Moving up in NL Live Games

I Like to play live poker at the casino. I play during the day through the week. Which brings Regulars o.k. Well I'm One of those regular players too.Yea so much so that all the floor workers and all the dealers no me by first name basis. I never meant to be there that much. But I am very good at live poker I can read the best of players, call there cards out when heads up and fold when beat. I would bring home a couple hundred extra profit everyday. But I was recently enticed to raise my limit from 1-2 NL to 2-5 NL. For the reason of the size of pots over there in 2-5 .Well I did it and to my surprise I was doing great. Within 15 minutes the first time I played I doubled up my 200 buyin to 400 next hand flopped top 2 pair ace queen bet 100 got raised another hundred pushed all in with my other 300 and when had was over I had 860 in chips ready to cash out. And I did.
But I realized in the next few days i had to change my game to adjust to higher stakes . These people are rich and dont care if they lose 400 in a hand .. They really dont care. They sit out there all day at the 2-5 table pulling out 400 at a time sometimes 5 and 6 times to rebuy .. Its where the money is.. But What
Im saying is you cant just move table limits and play the same. I realized you have to change your game to fit your limit. I have gained the older mens respect which is hard because I am a younger woman .And have done really well moving up to higher live games.. SO much so My brother thought he could do the same . Needless to say he moved back to the 1-2 tables..;lol Its not for everybody... .But there is alot of money on those tables...But you have to tighten up to move up ..

nice thread. Ive only play live cash once n did ok to tripple up from 0.50/1NL.

man thats awesome you are doing well! i wish there was a casino next to me.. next time i goto vegas i am going to play a little 1/3 and see how things go.. hopefully it will be in july... got any tips for me?

I always think its best to sit at the table never buyin your blind out of position just sit there till it comes to you, that way you have taken in some of the players at the table . Maybe even recognize your buyer who is in every hand and the one that sits out almost every hand be very wary of that one he is tight and only in with good starting cards... And as I learned the hard way at a live table.... Very good advice here .. If your the last to act in a big pot and are doubtful or dont have the exact nuts ...Dont ever bet the river .. you invite an all in which makes you doubt your hand that you could have seen if you won for free . Now your either all in with doubt about your hand or your folding a huge pot. Never bet the river unless you got the NUTS.......thats Great advice...

Great job. Thanks for the advice. Do you think this translates to online poker?

You are definitely right about the fact that the game is much different at 2/5 than it is at 1/2, but there are a couple things to consider.

#1) Not all players are playing 2/5 because they have money. You will run into people that are playing 2/5 for the same reason as you, they take poker seriously and can now move up in limits.

#2) I don't think the "You have to tighten up to move up" statement is true. I deal at a casino in Niagara Falls, NY and we run 1/2 and 2/5 everyday. What I see at the 2/5 table is players that are very aware of the tight players. You will not get paid off if you are only playing premium hands. Now the 2/5 game I deal is usually filled with the same 4-5 guys so they all know each other, but just letting you know what I see at work.

#3) Much like how the floor and dealers know you, once you play 2/5 for a while, the players will get to know you (more than the 1/2 would). Obviously there are less players playing 2/5 at the casinos than 1/2 right now, so if you play 2/5 regularly, you need to prepare to mix your game up.

#4) 2/5 is way more profitable and not because of the bigger pots! It's because the rake is the same as 1/2. In 1/2 we take $3 on the flop and $1 at $40. In 2/5 we take $3 on the flop and $1 at $40. So at a 1/2 game most pots get 2bb taken out where as at 2/5 only .80 of a bb get raked out.

Welcome to 2/5 and congrats on moving up!

Yes you are right about changing up the game .. I do no the 2\5 players and they do know me now.. They was very skeptic or wary to join a pot I would raise because I did play really tight .. But after I let them catch me bluffing or buying a pot and show them ..lol they just wanted to bust me .. You always have to change your game to fit your opponents . especially when you play with the same ones everyday...
Great advice Jordan ...
This is so cool I play with a guy named Manard he is older well they all are but he is the first investor for viagra yea He's that rich...lol He has a Water tower named after him in his little town he drives from to play everyday. ANd dam is he taking the stuff because at 83 he is still a perv....

