Should I play 5/10 at the Taj?

[TheSeeker03]

I've played 10k hands on party 1/2. I am averaging 1.5BB/100
Im no stranger to live game either. Will I hold my own at Taj 5/10?

[MisterKing]

Can you mentally/financially handle losing $500 in one session having played almost perfectly? It can happen pretty easily in a game like this. If not, then the answer to your question is no. If yes, then the answer is MAYBE. On weekends and some other nights, the 5/10 plays a lot like 1/2 on Party. That said, I've seen it other times play much tighter and more aggressive, more like Party 3/6. Not to say by ANY STRETCH it still couldn't be beaten, but rather that you might see some things you're not used to.

Oh, and a winrate over 10k hands is statistically insignificant.

[lefty rosen]

Most 5/10 live games are SOFT. But you will have to learn to handle losing 200 plus on losing sessions. I have seen night games that play like nano limit games. During the day they play similar to Party 1/2(the tighter tables).

[Mike Gallo]

...only one way to find out.

Take the plunge.

[Bluffoon]

I think they are soft enough where if you are comfortable at party 1/2 you will be ok. I have seen a huge variation in games though. If you get stuck in a stinker look around for a better game and don't bother asking for a table change just wait for someone to get up and dive in.

Also the Trop and Borgata 6/12 games are good alternatives and nicer places to play.

[betgo]

[ QUOTE ]
Can you mentally/financially handle losing $500 in one session having played almost perfectly? It can happen pretty easily in a game like this. If not, then the answer to your question is no. If yes, then the answer is MAYBE. On weekends and some other nights, the 5/10 plays a lot like 1/2 on Party. That said, I've seen it other times play much tighter and more aggressive, more like Party 3/6. Not to say by ANY STRETCH it still couldn't be beaten, but rather that you might see some things you're not used to.

Oh, and a winrate over 10k hands is statistically insignificant.

[/ QUOTE ]

It's possible to lose 50 big bets in any limit game. I have never done it. I think it would be hard to do in the Taj 5/10. I used to play the Taj 5/10 a lot. I once won $700 in 6 hours of a wild late night game. You do have to be ready for fluctuations on live play.

Usually the Taj 5/10 is loose passive or tight passive. It is probably not the best game at its level in AC.

The low and mid limit holdem games in AC are generally a lot looser evenings and weekends. This is not necessarily true for no limit games.

[Al_Capone_Junior]

From your limited info you can probably play 5-10 at the Taj. I am sure they will give you a seat if you ask for one. However, should you?

If you do, you should scout to find the best games, and be ready to switch tables, quit, or drop to a lower limit if the game you're at is too tough. 5-10 in atlantic city ranges from juicy juice to rock garden, with many inbetweens. Daytime you're far more likely to find the rock garden, so consider playing mostly at night.

Also, your bankroll should be sufficient for 5-10. I shant elaborate on that.

al

[Gabe DV]

I must be playing a different 5/10 then most of you guys, because in my opinion, the play at 1/2 Party is significantly better than the taj's 5/10 game, or the 6/12 at the Borgata, etc.... If you have the bankroll, and can deal with the swings (that part I agree with), then by all means play.

[IMTheWalrus8]

If you have the br, sure, why not? I have limited experience at the Taj (3/6), and I've run into some regulars who will play anything from 2/4 to 10/20. Most were pretty loose.

I've also noticed, in my limited experience, that there are a lot of older players at the Taj, who are slightly loose and generally passive postflop. My guess is they are probably break-even or mildly losing players. When they raise they've got something, and they don't seem to like playing with maniacs. I have not seen a lot of these players at the Trop or Borgata.

If you take a shot, let us know how you do and your impressions. I'm probably going to take a shot at 5/10 (or 4/8 at the Trop) next time I head to AC. Unfortunately that won't be for another month.

I would definitely be flexible and be prepared to change tables or games if it's too tight or if you get uncomfortable.


gl

[FishNChips]

[ QUOTE ]
It's possible to lose 50 big bets in any limit game. I have never done it.

[/ QUOTE ]

this is either shananigans or you're weak tight. If your raising with strong hands preflop and raising with draws and trying to extract every penny out of a table that you can then there are going to be nights where you miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss and before you know it, you've dropped 50 - 100BB.

[ QUOTE ]
I once won $700 in 6 hours of a wild late night game.

[/ QUOTE ]

we've all had HUGE nights at some level, thanks for sharing yours.

OP:
listen to what others have said about being able to handle swings. I know nothing about the game you're asking about since I've never played in it, but if you aren't mentally ready for the possibility that you could drop $500 (and obviously if it would cripple your BR) then you shouldn't play there.
I don't agree with Al's comment that you should be "properly" BRd for it though. For those of us that grind on-line low limits, playing a little out of our BR at a beatable live game is a nice change and a good way to "take a shot." Al has much much much more experience than I do, so take my comments with a grain of salt.

Best of luck to you sir!
FishNChips

[betgo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It's possible to lose 50 big bets in any limit game. I have never done it.



