Live Etiquette

Let’s face it – online poker requires very little knowledge of the game’s rules and etiquette. Everything is laid out for you, and you can’t break any rules because the software won’t let you. However, when you decide to take your game to a live poker tournament, you’ll find an entirely different experience. If you don’t know the various rules and guidelines, you’ll find yourself in trouble, and may even be penalized in a hand. However, the guide below will tell you everything you need to know about live poker etiquette.

Buying In:

When you’re at a casino, you’ll first want to locate the poker room, and then head up to the front desk. This is where you’ll register for the tournament. Specify what tournament you’d like to enter, and you’ll pay the buy-in. The casino worker will then provide you with a receipt for your buy-in. HANG ON TO IT. I’ve lost the receipt before, and they will not let you sit down at your table without it.

Finding your Table:

Most of the time the tournament will be held right in the poker room, but if it is a special tournament or a really big one, they will move it to a conference room. Make sure to ask where the tournament will be held when you register, or you’ll look like a fish out of water in a poker room that will easily be filled with SOME sharks.

Once you find the room, look at your receipt to see what table/seat you are at. If you can’t find the table numbers, just ask a dealer where table X is. Once you find the table, make sure to sit in the correct seat. Seat 1 is the seat directly to the left of the dealer, and it continues around the table clockwise until you get to seat 10, which is directly to the right of the dealer. The chips will already be on the table, so you don’t have to worry about that. Sit down and hand your dealer your tournament receipt. 

Play at the Tables:

This is where things get strict. As long as you follow all the rules I’m about to explain, you’ll be fine. One of the most important rules to remember? NEVER act out of turn. A lot of players get really mad about this because it could potentially affect another player’s decision. Also, never, ever, talk about a poker hand while it is still going on. Comments such as “He’s gotta call that…” when a player is facing an all-in will get you in big trouble by the tournament director (assuming he’s doing his job right).

Another big thing is to never talk on your cell phone or even text while you’re sitting at the table. If you need to talk just fold your hand and walk away from the table, no one is going to steal your chips.

Also, if you’re new to live tournaments, never turn your cards over until the dealer tells you to. Often times new players will misconstrue another player’s actions, and flip their cards over because they think it’s an all-in situation even if it isn’t. This obviously causes huge problems.

Making the Money:

If you are fortunate enough to make the money, or even the final table, there are a few other items to keep in mind. First, if it is a big tournament, there will probably be some sort of rail separating the observers from the players. If you have someone there watching you, make sure they stay behind the rail, and aren’t too obnoxious.

Also, when you make the money in a live tournament, it is courteous to tip the dealers. How you do this is when you bust, the tournament director will take you to a separate table to pay you in chips or cash, and there will be a box that says Dealer Tips. Just place some of your new-found winnings in there. Usually 2% is a nice-enough tip for the dealers.

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Mike Wittmeyer, owner of PokerSite.org and professional live poker player, provided this article tutorial to the Professor himself here at Gambling101. If you would like to read more of his Poker Tournament Strategy articles, feel free to please check out his cool website.

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