Shred

I second that.

I think it also has to do with time and day of the week also. Typically on the weekends and usually around 10:00pm EST during weeknights the tables are looser in general. Playing during the work day or when most people aren't playing the tables can get pretty tight at the levels you mentioned. I can't comment on other sites as I don't play on them.

It depends on what kind of chips you have. Most casino chips including Paul Son, Chipco and others can easily withstand soap and water. I've cleaned casino chips with some mild soap, water and an old toothbrush and had no trouble. Hotstamps I would be very careful. You mentioned ink - I'm not sure what you mean by ink.

As for as I've heard there has been a motion to legalize table games at Charles Town but I don't know if that includes poker. Nor do I know if/when this will really happen. I'm sure there are home games in Martainsburg. I know there are several in Hagerstown (micro to low limit), Frederick (micro to low limit), and Leesburg (low limit). I think there is a small NL game in Harpers Ferry.

There are quite a few players that I know who don't read any books and have a good solid understanding of the game. However, I've also noticed that some of these players have some large leak in their game. I think books help round out areas where a player doesn't pick up naturally.I tend to read poker books just because I enjoy reading them. Sometimes different authors contradict each other but most of the time the concepts are about the same. I enjoy analyzing what the author is trying to say and sometimes I don't agree with everything. I particularly like Ciaffone's approach, but also S

I believe Jone's first edition mentioned only limping with AK, however the second edition suggests raising - there's a couple of pages that the author rethought including the AK situation. I should clarify the Winning Low Limit Holdem 2nd edition is recommended. I think it really sets a solid foundation. The first edition was good but I thought had some flaws.

There are a few illeagal clubs in the DC metro and Baltimore areas and there are also a ton of home games at all limits. Usually when you get into one home game it leads to another and so on until you find the games you like.

I'd like to offer some suggestions. First of all welcome aboard, its a wild ride.As for books, I'd recommend two starting books:Theory of Poker by Sklansky Winning Low Limit Holdem by JonesI wouldn't recommend Small Stakes Holdem by Miller (and Sklansky). Not that its a bad book but Miller takes a very aggressive approach which I think puts inexperienced players into trouble real fast. I believe that SSH is for players who have a great deal of experience but prefer low stakes rather than a beginner's book. I've been "schooled" under Jones and Ciaffone and particularly fit into their style.

I would think your stack size would be less than the average. I also would not sit out for the first session in an event that you could double up with a legitimate hand or at least gain some chips if you can get in cheap and pull something.

I've heard good things about Wilson's Turbo Poker (I think it goes for $50-80). You can download a sample from their site.I've never played on the program so you may want to do your research.

Just the other day I was in a game in Atlantic City and the dealer commented that he couldn't play cards only deal them because he was under 21. I think he was 19.

I'll be heading to AC as well and will probably check out Bally's new room. Hopefully getting a 5-10 game. I'll be there between 1pm and 5pm.

I've seen a couple of people from Maryland. Just wondering where you play? I'm in Frederick.

Agreed that different casinos/cardrooms may be different meaning one casino's 3-6 is another's 6-12 but generally the playing style is different. Those loose passive callers are not as common the more you go up. The number of pre-flop callers in say a 2-4 game can be ridiculous so the main strategy is usually patience rather than skillful tactics. As you move up you'll need to adjust your play. That goes to for someone who routinely plays 20-40 and jumps down to 3-6, they'll have to adjust accordingly. So is the play better from say a 3-6 to a 5-10? You could say yes, but I think a small

First, there's nothing wrong with winning in the first few hands and then cashing out when you are way ahead. Go for it!However, there is a hit and run fallacy that some poker players have and that is to hit a game make some profit then cash out (run). The fallacy is that someone can sit down win a couple of hands and cash out everytime they play, but as Sklansky has been quoted "It's all one long poker game," meaning eventually you'll be grinding it out over the long run. Going to 20 games for just 15 minutes is just like going to one game for 5 hours. There will be winning sessions and