Playing Texas Hold’em live in person in the casino can be a fun, exciting, and lucrative experience. As Texas Hold’em is set up to run in the casino in a very formal and structured manner, it’s important that you’re aware of how to conduct yourself properly.
By no means does this mean you can’t have fun and enjoy your time playing. It simply means that there are several things that you can do to improve your experience and better support a smooth game flow, such as the three we’ve already listed on our main Texas Hold’em Poker guide. Here are several other etiquette tips you should know about.
- In a normal small limit Texas hold’em game, say $2/4, $3/6 or $4/8, tipping $1 or $2 for a normal pot is acceptable. The same is true when buying in for a standard no-limit hold’em game, $1/2 no-limit. Again, there is no definite answer here, and players may have different opinions depending on who you ask, but unless it’s a pot less than.
- 18+ Texas Holdem Casino Etiquette T&C Apply – To receive the welcome bonus a minimum deposit of £/€/$ 10 is required. The minimum deposit for other offers that require a deposit will be clearly communicated. Maximum bonus offered will be communicated in the details of each specific promo.
- Casino Etiquette: How to Behave in a Casino. So, you are new to gambling, and you are excited to hit your local casino. From watching players playing single-deck blackjack or Texas hold’em. For the most part, you can follow this simple rule: If the cards are face-up on the table, DO NOT TOUCH THEM.
POKER RULES Texas Holdem is a Poker game in which players with fully or partially-concealed cards make wagers into a communal pot during the course of a hand, after which the pot is awarded to the player or players with the best combination of cards.
Angle Shooting
Angle shooting in Texas Hold’em poker refers to trying to win a hand or gain an edge by exploiting the rules. It can be equated to finding a loophole and using it to your advantage. The difference between angle shooting and cheating is really not that far off. An example of this might be a player hiding their cards underneath their hands to try and trick the other players into thinking they have folded already. While not covering your cards is not explicitly covered in the Texas Hold’em rule book, it is highly unethical to do so. Most casinos will eject and possibly ban players that are caught in frequent angle shooting.
Aside from not doing this yourself, you should also be on the lookout for other players engaging in this sort of activity. The casino staff will not always rule against the angle shooter, so you need to be responsible for protecting yourself. Avoiding angle shooters is one of the perks of playing online instead of live in the casino. It’s nearly impossible to angle shoot a computer.
Here is an interesting story of a high-stakes poker player describing a time he was angle shot that cost him about $18,000.
For the love of everything holy, please pay attention to this etiquette tip. If you are going to play Texas Hold’em live in the casino, you are going to be in close proximity to other human beings. This means that if you smell and have not showered recently, you are going to be absolutely abysmal to be around. The reason we sound so fired up about this etiquette tip is that for some reason a lot of poker players struggle to follow this. We are not your mother, but we are about to sound like her.
Make sure you are wearing fresh clothes when you come to play. If you just got done working out or mowing the lawn or killing a deer, your clothes are no longer fresh. Take them off, take a shower (WITH SOAP!), and put on some clothes that have recently gone through the magical contraption known as a washing machine. When you come to the poker table and don’t address your personal hygiene, it makes a strong statement that you are a selfish individual who does not care about other human beings. We will climb off of our soapbox now (so you can get some soap out of it).
Acting Out of Turn
The action in poker always follows a strict and regimented set of procedures. Action always goes clockwise, and players are expected only to act when it is their turn. If you try and act before it is your turn, you can give other players an unfair advantage. For example, if a player is thinking about raising but is worried that you are in the hand behind them, they might elect just to call instead of raising. However, if you attempt to fold your cards before it is your turn, that player can now raise without any fear of what you are going to do in the hand.
The best way to ensure that you always act in turn is to pay attention to the table. If you are confused on whose turn it is, ask the dealer for clarification before you attempt to act. Typically, a good dealer will look at the player whose turn it is. If the dealer is staring at a player to your right, it is probably not your turn. Again, the bottom line is that you need to pay attention and if you are confused or not sure, ask for clarification.
