Remember Your First Casino Cash Game?

I recall learning what I thought to be winning poker at the time..

I started getting into poker in late 2007. I figured out how to shred people in our home games. Wanting to learn more..I started buying books and reading them over and over again until I thought I had a good idea of what it all meant.

About two years ago I felt confident enough to go to a local casino and play some live cash games. I was busted within an hour...

My thoughts were "Wtffff, I've been playing online for like 6 months! and I've gobbled up every bit of game theory that I could get my hands on, how am I losing"..

For over a year I lost money playing big boy poker.

Then one day I had an epiphany. It seemed like every hand I've ever played, every table, opponents, like all of my acquired knowledge suddenly subconsciuosly-manifested into this feeling of really knowing what poker is all about. I FINALLY GOT IT! My Ace-Kings were no longer invincible! I learned how to lay down AA when I knew I was beat. Folding my tiny pocket pairs in multiway raised pots.

I thought for the longest time that since I could wreck shop at my home games and because I had read a few books that I was a winning player. Wellll I thought wrong.

The past 3 years and finally becoming a winning player have made me realize more than ever how the game of poker is undoubtably
90% SKILL and 10% LUCK.

I remember my first NL game much more...I played 2-4, 3-6, and 4-8 limit for a year before I touched the 1-2 or 2-5NL tables...I found it easier to put people on hands in those low low stakes limt games, especilly 4-8 (2-4 is basically a good drunk man's have fun game) and I was also terrified of possibly losing a whole stack in a hand. My first ever hand in 1-2 I was dealt A-J suited....raised to 8$ and got 5 callers...flop was A-J-9....I think my hands nearly fell off as I bet 15$ and the entire table folded their cards instantly.

I played 10/20 stud hi at Foxwoods at 3:00PM. It had like 5 regs, and 2 old nit-fish. I made queens full QQ_2434_Q, and lost a 4-bet pot on the river to aces full that didn't have a paired board. Went to get Chinese food after that hand.

I remember my first cash game. I learned online...and was losing play chips like crazy. I was your typical donk...see a face card, it must be a good hand! Suited cards? Let's draw to the flush!

I lost money my first day at a live table, but I could see the frusteration on my opponent's faces every time I hit my hand...I didn't quite understand it! I was asking myself why they were so upset when they saw a winning hand; I obviously had them beat!

I get it now though; I was playing WAY too many hands, and when you suck out, people don't like the fish being rewarded. That was back in 2002...Niagara Falls Casino, NY. I've learned so much since then.

I went into a casino after a xmas night out so I was quite drunk. I had started playing poker 4 months (playing mostly freerolls and 2NL etc) so I wasnt overly confident playing 200NL £ game lol. I only had £40 and that happened to be the min buy in so I nitted it up and played from like 2am - 5am. I won a hand with KQs and the very next got dealt AA and doubled up to take me into profit - I left shortly after.

It was a fun experience and something iv never repeated :/ But when I do ill buy in for £200 and hope not to run bad.

hahaa thats good stuff

My first live game was last week. 1/2 NLHE. Lost a 50 dollar pot to runner runner straight and then a 140 dollar pot QQ vs A8 hits a straight on river. Went to a different casino and won about $50 in an hour. I actually played well but just unlucky

First casino game was at Lake Tahoe about 6 years ago. I was horrible at the game at this point (only previous experience was drunken home games). Bought in to a $1/2 NL game for $200, the largest amount of cash I'd ever had in front of me at the table up to this point. I was insta nervous and intimidated because, 1. I really couldn't afford to lose $200 at that time. and 2. I really didn't understand the table etiquette. First hand I was in I ended up making a flush on the river and did even notice, the dealer had to call it for me. Ended up winning over $100 in a couple hours. Decided at this point I was going to learn how to really play and have been hooked since.

No cash games yet, only tournaments. Much softer than online ones.

I've yet to play a live cash game other than 10nl home games. Played a couple SNGs at a live charity function last year before I got into cash games.

I really do have the itch to go for it though.

This is just making me more excited for my 21st.

Two months until Foxwoods...

My first time was in Biloxi right after I turned 21 (2004). Bought in to a $75 daily tourney early . Then I spent 2hrs playing Stud Hi and winning $200. Then the Daily tourney started. I was a little nervous but the crown and cokes helped. 3 hrs later I walked out of the poker room with $800. $200 from Stud and $600 from hold'em. I spent the rest of the day hitting on Cocktail waitresses. Good Memories!!

Yes i remember and got dealt KK first hand lol and like playing the casino cash games easy money sometimes its not easy lol so cant wait to go back.
So best of luck at the tables.

played online for over 4 years and never stepped a foot inside a casino.....feel like its kinda waste of time...HOW MANY HANDS PER HOUR!!!??? lol - rather play 2k hands a night. but will eventually go and play a tournament but as for cash games. that sounds like -EV and variance would be a real bitch.
why have one or two fish when i can have 9?
*brag incommin* dont have a deck of cards in the house, but play proffessional online (well it beat my weekend job cash wise lol)
anyways hope to play a tourny in future, a bit daunting actually lookin at real people across the table lol

I am only 18 but cant wait to play casino cash games. Playing 200nl live is like 2nl online. That's why it's profitable and a good play.

I hope live players dont mind if I put colour code stickers on them.....

Im sorry you feel that way sir. That leads me to believe that you've never really experienced a good game of poker.

Thats true the cash games in the casinos are 200NL but super soft compared to those stakes online. The only thing thats stopping me is the possible varience.

I actually really enjoy online poker , and feel like i've exprienced more hands than a live reg. just for the amount of hands and situations I get myself in to, the hand anaylsis forum can probably verify that
although I can see live games being very soft, I'm gunna make it a point to somtime next month play one see how it pans out, sounds more social I guess.

18 is old enough here

I was just perusing the forums till I saw this thread. has to register and post.

8 weeks after my 21st birthday.
I roll into my local casino ready to take on the world. I'd just watched "Rounders" so I knew what to do...
I tried to get a seat in the 1-2nl game, but it was full. The floorman said "we have a 2-5nl game just starting, would you like to try it instead?"
Sure. what's the worst that could happen?
I bought in for the max ($500) and sat down with my full rack of glossy red chips. I won the privilege of being the big blind the first hand.
"Sir, you have to post. Post. It means to put $5 out as the big blind."
Then the cards were in the air. I eagerly looked down at my cards, careful to keep all emotion off my face.
Fold, fold, fold. Wow, no one actually plays when they come to a casino. Fold, fold, fold. at this rate, they'll be no one in the hand. The guy who had stuck in $2 looks at me. I smile. I'm having fun!
He tosses in a $5 chip and pulls back his change.
I look down at my cards again. The red 7 and black 2 mock me.
The dealer has burned a card. She deals off three more and flips them over. I do an amazing job of keeping my composure.
There on the blue felt, were three of the prettiest 7's I had ever seen.
My small blind friend bet the size of the pot. I looked at the dealer. "I can raise right?" She nodded with a knowing smile at my opponent.
I raised. My opponent reraised me. I called.
To this day I do not remember what the turn and river cards were. All I do remember is we were all-in on the turn, and he turned his hand over first: AA. I turned over the 72, and his face got a bit red.
As the dealer pushed me the $996 pot, the man on the other side leaned in and whispered, "You know who that is? that's Chicago Dave. back in the day, he might've shot you after a beat like that."
I got up, cashed out and left. (I didn't know about tipping dealers)
I've learned a little since then. (I tip dealers now)
I hope to learn more at this forum, and never get drawn out on like that. ever.