POKER TIPS & STRATEGY

From Novice to Natural: Poker Tips for Beginners Who Love Live Play

By David Huber
October 19, 2025

Live poker tips for beginners are easy to come by, and can help you achieve two goals at once: learning how to play poker and having fun.

For new players especially, it can be intimidating to walk into a brick and mortar poker room for the first time.

The incessant sound of chips being shuffled along with an actual card room vibe will instantly “stick out” to someone who has never been in a card room atmosphere before.

But not to worry. In this guide, we’ll go over some of the most common live poker beginner tips. Hopefully by the end of this article, you’ll be ready to “get your feet wet” while having the confidence to start your live poker journey off on the right foot.

live poker tips for beginners

General Live Poker Rules

If this will be your first time playing poker in a live setting, you’ll want to be aware of a few general rules — some of which can vary depending on the venue.

Some card rooms offer small, intimate environments filled with locals, in which all the “regular” poker players know each other by name. Others may have dozens of tables going at once, or even be in the midst of hosting a major poker tournament.

Scanning the Poker Area for the First Time

When first walking into a live card rooms that offers poker games, take a moment to notice what is happening in front of you.

Is there a reception area for inquiring about which games are being spread? Do you see any signs of which games are being played and/or the stake levels?

Do you see any empty tables? Or tables that obviously have open seats that you can join?

It’s a good idea to plan ahead and have a general idea of your own as to which games, stake levels, and formats you want to play.

If you’re looking for a no limit Texas Hold’em game, chances are there will be at least one seat available (unless you see a crowd of players waiting near the reception area). NLHE has been the most common form of live poker spread throughout the world since online poker became hugely popular in the early 2000s.

Arrive with a Poker Buddy

You can remove a lot of the initial intimidation factor of stepping into a live poker room for the first time by choosing to have a poker buddy tag along with you.

Not only will this avoid going into a card room all alone for the first time, it will also serve the purpose of being able to ask any questions that immediately come to mind.

Overall, it’s probably best to select someone who is at least somewhat familiar with what to expect from the live poker room you’re visiting.

If you’re in a major casino, then you can probably browse around before entering the poker area to get a “feel” of the layout. However, if you’re visiting a local card room, you may be immediately thrust into the atmosphere as soon as you walk through the front door.

Have Your Poker Bankroll Ready

Once you’ve adjusted to the atmosphere of a live card room, the next step will be buying in to a game that’s either ongoing or about to start.

If you’re entering a poker room for the first time in order to play in a tournament, you’ll want to know the event’s specific buy in amount ahead of time so you can easily enter through the receptionist or cashier.

If you’re looking to play in a cash game, you’ll need to exchange money for poker chips at a cashier’s cage (or through a chip “runner”) either before you arrive at the designated table or as you take your seat.

Low Stakes and Fixed Limit Games are Best for Beginners

If this is your very first time playing live poker, my best advice is to buy in for the lowest possible stake level that’s allowed.

Typically, fixed limit games will allow you more time to adjust (as you won’t be pressured to go “all-in” on any given hand).

Depending on the card room, the minimum buy in for a low stakes, fixed limit poker game ranges from $100 to $500.

If you absolutely insist on playing NLHE (or if No Limit Texas Hold’em is the only game/format being spread), then try to find a $1/$3 low stakes table, where the minimum buy in amount is between $200 to $500.

Live Poker Etiquette for Beginners

There are more than a few guidelines concerning poker etiquette at a live table. As a true beginner at the live tables, many of these will be overlooked as long as it’s something “minor” in nature and you retain a positive attitude in terms of learning how to act.

However, some etiquette guidelines will be more strictly enforced, resulting in you begin immediately instructed on the behavior that’s expected.

Large denomination chips go in front

This poker etiquette rule is mostly for “no limit” or “pot limit” games, but it’s probably a good idea to get into a habit regardless of which game or stakes you’re playing.

Always place your largest denomination chips at the front of your stack (meaning away from you). All competing players at the table should be able to get a general idea of your total stack size with a casual glimpse. Again, this is of utmost importance during no limit and pot limit games.

If a competing player asked you to place your large denomination chips in front of your stack (for all to see), the best thing you can do is nod politely and do so. After all, you will likewise appreciate being able to gauge all opponents’ total chip stacks in no limit and pot limit games.

Keep your hands clean when eating

Dining at live poker tables is a necessary event for players who get hungry or will inevitably want to stay at a table for hours at a time.

As you can imagine, dining can be particularly “messy” when you add playing cards into the equation.

Pretty much any substance you can imagine (and then some) can potentially “mark” one or more live playing cards; everything from grease to sauce and much more.

The other players at your table — even though they are technically competitors — will not appreciate it if you’re handling playing cards with hands that are potentially stained by soft drink residue, salad dressing, or anything else associated with dining or drinking at the table.