No it's not...

ok I'm gonna be a bit harsh here, please don't take this the wrong way.

You are likely not as good as you think you are. Most of your money doesn't come from being able to make a good read and make big laydowns, it comes from understanding the players and exploiting them. Unless your casino is way out of the norm even regulars at the 1/2 games are absolutely awful. They play their hands face up and the only reason they win is because it's 1/2 and you get the worst of the worst randoms who sit down. Seems you're a step up from that in that you can actually play a bit but sounds like you basically just nit it up. But just because you're beating 1/2 regs basically means nothing. The biggest thing also you mentioned not betting the river without the nuts and that is just such awful advice live because you get called down so light by the donks that populate 1/2 and 2/5. Instead you should be looking to value bet very thin. Obviously it depends on the opponent but if you're only betting the nuts on the river you are missing a shitton of value. There is no harm in bet/folding.

You mention that the 2/5 regs don't mind losing $400 in a hand and just rebuy. If you can't do this you shouldn't be playing at 2/5. You are likely playing scared money. If you lose a full $500 stack KK < AA AIPF your response should just be to shrug, tell yourself it's a cooler, and rebuy. If you can't do that I'd keep playing 1/2 until you can.

I mean I'm not trying to discourage you or anything and if it's working for you just keep doing it, but just from the thread it seems you are extremely scared money at 2/5 and although you may end up winning in the short term it's pretty hard to win long-term in any game in which you are afraid to put money in without the nuts.

Also which casino is this?

Hahahahaha, for some reason this made me laugh after that large post.....


.....but seriously, where is this place?


Oh and to the OP, you might want to check out this kid's blog.... he's been doing pretty well, seems to have his head on straight and has made a similar transition as you....

http://blogs.twoplustwo.com/stak-AC-trip-report/

This is flat wrong. You are throwing your positional advantage away if you follow this advice. You need to have a good reason NOT to bet the river if it is checked to you and you are last to act. You should have some idea what your opponents are playing and you better know what you have. If they are likely to call a bet on the river with a lesser hand then you need to bet it. Sizing that bet is the most important factor. How much will they call hoping they have a good hand? That is what you bet. If there is a for sale sign on the pot you need to be buying and making the cost to high for crying call but not so big that someone with bottom pair recognizes what you are doing and pays you off. Besides, if you only bet with the nuts, you will never get paid off. Also, you get the nuts so infrequently you hardly ever get to bet.

I have recently been playing regularly at my local casino because of the high profits and common poor play there. Xbecca is right you do really have to adjust your game. For example online you rarely get more then 2 callers in a raised pot. The casino I have gotten 6 callers with a K's raise. So it can be very tricky playing these hands and huge multi way pots. People will suck out on you from time to time so I find Patience >> aggression in this format.

Some regularars are decent players trying to make money. Most regulars are retired people just trying to kill time or those who look at poker as just another form of luck/entertainment. These are the people you can exploit for the most money.

Keep up the good work and don't lose your head or your bankroll.

I play live games too and I find that the 2-5 NL and even 5-10 NL live are not that hard to beat. I consider a 1-2 dollar online game much much tougher. I played 2-5 NL last friday and came out with a 1000 profit after 5 hours, there were many players who you could tell were totally inexperienced. Here were some of the plays I witnessed. 2-5 NL. Guy raised to 60 dollars prelfop with aces and wins the blinds says I dont want anyone to play I'd rather win the 7 dollars than play out a pot(?)

I have about 400 and maniac has 350 he posted a straddle and I knew he was going to raise. Guy to maniacs left limps, I limp with QQ knowing the maniac will raise it gets to him on a ten dollar straddle he raises it to 70, guy to his left calls, I push all-in, he calls and the guy to his left folds. Maniac turns over the A3d?

A lot of the pots were multiway and people just kept paying off my big hands, I was totally not used to this type of game as I have been mostly playing online against ringers who obviously have played tons of hands