What should I focus on to get ready for $1/2NL in Vegas?

We're planning a trip to Vegas later this spring () and I want to be ready to play $1/2 NL when we get there. I don't have much experience at ring games. What I do know is that I don't want to be the fish at the table!

What theories, concepts, truths, lies, etc. do you think are most important for me to study? I only have a month and a half, so I have to be as focused as possible.

Thanks in advance for your input!

Mrs. AG

lol ag put you up to this.....right
only thing i can add is go to a local casino first so you can get comfortable with it, nor many are their first time playing live

First - find the library hidden in your house with all the poker books. You have a month to read them.

Second - go play some at a local casino to get the feel.

Third - play any freeroll or play chips game on-line. That's about the skill level you will be up against.

hidden in my house? It's pretty hard to miss the poker books around here!

What are some of your favorites?

read some of the strategy articles here
also a good thing to do is play some cash games online, 10nl and 25nl are about the same as 1/2nl live so if u could hold ur own on those online tables ull be ready for vegas
also, play the cc buyin tonite, good practise

Read Harrington's new one on cash games if you can pry it away from AG...Then, ship it to California....lol. I'm sure its good! HOH is the quintessential book on NL tourney play. So, I figure that the Cash Game book would be very well done.

Take the next month and spent it doing meditation. Keeping your cool at those tables is tough. It is very rpgitable though. Most small stakes hold em books are good, but just getting a feel for the speed of the live ring game may be one of your toughest things. It's SLOW compared to internet. Just play smart poker and you'll do fine. There's not a lot of finese (sp?) at those games, yet a shark or 2 will lurk for sure.

A few things off the top of my head:

- Familiarise yourself with the rules specific to live play (string bets, oversized chips, etc). They can occasionally trip you up if you've only played online before. AG can fill you in on all of them.

- This is gonna sound kinda silly, but remember that you're not necessarily playing against a table full of poker players. Quite often, you'll be up against gamblers, who just happen to be playing poker tonight. These players will be more inclined to think any two cards can win and ignore things like pot odds because, well, they're used to taking the worst of the odds against the house in roulette or craps anyway.

although Harrington on Hold 'em is for tournaments, it has some great poker concepts and I would suggest reading it just for ring games as well. Obviously you can ignore the sections about tournament structure such as the part on M's and such, but there was a lot of good poker theory I learned from that book and I primarily do cash games. Sklansky's NLHE book is also really good. Both assume you have a basic idea as to how to play the game and very basic strategy.

In terms of playing, I can't tell you much about casino play as I'm not yet old enough, but in terms of live games just know that first off announce your action, don't just throw chips in the pot, so if you want to raise first announce "raise", figure out how much you want to raise, verbally say how much, and then throw the chips in the pot. If you want to call, say call, then put the chips in the pot. That way you avoid string betting, accidentally calling by putting an oversize chip in, and miscounting and being bound to the action.

Also make sure you're patient. It's easy to be patient when you're online and can multitable, listen to music, and distract yourself a multitude of ways. When you're playing live it can be tough folding 80%+ of your hands. But if the players at casinos are anywhere close to as bad as I've heard they are, to win you're going to have to play basic solid tight poker. Play good hands and bet them hard and they get paid off. And have fun, it's more fun when you win, but poker in general should be fun, and if you lose money during the session in Vegas it's not the end of the world.

So good luck in preparing and playing in Vegas, and have some fun and definitely let us all know how it goes

ya know i never looked at it like that I looked at it like tourists and locals and a few who know what they are doing

but thinking of them as gamblers could come in handy

good tip OZ

just play the way you do and learn to conceal your emotions. be ready to switch up your play to what the table is doing.

i shit you not last time i was in vegas there was this german donkey just unloading chips to everyone at the table with middle pairs to the river. heres to you finding a donkey like this

Here are some articles on short stack strategy that you may want to try since you are new to the game.

Here are my recommended beginner's books.


lol at communicating w my wife via interwebs.

Romance is dead.

This is funny but sad in so many ways.

Can't you just sit down with her and teach her yourself?

This is good advice.

