My first try at a casino

Well, the other night me and a couple friends decided to go up to canada for the night. First stop was the casino right across the border. Ive been playing online for a few months and have played in a couple small home games (5 or 6 people). None of my friends really knew how to play poker so I just sat at the blackjack table for awhile until I was up 100 dollars. I decided, what the hell Ill put this 100 down on a 1/2 NL table. Lets just say things didnt go so well. I guess the first thing I was thrown off a bit by was how slow the game went. I am used to the quick hands of online poker and really just started to get impatient. The table was very limp happy so I decided Im sick of playing a TAG game, which I play online. Knowing that the whole table was loose I knew it was a bad idea to start playing LAG against them, but I thought what the hell even if I lose Im not down any money on the night. Well, after only playing maybe 2 hands out of 20 I decide to loosen up and I just started bluffing like crazy figuring I might get some respect if anyone was paying attention to the way I had been playing. No luck, lost it all in about 10 hands, with one bad beat for my last 40 chips.

Anyway, just thought Id let all you online players out there who never played at a casino before that the play is atleast twice as slow as online (atleast the table I was at anyways), so if you dont have a long time to sit down and play, its probably not a good idea to sit down at all, as I have learned the hard way

just got back from the atlantic city last night myself.. i went mainly for the 250+30 NL tournament with 50K guarentee. while i was only expecting 400-500 players (as it was in the past), the feild ended up being 620 players(43k for 1st and 28 for 2nd) and to make matters worst i was getting the worst run of cards. i understand that you dont need the winning hand to win hands. but its pretty hard playing the losing hand everytime or string someone along who has less than 30% and gets beat. well that's been my luck lately, going in with the best hand and losing at the turn or river. Anyways, got another home tournament today (30-40 ppl) so hoping my luck will chnage just a little bit.

ps. i also jumped on the 1/2 NL table, at this point i decided to tighten up since i was down to my last $120. didnt raise on the bottom with 10, k (thinking its no different if i raise $10, ppl are still going to call). floped the 10, K, 5. this guys bets $11, the person after called, so i reraise to $40, the inital raiser flop, but guys after called. i knew he was on a draw and guess what he makes his flush. i couldnt lay my hand down hoping for the boat, so it costed me the remaining $60 or so. not a tough or anything, but cards havent gone my way all day long.

Making money playing live or online is a grind. Of course if you won the WSOP things would be different. But for most of us online or live trying to make money, will need allot of time, and a decent size bankroll. Oh, did I mention you need a good game. You'll eventually realize where you need to be spending most of your poker time, either in a casino or on your computer. Although your first experience playing in a casino wasn't a good one, I would bet as your game improves that could change. Every year while playing poker I tell myself I wish I new last year what I know now.

Well currently I am a winning player online, and I have no doubt that if I had kept my head and just played my game, I would have had a very good chance to make money. The play at the table wasnt that great, only a couple solid players, I just got impatient b/c I was not used to the pacing of the game. Next time I will make sure I play my game when I am there

yadda yadda blah blah all online players are winners lol till they play past the 20 dollar ring games

I think the diff between live and online is like night and day.

I have played some in casinos but I play a lot live. Looking at people's faces is a huge diff for me. It's harder for me to put people on hands in the online world because it's just an icon you are looking at. I had a hand last night where I was holding Q8 and I hit a str8 with a 9,10,J. Turn brings a K. There were only 2 of us playing. He raised and I reraised...then he went all-in. I'm thinking the only hand that could beat me is AQ. All I have to go on is a computer icon. I call - sure enough he has AQ. In a live game, I could maybe have made a better read.

Also, at the casino I went to, there was always at least one, usually two regulars at the table. They had what seemed like an unlimited bankroll and would raise on every hand. You had to have a hand to play and that meant folding a lot.

Our live tourneys I play in we definately go through about 50% of the hands you play in an hour online. And we play with 2 decks where one is always shuffled to save time and it still isn't near the same rate as online.

But live is MUCH better...we play about 12 hours every weekend....my online play is just cuz I'm a junkie...LOL

why not just play online if you can win there?

My 21st birthday last june i went to harrahs new orleans with $400 and sat at a $2/$5 table, SECOND hand i was dealt aces UTG, so i raise to $20, hoping for a raise. Well 3 ppl called my raise and the flop came 2-3-5 rainbow i thought for sure these ppl had k/10 + quality hands. I check, button rraises $50, i re-raise to $150 then he goes all in. The guy had A-4 OFFSUIT, flopped the nuts and i lost $400 on my 21st birthday and ever since then i have been a winning player at harrahs! So i cant complain

Well I took a visit for the first time to a Casino last week for my birthday, and ever since I have SUCKED at online play!! I love live play more than I do online. I'd rather play a home game or tournament than a cash game at a Casino as well.

Just a reminder for all online players planing a visit to a real card room. At best online poker is at best only half a poker game. There is so much more information available with a live game, the observant player can make better decisions.
Even with poker tracker, poker office, and detailed notes, you are still playing with minimal information about the other players. Online more attention has to be with pot odds and the math of poker.
In a live game I find the best tell for unfamilar players is not listed in most books. I keep track of how much the other players are drinking. Booze always clouds judgement and poker skill. In a casino I usually tip my waitress well to disquise my diet coke or orange juice to look like something a little more potent.
By the way last year I netted about forty thousand playing online sit and go tourneys. Playing super tight or super aggressive both have pitfalls. Some simple rules to save and make money.
Don't go allin with the following (unless very short stacked)
anything less than trips
the stupid end of a straight
or a flush with less than a queen in your hand

gl all

My first casino table of poker was at the Stardust in vegas. I read Phil Hellmuths book and sat down at a 3/6 limit table with about 30 dollars turned it into to couple hundred in about an hour with tight play and lessons from Phil. Few years later went to the Palms and sat in a 2/5 no limit with a 100 dollars and ran it up to 500 in 45 minutes or so. I like to play in casinos better than on line people seem to play better when their money is on the line.

I have played poker in Vegas a few times. Yes, it is slow and the rake is 10% I think. Then I experienced on-line poker. For me on-line is the only way to go without a doubt.

I hoped you had fun. You can see better then soeone is bluffing or not then online, but online runs faster.