The world of live poker cash games can be quite intimidating at first. When I first walked into a poker room at 18 years old, ready to play cash poker for the first time, my head was full of questions, and if you’re reading this - you probably have those same questions too. 

What stakes should you play? How much do you buy in for? Where do you register for the waiting list? Is there a waiting list? If this sounds familiar, you’re in the right place.

As with any form of gambling there are some important factors to consider before you start playing poker cash games, and there are some things which I would love to have known before I got into the casino and made a fool of myself.

What is your budget for cash poker?

You need to set a gaming budget before getting to the casino. This is an amount you will not exceed and is preferably more than one buy-in.

We mean it, do not exceed your budget. Just call it a night and come back another time.

What to expect in a cash poker game? 

Be realistic. Know your skill level and how that stacks up to the other players at your local casino. 

If you know you can beat every player at your table through sheer skill alone, then that’s great and you should try to extract as much value as possible (and have a great time while you’re at it). However, if you’re new to the game and feel like the other players are better than you, you should pick your spots wisely and try to learn from those who you feel are really good. 

Don’t be disheartened. In any casino it will be highly unlikely that you’re the worst player there; some players have never taken the time to read a post like this and are purely playing cash poker to gamble.

Do you need to get onto a waiting list for live poker?

Is your local cardroom busy? If it is, there will likely be a waiting list which you will have to join before getting a seat. 

Your first step at the card room should be to speak to a member of staff and ask if they have any seats available. They will ask what stakes you are interested in, and point you in the right direction.

What stakes should you play in live cash poker?

The stakes you play in live poker will vary from person to person, and from casino to casino. In general it’s good to have a couple of buy-ins available for whatever stake you pick. The lowest stake you will regularly find in the UK is £1/£1.

I would recommend buying in for at least £100 but preferably £200. This represents 100 - 200 big blinds and in cash game play you should be deepstacked. If you find yourself playing a sub 100 big blind stack you should be thinking about topping up or, if you cant afford it, leaving. This means you should bring between £200 and £400 that you are prepared to lose if luck does not go your way. 

If £1/£1 is a little high for your budget, some casinos offer smaller games. For example, the Casino MK offers a 25p/25p live poker cash game.

Stack Sizes

I touched on it briefly in the last section but stack sizes are an important part of cash game play. Usually a casino will allow buyins of 40 - 200 big blinds and in some high stakes games the buyins will be uncapped, allowing you to buyin to a game with as much money as you like. 

If you feel you are a decent player capable of winning against your opponents you will want to maximise any potential gain by buying in for the largest  amount possible. In a live £1/£1 game this will be £200. 

It can be daunting to play this deep stacked but this is where the skill in cash games lie and is what makes them so profitable if you can handle it. 

Etiquette at the cash poker table

If you are anything like I was when I first started playing cash games, you will know tournament poker well. However, there are a few differences to be aware of when playing live cash poker which are not obvious at first. 

Showing when all-in

 In cash games there is no requirement to table your hand during an all-in. This means if you have the losing hand you can quietly muck your cards without having to show. 

A player who called your all-in can request that you show your hole cards and you will have to, although this is rare, and sometimes considered poor etiquette. If you get the money in holding the nuts it is best just to show as it could be considered a slow roll otherwise.

Blinds

You don't have to wait until the Big Blind reaches you before you can start playing (unlike online), and you will have the option to buy the button if you sit down in the blinds. More about buying the button here. https://www.tommyangelo.com/buy-button-perfect-rule/

The option to run it twice

Usually in cash games you will have the option to ‘run it twice’, this is where the dealer deals two complete boards (flop, turn, river) and awards half of the pot to whoever won on each board.

Sometimes the room will impose restrictions on when you can run it twice, such as only in heads up pots or only in pots over a certain value. As every poker room has different rules you should ask a floorperson for clarification where you play.

Should you run it twice?

This depends on your preference. Personally, I will always run it twice if my opponent asks me to but I will never ask for it myself. Running it twice serves to reduce the short term variance and is generally good for the game because it keeps weaker players happy for longer, and if they are happy they will come back and lose more money.

Remember, if you choose to run it twice or not, you should be consistent in your decision. Either always run it twice or never run it twice, don't pick and choose. Being selective when running it twice will not be popular and just cause arguments. If you want to be a regular at your casino it's a good long term decision to be fair.

How to leave a cash poker game (up or down)

If you lose all your money it's fairly simple, the dealer will ask if you'd like to rebuy and you say no, then leave. This is not how we like to do things, but it does happen sometimes.

If you are winning, leaving the poker table is a little different. It is considered polite to announce you are leaving 20-30 minutes in advance although this is by no means a requirement. 

It’s also generally a good idea to sell all of your low value chips (£1, £5, £25) to a player with lots of high value chips or to the dealer. If this is not possible ask the dealer, or a floor person for a rack. You can then take your chips to the cash desk and exchange them for money.

Playing live cash poker in a casino

Hopefully this guide will help you navigate your first trip to the casino to play cash games. This covers the basics for what to expect and prevent any obvious newbie poker player blunders. 

Try not to be too intimidated, people in the casino can seem scary but they’re there to have fun just like you are and will gladly excuse a few rookie errors in the name of keeping the table friendly.

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