When we talk about protecting your hand here, we are not referring to betting strategy. We are talking about the actual physical protection of your two cards. If you’ve ever played live in a casino, you know that there are typically a lot of chips and cards flying across the table towards the dealer. It’s very easy for your hand to get caught up in this commotion and accidentally slid into the muck (where the dead/folded hands go). If your hand is accidentally put into the muck, there is nothing that the dealer can do and nothing that you can do. Your hand will be ruled dead, and the pot will be awarded to another player.
You can obviously tell that this would be a terrible outcome. No matter how strong or great your hand was, you will lose the pot. This is because there is no way for the dealer or casino staff to verify what cards you had. To avoid this terrible situation, you need to take a few precautions to protect your hand. The best way to make sure that this does not happen is to either keep your hand on your cards at all times or put a card marker (a small weight that holds your cards in place) on top of your cards. These will prevent the dealer from accidentally sliding your cards into the muck and killing your hand.
Here is a painful-to-watch video of someone in the $10,000 WSOP Main Event getting pocket aces (the absolute best starting hand) accidentally pulled into the muck by the dealer. Spoiler alert… Her hand is ruled dead and probably costs her thousands and thousands of dollars.
Berating Players
Nobody likes a bully. This is especially true at Texas Hold’em tables because it is not only rude but can actually cost you money. If you’ve ever played live in a casino, you have probably seen someone berate another player. This will usually occur after a player has lost a hand and thinks it is the fault of a bad play of another player. Most of the time, this is probably true. However, it is absolutely no reason for you to ever verbally or physically go after another player. Here are a few reasons why. You’ll notice that not all of the reasons have to do with morals and being a good person.
- It’s not nice.
- Our mothers said it best. Don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all. Every player at the table is free to play their cards any way they choose fit. If a player wants to make extremely stupid and illogical moves, they have that right. The quicker you realize and accept this, the easier it will be to stop berating players.
Since most berating comes as a result of a bad play, the player being berated is usually going to be a fish (a bad/losing player). The reason that poker is so profitable is that there are fish in the game who are not as good as you. If the fish did not exist or chose to leave, the game would instantly become not profitable. How do you think a fish who is only playing for recreational and relaxation purposes is going to react to being berated? If you said not well, you are correct.
There’s a commonly used phrase about fish that says, don’t tap the glass. This means that you need to be as accommodating and polite as possible to the bad players in the game so that they stick around. Are bad players going to make silly mistakes and occasionally get lucky to beat you? Yes. However, if you attack them after they do so, they might leave, and you will have no opportunity for your skill to excel and no opportunity to win your money back.
- It can make you play worse.
- If you are busy yelling at another player or making fun of their play, then you are clearly not paying attention to the action at hand. If you allow another player’s bad play to get you emotionally charged, you will stop paying attention and probably make costly mistakes. The quicker that you can put a bad beat (a statistically improbable loss) behind you, the quicker you can get back to winning and getting your money back.
Texas Holdem Casino Betting Rules
Texas Hold’em players are notorious for wanting to blame someone when they lose. If a statistically improbable card is dealt out and they lose the hand, players have a tendency to blame the dealer. We are going to be straightforward about this one. This is rude and idiotic and will not be tolerated by most live casinos. Poker dealers are not secretly setting the deck or choosing what card will come out. They did not specifically choose the card that would make you lose the hand and have another player win. If you don’t believe us, you have some personal things that you need to address before you take on a new hobby.
First of all, most casinos will not tolerate abuse of their dealers. If the berating is continual or severe enough, you may be ejected and banned from the casino. Secondly, we have spoken to several dealers who admit that they deal slower to passive-aggressively punish players that are being mean to them. If you don’t believe that dealers do this, you are living under a rock. Lastly, it makes you look like a complete jerk and creates an uncomfortable and sour experience for everyone else at the table.
The bottom line is that unlucky cards will come out. These are never the dealer’s fault so please don’t take out your anger on them. If you are upset, walk away from the table and take a short break until you have your emotions in check. This will also prevent you from making any costly strategical errors because you are emotional.
If you’ve ever seen the poker movie Rounders, you are very familiar with the term “splashing the pot.” For those that have not, splashing the pot refers to throwing your bets (chips) into the middle of the table. This makes it very difficult for the dealer to verify the amount of your bet which will result in the game being temporarily stopped while they try and find all of your chips. Nothing will slow a Texas Hold’em game down more than a player who is throwing their bets into the middle of the pot. If you do this, you will most likely be warned by the dealer and then ejected from the table if you continue to splash the pot.
