AC Hold'em Options

BobbyD · #1 03-01-2004, 10:56 AM

Some quick background but not too much to bore you - started playing on Party in November last year. Quickly had a lucky run and thought man this is easy. Of course I lost it all along with my $1,000 deposit.

I admitted I sucked and bought Lee Jones' book along with the bible, discovered this site, and have been a lurker since January. I deposited $200 and began to play again - I only play Party 2/4. I played, read, re-read, played etc. I still have holes in my game but I win now - consistently - to the point where I focus on my weaknesses. My most glaring holes are mostly in heads-up play and in seeing monsters under my bed when I have the best hand (losing bets by not raising or reraising). I don't have any Poker Tracker stats or BB/hr win rates because I'm not that serious (yet).

Anyway, I'd like to try some live AC games (I live outside of Philly) and would like some advice. Assume for arguments sake that I'm a winning player online(on Party 2/4)but still a novice 2+2'er - where would you think I could play and at what limits and feel comfortable knowing that I'm used to loose relatively passive play?

I have the money to play 2/4, 3/6 or even 5/10. I have flexibility to get down there during the week or weekends.

I just read John Deere's post about the Borgata - that was helpful.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Man this site is great.

CrackerZack · #2 03-01-2004, 11:16 AM

If you play weekend night, you could play 10/20 or 15/30 and not see too much difference. 5/10 should be fine. If the game is bad, change tables.

Everybody and their mother wants to play poker now. Most know they know nothing, so they play the lowest limits. That's why you see lists for 2-4 and 3-6 that are 7,983,783,234 names on the weekends. If you want to play these limits, get their very early, or play higher.

BobbyD · #3 03-01-2004, 11:42 AM

Thanks Zack - What would be a good buy-in amount for a session at 5/10?

CrackerZack · #4 03-01-2004, 12:01 PM

btw, 5/10 is Taj only I believe. If you plan on playing at the borgata, 6/12 is the game. Same crap though. I usually have about 30 BBs so 300 for 5/10. I realize I can lose that in a session even if I'm playing winning poker, but if I lose 30 BBs, I'm likely not having fun and want to quit anyway. Some people take 50 BBs with them, I think its excessive, but if you're very mathematical, it may be better.

If you've never played live here are a few things you'll notice....

1) The play can be really slow. Some people just act slowly all the time. The dealer will often try to speed them up but its of little use, they're just slow. Usually they're awful also so you have to put up with it.

2) People are absolutely horrendous. You'll be shocked by some of the players if you've never played live. Its like a Pokerstars player coming to Party for the first time. You just don't understand it so baffling. Don't comment, just appreciate it.

3) Cold cards can last a very very long time. Online, playing a few tables, even a long cold run of a 150 hands seems like a while, but it passes, live, this could be 4 hours of play. Its harder to remain patient. I find corona helps, but I'm probably the wrong person to ask. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Good luck, and have fun. The game is supposed to be fun, profitable is just a great side effect.

Zack

Edit: Also, if you're not sure if you're comfortable playing live, sit 3-6 for a bit till you get used to everything then move up if you feel comfortable. There is no shame is sitting low for your first time. If putting $30 in on a single street won't sit right, admit it and sit lower. Since you dropped $1,000 before really learning, I'd guess you have some gamble in you and it won't be a problem, but don't worry if you need to. If you do decide to start here just to get the live feel, get there early.

jayadd · #5 03-01-2004, 12:06 PM

heres a little secret about the future of poker. If you know what your doing why would jump into a 2-4 or 3-6 game? There not poker games there bingo. I cant imagine you get any good use out of those limits.
for a 5-10 game if you buyin for 200 and keep another 100 incash on the felt you will be fine. Go over to the Taj play a couple of 100 hours of poker than see how your doing if you feel comfortable go up a level. The one thing you dont want to ever forget especially if you read the posts on this site is, its just a game. Dont worry about +EV's and (what should have i done UTG).
Sorry to babbble on but my 2 cents worth...... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Zachs Dad · #6 03-01-2004, 12:20 PM

Im not a big fan of the room but the Trop spreads a 4-8 game.

BobbyD · #7 03-01-2004, 12:40 PM

Thanks again Zack... good tips - it sure is easy to play the "right" hands when I'm playing multiple tables on line and see alot of hands - hopefully I won't get impatient and play more then I would have online. Mr. Jim Beam might also have something to say about my hand selection ...

The money at 5/10 or higher for that matter will not effect my play. But a different type of table (tight/aggressive) might - I'm just not used to it. So I'll probably give 5/10 a shot and see what happens.

My goal will be to have fun and play well - let the profit fall where it may.

BobbyD · #8 03-01-2004, 12:46 PM

[ QUOTE ]
heres a little secret about the future of poker. If you know what your doing why would jump into a 2-4 or 3-6 game? There not poker games there bingo. I cant imagine you get any good use out of those limits.
for a 5-10 game if you buyin for 200 and keep another 100 incash on the felt you will be fine. Go over to the Taj play a couple of 100 hours of poker than see how your doing if you feel comfortable go up a level. The one thing you dont want to ever forget especially if you read the posts on this site is, its just a game. Dont worry about +EV's and (what should have i done UTG).
Sorry to babbble on but my 2 cents worth...... [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

Jayadd - I assume you mean 2/4 or 3/6 is a waste live (as opposed to online). On-line 2/4 was the right limit for me to learn at - I'll probably move up and experiment as soon as I'm more confident in my game. I've dabbled a bit at 3/6 already and it seems more passive pre-flop and more agressive post-flop but that was just my 1st impression with a very limited sample.

Anyway - live 5/10 (or 6/12) it is.

Sounds like aside from the crowds the Borgata is everyone's favorite?

scrub · #9 03-01-2004, 05:07 PM

The Taj 10/20 games I sat Sunday into Monday were much, much softer than the 2/4 games at Party. Of course, the taj was also charging me $10 per hour in time, the floor was rude and incompetent, the dealers couldn't deal 4 hands without boxing a card or misdealing, the chips had that weird Taj grime on them, the games were filled with drunken, psychotic gypsies speaking to each other in gibberish between threatening to kill each other in English, and the Taj randomly decided to pull up the rug in the hallway outside the higher limit board and attack the cement floor underneath it with jackhammers and chisels while all of this was going on....

Oh yeah, and one of the dealers dealt a down at our table despite the fact that her boyfriend was playing. He hit quads twice. It's not like it's likely that anything was going on, but it's just inappropriate--a lose-lose for the casino and everyone at the table.

An incredibly rude floor manager was the last straw. I ended up checking out of the Hotel and leaving after telling the shift manager I would be moving my rake to the Borgata exclusively for quite some time.

The games are good, but it's not worth it. Just go to the Borgata.

scrub

Mike Gallo · #10 03-01-2004, 05:20 PM

Of course, the taj was also charging me $10 per hour in time, the floor was rude and incompetent, the dealers couldn't deal 4 hands without boxing a card or misdealing, the chips had that weird Taj grime on them, the games were filled with drunken, psychotic gypsies speaking to each other in gibberish between threatening to kill each other in English, and the Taj randomly decided to pull up the rug in the hallway outside the higher limit board and attack the cement floor underneath it with jackhammers and chisels while all of this was going on....

You have just given my reasoning behind playing exclusively at the Borgata. I do not like to deal with the unpleasantries associated with the Taj.

I guess you didnt encounter the other type of "working" girl at the Taj. You can usually count on finding either a working call or her pimp.

Ahhhhh...I love the poker environment [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/blush.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]