Section III: Types of Poker Games
Casino Games
There is absolutely no substitute for the rush a player feels while sitting under bright casino lights, staring across a chip-covered table trying to read the only opponent left to showdown (usually an absolute stranger) before placing your final large bet to showdown. Although online and home games can be both fun and exciting, few will argue with the idea that casino games are the most exciting way to play poker. The only drawbacks to casino games are that you must actually go to a potentially crowded, smoky, and loud casino (unlike home or internet games) and it can be difficult to find a good game in some casinos.
This is probably the most important advice you will receive when it comes to casino poker: The first time you sit down at a casino game it is very important, for your sake and for the sake of not slowing down the game and potentially annoying other players, to let all of the players at the table and the dealer know that it is your first time playing casino poker. All dealers and most players at public casinos will be very flexible and help you become comfortable with the routine and rules of the game. If you do not make everyone involved in the game aware of your lack of experience, the more experienced players at the table will likely become irritated and impatient very quickly.
For almost every new poker player, casino games are fairly intimidating. They move more quickly, are more structured, and can be much more confusing than the average home game. It can also be intimidating to sit at a table with seven or eight strangers who all have a better idea of what is going on than you. Once again, the most important thing to remember is let everyone know that you need help getting through the game.
One of the more confusing aspects of casino poker games is the buy-in. Although it is a fairly simple concept, new players often have trouble remembering standard buy-in procedures and policies, which are usually very strict at casinos. Players buying in short （i.e.for less than the minimum) are the cause of many card room disputes. The player can sit down with any amount of money, no matter how much, as long as it is at least the minimum buy-in amount. A player with chips may add additional chips to his stack as he desires when he is not involved in a pot, but he may not take chips off the table until quitting the game. Chips and/or money should be in clear view of every player and a player has the right to ask an opponent how much he is playing and to be told. Hidden cash, such as under a cigarette packet or ashtray, cannot be bet. Money and/or chips from the table are not allowed to be transferred from one player to another (this makes collusion more difficult).
There is one more important thing to keep in mind while playing casino poker, which will be mentioned later in the etiquette section, but is worth mentioning twice. As in most service industry jobs, most front-line casino employees get paid minimum wage. The majority of a casino employee's pay comes through the gratuities of casino patrons.
You should never expect a dealer to bend the rules if you decide to tip. However, if you are winning, and the dealer is being courteous and helpful, it is customary to show your appreciation. Naturally you are under no obligation to tip, but an occasional gratuity is always in good form and helps keep up the morale at the table. Look at tipping as a donation to "Lady Luck."
Internet Poker
Online poker is a relatively new phenomenon popping up all over the internet. One can rarely surf the web without encountering at least a few online poker pop-ups or advertisements. Although most players still prefer live poker games, there are many advantages to playing online. Despite the obvious advantages of playing online, there are still a few risks of playing in some online casinos. Online casinos can be both fun and practically risk-free if you take the time to check up on the site you play through before giving them any money.
In the past two or three years, computer poker has been transformed from a fun game that a few serious poker players used as practice into a multi-million dollar business. Today, with the emergence of quick, lifelike, micro-stakes games; one can match up with players of all skill levels. New players can quickly develop a strong knowledge of poker as well learn how to play selectively and aggressively without having to risk the embarrassment of slowing down fast-paced casino games. More importantly, players can learn the basics without risking lots of money. With low and micro-stakes games, a new player can play hundreds of hands with just a few dollars.
The only real problem with online play is the fact that there are a few essential aspects of a live poker game that are not present during an online game. The most important disadvantage of playing online is the fact that you cannot look an opponent in the eyes. Almost all poker tells (signs that one is bluffing) are physical hints that you must be watching the player to identify. The fact that you are not able to watch your opponents as you make decisions can be a disadvantage, especially for more skilled players.
Although online poker is becoming a very popular venue for poker players, its original use is still very important to even the most serious players who aspire to maintain a winning record. Computer poker programs were originally designed as a means of entertainment and practice for professional players. Despite the fact that computer poker is now very popular among both skilled and unskilled players, it can still help one improve his or her skills dramatically in little time for little or no money.
When playing for free simply for fun or for practice, it is very easy to find a good poker program that costs nothing to download and play. The best place to find a free downloadable game is at a pay site that offers a "free sample" of their program. They do this so that players can get used to the program before giving any money to the site. Before going out and buying relatively expensive programs like Hoyle Casino, be sure to check out pay sites like www.partypoker.com and www.Full Tilt.com that offer free downloadable versions of their poker programs.
There are a few things to keep in mind when choosing an online casino if you want to play with real money. Although it is much harder to find a poorly run casino with late payouts and poor customer service than it was even just a few years ago due to some new regulations, it is still very important to be sure that you are handing your money to a reputable company that will pay out on time and be fun and easy to play with. In order to obtain a license, online casinos are required to show the software that they are using. However, casinos are not overly watched in this regard. The best way to tell that a casino is worth its grain of salt is to check if they are using systems that are most desirable in the industry. Finally, look for a casino that has been around for at least two or more years and that is favored by many.
As you may have seen, many sites have a little icon where you can vote for the site if you like it. Service sites like Gambling.com collect these votes, assemble monthly rankings, and hand out "Top Site" awards to the winners. Typically, awards will be given for the #1, Top 5, Top 10, and Top 20 sites. Given the hundreds of online casinos, these awards can be a convenient way to find an established site that is popular with the gaming public.
Maybe the most important thing to look for once you have narrowed your search for the perfect site down is how quickly you will receive your winnings. Believe it or not, there are sites that only make their payouts on the last Friday of the month, for example. Or they may require that you send them email expressly requesting your winnings. At a few sites your withdrawal transactions have to be pre-approved and the site advises that that can take up to two weeks. Be sure that you will receive a quick payout through a secure server before you begin gambling at a site.