need live games advice?

I just got sponsored to play 8 local live $60 poker tourneys.
I have only played 1 live game in my life and sure could use some advice and or tips. I have 7 weeks to win 1 tourney to qualify for tournament of champions where the winner gets a ticket in the wsop big game.
For those of you that know my game well, please feel free to critique.
questions:
what should I look for in other players other than betting style?
should I engage in conversation at table?
should I wait till time to bet to look at my cards?
Thanks

Here's my tips from my limited experience playing live (4 tourneys, but I did win one of them).

Don't look at your cards until it is your time to act. Then look at them once and never look at them again. I'm pretty sure looking back at your cards is a sign of weakness.
Try to identify a weak player on the table and then try to get into a hand with him/her.
It's up to you if you talk with other players. I usually like to chat because it helps relax me. But I am also good at just sitting quietly and watching the others.

teepack said:

Here's my tips from my limited experience playing live (4 tourneys, but I did win one of them).

Don't look at your cards until it is your time to act. Then look at them once and never look at them again. I'm pretty sure looking back at your cards is a sign of weakness.
Try to identify a weak player on the table and then try to get into a hand with him/her.
It's up to you if you talk with other players. I usually like to chat because it helps relax me. But I am also good at just sitting quietly and watching the others.

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I disagree. Look at your cards whenever you want to. Especially since you're an online player and that's what you're used to. I would recommend wearing headphones and listening to some good music. Could get boring the first few levels until you're near the bubble. Plus it helps me concentrate on what's important: betting patterns.

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what should I look for in other players other than betting style?
should I engage in conversation at table?
should I wait till time to bet to look at my cards?
Thanks

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Hey ringo.
I have played several tournament tables from you and have to say I respect your online game play.
To answer your questions you ask my honest opinion would be as follows.
I tend to not engage in much conversation at the table ,small talk a little to try nd gain information from other players,but never discuss your own hand,or let out with a folded a nut flush or etcetcetc,diont give as little information on yourself as possible.
As far as the cards and looking at them go it is personal preferance if you ask me,they arent gonna change or do flips if you look at them any certain of times.
One thing I find crutial live is to always maintain composure obv.
I always like to take my time wheter folding,raising,callin,whatever I always allocate my self about the same amount of time for the action I am completing.
The biggest thing is not to give any information about your betting patterns stlyes ranges etcetcetc.
By allocating yourself around the same amount of time to call raise fold etc it is hard to put you on a hand.
I like to bring power bars or protein bars and fresh fruit lots of water and juice etcetcetc.
In long tournaments you have to stay focused and be on your A+ game.
It will not be as much action as online and move so much slower so you will get bored easier,but you MUST stay focused.
I tend to listen to my tablet or watch youtube or whatever to distract me when im deep.
But at first I always use my down time to gain as much information on players as I can.
If you have any more questions feel free to shoot me an email or pm and I will get back to you asap.
Good luck in your live play,if it is as good as your online play you will have no problems

As a majority live player the best advice I can give you and the same advice I give most players with this question... BE PATIENT.. its gunna seem soooo slow at first but just wait it out definitely get some headphones listen to some music..

Just play good ABC poker.. idk if this is a poker room or a casino your playing at.. if its a casino then $60 tourneys are most likely the least expensive which in turn usually draw lower experience players... look at your cards whenever you want, talk as much as you want.. most of the players in these tourney wont be reading you for tells or even thinking about..

Even at higher level games my opinion was always to look at my cards as soon as i get them.. The point of waiting is to watch everyone else get their cards and possibly get a read.. the fault in this strategy i feel is that by waiting till your turn, all the attention is on you.. so if there are any tells you give up everyone is focused on you at that moment

Thanks everyone for the solid advise
Today is the big day
I am focusing on being totally confident and using all my senses,
which by your testimonies are more than what others have got going.
NO FEAR

GL in your tournament i only played 1 live tournament with similar buy in of $60 and made final table finished 8th for $100 got AA twice at the final table but no action my advice is too be patient and play tight aggressive poker GL

started with 3000 chips double rebuy $30 + $30 ( 15 players only) never went below 2800 and finished in top 2 and chopped prize money for $281.
Next time I battle for 1st. Good news too, is that I don't have to win a game to qualify for Tourney of Champions. It's based on a point system and I am now only 2 points from qualifying. Got to love small towns.

The blind structure was 10/20, 15/30, 25/50, 50/100, 100/200, 200/400, 300/600 and 500/1000.

20 minute levels and it lasted 3 hrs 10 min
Can't wait till my next one on Wednesday

I was going to try to give a little advice, but you appear not to need it. So instead I will offer my congratulations and say keep doing what you're doing, as it seems to be working.

Nice work...congrats.

I was going to chime in on wearing headphones - only to say that if you are going to do that, please pay attention to the game. I played in a live tournament earlier this week where one of the people with headphones had to constantly take them out and say "What?" because the dealer was talking to them to explain that they couldn't simply call the BB when another player had already raised, or to correct the various other mistakes the player would make because she wasn't paying attention.

Blue_Fossil said:

Nice work...congrats.

I was going to chime in on wearing headphones - only to say that if you are going to do that, please pay attention to the game. I played in a live tournament earlier this week where one of the people with headphones had to constantly take them out and say "What?" because the dealer was talking to them to explain that they couldn't simply call the BB when another player had already raised, or to correct the various other mistakes the player would make because she wasn't paying attention.

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I got caught day dreaming a few times, but after 2 hours I was quite focused and Thanks

After doing the math, I realize that only half the players paid the $30 rebuy.
Rules are: you get 500 starting chips for $30 and 500 more with a $5 add on.
Or 2000 chips for $30 rebuy. I showed up late and was forced to pay $60 and got 3000 chips. ( not sure how that worked exactly yet ) Considering I split pot for $281 and we agreed to pay $60 to 3rd place ( $622 total ), I was wondering if the $30 rebuy is an advantage or not?