Beginning live poker.

There are lots of good suggestions in this thread already. Here are a couple things that most rookies don't know when they first sit down to play.

Always bet (or fold) in turn. You shouldn't make a move until the person next to you who is still in the game makes their move.

Don't "splash" the pot. If you are just calling, do so. If you want to raise, do so with your call. In other words, if the call bet is $4 and you want to raise, don't make two separate bets. Include the raise with the call bet, and until you feel comfortable playing, announce verbally what your intentions are.

Most games are table stakes. That means that for a given hand you can only bet what you have on the table for THAT hand. If you run out of chips during a hand, you can't dig into your pocket for more money to bet on that hand. I usually play 1-4-8 holdem or 1-4 7 stud. I buy in for $100 worth of chips, but will also put more cash under the chips. If you should happen to draw a straight flush when someone else has four of a kind, you want the cash on the table so you can continue betting even if you've run out of chips. If the money is on the table, you can use it.

Most (not all) dealers will be patient with newbies. If you have any questions, just ask the dealer. It's their job to keep the game going as fluidly as possible, and rookie mistakes tend to slow things down.

Have fun, and don't lose more than you want to. My first LIVE poker game, I won $186 playing 1-5 7 stud in Colorado. ....took about 45 minutes, and I've been hooked on the game ever since!

Bob