This is the whole first night in one page, from getting on the list to cashing out. Each step is one First Night lesson, with its key points and a link to the full lesson. Read it at home before you go: the app stays closed while you play a hand.
Step 1: Getting on the list
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Ask the brush at the podium to add you to the list for the game you want.
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Rooms use different list apps, such as Bravo Poker Live or PokerAtlas, so check what your room uses.
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1/2 No-Limit names the blinds and tells you that you can bet any amount you have on the table.
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A must-move table feeds the main game, so ask how moving works before you sit.
Step 2: Buying in and chips
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Minimum and maximum buy-ins vary by room, so ask before you buy.
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Buy chips at the cage or from the dealer at your table.
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Chips stay on the table. Taking chips off mid-session, called going south, is not allowed.
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Table stakes means you can only bet what you have in front of you when the hand starts.
Step 3: Blinds, button and straddles
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The button moves one seat to the left after every hand, and the blinds follow it.
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When you sit, the dealer will tell you whether to post a blind or wait for the big blind.
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A straddle is an optional extra blind that raises the stakes. You never have to straddle.
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Straddle rules vary by room, so ask the dealer.
Step 4: Acting in turn and saying your action
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Act only when it is your turn.
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A verbal declaration is binding, so do not say a word you do not mean.
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Say your raise clearly, such as 'raise to 15,' and put out the chips.
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If you are unsure, ask 'What's the action?' before you act.
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With no bet to you, a tap or knock on the table counts as a check.
Step 6: Showdown and protecting your hand
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Show both cards at showdown to win the pot.
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Cards speak in many rooms, but do not rely on it. Read your hand yourself.
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Keep a chip on your cards so the dealer does not muck them by mistake.
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Do not fold out of turn, and do not discuss a hand in progress.
Step 7: Tipping, phones and table manners
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Tipping the dealer about one dollar per pot won is customary.
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Each room sets its own phone rules, and some bar phones on the table.
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Never use any app or chart while you are playing. In Nevada it is illegal in the casino, not just at the table.
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Be friendly, and do not slow-roll.
Step 8: Your first session plan
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Set a total budget you are fine losing before you leave home.
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When the budget is gone, the night is over.
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Tell the dealer you are new, then watch a few orbits before you play.
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Play the Starter Playbook, and leave when you are tired or tilted.
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Judge your decisions, not the results.
Step 9: Breaks, coloring up and cashing out
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Tell the dealer before you step away, and ask how long the room allows.
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Chips stay on the table. Taking them off mid-session, called going south, is not allowed in most rooms.
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How long a seat is held and what happens to missed blinds vary by room, so ask the dealer or the brush.
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To leave, tell the dealer, color up or rack your chips, and cash out at the cage.
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Leave when your plan says to, or when you are tired or frustrated. Tipping on the way out is your choice.