First Time In A Casino?

[JusSumguy]

One of the big reasons for buying in max is because you limit your profits when you do get a big hand.

Somebody posted a bit back about hitting a RF with only .50 in his stack. I was going to make this comment there, but I didn't know if he bought in low, or just lost a big one.

Same applies. Bob sits down with 100.00 on a five hundred dollar table with his RF and gets shorted 8 or 12 hun.

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[OzExorcist]

we might win, buts its like limping every button blind, it might make some money sometimes, but it certainly isnt optimal

^ this. Exactly this.

Plus you're putting a heap of artificial pressure on yourself if you take $100 and only $100 to the game. If you know you can't rebuy, and you're afraid of going broke because you came all this way to the casino and you want to at least get your money's worth, then you're going to play sub-optimally. You'll probably find yourself folding in spots where you should be playing, and losing money as a result.

 

[domeburglar]

One thing that no one has really mentioned yet about playing live is PATIENCE.. you can expect the amount of hands youll see to be cut in half compared to online.. so wait it out and try to get into every detail about people to try to figure out reads while your waiting.. for me it was a very uncomfortable transition to playing live at first i was very nervous and intimidated.. but once you get used to it.. being confident at a poker table can be a tremendous advantage.. ive found people can sense that and it affects their play against you... like with anything else practice practice practice.. dont go expecting to be an instant huge winner playing live it might take time... dont give up if u lose your first couple of times

 

[NeverEnough]

we might win, buts its like limping every button blind, it might make some money sometimes, but it certainly isnt optimal

Theres no way to make $ every time you play poker. You cannot control the cards.

 

[NeverEnough]

and you're afraid of going broke because you came all this way to the casino and you want to at least get your money's worth,

You shouldn't be playing poker at all if this is your mentality.

 

[arahel_jazz]

You shouldn't be playing poker at all if this is your mentality.

Erm... you missed the point once again. +1 Oz.

Two things: You should *never* go to a casino or poker room with scared money no matter how great you may be at any given table game or slots. (Scared Money = money you cannot afford to lose). Secondly, poker and other gambling activities for the casual person should fall under "entertainment" expenses. Kind of like going to a ball game or major concert event. Yes, you want the best experience possible, so you pay (bring enough) to enjoy the experience.

Walking in to a 1/2 NL game with only $100 is like going to the Super Bowl without any money for souvenirs, beer, or hotdogs. Yeah, I've done it, and it's not fun to sit there and nit it up when the rest of the table is softer than a box of twinkies.

(R.I.P. Hostess)

 

[duggs]

Theres no way to make $ every time you play poker. You cannot control the cards.

we can control our expected value, which is essentially the same thing in the long run

 

[Beanfacekilla]

we can control our expected value, which is essentially the same thing in the long run

Yes I agree. However, I don't care how good a player is - no one wins every tme they buy in. If anyone wants to argue this, they are in denial, or they simply have no real experience.

Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, it doesn't matter who it is, they will not win every time.

 

[JusSumguy]

Yes I agree. However, I don't care how good a player is - no one wins every tme they buy in. If anyone wants to argue this, they are in denial, or they simply have no real experience.

Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, it doesn't matter who it is, they will not win every time.

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[duggs]

Yes I agree. However, I don't care how good a player is - no one wins every tme they buy in. If anyone wants to argue this, they are in denial, or they simply have no real experience.

Doyle Brunson, Daniel Negreanu, it doesn't matter who it is, they will not win every time.

obviously not, but i never said that

 

[Beanfacekilla]

obviously not, but i never said that

. I know dude.

 

[duggs]

right, thats cool then i thought you were correcting me whilst agreeing which can be confusing

 

[Beanfacekilla]

right, thats cool then i thought you were correcting me whilst agreeing which can be confusing

Lol. It's cool. I know what you mean jelly bean.

 

[nitulbhatia]

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Sweet picture

 

[Michael Paler]

Just do it. Take that plunge. If you want to start picking up on live tells, I would single out only one player to start. See if you can figure out his range. Once you got one nailed you can get used to it enough to start studying others. And for Gods sake, leave the headphones at home and pay close attention.

I have heard that if you go to put chips out and knock some over, then restack them, that is a possible tell that you are bluffing. If this is your first time using chips, try not to do that, lol. Matter of fact, I might leave bluffing out as much as possible until you get comfortable at a live table.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Beanfacekilla]

Just do it. Take that plunge. If you want to start picking up on live tells, I would single out only one player to start. See if you can figure out his range. Once you got one nailed you can get used to it enough to start studying others. And for Gods sake, leave the headphones at home and pay close attention.

I have heard that if you go to put chips out and knock some over, then restack them, that is a possible tell that you are bluffing. If this is your first time using chips, try not to do that, lol. Matter of fact, I might leave bluffing out as much as possible until you get comfortable at a live table.

Good luck and have fun!

Headphones help me focus, and pick up on body language. They also help me play patiently and wait for better cards.

About tells:

They are player specific. The tell you mentioned about chips falling over could easily be someone strong (they are shaky and trembling cause they have a monster), and inexperienced.

You must study the players to figure out what their tells are. One guy I was playing with would squint at the board (sometimes stand up while squinting) when he had a huge hand. Another player would purse his lips when he was weak (after he bet, and people were thinking of calling).

That stuff you see on YouTube can be helpful to spot tells. But tells are player specific.

