn and remain polite to your opponents at all times, no matter your fortunes at the felt.

Avoid using your phone, certainly whenever you’re in a hand, and don’t discuss hands that are still being played. That sort of thing is part of the pattern in local casinos and home games, but in Las Vegas, it doesn’t fly.

If you’re ever unsure of the action, look to your dealer. Year-round Las Vegas dealers aren’t the same as the summer hires brought in to cope with WSOP overflow. Most full-time Vegas dealers are very experienced professionals and are your reliable guides.

One of the most common ways out-of-towners let themselves be known as rookies in Sin City is by tossing a single oversized chip into the pot as a ‘raise’. Unless you verbally state “raise,” then it will count as a call, not a raise. When dealing with your fellow players, speak clearly, make your poker actions deliberately, and help your fellow players feel as settled as you want to feel yourself.

Tipping Your Dealers

Tipping dealers is standard practice in Las Vegas, so it pays to be up to speed with what is expected and how frequently. In cash games, many players tip around $1 after winning a pot. If you’re in a larger pot, it might warrant a bigger tip, but nobody expects you to throw money around recklessly despite it being the city where gamblers and showman have made their names.

In poker tournaments, there is often a levy paid to dealers as part of your in-the-money payout. There might not be, however, so don’t assume; check. While drinks are often complimentary during Vegas tournaments or cash games, the waiting staff work hard and aren’t tipped as regularly as others in casinos, such as table game dealers who bring in a certain number on a roulette wheel. Most Vegas regulars tip $1 to $2 per drink.

One last thing on table etiquette. While smaller cash games in other towns demand your constant presence, things work differently in Vegas. If you need a break for food, the restroom, or just to clear your head, then let the dealer know that you’re stepping away from the table. Nobody cares, and Vegas is full of players arriving to play poker, leaving, taking a dinner breaks and returning later on.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

A lot of people come to Las Vegas every year and lose money. They return home with nothing but tales of their adventures away from the poker tables and a bad beat story to tell their friends. You don’t want that to be your experience.

Always be conscious that trying to impress your table is both expensive and unlikely to be successful. Las Vegas regs have seen it all, and you’re not there to entertain them; you’re after their money. Don’t buy in at stakes that feel uncomfortable to you, and once you’re at your table, don’t abuse free drinks or overspend on alcohol.

The upside is that most Vegas players will be focused on their own decisions at the felt, not judging yours, so play your own game. Don’t put pressure on yourself to win big in your first session or the tournament you play. You might wait longer than expected to sit down, fold for an hour, or lose after hours at the felt.

When choosing how to react to that reality, understand that every player in the room probably traveled the same learning curve.

When in Las Vegas for the first time, making the regular feel routine should be your only ambition to start off with. Check in, buy your chips, and play a few hands. Remember to tip your dealer and be strict about game selection and bankroll management. The alien environment will feel smaller and more familiar with every session you play at the felt.