Playing first live tourney tonight!

I am playing in my first live tourney tonight at my local dog track. I have played in a live cash game but never a tourney and since im a much better tourney player than cash game player I am quite excited.

50 dollar buy-in with 4500 starting chips and 20 minute blinds. I am not sure what the blinds start at but I assume around 25/50. So structure sounds a little swift.


They say there are usually ~100 people in this with a 10 percent payout. So I guess this will basically be like a 2 dollar 90 man on pokerstars(except a turbo).

Any tips for live tourney play would be more than welcomed

Try to verbally announce your bet before moving any chips towards the pot. If you don't verbally announce and have a handful of chips in your hand and you only drop some of those chips into the pot some players may make you commit the whole handful (which technically is correct).

When you do announce try to use as few words as possible to make your bet clear, like 'Raise, 2500 total' or 'Raise, 2000 on top'

Pay attention and act in turn.

Good luck. 20 min blinds is not bad (my local casino is 15 min for thiers). You have the right idea of playing like a Turbo but it will still be quicker than you expect.

I recomend keeping your ears and eyes open and mouth shut as much as possible.

With $50 you should be up against a good range of opponents. From "I dont know what beats what?" to Online shark looking to change it up for a night.

Obviously read for tells.. body language and hand motions are where the more obvious tells are.
and
Look to your left before you act to get reads on hands behind you (this has been for me the biggest benifit of playing live). If you have a read on the people behind you, you may be able to see a raise or monster coming behind you.

Live is different but its all poker. Good luck!

Great advice.

I see a lot of online players have a hard time moving chips. Plus if you verbalize your bet and accidentally place the wrong chips your verbal bet stands.

Also keep your chip stack neat. Large denominations in front.

Remember the tournament will be slower. Less hands per hour. So when you have a tough decision take your time. You have it.

good luck

Don't muck your hand until you are pushed the pot, or your opponent shows you a better hand. It's not uncommon for other people to either misread or mis-represent their hands.

Accept that dealer and other mistakes will happen, all part of the live game experience.

I also play a game at a horse track, but a freeroll, so it might be a little different. I notice a lot of players who are just there to gamble, and don't use any sort of strategy, probably because they are gamblers at the horse track anyway and it is a free lol. BUT there are a few decent players mixed in. Your probably already playing by the time I'm writing this.. but thought I'd throw in my 2 cents.. Good Luck.. hope your at the final table by now!

Good Luck!

Thanks for all the advice guys it was very helpful. 112 people in the tourney and I busted in 41st for no cash . The blinds definitely catch up to you fast. The quality of play was actually better than I expected(at least at my table).

despite the quality of play being better than I thought here are a couple of hands I think are worth sharing.

Very first hand of the tourney and I am in the BB with A8s(hearts). blinds 25/50 UTG+1 min raises to 100 and utg+2 calls MP1 calls SB calls. I really want to fold but am looking at this huge pot and toss in the extra 50.

Flop was As Jh 8c. SB Checks, I lead out for 400 get called by utg+1 calls, utg+2 calls, mp1 calls(**** me) SB folds. The turn is a Qs. I check utg+1 bets out 300, utg+ 2 "raise to 600", mp1 "Im all-in"......First hand of the damn tourney and clearly I am beat so I fold. utg+1 folds and utg+2 calls.

they flip the cards and utg+2 had 2 pair jacks and queens mp1 had AKo. River blanked and I would have won the hand.


and the hand I busted on blinds 200/400 50 ante and I have KQs in the BB. utg+2 limps +3 limps folded around to the SB who completes. So I shove my 4400 chipstack here figuring I can get most weak Aces and small pair to fold and even if I do get called by one of those hands there should be enough dead money in the pot to make it worth while. utg+2 tanked and then called everyone else folded. He flips KK I am like wtf!!! limping with KK with that many players left to act. If I check he is in terrible position 4 handed with KK(not the ideal scenario). Anyway I didnt catch anything and busted there.

All and all I would say I had fun which was really all I was after.

How was the blinds structure at your tournament? The one I play at increases fairly fast, it has a jump from 500/1000 to 1000/2000, and from there on if I'm card dead, I'm dead.

Well i didnt make it past 200/400 50 ante. The blinds did increase rapidly(every 20 minutes) with big jumps (25/50, 50/100, 100/200, 150/300 25 ante, and then 200/400 50 ante).

Keep going back. After your 4th or 5th visit once you get into the swing of things and know how the regulars play, they do become pretty beatable.
It's also a lot of fun

BTW do you have dealers, or do you deal for yourself?

Well it is at the dog track so its pretty professional with dealers and everything.

When I say this was my first live tourney, I meant "legitimate" tourney I have played in those free bar tourneys where you deal yourself.

good luck let us know how you make out

Uhmmm... did you read any of this thread? he posted before he went, and posted again when he came back...which in that post told us how he did etc..

(don't think simple posts like that will count towards your 65, as I assume that is your goal, they have to have some kinda of meaningful input on a convo, not some question that has already been asked and answered in the same post, contribute for real..don't try to bs your way into the freeroll club, you might just find the info on this site much more valuable than any freeroll )

^^ this was posted 2 days before you asked him to let us know how he made out, and i only quoted the first couple sentences.

I figured you had the best hand first play, but did not bet aggressively enough. Having fun is good and everything, and now you have experience and know what to expect.

I mostly play in tourneys and lately have been winning. I was in a situation where I too played my A 8, flop was A 7 8. one guy bets a huge amount, and I call. Then a 7 comes and he goes all in. Figuring he got trip 7's I fold, and I was right he showed them. He had A 7, so I believe he was going all in no matter what, but the full house he lucked out on sealed the deal.

Sorry to hear you busted, sounds like it was a good time though!

There is always next time, and by the sounds of it, there will be.

Sounds like fun, actually.

I think I'll try that when we go to the race track, but I need my Driver's license 1st...