standard 1/2 online raises are 6-8$ ... for live its much different, the standard raise is 10-14$ (pretty much doubled) and at a loser table ull see a lot of 15-17 raises preflop, and it doesnt even mean they have a good hand... theres a lot of players who play bad hands like K9 K10 Arag etc out of posistion, etc... so just know that going in, ull be able to spot the players who do that fairly quickly by how active they are at the table... good thing about these players is most of the time, unless they are a very very good LAG, they will have a hard time laying down TP, so u can make mad money by just playing tight then smoothing raises by these raisers with strong aces, or small pairs in hope to hit then hit them where it hurts, theyll pay u off. just remember in live games, like the guy said dont show up in sunglasses being a d bag, it might be appropriate in a 10k event to play that way, but for a regular 1/2 game 98% + of the players will not be paying attention to u, especially outside of a casino, easy money is to be made at live games, its the easiest money to be made in fact... a live 1/2 its not out of the question to end the night up 600 ++ on a really good night u can be up as much as 1,500-2,000... just play SMART, and ull be fine, whether ur tight or lose it dont matter, post flop play is where the money is to be made in live
My favorite tell:
When the three cards are revealed on the flop do not look at the cards. Instead, watch the people's reactions to those cards as they are revealed. You can always look at the cards later, but you only have a second to see people's initial reaction to them.
If they stare at the cards, the cards probably didn't help them.
If the glance quickly back at their chips, the flop was good for them and they're going to bet.
But otherwise, at most live games you can just sit back and play premium hands and let people hurt themselves on your big hands. IE, play tight.
if their eyes start to blink rapidly after seeing the flop. FOLD UNLESS U HAVE THE NUTS. If their heart starts beating really hard and you see their chest pulsating. FOLD UNLESS U HAVE THE NUTS BUT IF THEY ARE DOING THIS THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE U DONT.
I haven't seen anything like giant raises preflop playing live, and that's pretty much what I have been doing the last two months. If anything, you get WAY more limpers preflop then you'll probably be used to.
Oz, I figured your recommendation would be to tip the dealer well.
I think it changes from game to game - but I've certainly seen / played in live $1-$2 games where the standard pre-flop raise is $10-$15.
Having lots of limpers is also a common one. Sometimes you'll even see both in the same game: people will either limp, or make it $15 to go.
Anywho, both seem to be like a contagious bug: if one player starts it, pretty soon the whole table will be doing it.
Congrats on your first game pitter - being down $22 isn't too bad a result, particularly when it sounds like it was a long session. One big pot going the other way is all it takes to turn that around.
Down $22 after 6 hours of 1st time live play is a very cheap lesson. If you play the same players agian and you should from what you say, I hope you took in everything that went on at the table. You obviously attained a very tight agg rep, did you attempt to raise to steal in the right position? Although the blinds don't increase at a cash table there are times when stealing pots is very profitable, monster starting hands at a live table may be 1 or 2 an hour because your playing a lot less hands as opposed to online, make hay when you can, if you get reraised it's easy to let go but give it a while before you fold so not to give away the steal attempt.....good luck next time
Interesting thought but not quite accurate, I stare at the flop when I hit or have an over pair to the board, then assess draw possibilities before making a decision.
Then you are unique. This is one of the most reliable tells in poker.
Let me grab Karo's book...
Tell #16
Reliability is 98% for weak players, 96% for average players, and 90% for strong players.