Play Live Poker - Making the move to playing live/local poker

Local Poker - Playing Poker Live

You finally cashed out $100 from your on-line account and have decided to go play at a local tournament. You have never seen a live poker game let alone played in a live tournament. What are you going to do when you get AA the first hand and have to bet? Will your hands be shaking? Is the sweat on your opponent’s brow a tell or is it just hot in here? What do you need to know to smooth the transition from on-line to live poker? Live tournaments can be a grind to internet only players.

The pace is reduced and the blinds seem to take forever to go up. In a live game you will see about 25-35 hands per hour compared to the 50-60+ you may get on-line. The blinds will usually go up every 30 to 60 minutes versus the 10 to 15 minutes on-line. If you only see half as many hands, then the blinds need to be double in length to allow the same action as you would see on-line. A live tournament with 30-minute blinds is like an on-line tournament with 15 minute blinds. Now you have something to compare to and can adjust your game style accordingly.

Fatigue and boredom can set in after about two or three hours because of the reduced pace. You can’t multi-table or watch a movie on the side when not in a hand. Cards can run cold for an hour or more when playing live. You can fight boredom by bringing an MP3 player or just getting up and walking around for a hand or two. It is hard to focus for the 8 to 12 hours a live tournament can take. What should you be doing besides practicing the chips tricks when not in a hand? Watch the players and see how they bet or how much they bet. It takes concentration and focus and can make you tired. If you can practice trying to put someone on a hand, it can pay off later in the tournament.

You also have to monitor your tournament status in a live tournament. You can't just read under the names to see how much they have and where you are compared to everyone else. There is no lobby to tell your current position and what the average stack should be. You have to really watch the blinds and realize when you are getting short stacked and need to make a move. It is harder to realize when you have pot committed yourself if you don’t keep a running total of your chips.

Playing with real chips, cards and with other players can lead to problems as well. The computer has always done everything for you. You now actually have to count out your bets and place them in front of you. You can’t flinch when you get a good hand. This is where good players can pick up tells. You have to watch the table closely to see how many players are still in the hand. Sometimes they will semi-hide their cards unintentionally so you must stay focused and know who is in or out. When do you show your cards to take a pot and who shows first are things you need to know. Remember, the caller is paying to see the bettor’s hand and then gets to show if he beats it. That way you don’t show too many hands so people can get a read on you.

Tips: Be ready to play. Get a good night sleep and eat something. Dress in comfortable clothes since you should plan on being there all day. Pre-register if you can and get there about 1 hour before it starts. You want to be sure you make it in the tournament since some places have a maximum number of seating. You will also want to know the lay of the land (restroom locations etc.) before the tournament starts. They will usually start seating about 15 minutes before the start time. Breaks are only every two or three hours so eat before you get there. Playing hungry for 2 hours before the next break can be very distracting.

Have a card protector. If you don’t, make sure to use one of your large denomination chips. You don’t want to lose your cards for a dumb reason like someone else’s cards hits yours. It does happen. Keep your larger denominations in front so others can see them. You need to allow others to see your larger chips easily otherwise you will get asked for a chip count a lot. You can bring an MP3 player if the place allows it (some don’t) but pay attention for when it is your turn. You can really irk the table if you are distracted because of the music.

Have a routine. Watch the others look at their cards and follow the action until it is your turn. Peek at your cards, cover them with your protector, and think for a couple seconds before you act. You will not give as much information away if you take the same amount of time. Chris Ferguson is a good example of this. He does the same thing even if he knows he is going to fold right away. You don’t have to wait 10 seconds but think before you act. Look at the other players in the hand and get a general idea of how much money they have (can they knock you out or can you lean on them since they are short stacked).

Verbally declare your actions. This is a big mistake made by internet only players. Say “raise/call/fold.” This will prevent mistakes that you don’t even know you are doing. You say, “Raise to 700” but put two 500 chips and one 100 chip instead of one 500 chip and two 100 chips out as a bet. You are now allowed to pull back the 400 extra if you declared your action before placing the chips out in front of you. If you didn’t say anything, the 1100 stays as your bet. This can save you money especially if someone goes all-in after you and you have to fold. You can ask for a chip count at any time from another player to see exactly what he has left. This can buy you time to make a decision and get an idea of how much you can bet to push him.

Do a quick tournament assessment when in early position and have folded. Count your chips so you know exactly what you have before the blinds come. Keep your chips stacked in a way to make counting easy (10 100 chips that equal 1000). You can quickly scan the other players at the table to note who is short or big stacked. You can try and get a feel for how many are left in the tournament or at least how many tables are left. This will only take a 15 seconds but it helps make proper decisions and keep you informed on how fast the tournament is going.

Finally, have a good time. Suck outs and bad beats happen live just as often as on-line. If you are nice, people will be nice to you. Talk to the dealer, they will always be more helpful when you don’t know exactly what to do if you are nice to them. If you planned on playing all day anyway, stick around and watch the final table even if you are not at it. They made it there for a reason. You will see the good live tournament players and maybe you can learn something by watching them.

Article Written by Titans4ever.

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