Rules for live play

Author: Simon Dexter

Although the best place to play poker is at littlewoodspoker.com, there will come a time in every poker player’s life when he or she must play a live game. While the rules are obviously the same, there are some important differences which every player should be aware of to make the change from online to live as seamless as possible.

Be careful what you say

Online, you can play without saying a word and you declare your intentions by simply clicking a mouse. Playing live you have to tell your opponents what you intend to do and here it is vital you never come out with phrases like “I should raise here” or “I could check here” Clever opponents may use what you have said and only hear the words “Check” or “Raise”. It’s unsporting and unfair but some players will take advantage and if they are regulars then they are likely to know the floor manager whose word is final. Best practice is to keep your mouth shut and only speak, regarding playing hands with the three magic words check, raise or fold.

Don’t show your cards

I’ve lost count the amount of times inexperienced players have allowed me a peek at their cards. And this is not because I deliberately try and see them, it happens by accident. It’s not difficult to practice looking at your cards so no-one else and see them. Turn the corner of the cards back just so you can see the value and and the suits. Try and get in the habit of remembering them so you don’t have to keep checking them. You have been spoilt by playing poker online where you always have your cards in view.

Watch what you opponents put in

Many times I have seen players put the incorrect amount into the pot when betting. Some do it by mistake but others on purpose. Always check on the amount being tossed in as there are some less than honest players out there. Don’t be afraid to ask the dealer to check the pot and don’t expect the dealer will spot players ‘mistakes’. Dealers are just like poker players - there are some good ones and plenty of bad ones.

Be careful what you do

Just as you should be careful what you do, it is good to also be careful of how your body movements are interpreted. For example indicating a check has many possibilities from a flat hand to a tap of the table to a movement of your little finger. Get into the habit of using the same check hand signal because people will try and take advantage if they can.

Tags: littlewoodspoker.com, paly poker online, play poker, poker player

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 15th, 2008 at 3:28 pm and is filed under News & Promotions Blog, Poker Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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