Um, this? ^^^

I think some of the best advice is to go to a local casino first and play a bit, to get a feel for the game. No amount of "practicing" online will truly prepare you for the experience. You will be nervous, jittery perhaps, and the adrenaline will be pumping (at least it was for me my first few times). A few sessions at the local casino will help you get used to it and help you learn to control that.

Just remember that live play is an altogether different animal than online. This best thing you can do is just play smart, and pay attention to the action and people at your table. I mean really pay attention. You will soon be able to pick out the regulars from the tourists, the gamblers from the poker players. The TAG's, LAG's, and calling stations, and the ones who just don't have a clue.

Best of luck, and I know you guys will have a great time!

In an attempt to kill 2 birds with one stone, I suggest you play strip poker heads up against Mr AG.

Hmm my best advice would be to wait until I go back, probably early December now that my live BR got wiped. Then sit at my table. ++++EV for pretty much anyone lately.

Seriously though, make a trip to a casino first and try a few sessions. It's easy to pick up on play styles and tells if you REALLY pay attention. You'll be shocked at how easy it is to tell what some people are holding. My favorite one is the PF raise then a big sigh when the flop comes.

lmao that is funny because it seems so real , I'm sure it is at times . but I like many am wondering why you have not taken her under your wing already . it seems so odd for her to have to ask for advice here.

I mean it's not , she is a cc'er now and she definitely don't want to be a mini AG . so the more advice the better


now Mrs AG ... my advice would be to make your first trip to the tables and Vegas about the fun and experience , still do all the things you can to prepare but focus on the fun and like the people there , fish, tourist, gamblers whatever you want to call them , don't be afraid to donk off your money having fun .

your just starting your poker career ,you will be back to kick some major tail , but this trip is about fun jmo

I know when I first started getting into live games I had a problem focusing for multiple hours at a times so at first take frequent 5 min breaks or so. That way you dont lose focus on the game and on the people cause at first it seems much more boring than online until you get used to it and now I dont even want to play online any more I like Live play better.

Well, of course, I am teaching her. But that doesn't mean she should read/study/play on her own. Sure I could show her Ed Miller's site, but don't you think it's easier to post it here, in a place where she will look anyway? Don't you think that other people might also benefit from that information?

So you did put her up to it.

I was just going to post something to this affect, but you got here first. Thanks honey!

And thanks to the rest of you for your advice. I have some reading to do. I'm also going to see if AG wants to take a trip to Canada to play some live poker at Fallsview some time soon.

Btw, I've been playing $10NL online to get some practice. Last night was pretty profitable. I found a guy who was in about 70% of the hands. I saw him bet out all 3 streets with top pair, even with draw-heavy boards or paired boards. So when the 44 I was set-mining with hit on the turn, and turned into a full house on the river, I took all of his chips .

Maybe it should be us asking for your advice, wtg Mrs.

yup, 1, make sure you know the rules, thats important, 2,, get a deck of cards out and sit at the dining room table and have Jason teach/show you,,, IMO AG is a real good player, so why not learn from the best,,,
buck

Just remember, no one is going to break the bank at a $1/2 NL table.
Have fun, talk to the others at the table, you can learn a lot about them.
DON'T drink.
There is no 15 second time limit so take your time making your decisions.

And if you win enjoy it.

BTW I recommend, the MGM poker room, small and usually tourists.

Good Luck

Seriously, just get into AG's personal bank acount, pull out a couple of thou & go enjoy yourself, it's a vacation, not work.

Well I sure hope thats already in her itinerary

local casino and play tight. Most important, make sure you come in with maximum chips so the big stacks don't bet you out. Keep an eye open for partners. Vegas will eat u alive.

Mrs AG-Read Ozi-FigJams strategy in forum and if capable of such disipline and patience you will be a winner.It looks easy but very very hard to do.Dont be like ADAM and EVE and be tempted.Super tight is right.Let me know how you go. Good Luck from an OZI

Are you Broomcorn's uncle?

^^This is really bad.

Actually, she will probably go with a short stacked strategy that goes well with playing tight, getting the chips in early as a big favorite. Big stacks don't have any inherent advantage in a cash game-- read Ed Miller's articles in my link above.

Also, we plan on eating Vegas alive, not the other way around.