 

[xCipx]

ya first of all the most logical way to start is as soon as you sit down look at everyones chips. Look for the people that have MORE then the max allowed buy in. 80-90% of the time the people who have more then the max buy in are good players. when u go to a casino though threre is a minimum 1 person or 2 that u could consider the cash cows, who even after they loose 2o0$ in one hand, continue to rebuy not caring

 

[Juanes1913]

I haven't played at a casino...
but I will try soon
thx 4 the tips

 

[Enzo1089]

Whenever I've played live, which I have a little bit of experience with, I actually only ever buy in short-stacked. Usually just the minimum and if not, just slightly above it. Given, I've busted a couple of times, but who hasn't, but besides from those times, most of the time I walk away with a pretty good profit, my best being a buy-in with $60 and walking off the table with around $530.

I'll be absolutely honest, I've never really understood the whole buying in with the maximum amount thing. If you decide to buy in short-stacked, you simply have to wait for your hand. This definitely takes some patience, but eventually you will pull a pocket pair . On a more serious note here though, if you wait for your hand, and then win the pot on it, then depending on the size of the pot won, then you can really start gambling and playing some hands that you wouldn't when you were short stacked.....and as a plus, if you bust out it doesn't hurt as badly this way

 

[madethegrade]

Play on a thursday/friday/sat night. MORE FISHES and drunks on the bigger nights!

 

[Beanfacekilla]

Whenever I've played live, which I have a little bit of experience with, I actually only ever buy in short-stacked. Usually just the minimum and if not, just slightly above it. Given, I've busted a couple of times, but who hasn't, but besides from those times, most of the time I walk away with a pretty good profit, my best being a buy-in with $60 and walking off the table with around $530.

I'll be absolutely honest, I've never really understood the whole buying in with the maximum amount thing. If you decide to buy in short-stacked, you simply have to wait for your hand. This definitely takes some patience, but eventually you will pull a pocket pair . On a more serious note here though, if you wait for your hand, and then win the pot on it, then depending on the size of the pot won, then you can really start gambling and playing some hands that you wouldn't when you were short stacked.....and as a plus, if you bust out it doesn't hurt as badly this way

These are all good points.

However, what if you buy in for $200, and have the patience to wait for good hands. Let's say you wake up with a monster, and get some action. You get it in good, and drag a $500 pot instead of $140.....

You are not only limiting the amount you can lose, but also the amount you can win. For me, I want to have as many chips as possible when I sit down.

 

[robert_wrath]

Also, don't go during the week because that most of the players will be grinders. The weekend, however, is when all of the 9 to 5 average joe's come out to play, and the perfect time to makes some $$$

This is ever soooooooooooo true. You want the weekend warriors who thinks he can play.

 

[hakalas]

play gaminator only

 

[Michael Paler]

Headphones help me focus, and pick up on body language. They also help me play patiently and wait for better cards.

So when a opponent mutters something, possibly an important verbal tell, you still hear them? Must be nice.

About tells:

They are player specific. The tell you mentioned about chips falling over could easily be someone strong (they are shaky and trembling cause they have a monster), and inexperienced.

No kidding. I did not say it was iron clad.

You must study the players to figure out what their tells are. One guy I was playing with would squint at the board (sometimes stand up while squinting) when he had a huge hand. Another player would purse his lips when he was weak (after he bet, and people were thinking of calling).

I agree. And the best way to do it, if you never have before, is to start by concentrating on just one player. Spotting tells requires practice. You should crawl before walking. So, start with just one guy, get used to doing it, move up to two, then three. etc. You start out watching each and every player it will be a long time before you are good at it, IMO. For example, looking at each player as he looks at his cards is great advice, unless you are new and do not have a reference for what you are seeing. IMO, starting with one target helps fine tune the skill and before long you actually might know what you are seeing when watching everyone as they look at their cards.

That stuff you see on YouTube can be helpful to spot tells. But tells are player specific.

I do not agree as I do not think stuff you see on youtube is helpful to spot tells at all, unless you could verify the source somehow. I do, however, think listening to advice by experts like Mike Caro on how to do this is. And while there are player specific tells there are also general ones to think about as well. Like when a casual player is looking everywhere except at the action; chances are good he is strong. If he is a strong player and doing it, it could be a false tell.

I also think passing that advice on to others is a good idea.

 

[Beanfacekilla]

I do not agree as I do not think stuff you see on youtube is helpful to spot tells at all, unless you could verify the source somehow. I do, however, think listening to advice by experts like Mike Caro on how to do this is. And while there are player specific tells there are also general ones to think about as well. Like when a casual player is looking everywhere except at the action; chances are good he is strong. If he is a strong player and doing it, it could be a false tell.

I also think passing that advice on to others is a good idea.

The reason I mentioned youtube, is because I know where you got that tell about knocking the chips over and cleaning them up. From Mike Caro's video.

I have watched the video also.

In my experience, tells like the ones talked about by Caro are very rarely exhibited.


Verbal clues? It is not necessary to need verbal clues to beat up on fish at the 200 NL game at the casino. They are so bad, they give you their money.

I don't like to talk to people that much at a live table. I don't show cards unless called. I do not like to answer their questions like "do you want action?" This is why I wear headphones.

I just like to listen to music, and range them by their body language, betting, and dynamics. It works well for me.

Just remember, everyone is going to have a different way of getting things done. It helps me really tune in my radar listening to music. I don't know what it is. I am so on with my reads when I am jamming out, and playing my A-game.

However, you have made some very good points. Definately food for thought.

I really liked what you had to say about focusing on one player for a while, and only him. It is very good advice. I am going to try this, and see what I can spot after paying very close attention to one guy for a while.

Thanks for that.