The easiest way to avoid splashing the pot is to slide your chips and bets across the betting line in a slow and controlled manner. You might not look as cool as Teddy KGB, but the game will go a lot faster, and you will be able to play more hands and potentially win more money. It’s very difficult to win at Texas Hold’em if you are thrown out of the poker room.
String Bets
A string bet is when a player does not move all of their raising chips into the pot in one motion. If you have ever watched an old poker movie, they will typically put out chips and say, “I see your bet,” and then put out more chips in a separate motion for a raise. This is no longer legal in Texas Hold’em. Players are required to move all of their chips into the middle of the pot at the same time unless they verbally announce their action.
The reason these are illegal is that they can be used to elicit a response to gain information from your opponent. If you are still unsure of what a string bet looks like and what a legal bet looks like, just ask your dealer or a member of the poker room staff to show you the difference. They will be happy to help.
Agreeing to check down a hand refers to when players decide that they will see all of the remaining community cards and go to showdown without anyone betting. You will see players attempt to do this often when another player is all in. If the players check the hand down to the river, they will all have a chance to beat the player that is all in. This is completely unfair to the all-in player. If you are caught trying to make one of these arrangements, your hand may be ruled dead, and you may lose the pot regardless of how strong your hand is. You may also receive a penalty or be kicked out of the poker room if it is habitual.
Does this mean that all of the players can’t check the hand down when someone is all in? Nope. They are more than welcome to do so to try and eliminate the player if it is a tournament. The difference is whether or not the player’s verbally or motion to make an agreement to do so. That is what makes it against the rules.
Act Like You’ve Been There
It’s completely acceptable to get excited when you win a poker hand. There are no rules about how much you can celebrate, but modesty is the suggestion here. Remember, when you win a big hand, someone else at the table has just lost a big hand. If you are dancing around the table screaming and cheering, it can be like rubbing salt in a wound for the other player. If that other player is a fish, they may get angry and choose to leave the game. If this happens, you can’t win any more of their easy money.
Again, we aren’t saying that you can’t celebrate or be happy when you win a big pot. Just remember that you are in public and that someone else at the table has just lost a big hand. You would not be happy if the other players were dancing and screaming after they won a big pot off of you. Offering other players the same courtesy that you expect will go a long way.
Players always ask us what the rules are when it comes to tipping in the poker room. To be clear, you are never obligated to tip anyone in the poker room. That being said, there are several situations where it is customary to tip. This is a lot like when you go to a restaurant. You are not required to tip your server, but it is customary to the point that it is almost expected. There are similar situations in the poker room that we will address for you now.
- Chip Runners – In some casinos, you buy your chips directly from the cashier at the casino cage. It is not customary to tip in this scenario. In some casinos, you buy your chips directly from the dealer. It is not customary to tip in this scenario. A lot of casinos use chip runners to get your chips for you. This is typically someone who will come to your seat and take your money to the cage to retrieve your chips. Tipping this person is fairly customary in the casino. Regarding tip size, anywhere from $1-$5 per trip is plenty.
- Winning a Pot – It is customary to tip the dealer whenever you win a pot. This typically excludes pots where you win the pot pre-flop. If you raise and everyone elects to fold (you only win the blinds), it is not customary to tip the dealer. If the hand goes to a flop or further, it becomes customary for the player that wins the pot to tip the dealer. If you are playing in a $1-$2 game, $1 is usually the customary tip. If you happen to win a large pot, you are more than welcome to tip extra on that pot. Frankly, you are welcome to tip as much as you would like. We are just giving you guidelines as to what is customarily given from most players.
Cashing in a Tournament – Tournament tipping is a widely debated topic. Over the past years, poker rooms have begun taking additional money out of the prize pool automatically for dealer gratuity. You can find out if a casino is doing this by asking the staff or by looking at posted tournament information. If you are playing in a tournament where they have already taken out money for gratuity, it is completely up to you whether or not you want to tip additionally. If you choose not to tip additionally, this is fairly common and completely acceptable. If you do choose to tip additionally, anywhere from 1% to 5% is fairly standard.