[/ QUOTE ]
this is either shananigans or you're weak tight. If your raising with strong hands preflop and raising with draws and trying to extract every penny out of a table that you can then there are going to be nights where you miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss and before you know it, you've dropped 50 - 100BB.


[/ QUOTE ]

I play tight aggressive. I don't play many hands. Maybe that explains it.

You certainly need some bankroll to play 5/10, but not a huge one.

You won't get the consistant results you can get multitabling low buyin cash games or SNGs online, so you could easily lose $500 or so for the weekend, and that doesn't mean you can't beat the game.

[FishNChips]

[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It's possible to lose 50 big bets in any limit game. I have never done it.



[/ QUOTE ]
this is either shananigans or you're weak tight. If your raising with strong hands preflop and raising with draws and trying to extract every penny out of a table that you can then there are going to be nights where you miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss and before you know it, you've dropped 50 - 100BB.


[/ QUOTE ]

I play tight aggressive. I don't play many hands. Maybe that explains it.

[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe I suck, but I think that if you're really aggressive you're going to have sessions where you lose 50BB. Perhaps you have a "stop loss" plan at 25BB? I just don't see how you can be truel aggressive and not run 50BB bad from time to time.

~FishNChips

[betgo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It's possible to lose 50 big bets in any limit game. I have never done it.



[/ QUOTE ]
this is either shananigans or you're weak tight. If your raising with strong hands preflop and raising with draws and trying to extract every penny out of a table that you can then there are going to be nights where you miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss and before you know it, you've dropped 50 - 100BB.


[/ QUOTE ]

I play tight aggressive. I don't play many hands. Maybe that explains it.

[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe I suck, but I think that if you're really aggressive you're going to have sessions where you lose 50BB. Perhaps you have a "stop loss" plan at 25BB? I just don't see how you can be truel aggressive and not run 50BB bad from time to time.

~FishNChips

[/ QUOTE ]

It's probably a difference in our styles. I play tight and don't play real aggressive at limit. I wil raise good hands and try to steal pots at tight tables, but I am not capping a lot.

If you are playing 5/10, it only costs you about $45/hour if you don't play hands. So in 6 hours, you lose $270 by not playing any hands. I find it hard to lose twice that playing hands. But I am playing very tight, taking advantage of the looseness of these games.

[macdaddy991]

[ QUOTE ]
I've played 10k hands on party 1/2. I am averaging 1.5BB/100
Im no stranger to live game either. Will I hold my own at Taj 5/10?

[/ QUOTE ]

10k hands is a small sample size, but the average 5/10 taj player has the poker IQ of a small bowling ball. If you play a good game, avoid tilt, and pick the soft games, you will beat this game very easily in the long run.

[MisterKing]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
It's possible to lose 50 big bets in any limit game. I have never done it.



[/ QUOTE ]
this is either shananigans or you're weak tight. If your raising with strong hands preflop and raising with draws and trying to extract every penny out of a table that you can then there are going to be nights where you miss miss miss miss miss miss miss miss and before you know it, you've dropped 50 - 100BB.


[/ QUOTE ]

I play tight aggressive. I don't play many hands. Maybe that explains it.

[/ QUOTE ]
Maybe I suck, but I think that if you're really aggressive you're going to have sessions where you lose 50BB. Perhaps you have a "stop loss" plan at 25BB? I just don't see how you can be truel aggressive and not run 50BB bad from time to time.

~FishNChips

[/ QUOTE ]

It's probably a difference in our styles. I play tight and don't play real aggressive at limit. I wil raise good hands and try to steal pots at tight tables, but I am not capping a lot.

If you are playing 5/10, it only costs you about $45/hour if you don't play hands. So in 6 hours, you lose $270 by not playing any hands. I find it hard to lose twice that playing hands. But I am playing very tight, taking advantage of the looseness of these games.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is patently ridiculous. Sorry. Betgo, I understand the gist of what you're saying, but I do have to be honest with you: for an EV maximizing player, there is absolutely, positively no way to play well and not run into semi-frequent 50BB downswings. Now, in online play (with more h/hr and multi tables) things get even worse, with easy downswings of 100BB or more all the time. You get used to it. As you've mentioned, large upswings happen as well.

The bottom line, however, is that even with perfect play, no amount of difference in "style" can save a player from 50BB+ swings. Of course, you could sacrifice EV to diminish variance (e.g tighten way the hell up), but that's a foolish path to take if you want to actually win money while playing.

My conclusion: you are either missing LOTS of bets, or more likely are just being unintentionally disingenious about the lack of swings in your game.

To the OP: look, you can probably beat this game without breaking a sweat, but that's not the only element in the equation of "Should I play this game." Bad [censored] can happen, and happen fast in limit hold'em, and if you don't plan for that possibility, you will have done yourself a disservice.

[MisterKing]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I've played 10k hands on party 1/2. I am averaging 1.5BB/100
Im no stranger to live game either. Will I hold my own at Taj 5/10?

[/ QUOTE ]

10k hands is a small sample size, but the average 5/10 taj player has the poker IQ of a small bowling ball. If you play a good game, avoid tilt, and pick the soft games, you will beat this game very easily in the long run.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed in full. Notice the emphasis added, however. I don't get the sense OP is planning on plunking his ass down and playing 350K hands to reach this "long run" you speak of.

