Yes, we know that many of you play poker primarily online, but sooner or later, most of you will either get to Vegas or Atlantic City for a vacation, or frequent one of the hundreds of casinos around the U.S., Australia, or elsewhere in the world. Playing poker in a casino is incredibly exciting and exhilarating, but it also brings with it many distractions and issues that you don't generally have to deal with online. Here are 10 tips to make sure your next Vegas (or other casino) vacation is a profitable, and most importantly, an enjoyable one!

Turn Down The Music

Just the other day, I sat down in a 1-2 NL cash game and was dealt QQs my first hand in the big blind. A young man to my right raised pre-flop, and after I just called, hoping to trap him, was delighted to flop Q-J-rag rainbow. I checked, he bet, I called. The turn brought another J, filling me up, and this time we both checked. The river was a blank, and after I bet out, and he raised substantially, pushing in two large stacks of chips. My Ipod blaring in my ears (and of course thrilled with what I assumed was his all-in over-the-top bet) I quickly called, only to realize he in fact had not gone all in, and had another $80 in chips I'm sure he would have called with (he had A-J) had I been paying more attention. This was 100% a result of not listening to the dealer announce the action and making assumptions based on visual actions alone on my part. The lesson here, if you do listen to music while playing, is at the very least clarify actions before you make your next move, or you could be leaving money on the table like I did!

Separate Your Social Life from Your Poker Game

Living in Vegas as I do, I see this all the time: players make dinner plans with spouses, significant others or traveling companions, and then tick them off when they refuse to leave the game if they are stuck and want to keep playing. Conversely, they may be winning and not want to leave a great action game, either. Book social time for days (or at least in time blocks) when you know you won't be caught up in a poker game that may not be advantageous for you to leave. Poker is best pursued separate from “real” life.

Just Say No to Rude People

Unfortunately, in an environment like Vegas, you are bound to encounter everything from ridiculously crass sexual comments to slams on your play at the poker tables. And while technically the floor can be called if a guy says something really out of line, your best bet if you want to make sure it doesn't happen again is to have a few comeback lines ready to fire the second these idiots come at you, and to say them so the whole table can hear your retort. This will embarrass the offender, and often gets them to change tables as well, for which trust me, everyone at the table will thank you!

Wear a Wedding Band

Yes, I know this may sound odd if you happen to not actually be married, but listen to your big sister, this little tip can be a life-saver. Being “taken” by another man is often the only thing that will keep a table “wolf” at bay, and there are tons of these guys in the poker universe. By wearing pretty much any band that looks even vaguely like it could be a love token of some kind on your left-hand ring finger, you give yourself at least a solid “out” if some dude starts hitting on you and you want him to back off.

Stand Up and Walk Around

Ok, we know this sounds like idiotically simple advice; yet it's surprisingly easy to get so wrapped up in a poker table that you start ignoring basic bodily needs, and that includes virtually freezing your limbs into the shape of your chair because you don't want to miss any of the action. This is, of course, counterproductive on many levels, and ultimately will make your decisions go south when your need to move for any number of reasons begins to overwhelm you. Try to stand up and move around for at least a few minutes every hour to preclude this from happening; we promise, there will still be a game going when you get back to the table.

Get Eyewear That Works for You

We've all seen the supposedly uber cool dudes wearing dark shades on ESPN and other poker tournament TV, but let's talk reality for a minute, shall we? First off, you're not going to look very cool if you can't read the card suits in the middle of the table! Make clear vision a priority over hipness when it comes to poker. And TV players aside, as a longtime Vegas table player, I can tell you that to most of us regulars, they just make you look like a wanna-be dork. Good players study your actions, not your eye pupils and jugular. Keep the sunglasses for the intense sun poolside, and wear what you need to see clearly inside the casino.

Play In Sync With Your Own Biorhythms

Casinos are so brimming with energy, it's easy to start living on sleep and energy fumes because you don't want to miss a single second of it all. But any brick-and-mortar player will tell you, making decisions that affect your pocketbook on virtually no sleep is seldom profitable. In fact, it's probably worse than playing drunk; at least with liquor, you may play more boldly, whereas with no sleep, you will almost certainly donk off chips in a subconscious effort to leave the table and catch some zzzzs. There is always a game going in a casino; allot poker play time based on your rested status.

Match Your Game Choice to Your Experience Level

When coming to large casinos, you will find a huge assortment of games to choose from, everything from the most popular No Limit at all levels, to Stud, Omaha Hi-Lo, Limit, and even Razz at times. Although it can be tempting to try new games or test your skills at a higher blind level than you're used to, a casino is generally filled with regulars and experienced players who will likely clean your clock if you're a tad out of your league. If you're not a casino regular, play, if anything, slightly below your online skill level until you see who's who and what's what.

Clear Your Mind of Everything but Poker

This is good vacation advice no matter what, but at a poker table, don't be mentally tabulating bills that might be waiting for you back home, marital problems, or how you can up the kids' grade averages so they can land a scholarship to college. Clear your mind of clutter and of anything but what you're doing, which is playing cards with some of the best in the world. Believe me, the bills, husband and kids will all still be there when your vacation is over!

Know Your Own Exit Strategy

You're not a winner until you cash out at the cage, so know before you sit down what your own comfort level will be for profit and loss levels, not to mention to accommodate sleep and alcohol intake. I have seen more poker players miss more planes home because they were stuck, or too enamored of the table to tear themselves away. Casinos are not closing anytime soon; and in Vegas, you literally have close to a hundred to choose from! Catch your plane, and then book your next trip ticket as soon as you get home so you can relive the fun all over again!

Here's to safe journeys, and a pocketful of poker profits to pay for more of them. See you at the tables!