There are many people who play online poker and play well. They brag to their friends about how much money they make, how many games they play at the same time, and what the specialists are cold.
Now take these same people and transplant them into a live card game, and the attitude changes greatly, because live games are different animals at the same time .
However, there is no need to panic. On the other hand, for most alpha personalities, there is a lot of monetary loss that comes from your attitude in trying to be a nuisance when you are not familiar with live games . Here are some tips to make sure you don’t lose your paycheck or self-respect while playing poker in a real game room:
Look for
The first thing you should do is find out about the local clubs: where they are, what their opening hours are, what games they have, how many tables they have, what are the limits and stakes, and what kind of rake the house contains. . This information tells you what your economic commitment will look like, as well as what kind of wait you will have for the game you want to play. Going to a game room with only four tables really limits your options and can mean a long wait to get to a table.
Observe
You’ve selected your game room and you’re ready to go! Not really, although if you play poker online, you no doubt have at least the basics of poker. Some may be more advanced after reading some of the many books on how to win in poker, the importance of position and the statistical side of which hands to play and how you should play them. However, there is no substitute for observation when it comes to having a complete understanding of what you are getting into.
Stay on track and watch a few games before you sit down. It’s been said many times, but it’s true; You have to read as many players as hands. Observe the game at the level you want to play. (I know it’s tempting to watch the big guns play high stakes, but the strategy used at high stakes will not be the same as at 2-4 betting tables. People tend to be more careless and less experienced at low stakes tables. Much more careful/tight on the stakes tall.) Who has the big stack? What’s their style? Are they too aggressive or allow people to hang themselves? Are they seeing other people or are they wearing hooded sunglasses and iPod headphones instead? You should also pay attention to those who have lost. Do they play with tendencies (making bad decisions because they lost) or do they keep their cool? Even just understanding this will inform your steps beyond those who don’t pay attention to the environment.
Play smart
Now that you have the ground configuration you can try it. NEVER play with more money than you want to play with (this should be a given) and make sure the amount you want to play can handle big swings with respect to the table limit you have chosen to play with. There are many books and websites that can guide you, so I won’t go into them here.
As an extension of the notes section above, wait for a few hands to actually post so you can see who’s at your table. You’ll notice that the flow of the table is very different when you’re dealing with real people than little flashing avatars.
First of all, you can’t block someone’s chat while sitting next to them. And it’s not always fun. Apart from blasting people on the table or physically threatening them, you need to listen (or block them). Second, the game goes faster than you think. You don’t expect someone who has been disconnected for a million times to call, bet, or fold. You will be instructed to hurry if it takes too long to move. If you are used to having the manual close to you while playing, it will be more difficult for you. Sorry, but you can’t sit at a table with any guide. You will laugh at the building. Finally, put these observation skills to use.