lind0 0 Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 I've been playing poker online for about 10 months, as well as in some home games for about the same length of time. This weekend I finally got up the courage to try playing in a live casino. I've won a few grand in low stakes games and online, and I've read all the books and figured I'm as ready as I'll ever be. I sit down at a 1-2$, $100 buy-in NL ring game and size up my competition. There are people from all walks of life. Old people, young people, men, women, white people, black people, asian people, most wearing shades and looking like they've been here before. I picture the scene from Rounders where the pros lick their lips each time a new fish sits down. I will admit, I was a little intimidated. As I wait for the blinds to come to me I note that everyone seems to be playing pretty tight and I resolve to do the same. My plan is to basically play my early stage tournament strategy. Don't go broke (I only have 2 buy-ins and want to play for a while) and win what the cards will let me. So much for that plan... In about the fifth hand, my first hand I've ever played in a live casino, I'm dealt pocket Kings. Hello baby! It's folded to me and I make a standard size raise from middle position and get one caller. He's a thirtysomething asian guy with shades and visor and the whole bit. He reminds me of Johnny Chan in his younger days. I do my best Jesus Ferguson pose, two hands on my chin and stonefaced. I wish I had brought shades. In fact, I wish I had brought a mask at this point. The flop comes down 6-8-9 rainbow. I stay completely motionless waiting to pounce on him and take down the pot if he even thinks about betting. He looks my direction for a moment and announces "all in." What! All in? Are you f---ing serious! I'm rattled now. I size him up for a minute. He looks calm. I don't have a read on him despite doing my best Howard Lederer stare down. I run through different scenarios at about the speed of light. Is he doing any acting. Strong when weak, weak when strong, right? Help me Mike Caro! Is he just making a play on me? Seeing what I'm made of? Could he have flopped a set? It's 41$ to call. It'll be half my stack if I'm wrong. My mind is racing. If I'd been in my home game I could have layed it down no problem, but the adrenaline is clouding my judgement. Wouldn't he slow play if he has a big hand. Most weak players do. And I don't want people to think they can just run me over and I've got Kings! I decide I can't let people think I'm just going to roll over so before I really know what happened I say, "call"..."I flopped a straight," he says, turning over 5-7 off suit. Stunned, I try to act like it doesn't faze me but it does. Welcome to the table. "Nice hand," I manage to say. What just happened? I'm supposed to be taking it slowly here. I struggled for the next five minutes to regain my composure, but it felt like I got kicked in the nuts. 5-7 offsuit? Who is this guy, Gus Hansen? I calmed down after a bit longer and decided that I had to let it go and stick to my gameplan. Luckily I picked up a few hands after a while and won a couple of small pots to gain some confidence. Two hours went by without playing many hands and I looked down to find pocket Aces. I had about 60$ in front of me. One guy raised it up front and another guy came over the top. Sweet Jesus! "I'm all in." They both called. A-J and pocket 7's. Beautiful! After the cards were out I tripled up and finished the session up about 50 bucks. Not too bad for my first time and I was quite proud of myself for regaining my composure after that first hand. Played some more the next day and won another $100 bucks. Trapped someone for all their chips with quad 2's. What a great experience! I'll definitely be back. Link to post Share on other sites
akishore 0 Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 casino play is a lot of fun. the games are also far weaker than online. keep going back, you'll enjoy it. good luck.aseem Link to post Share on other sites
btlee 0 Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 As I wait for the blinds to come to me I note that everyone seems to be playing pretty tight and I resolve to do the same. My plan is to basically play my early stage tournament strategy.Keep in mind, a good rule is...If a table is loose play tight, if a table is tight play loose. Link to post Share on other sites
bigkg 0 Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 most wearing shades and looking like they've been here before.Sound like fish to me. Don't wear shades at a $100 NL game, you will just look like a fool who has watched the WSOP way too many times. Link to post Share on other sites