If you are playing in a tournament that does not take out additional money for gratuity, a tip is typically customary. Again, 1% to 5% is fairly standard across the industry. Usually, the larger amount won, the closer to the bottom of that scale the tip will be. If it is a small payout, local, recreational tournament, players will typically tip towards the top of that range, if not higher. This is because these tournaments are typically played for recreational purposes and not for “making a living.”
- Drinks – Many casinos offer free beverages to their players, including poker players. A cocktail waitress will usually come around and take your order and then deliver your free drink to you. It is customary to tip the cocktail waitress for delivering your free drink. The standard tip is usually $1, though, you are more than welcome to tip more if you’d like.
Again, there are no requirements or rules that say you must tip. It is completely up to your discretion, but we do recommend the above guidelines for a better experience.
So, you are new to gambling, and you are excited to hit your local casino or
make your way to Las Vegas and play under the bright lights of the big city.
Well, that’s all very exciting! However, you need to know some basics about how
to act when you are gambling so that you don’t find yourself in an embarrassing
situation, or even worse, removed from a property. We are here to help you –
we’ve all been there before, and drawing from the experience of our team, we
have compiled a list of etiquette rules that you should read before you set foot
in a casino.
Oh…and even if you are a seasoned gambler, we think you may also want to read
this page. We have seen too much bad behavior to believe it is all coming from
newbies.
General Casino Rules
We’ll be focusing this page on how to act when you are playing at a live
casino. Obviously, if you are playing online, you don’t have to worry about most
of this, but you will need to adhere to some self-control basics which we cover
on another page.
Now. Let’s have a look at some of the things you should be considering when
you are trying to be a respectful gambler.
Electronics
These days, everything we do seems to involve our phones. Well, in a casino,
they want you to be carefree and phone-free while enjoying your favorite games.
When you are seated at a table, you aren’t allowed to use a phone for the most
part. In fact, just go ahead and put it in your pocket, as you also aren’t
typically allowed to place it on the table itself.
Worried you are going to miss a call or a text? Turn the volume up. The good
news is that when no one is on their phones, everyone is focused on playing the
game, which means fewer distractions and waiting time between hands. Also, if
you do have to step away to take or make a call, actually step away. We have
seen players try to stay on calls while playing hands, and trust us…no one likes
that.
Finally, casinos are loud. If you are on the phone, go find a quiet place to
have a conversation. Don’t worry; the dealer will watch your chips for you, and
the rest of the players at the table will be pleased to not hear all about what
you are picking up for dinner.
Know the Rules of the Game
We understand that not all of you know all the rules of the games you will
find in the casino, but that doesn’t mean you can’t take a few minutes before
you sit down to read some of the basics. Heck, if you are reading this page,
then you may already know that we have a full section on strategy for casino
games. Here is a link to that section so you can brush up on some of the basics:
There is nothing wrong with asking the dealer a question or two, but they are
not your teachers. Other players are trying to gamble, and the friendly ones are
going to offer some assistance. However, your best bet is to wait and watch a
few hands of any table game before you sit down to play. That way, you can pick
up on the basic rules as we have outlined in our strategy guides, and you can
ask questions between the hands. This will lead to a much better atmosphere when
you are finally ready to sit down and play.
Sitting Mid-Shoe in Blackjack
Casino World Texas Holdem
When you are playing blackjack in a live casino, you will likely be playing
at a table which uses 6 or 8 decks of cards in each shoe before shuffling. Many
players are superstitious about these decks, having cut the cards or taken the
time to potentially try to card count (we do not recommend this). These folks
can be very frustrated when someone sits at the table during the play. We think
you should always look for an empty table or one where the cards are being
shuffled when you sit down. Otherwise, you should ask the players at the table
if they mind you sitting down. Being polite in that situation will likely get
you a positive response, or at the very least a polite request to wait the few
minutes until the shoe is complete.
Talking About Someone Else’s Strategy
Casino gambling, despite the tables being open to multiple players, is not a
team game. Each player is using an individual strategy to try to beat the house.
Now, while we want everyone to learn at least the basics of a game (we can’t
stand rogue gamblers), one thing you simply must not do is speak about other
players’ hands during the play. Commentary on how people should or should not be
playing is not cool, and if a player is losing, it could result in some strong
words heading your way.
