First live cash game?

akaRobbo

akaRobbo

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Ok I know this topic has been talked about countless times over the internet, so I apologise to any veterans of this great site, but I just want to give you my specific situation, and to keep up my activity with the site and rack up a few more posts :D

So ive been playing online 5NL (6 max) for 5 weeks now. I first deposited $50 (I know, bad BRM) and now my roll is nearing enough to cater for 10NL, which im excited about :)

My local casino is a big one in Newcastle, UK and ive recently been interested in trying out some live play. For those of you who dont know, Newcastle is famous for its nightlife (Clubs, bars etc) and also for stag/hen do's, "party weekends", people travel from all over the country to visit. So tactically i'd definitely be planning on playing at the weekend, you can imagine the potential players you can be finding in the casino on Saturday night. Not ones that are playing 1-2k hands a day like me, put it that way :). Ive read that live players overall are much worse than online, is this generally true?

With me having only been playing for just over a month seriously though, is it a bit too early for me to take a shot a live play? I know that the stakes are WAY bigger, the Min is 50NL at my casino. Im usually quite loose and aggressive online and I am certain that when I sit down in the casino for the first time I will be very nervous! So maintaining to play that aggressive style could be tricky, especially with it being 50NL.

So to get over this could I just go an observe play and watch a few games one day and just get a feel for what to expect, if im actually allowed to do that? Or should I be playing a lot more online for now and move up more stakes before thinking about trying live play?

What were your first experiences like at your first live game? Any relevant information or guidance is greatly appreciated guys, have a nice weekend :)
 
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hffjd2000

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Online is different from live game. So even if you stay online for a while then switch to live, the play is different. Many differences actually.

Nice if you can observe first at live and evaluate if you can play the game. . Can you afford many rebuys? Is the table always raising? etc....Are there many sharks?...

Never join a stake you cant afford. Higher stakes means tougher games

Its your choice. Just stay where you are gaining...

Goodluck...
 
crusinnn

crusinnn

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Live games are always more fun than online. First of all you need experience playing live . My advise would be go for it but rmember these tips, live games are much slower than online, ppl read you fast if you are a newbie, make sure to prepare yourself b4 playing meaning you are not at home on your couch ,so you will feel uncomfortable at first especially if your not that social, ppl might intimidate you , all sorts of stuff to make u loose focus. Since it's a night club bar etc, you might find a lot of drunk loose players so watch out for them and take advantage. I used to live 30 mins from Mohegan and Foxwoods so I would go there early mornings just to play these guys,lol all I had to do was sit there and play normal poker , I don't even put a lot of effort in and I used to build stacks. Also watch out for the guys like yourself who will be looking to take these guys cash away as well. Good luck
 
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Cleobulle

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My first live game with strangers (I had played a lot with friends) was in Las Vegas: I was very intimidated at first, even if the stakes were low. Emotions took the best of me in the beginning, and I lost my stack quite quickly. I was too much passive, too much obvious, too much " bullyable" (I don't even know if this a word). But after a few hours, and a few beers, I settled, and was able to play solid poker. And I enjoyed it a lot! Even won some money... Live poker IS more fun than online. Emotions, personalities, conversations, tells, there is so much more going on at a table than online...
 
shanest

shanest

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I've played online for a number of years but have yet to play live. One of my goals for the year ahead. I will report back when I play that 1st live session
 
JaxA

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Live and online are different beasts, for sure. I started live and then went online. I think in general, at low stakes it is true that live players are much worse. (Loose/passive) It is MUCH slower than online but a lot of fun. Have fun! Building experience is key.
 
bushy_lufc

bushy_lufc

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i honestly think that at 50-1 and 1-2 at casinos generally players are worse than at 1-2 cents online... you don't get many people grinding at the casinos generally at that limit and everyone going out is putting money down they are willing to lose.... and will usually lose. They haven't gone there to play tag... they have gone to limp call and over play top or second pair and call down their draws!
 
akaRobbo

akaRobbo

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everyone going out is putting money down they are willing to lose.... and will usually lose. They haven't gone there to play tag... they have gone to limp call and over play top or second pair and call down their draws!

This is what I was thinking, a lot of players will be SO EASY to exploit, just by playing a solid TAG game. 99% of my hands that I play online I dont limp, I 3xBB pretty much everything so nobody knows what I have, so if lots of live players do limp, I could take pot control immediately, with most likely better starting hands than them by playing TAG and selecting good hands to play.

A lot of players are also going to be there for a limited time, and have places to be after they have been to the casino, (clubs/ bars for a night out etc). And if these "bad players" are down money and need to leave in, say, 15 minutes, surely they are going to play very loose and make donk plays?

I just seems like theres so much potential to make easy money there haha, just need to watch out for other people like me ;)
 
ccocco

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if it is so, according to you discussed poker pros who play online has better performance than playing live, the only problem that playing live handled well tells that online you can not watch face or gestures other players
 
Matt Vaughan

Matt Vaughan

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First of all, I'd recommend playing a bit more online and ideally moving up a few limits to prove to yourself that you can, and that you're not just running pretty hot. Sounds annoying, sure, but keep in mind that moving up to 10nl or 25nl online will mean you are certainly capable of beating the lowest live games.

BUT. This does NOT mean that it will happen instantaneously or necessarily be super easy. As others have mentioned, live poker is a different beast from online poker, and in a lot of ways could be considered a different game entirely. I recommend reading these two threads (or at least the OP's) thoroughly before venturing to the casino:

- https://www.cardschat.com/forum/general-poker-13/playing-live-what-you-need-know-114205/
- https://www.cardschat.com/forum/learning-poker-57/playing-live-1-2-nlhe-cash-204657/


Then, start looking around at strategy threads and posts pertaining to live poker. As I said, there are MANY factors that differentiate live poker from online, but some of the biggest are in live poker:

- People tend much more to being loose/passive, both pre- and post-flop
- As a result, open raise sizes tend to be much larger than 3x + 1/limper bb
- It's MUCH slower, with many more distractions - focus is key
- You have to see, hear, smell, and potentially touch (elbows) other people
- The long run takes a very, VERY long time to reach

Good luck if you decide to go right away, and if not, good luck moving up online.
 
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EyegotnutZ77

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live poker1

I think you should run down to the nearest live table and give it a try....its is much more enjoyable and much less hectic. You will see far less hands...25-35 per hour with a fast dealer...it is very social often and can be quite fun..being able to read your opponents face to face is another dimension of poker that you cant find online...give it a whirl my friend...you will love it!!!!
 
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