My First Live Poker Tournement (maybe)

_tut

Evening all,

  I'm planning on going on a night out to the local casino and am intent on entering my first ever live poker tournament, as it is something I am keen on experiencing ever sinse I started playing poker. Was just wanting to get people's views and experiences when playing their first live poker tournament.

Another question is and this might sound a little naive but also wanted to ask for any advice on how to approach a live poker tournament in terms of general poker etiquette and any do's and dont's?

Would also like to add some context, my poker experience involves few online games on here (freerolls and low stakes cash games, 2/4p) in the last few months and many "home" games (all being Texas hold em).

Hope to see some responses and maybe this could be plugged during tonight sky Poker TV at some point?!

Thanks.

Mohican

Any thing new is going to make you nervous but a few simple things will make life a little easier.
1) Stack your chips in their values,smallest left,largest right.(other way is good too). If you get a big stack later, all your biggest chips will have to at the front.
2) Always declare your intentions,so raise to xxx, call etc. Be aware, that if a raise is say,2800 and you chuck a single 10,000 chip in, intending to raise but fail to declare raise,it'll count as a call. Chucking 10,000 made up of multiple chips will count as a raise if you say nothing.
3) Pay attention to the action in front of you, because if someone just slides there chips across the line allin and you say call intending to limp in, you'll have to call the all in.(I missed the slide all in at SPT Luton,announced 'raise to 2500'only to be told it was now 10,000 to call. Was given the choice of calling or folding and leaving 2500 behind on the table.)
4) Use a card protector. Soon as you recieve both your cards,place it on your cards until it's your turn to act. V imp especially in the blinds because if the small blind sees you looking like your going to fold, he can raise to steal with any two,whereas if you wait till he's made his decision to look at your cards,it makes it harder for them to steal.
5)When posting blinds and ante, if you don't have the right amount of chips, say 200+25, either ask an adjacent player for change or just put a single 500 chip in the middle and the dealer will give you change before he deals the cards.
6)If you are unsure at any time what is going on,ask the dealer. They'll tell you what it is to call/blinds/if it's your turn to act etc.
7)Play your normal game. If you dont' normally float,check raise bluff,three bet light then don't try it live.
8)Enjoy it. Live poker is so much more interesting and enjoyable than on line.

1267

Don't fist pump when u get aces.

Mohican

In Response to Re: My First Live Poker Tournement (maybe):

Don't fist pump when u get aces.
Posted by 1267

or fist pump with all your hands.

GELDY

Great advice from Mr Ican.

Just to dot the is and cross the ts

when stacking your chips you will notice most players stack them vertically - doesn't matter - do it Mr Ican's way - same as I do - no-one will complain

if playing antes and the blind and you don't have small enough chips - put in a chip for each - ie don't mix up the blinds with the antes.

watch every hand - ie no walkman - others might listen to music but you want to pay attention to how everybody is playing

if you are worried about giving away tells - wear sunglasses

ALANSK100

In Response to Re: My First Live Poker Tournement (maybe):

Great advice from Mr Ican. Just to dot the is and cross the ts when stacking your chips you will notice most players stack them vertically - doesn't matter - do it Mr Ican's way - same as I do - no-one will complain if playing antes and the blind and you don't have small enough chips - put in a chip for each - ie don't mix up the blinds with the antes. watch every hand - ie no walkman - others might listen to music but you want to pay attention to how everybody is playing if you are worried about giving away tells - wear sunglasses
Posted by GELDY

make sure you protect your cards from dealers if your sitting to close they somtimes swipe your cards

BorinLoner

There'll be some guy that wants to tell you what you should have done in your last hand... after every hand.

Ignore that guy.

Wilhelm

Don't argue with the dealer... sigh.  

Slykllist

In Response to Re: My First Live Poker Tournement (maybe):

There'll be some guy that wants to tell you what you should have done in your last hand... after every hand. Ignore that guy.
Posted by BorinLoner

^^ THIS ^^

I'm pretty much always wrong!

_tut

Evening all again,

            Thank you for your feedback, thought I would post an update and hope this gets read.ha I ended up entering a bounty hunter tournament last Friday, with a £33 + £10 bounty buy in, It was a little over what Im used to in terms of buy ins but I was determined to play a tournament at that time so not going to make a habbit of these bigger buy ins.

Overall was satisfied with how it went, think there were 25 runners and I went out around 22nd/ 2nd level (cant remember exactly). I know that sounds like an odd thing to say but I was just I was under no illusion I'd go onto win or even cash and was just there to play, enjoy and experience it.

Exit hand, (bare with me if it sounds a little vague, was all a bit of a blur in the end).

I had "AK", hearts, flopped 4 heart flush, called post flop. An "A" came on the turn, went all in heads up. My opponent decided to call, had "Q5", He has "Q"'s and the river came, you guessed it a "5".

So yep I was a bit annoyed but the rest of the table acknowledged that it was unlucky and the opponent that busted me said (to everyone) that he was "getting the right odds" . Got up, said good game and left the table.

Made the money back on blackjack later on

So hope this gets read, I know that this is a hand mentioned above is usually posted in the poker clinic but just thought it would added context to this topic. Will probably post this on the poker clinic aswell but am abit scared to.ha

Thanks.

SolarCarro

In Response to Re: My First Live Poker Tournement (maybe):

Evening all again,             Thank you for your feedback, thought I would post an update and hope this gets read.ha I ended up entering a bounty hunter tournament last Friday, with a £33 + £10 bounty buy in, It was a little over what Im used to in terms of buy ins but I was determined to play a tournament at that time so not going to make a habbit of these bigger buy ins. Overall was satisfied with how it went, think there were 25 runners and I went out around 22nd/ 2nd level (cant remember exactly). I know that sounds like an odd thing to say but I was just I was under no illusion I'd go onto win or even cash and was just there to play, enjoy and experience it. Exit hand, (bare with me if it sounds a little vague, was all a bit of a blur in the end). I had "AK", hearts, flopped 4 heart flush, called post flop. An "A" came on the turn, went all in heads up. My opponent decided to call, had "Q5", He has "Q"'s and the river came, you guessed it a "5". So yep I was a bit annoyed but the rest of the table acknowledged that it was unlucky and the opponent that busted me said (to everyone) that he was "getting the right odds" . Got up, said good game and left the table. Made the money back on blackjack later on So hope this gets read, I know that this is a hand mentioned above is usually posted in the poker clinic but just thought it would added context to this topic. Will probably post this on the poker clinic aswell but am abit scared to.ha Thanks.
Posted by _tut

Was this at Alea Leeds?

Dave

_tut

In Response to Re: My First Live Poker Tournement (maybe):

In Response to Re: My First Live Poker Tournement (maybe) : Was this at Alea Leeds? Dave
Posted by SolarCarro

Haha Maybe.. Yep it was. Good guess. Why'd you ask?

SolarCarro

In Response to Re: My First Live Poker Tournement (maybe):

In Response to Re: My First Live Poker Tournement (maybe) : Haha Maybe.. Yep it was. Good guess. Why'd you ask?
Posted by _tut

Just recognised the tourney, I used to play it every week before they doubled the buy in!

As it was a little too much consider going to Grosvenor Merrion on a Friday night, free with two £10 rebuys

Alea have a 10 freezeout on a Tuesday but the lack of antes make it a very late night!!

Dave