Why is it?

I'm going to vegas in a month,so I'm trying to get used to playing live, I've been playing online maybe a year and a half I've gotten pretty decent at it, So I heard about a live poker league at a local bar been going there for 4 weeks now once a week on tue.I can't play the way I play online I can win tournys online but live I can't figure it out I mean usually around 50 ppl I'm coming in 15-20th place each week I try to play the same I'm not blinding out just getting donked on I had pocket Q's only one caller he's been playin loose I 4 raise the blind he calls cards come up he hits the J I put him allin river he hits the 2 for 2 pair I come home some nights after playing there and win sng's triple up at ring games but live?

I would suggest just keeping at it. I'm not sure how many tourney's you've played live, but it could simply be the bad side of variance. I also suggest posting some hand histories if you can, so that we can help you identify any leaks in your game if you have them. Getting donked will happen though, it's simply the nature of the game. But if you're getting your money in when you're good, then you shouldn't feel bad about your play.

Best of luck to you, T.

Who told you that you should play the same? It's not the same game. Live poker has the whole element of reading the players. It also has the element of not letting yourself get read. Then there is the element of giving false tells. None of these are factors in online poker.

The first thing I would say is, do you have a routine? Do you always look at your cards the same way, do you always use the same mannerisms to bet/raise? Do you always pick up and stack your chips the same way?

The second thing I would say is, if you are playing in a poker league, does that mean it's free poker? Because free poker is a totally different game from money poker, the same way freerolls play-chips are different than cash tournaments and cash games.

I agree with the bolded statement to an extent, in the situation OP is describing, you will always have donks pull out a suckout win in a hand.

At the dog track yesterday, I was BB with QQ. Button, who had been raising with *anything* if he's on the button, does a 3xBB raise. I triple his raise. He calls.

Flop was JJJ.

I move all in, I know he doesn't have a jack as the odds are slim and if he has AA or KK, then he's an idiot for not reraising me.

He calls and shows A5.

River is an Ace for his bigger boat, my stack is shipped to him.

He pats himself on the back looking pleased with his play.

When I reloaded and sat back down, another player asked him why he made the call.

His reply was "I knew he didn't have a jack, and I knew the ace was coming".

Me: dealer, call the floorman over.

Me to floorman: can I be reseated at another table?

Donkey calls + variance rearing his ugly head makes bankrolls cry.

Hate it when ppl say, i knew the ace was comming. Like **** did ya! Does ur bell end tingle when u know the river card will b an ace? wow that wud b such a great thing if it did, haha. But aye those ppl r donkeys. Let the money roll.

I also play live in a bar league (World Tavern Poker) and it's VERY different from online. I'm MUCH better at live poker than online. I'm trying to work on my online "reading" ability but it's just so much easier sitting at the table.

I'm by no means a "master reader". But it's much easier to remember betting patterns when you can put a face with it than remembering "AlwaYYZ ACezzz" tends to 3 bet low pairs and will raise on the button with anything.

The game is much SLOOOOOER. Take advantage of it. Pay attention. It's not like when you're at home and 4+ tabling or watching a movie at the same time. Use the time to watch how other people play.

There are still MANY distractions that can throw off your game if you're used to playing at home. People talk in real life games. Alot. Sometimes you get a quiet table but at a bar league most people see each other every week. They chatter all the time. Until you get used to it it can be very distracting.

Like an earlier poster said, watch your physical tells. Double checking your hand? That's common when the 3rd suit hits the board. You're looking to see if you've got a flush draw. You DONT have the flush because you'd have rememberd two suited cards... Stuff like that. Do your hands shake when you're on a moster hand? Or when you're bluffing? You've got to move chips in the pot and shaking hands are going to get noticed.

I LOVE playing live poker. It's FUN. Online poker is exciting but live poker can be FUN.

=MikeT

Yea its a free league,well top 3 get gift cards to the resturant,noooo its donk heaven, I build up my stack because of this reason, I'd say half the league are good to decent players, alot of online players, I know how to push a donk off a pot, but then the ones I've lost I'm winning till the river, I make good calls I know I'm playing the cards right, I've seen 2 players playing like they hit the royal flush, turn over there cards, the 1 that wins the hand pairs off the board with 6's, the other paired the board with 4's, I've played enough to know what to play, but here sometimes knowing what to play isn't the right choice, the luck of the donks, but man I've won some huge pots because of this and I've lost them to, but yea I've gotten to the point that I can hide my emotions now with pocket A's I've been told I never would have guessed you had that, that did make me feel good about my game They should put up a sign at the door DON'T CALL AN ALLIN WITH J-2 BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE 2 IS GOING TO HIT ON THE RIVER!!!!well I have learned a thing or 2 so's when I go to vegas I've learned I can read a person pretty good just because I do know how to play