6 Best Poker Tips For Beginners In Vegas

News flash: Las Vegas has casinos in spades!

You could dabble in slots, but poker is a much more involved way to try your luck. There’s a fun social aspect and it’s a great way to secure the bag if you play well.

However, poker can admittedly be tricky to wrap your head around. Luckily for you, we’ve compiled a list of the best poker tips for beginners. While we can’t make any promises, we feel confident in saying these suggestions will get you on the right track.

You know what they say: every master was once a rookie. What better place to learn the poker game than in Sin City? Buckle up for our best poker tips!

How To Get In A Game

Signing Up

Okay, let’s take it from the start, young Las Vegas poker player.

Before you dive right into a poker session, you need to make a little trip to the main counter. You can register for a tournament or put your name down for a cash game.

Tournaments have an entry fee. Once you’ve paid it, you’ll be given a ticket that tells you your table and seat number. If you’ve opted for a cash poker game, you’ll probably find yourself choosing between the classic (Texas Hold’Em poker) and other popular variations like Pot-Limit Omaha. Choose Texas Hold’Em if you’re reading this blog!

Ultimately, you can probably expect to find more serious players in tournaments, but don’t underestimate people in cash games, either. Remember the golden rule: if you can’t find the worst player in 15 minutes… it’s probably you.

1. Get Your Chips

You can purchase poker chips at the front counter, too.

Usually, they have a minimum and maximum buy-in amount. For example, there would be a $40 minimum buy-in for a $3 No-Limit Hold’Em cash game. If you wanna get boujee, you can go all out by getting the $300 limit.

It’s best to go in with a smaller amount you’re comfortable losing. Don’t worry about running out during an intense game—you can always replenish your stack back up to the max buy-in. Just put some cash down and let the dealer know.

2. When to Play: Daytime vs. Nighttime

Nighttime beats daytime by a landslide here.

If you play during the day, you’re probably swimming with the sharks. The younger players who are more in it to have fun (like you!) come out at night. This is the perfect time to have an amazing cocktail—take advantage of that liquid courage!

Rather than trying your luck while the sun is out, we recommend you spend your time at one of the best day pool parties in Las Vegas. Get the best of both worlds!

How To Hold Your Own

3. Casino Poker Room Etiquette

Here are the basics of poker table etiquette:

• Only make a move when it’s your turn. Keep your head in the game!
• Make your bets clear. Tables have a betting line so other players know what chips are in and which are just part of your stack.
• Don’t string bet. Stand firm and do it in one motion so people know how much you’re actually betting. *Insert side-eye and frowns from other players*
• Avoid discussing hands at the table. Talking about a live hand as it happens is guaranteed to make you some enemies.

4. Know When To Fold Em

Alright beginners, pay extra attention here for some free poker strategy.

Going in on a bad hand is a surefire way to lose money in poker. While, yes, crazy things have happened, you’re better off folding until you get a hand worth playing.

For Texas Hold’Em, getting a suit card (jack, queen, king) or ace paired with a card higher than a six is a good sign. You should also play a pair (i.e., two sevens), and sometimes two high sequential cards of the same suit (i.e. the nine and 10 of hearts).

Two low-value cards of different suits? Instant fold!

5. Know How To Bet

So, you’ve got a good hand—but how do you bet it?

As far as tips for poker beginners go, this one is key. Let others do the betting for you unless your hand is SO good that you want to scare everyone off. An example of this would be getting a full house right off the initial three-card flop in Texas Hold’Em.

Assuming you aren’t that lucky, you can let someone else do all the raising while you quietly match them. Let them feel confident, then surprise them at the end of the hand with an aggressive bet once you’re in the clear.

6. Tipping Etiquette

There are no tipping rules set into stone, but it is polite to tip the dealer as you play or when you leave the table—a fair amount would be around 2 to 5% of your overall winnings. Beginners can base it on the size of their pot and game experience.

Drop Your Poker Face and Let Loose

There you have it: our best poker tips for beginners!

You’re undoubtedly going to encounter pros at the Vegas tables, but we have a feeling you’ll be able to hold your own with these tips for poker beginners. Now why not put some of your winnings toward partying like a VIP?

The Exodus Festival is the most exciting place to do exactly that. Our festival pass gives you access to world-class DJs and VIP access to some of the best spots in Vegas—you seriously shouldn’t miss these wild nights!

Las Vegas is a win; place your bets on it. Secure your tickets today!