Tips for Playing Live Poker Games in Las Vegas

Playing live poker in Las Vegas can seem a bit overwhelming if you don't know which casinos hold live poker games. You can find many different games and limits at live card rooms in Vegas (though nothing like playing online). Some of the tips I cover on this page will hopefully help new players and Las Vegas tourists get into the game more quickly and easily.

Calling the casinos ahead of time, rather then just showing up, is a good idea. You can find out what table limits and games they offer. If there is a waiting list to get into the game you want to play, you can ask over the phone to be put on the list, in order to save time. Also, calling ahead is good for tournaments because you can find out the tournament times and the buy-in amounts.

Finding Different Limit Games and Tournaments in Las Vegas

Local casinos in Las Vegas tend to offer more modest, or smaller limit games, while the strip casinos offer the high roller games. If you want to find REALLY small limits, like $1.00/$2.00 fixed, downtown is the place to go. The El Cortez and Jerry's Nugget offer these types of games. Downtown casinos, like on Freemont Street, offer a lot of tournaments.

In most poker rooms in Las Vegas you can get a free newspaper that has tournament listings for every casino. It is an easy-to-read listing of the casino, the time, and the buy in amount. If you are in town for the week it is much easier to pick up a tournament paper and plan out your week if you're wanting to hit all the tournaments you can while you are here.

Bad Beat Jackpots in Las Vegas

It can be a good strategy to choose a casino which offers bad beat jackpots.
I know that all Station casinos (Palace Station, Texas Station, and Boulder Station, to mention a few) offer a bad beat jackpot. Also, any player sitting and playing in any Station casino poker room gets a small percentage of the bad beat jackpot if it hits while they are sitting.

The requirements for the bad beat jackpot lessen over time. It may start out as a straight flush beating a 4 of a kind, and then move all the way down to aces over kings getting beaten. In order to make the jackpot hand valid, both players must use both of their hole cards to make the best hand. If one player uses 2 hole cards and the other is only using one, the jackpot has not been hit.

I saw a jackpot hand hit one time at Texas Station - I believe it was 7777 getting beat by AAAA (the person who takes the bad beat - in this case the quad 7s took it - gets the bigger end of the jackpot). A young kid who had the quad 7s was ecstatic! I was playing keno about 50 feet from the poker room when the whole place erupted in yelling, screaming and cheering. It was very cool to see!

Las Vegas Casino Comps: Get Your Players Club Card

Most casinos in Las Vegas offer a players card, or players club card. If you are have found a casino that you like and plan to play there a lot, get the players card - it's free. When you buy in to any poker game or tournament, give your card to the poker room manager - he or she will rate your play by limit and hours played. You accumulate points and can get free meals, free room stays and all kinds of other complimentary things ("comps"). You can use your players card and earn comps at any table game, blackjack, or any slot machine you put money into.

Once you get the hang of where to go and where you like to play, it is all fun from there on out. You will feel like a pro in no time, and if you are lucky you may even hit a bad beat jackpot. Always remember to try to play limits you are comfortable with and which you can afford. Nothing sucks more than to lose your whole roll in Las Vegas and get stuck here. . . but if you have used your players card, at least you can get a free meal - haha.

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