Playing live tonight any tips?

RandomRiv

Hi all
Hope you are all having a good weekend.
My question is more after advice. Im off to play my first live tourny tonight and looking for some tips on how to play different from the way you should online?
Someone told me never to min raise live and that players generally call down with stronger hands than they will when playing online due to not sitting behind a computer screen but have to look everyone in the face when they make donk plays
Any1 got any tips for me? Don't think I've ever been so nervous lol

grantorino

wear shades and giant headphones

generally, in my limited experience, live players are more loose passive than online ones. I find they call down lighter than online players. Obv thats a massive generalisation, like online there are good and bad live players

Watch opponents when they first look at cards and as flop is coming down. Also keeping an eye on stack and pot sizes is important, and can be difficult when you are used to online and all that info is given to you. Most players that tell people what they should have done or criticise others at the table will have no idea what they are on about, so ignore them

jugglegeek

The biggest thing you learn about live poker vs online I think is that you don't have to look at your cards the moment you're dealt them. If you are inexperienced live then you will probably give off a few tells to your opponents without realising. But only look at your cards once it's your turn to act. For example if I'm on the button in an un-opened pot this is a great time to steal the blinds but if the big blind looks nervous or looks like they are ready to put in a bet I don't bother.

The other time this comes into effect is if you are super short stacked. Say you are UTG and you have 5 big blinds left and everyone else has 20-30 big blinds. Then you have to shove no matter what two cards you have. So don't even look at them, or pretend to look at them.

I was once in this situation and before the cards were dealt I knew I was shoving. But then I looked down at 63o and just couldn't do it. There was something about the fact that when I got a call I would have to physically turn over my cards and I knew I would be behind so I folded and waited for the big blind. We saw a flop and I would have made a straight. Next hand I got pocket fives and ran them into K6 and lost.

The other important thing about live is that you have to work harder to keep track of chip counts and the size of the pot. But this is just mental arithmatic

rancid

Concentrate
Very easy for your mind to wonder with everything going on

Focus on the players to your immediate left and right first, then once you feel comforatble move one seat on and so on.

If it's your first time playing live, you will feel there's a lot going on instead of just clicking buttons.

RandomRiv

Never ended up going :+(
A few lads backed down so just went the pub to watched the footy instead. But will be going to experience live as soon as I get the chance. It will probably be after xmas when mates have the money to go.
Thanks all for the advice and I'll let you all know how I get on once I get the chance lol

waynec

I know my post is after the event but will add to it any way, 90% of my poker is live play at casinos and this is what I have learnt the hard way may I say.

Physical tells are our main ememy to the regs.

Never ever look at your cards until its your turn to act

when looking at your cards always take the same amount of time to look, a lot of players stare at a big hand longer than a weaker one before acting... big give away!

Players with the nuts lean back in there seats

Players with bluffs tend to lean forward so try not to move in your seat when acting

When betting always place your chips in the same spot, nearer can mean strentgh and further away bluff or weakness.

Watch for feet tapping, hand ringing, touching ears and lips, scratching your head they are all tells, take mental notes of other players when your not in a hand watch out for the tells we just mentioned and if they turn hands over in a show down link hands with tells for that player.

If your in a big pot with another player and put him under pressure with a big bet/shove sit very still with your arms folded, do not answer any questions ever, if they ask how many chips you have ask the dealer to count them for you or note your stack before making the move and just answer with the amount only.

Bluffing is a lot harder to get away with live so keep them small until you have reads and tells on players and most important you can control your tells.

Hope this helps and good luck when you do get to play live I can assure you it is much more fun than online IMO

RandomRiv

Great post
Thanks for all the tips. I can't wait to go and experience it.
Hopefully I'll get a few of us together soon.
Before I go I'll come back here and read it all again. So keep adding if you can think of anything more, I'll probably not be the only player to benifit.
Thanks again all!!

penguin7

Hello Riv

I suggest you get yourself into a Sky Poker Tour event ASAP.

Then you will be able to learn about live poker in a friendly environment, with loads of people willing to talk to you and pass on advice.

Bring your mates too !

The_Don90

one thing id recommend doing is trying to find a local poker league first. These guys are all usually quite nice and will offer tips (not always good ones but some are) and they might also be able to tell you about a good nearby live game at a casino. 

Best places to look for a league in my experiance is The Nuts Poker League (im scottish and all they have in my area) although redtooth is quite big in England too. Both worth a look imo.  

penguin7

In Response to Re: Playing live tonight any tips?:

one thing id recommend doing is trying to find a local poker league first. These guys are all usually quite nice and will offer tips (not always good ones but some are) and they might also be able to tell you about a good nearby live game at a casino.  Best places to look for a league in my experiance is The Nuts Poker League (im scottish and all they have in my area) although redtooth is quite big in England too. Both worth a look imo.  
Posted by The_Don90

Respecting your opinion as someone who knows that scene better than me, Don.

But not all poker leagues have the same standards. Sometimes the rules and etiquette are quite relaxed. And the level of play is often quite variable.

So some players wiil pick up bad habits which will get them into trouble when they try to transition to live poker in a casino. Better to learn it with a proper dealer. Although SPT events are taken more seriously every year, I believe the dealers are still instructed to show a little leeway to new players. And as many of the players there will have had their own first live experience at an SPT, there is tolerance of mistakes. So things are explained politely rather than trying to intimidate or embarrass a new player.

jugglegeek

If you want my advice then don't wait for your mates to be ready to go. Just get down to the nearest casion and play a tournement. The alea in leeds that I go to have one every night either £13, £18, £23 buy-in and the structures are such that even if you suck then you should still get a few hours of play. Avoid the cash tables like **** though, they are too expensive and are generally less friendly.

AAelmoAA

One tip i would give which probably comes with experience, but can only be good to know when first starting is. DON'T PANIC when it comes to you to act especially when you are betting, take your time, be deliberate, people will be staring at you like idiots IGNORE THEM.

68Trebor

 Jungle just wondering what made you choose the Alea as the place to play in Leeds. Been seriously thinking of giving live a go and was considering the Gala in Leeds, have you been and what was your opinion. What time to the tournies kick off at Alea and what time they usually finish.