If you don’t like the way someone is playing a game at your table, then your
best bet is to stay cool and go find another table. Ultimately, if the player is
playing with horrible strategy, then they will lose their chips soon enough.
Reaching Over People in Roulette
Roulette is a fun, social game with everyone sitting around the wheel and
watching to see if their number hits. However, there can be many more bettors
than there are seats at the table, and this can cause some commotion when trying
to get down bets between spins. Chaos typically ensues right around the time
that the dealer is ready to spin, so we always suggest that you err on the side
of patience and courtesy. The dealer is watching everyone and will see if you
are waiting to place your bets. There is no set time for each spin, so if you
have to wait a few extra seconds, then you should be fine. Also, you can ask the
dealer to wait a couple extra seconds so that you can let your tablemates get
their bets in – the dealers will be appreciative of your patience.
Tipping Dealers
Yes, the games are probability-based, and there is nothing a dealer can do to
influence the outcome of a hand. However, there are some unwritten rules about
tipping dealers at a casino table. These people don’t get paid a lot, and they
stand on their feet for hours and have to deal with drunk, disorderly gamblers.
The least you can do is throw them something when you win a big hand or when you
leave the table. While the dealers cannot impact your hands, they can make your
time at the table more enjoyable by getting you a waitress faster, chatting with
you, and keeping idiots out of your path. A few bucks here and there won’t hurt
your bottom line and will have a positive impact.
Tipping Waitresses
Many casinos offer their players free drinks when at the tables, but that
doesn’t mean you shouldn’t tip the waitress bringing them to you. They are
having to go back and forth from the bar, making sure your cocktail is topped
up. At the very least, a buck or two a drink will keep them coming back more
frequently, and these staff member really rely on those tips to make a living.
Oh, also, don’t just assume every waitress in a casino is looking to go home
with a patron – this isn’t Swingers, and you aren’t Vince Vaughn.
Consider tipping part of the cost of being at the table, and really…how much
money could you spend on tips?
Oh…Don’t Be “That” Person at the Table
This leads us right into the next bit of etiquette – don’t be that drunk
person at the table. Yes, you may be having a blast, but your drunkenness will
be annoying others playing the game and working at the table. We have all seen
it – a drunk person who can barely see the cards spills their drink on the
table, causing commotion and delay. Trust us on this one – your night will end
early and badly if you are drunk and belligerent at the tables. That isn’t to
say that you shouldn’t have a drink – just act like an adult, please.
Don’t Touch the Cards Unless Told You Can
This is a common mistake made by players at the tables. We think it comes
from watching players playing single-deck blackjack or Texas hold’em. For the
most part, you can follow this simple rule:
If the cards are face-up on the table, DO NOT TOUCH THEM.
Now, depending on how nice you have been to dealers (see the above rules of
etiquette), you may just get a simple request not to touch the cards. However,
when you touch the cards, the general rules of the casino dictate that the hand
has been fouled and can be removed by the house. We obviously don’t want to see
you lose a winning bet just because you decided to touch the cards. Steer clear,
or at the very least, ask the dealer when you are playing if you are allowed to
handle the cards.
Do Not Touch Your Chips in Play
Very similar to the previous rule, once you have made a bet, and the play is
ongoing, you are not allowed to touch your chips. Cheating players have in the
past tried to remove bets when they were losing a hand (ask Charles Oakley how
that worked out for him). There are cameras everywhere in the casino, and the
house is always going to be right in this case. Even when the hand is over and
is being paid out, wait until the dealer gives the signal that it is okay to
remove your bets. What’s the big rush, anyway?
Poker Etiquette
When you are playing in a poker room, there is an entirely different set of
rules of etiquette. Now, that doesn’t mean you can be a drunken fool, so at the
very least, you should be using your head when thinking about how to act.
However, we have a full page dedicated to the way you should behave at a poker
table.
Playing Texas Holdem At Casino
We think that being in a casino can provide a lot of entertainment,
regardless of if you are winning or losing (but we hope you are all winners). If
everyone followed some simple rules of conduct, the overall atmosphere in a
casino would be much happier. Stick to the points we outlined on this page, and
you will find yourself making a lot of friends at the tables!