[SenecaJim]

You CAN hit 50 bb loss in night at 5-10. There are nights where all your good strong getting odds to play draws never come in, or worse, hit while someone just got a bigger and more unlikely hand. Your great hands don't hold up, etc.etc.

Is this a big loss for this limit, yes. Hopefully it wont' hit you your first sit down, probably won't, but it CAN. You must have prepared yourself for the possibility.

Listen to AL. I have been in a room ( I mostly play 5-10, some 10-20) where only 2 tables were going. Took first seat available. Sat through an hour of 2 or 3 on flop, asked for first shot at other table, moved and posted and walked into 5-8 seeing every flop. Of course, I had checked it out soon as I was seated at first table, no surprise. Just telling you that even in a 2 table situation it is waaay worth it, let alone more tables.

[TheSeeker03]

Guys, thanks a bunch for your input!

Im leaving tomorrow morning.

For those worrying me about bankroll, I am prepared to drop $500+ in a good game.

So let's see if I got this right:
- game selection
- play most on evenings and weekends.
- lay down to old regulars when they CR the turn.

I'll play the following games and provide report: 5/10 Taj, 4/8 Trop, 7.5/15 Trop, 6/12 Borg, and some $300NL at Borg. No promises on taking shots at 10/20. I'll be representing 2+2ers with pride.

Stay tuned. I'll most likely post report some time on Sat. PM me if I forget.

Happy Holidays!

[Riverman]

Seeker: You will probably be a winner, but are you prepared to deal with the primitive life forms you will encounter at the Taj Majal?

[MisterKing]

[ QUOTE ]
Guys, thanks a bunch for your input!

Im leaving tomorrow morning.

For those worrying me about bankroll, I am prepared to drop $500+ in a good game.

So let's see if I got this right:
- game selection
- play most on evenings and weekends.
- lay down to old regulars when they CR the turn.

I'll play the following games and provide report: 5/10 Taj, 4/8 Trop, 7.5/15 Trop, 6/12 Borg, and some $300NL at Borg. No promises on taking shots at 10/20. I'll be representing 2+2ers with pride.

Stay tuned. I'll most likely post report some time on Sat. PM me if I forget.

Happy Holidays!

[/ QUOTE ]

Good luck man. I would NEVER have had the balls to play 5/10, 6/12, or 7.5/15 when I was down in the trenches at 1/2. Enjoy playing live, and really do pay attention to game selection. They make it hard to change in the B&M world, but if you ride the floor hard enough its never a problem.

[chucksim]

[ QUOTE ]
I must be playing a different 5/10 then most of you guys, because in my opinion, the play at 1/2 Party is significantly better than the taj's 5/10 game, or the 6/12 at the Borgata, etc.... If you have the bankroll, and can deal with the swings (that part I agree with), then by all means play.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. Taj 5/10 and Borg 6/12 have "worse" players than Party 1/2. I have found a lot more tough tables (relatively speaking) at 1/2 than at 6/12.

IMO, those live limits are just high enough to keep MOST maniacs and drunk donks at bay and make players a bit less aggressive. And they are just low enough to keep most "good" players away (at 10/20 and higher).

Translation, they are usually very passive and vary from loose (more 6/12) to tightish (5/10). If you can beat 1/2 and have the bankroll, you will be more than comfy and cozy at 5/10 and 6/12.

If you play tight agressive at the Taj 5/10 or Borgata 6/12 there is no real way to lose more than a couple hundred unless you are on one of those nights where NOTHING hits...
otherwise the hands that you make the bad players pay are going to be able to more than offset your missed hands...

Do it - just think about if you like action (go to taj) or a nice sanitary enviornment (play borgata) before you decide

have fun

[Al_Capone_Junior]

You must remember that live play is a totally different mindset than internet play. On the net, you can change games instantly. Live, you really need to pay attention to your game, scout other games inbetween hands, etc. Live play IS fishier than internet ON AVERAGE FOR ANY GIVEN LIMIT, but you still MUST be selective. Because I live in vegas, I can afford to be picky with my live game selection, AND I can afford to NOT play on the internet. For someone taking a trip to a live poker center (who is not usually near one), they need emphasis on things like how important it is to continually scout games. Keep in mind that online you quickly scout the games using a few silly statistics. In live action rooms you can really SCOUT the games, watch the action, see what gets shown down, how big the pots are, look for the SUPER-FISH, etc etc.

There is MUCH more information available to the live game player, but they can't expect to just click on a stat and have the best tables delivered to them.

al

[SA125]

I play 5-10 when it's crowded and waiting on the list for another game. The last time I played the line-up consisted of the following -

A passive, clueless old Jewish couple who could've been in their 70's. It made me laugh just thinking about it. An awful older calling station Asian woman and a younger agro Asian guy who cuts his hair like a girl (I think it's a "pageboy") and he'll raise K5s UTG. I've played with the Asians before. I guess they're either going broke or finally came to their senses and stopped playing at the high end.

If you play pretty good, you'll quickly see it's not what you expected. Neither is the 10-20 for that matter.