akishore 0 Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 Keep in mind, a good rule is...If a table is loose play tight, if a table is tight play loose.i heavily disagree.the table's tightness should not influence your tightness; instead, the table's aggressiveness should influence your tightness. conversely, a table's tightness should influence your aggressiveness.when the table is passive, loosen up. when the table is aggressive, tighten up.when the table is tight, get more aggressive (on bluff attempts, steals, etc.). when the table is loose, be less aggressive (not passive, but don't bluff/semi-bluff, steal less, don't overvalue hands, etc.).aseem Link to post Share on other sites
bdams19 0 Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 My first ever live experience outside of home games was not in a casino, but in a card club in NYC. I was 18 (earlier this year :oops: ) and my friend thought I was good enough to try a bigger game than the usual 10 or 20 buy in at school. I was up about 350 from these games at school at the time, and thought, "What the hell, let's go for it." So I bought in for 200 at the 1/2 NL table and sat there, nervous as hell. The first hand I played I raised up AK and got 2 callers. The flop came J 2 4, and they both checked to me so I bet half the pot. One guy called and the other pushed all in, and I'm thinking what the hell is going on. So I fold, and the other guy calls. They showdown.... Q5 and A3 ?! I must have made the most disgusted face ever, because I have never seen such stupid playing in my life. The guy turned the wheel by hitting one of the last 3 fives in the deck and had Q5 drawing dead. I moved tables and started feeling comfortable, telling myself that if I played scared I wasn't going to win. It's the same game, I told myself, don't worry about the money. If you're a better player you'll win, the stakes don't matter. Hell, what happened next, you could have given my cards to dog and he would have won. I distinctly remember raising 6 hands pf that night, I might have played some of my hands in the blinds as well but I don't really remember. Every hand I either flopped a set or a boat, or improved to a boat on the turn. I played QQ JJ KK AA 88 and AK. That's it. Flopped a set of queens, set of jacks, boated the kings. The AA I almost folded on the flop of KK2, but the guy was so loose I had to call down. The turn of course was the A because I was a lucky bastard that night. 88 the flop was 89T, I bet 50, got reraised to 100, and I pushed all in, and someone thought forever before folding AT face up. Called a raise from this guy who was donating 200 to the table almost every round (he actually had money on the table cause they couldn't get him chips fast enough, and he was right next to the cage! lol), and the flop was A K 7. I checked to trap him, when he pushed all his chips in and annouced all in. I immediately put my head down saying, man he hit a set this is ridiculous. Then I thought to myself, why would he do that with a set against a really tight player? Why would I fold this in a 20 dollar home game to the same bet? So I instantly call and he shows KQ and luckily he missed his runner runner straight after a T showed up on the turn. I remember that night I won more than any other night I've been back there, and I was 1/100th the player then than I am now. Kind of funny how that works. You HAVE to be comfortable at the table, if this is your first time this will be a concern. What helped for me the first few times is just to make friends with everyone, start chatting and make it friendly. Of course, it's always easier to chat with people when you're stacking their chips Link to post Share on other sites
mark33f 0 Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 Keep in mind, a good rule is...If a table is loose play tight, if a table is tight play loose.i heavily disagree.the table's tightness should not influence your tightness; instead, the table's aggressiveness should influence your tightness. conversely, a table's tightness should influence your aggressiveness.when the table is passive, loosen up. when the table is aggressive, tighten up.when the table is tight, get more aggressive (on bluff attempts, steals, etc.). when the table is loose, be less aggressive (not passive, but don't bluff/semi-bluff, steal less, don't overvalue hands, etc.).aseemAm I missing something? You disagreed and then repeated what he said? Link to post Share on other sites
Governator 54 Posted June 27, 2005 Share Posted June 27, 2005 Keep in mind, a good rule is...If a table is loose play tight, if a table is tight play loose.i heavily disagree.I think you actually agree not disagree? Or maybe I just got confused reading your response lol. Link to post Share on other sites
KTW 0 Posted June 28, 2005 Share Posted June 28, 2005 He agrees; or he may have slipped and hit his head on the keyboard and then typed his response. :roll: Link to post Share on other sites
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