Join “Soft Entry” Events

Cardplayer Lifestyle’s Mixed Game Festival has become a staple among poker fans who enjoy playing fixed limit games ranging from Omaha Eight to Seven Card Stud.

Perhaps best of all, you can travel to Las Vegas — or anywhere else a festival is being held — and choose between low buy in tournaments and cash games at your convenience while the Festival is running.

Soft Entry poker festivals that allow players to join in and bow out of games in accordance with how they are faring at a specific game of tournament are highly recommended for new players.

For the Mixed Game Festival specifically, there are other casual events like Meet-and-Greet gatherings and trivia contests that can further immerse you in a live poker atmosphere among a player field that is mostly attending to have fun above all else.

The low buy in tournaments and cash games that are synonymous with events like the Mixed Games Festival, which distinguishes itself from major, ultra-competitive poker festivals hosted by huge brand names in the poker realm.

Mixed games can also be highly instructive for new players.

Instead of focusing on one single discipline (such as No Limit Texas Hold’em), you can learn multiple variants of poker in a casual environment that is exclusively geared towards “Fixed Limit” betting rounds.

Teaching Sessions: Perfect for Live Poker Beginners

One of the more common features of a Mixed Game Festival is instructional sessions. Occasionally held as “Women’s Wednesdays” these learning sessions are led by individuals with a wealth of experience in the realm of live poker, including Poker Hall of Famer Linda Johnson and Women in Poker Hall of Famer Lupe Soto.

Especially if you’ve just got basic poker experience and want to dip your toes in the mixed game waters for the first time, instructional poker sessions are the perfect way to learn. First you’ll get primers on the various different poker games being taught, and then you’ll get to practice them at super low stakes ($1/2 fixed limit) often with no rake. What more could a poker player ask for?

Linda Johnson and Lupe Soto

Six Live Poker Tips for Beginners

Here are six live poker beginner tips that I personally recommend for new players.

Practice Prudent Bankroll Management

Bankroll management is key for any poker player, regardless of experience.

New players should set a budget before entering a live poker venue for the first time — and stick to it.

Take only an amount of money that you’re comfortable losing as an “entertainment” expense, and don’t buy in above your preset limit.

Your first-time poker experience won’t be nearly as memorable (at least not in a positive way) if you wind up losing hundreds or even thousands of dollars that you didn’t plan on risking during your first session.

Play Mixed Games and Fixed Limit Formats

You will give yourself a much better chance of gaining experience during your first live poker sessions if you stick to mixed games and/or fixed limit formats.

In “all-in” No Limit formats, you can lose 100 (or many more) Big Blinds in a single hand, and be forced to either reload or leave the table if you are not the winner at showdown.

Avoid this unfortunate circumstance by choosing low-stakes, fixed limit, game if at all possible.

Even if you’re sitting at a $3/$6 or $4/$8 game (which is the bare minimum stake level at some card rooms), you can still buy in for as little as $200 and be guaranteed not to go “busto” on a single hand as long as you maintain your $200 stack.

Pace Yourself and Don’t Be Afraid to Take a Break

Live poker tables will still be there even if/when you decide to step away from the action.

Don’t hesitate to “sit out,” stand up, or take a break altogether if you start feeling fatigued as a beginning live poker player.

It’s not uncommon for a first-time live poker player to spend hours at a single table without even realizing the passing of time, so you’ll want to pace yourself accordingly.

Make New Poker Friends

There’s a lot more room for social interaction at live poker tables compared to online internet games.

Unless you specifically wish to be by yourself for the entirety of your first-time live poker session, you should have at least a couple of opportunities to make new poker friends.

Dine Away from the Poker Tables

Many seasoned poker pros have come to think of on-site dining as second nature, as they’re very accustomed to marathon live poker sessions.

If this is one of your first times playing live poker, you might want to break up the monotony of the experience by dining inside a restaurant (if you’re playing inside a major casino) or at a separate table.

Robbie Jonathan Little Justin Saliba

Site founder Robbie Strazynski enjoying dinner with the Pokercoaching.com guys, Jonathan Little and Justin Saliba… away from the felt!

Again, the poker tables will still be there once you finish eating, and you can dine more comfortably away from the table knowing that you don’t have to be nearly as careful in terms of unintentionally marking playing cards.

Have Fun! Enjoy Yourself!

Your first few live poker sessions at a card room or casino should be an enjoyable experience.

You don’t have to cram 16 hours of experience into a single day/evening just because it’s your first time playing.

Stay within your financial means and enjoy yourself while having fun! This will ensure that you’re on the right course to maintaining your lifelong poker journey beyond just a few sessions.

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David Huber poker author
Written By.

David Huber

David Huber has been involved in the poker industry for close to two decades: initially as a professional online poker player and later as an editor, consultant, writer, and forum manager. Known as “dhubermex” online, David’s poker-related work has been heavily published across numerous websites since 2004.

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