In need of professional advice...

[cero_z]

Hi Loci,

I make my living almost entirely in private games, where the legality is at least in question (some games are definitely not illegal in VA, others might be).

The #1 question for me is safety; if I feel genuinely unsafe, no amount of money is worth it. When faced with attending a game for the first time, I bring the absolute minimum that I need, and usually leave some of it hidden in my car, until I feel comfortable with the location/patrons. I am of course prepared to quickly surrender whatever valuables I have on me to robbers, in the interest of keeping my skull intact.

I start with the notion that the game is likely to be safe, and I am rarely disappointed. Still, the answer to question #2 must be favorable, as well: How much is this game worth to me? No matter what, I am assuming much greater risk in a private game than I would in a casino, or at home on Party Poker. Therefor, the game must be a very good one. It almost always is, IMO--far superior to a game at the same limit in a public cardroom.

You also asked about the etiquette of playing good, aggressive poker. This is an important question, and the answer again goes back to depending on how much the game is worth to you if you receive a permanent invitation. I think the way to handle it is to present yourself as a gambler from the start; if you don't play lock-tight immediately, you can generally be as aggressive as you want to be, and players will welcome your action.

With that said, there are some games in which you will get a lot of grief for checkraising someone, etc. Obviously, you are going to need all your weapons over the long haul to beat any game for a good figure. However, if you can tell that the game is really juicy, it's best to eschew whatever actions are viewed with disdain, for your 1st one or two visits to the game. Conduct yourself well, whether winning or losing, get established, and then open up the throttle. Without a doubt, the best thing you can do for your reputation is to take a terrible beat gracefully.

This topic doesn't get mentioned much, but I think it's an area of untapped riches for good players. I hardly live in a town many would consider a hotbed of gambling, and yet I'm able to play every day of the week in games at the top of the "Middle limit" threshold, either in my sleepy little berg of 40,000, or within an hour's drive of it. Some of these games have no rake whatsoever; all of them feature much looser play and weaker competition than I'd face in a casino at limits half as big. I used to live in a medium-sized Midwestern town; it was pretty much the same deal there, though I played lower stakes (5-10 to 15-30) then. I'll bet if I really looked, I could've found bigger games there, too. My point in all of this is that I doubt the two cities I've lived in as an adult are unique with regard to poker. Wherever you live, the games, or at least willing players, are there to be found. And in most cases, they're worth looking for.

[italianstang]

My regular home game usually has at least three drug dealers in it, if not more. I LOVE playing with drug dealers, they usually have enough money where if they lose a bunch of it its not a big deal, they are generall there to have a good time, and almost always bring drugs to share with the table. Additionally I think that they bring an added sense of security to the game. While all of them are extremely non-threatening looking and you would not be able to easily identify any of them as drug dealers, if robbers tried to break in and they knew the area and the people, they wouldnt f*ck with them.

Also, I have a gun.

[jetsg4]

i play in a private game the last friday of every month. there aren't any drug dealers there, but i still feel just as safe as anywhere else i play. the game consists of the District Judge, two sherrif deputies, a local farmer, co-op owner, district attorney, ass. DA, ex casino poker room manager, and me..... if someone robs this place... their a moron... and i don't worry about the place being raided... wonder why [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

it's always a fat game and great action, plus all except two are horrible and too drunk to see staight by 10:30.... i love it..

[kagame]

do you also have a gun and take yours to play with the DA etc? ;-)

[tolbiny]

There is nealry always a big personality at the table. Either a hothead, or a blabbermouth, or just a really outgoing guy. Get him to notice the "grifter" and he will definately say something out loud with everyone listening.

[whitelime]

Let's assume that profit is the only goal. Why would anyone ever play in a live 15/30 or lower game when a similar game can be found online? Let's examine the advantages of the online game:

1) You can play 4-5 tables at once
2) There are deposit bonuses and rake back deals
3) The rake is smaller
4) There is no commuting cost
5) You see twice as many hands at once PER TABLE(probably closer to 3x)

Am I missing something as to the advantages of reading people? Can your winrate jump from 1BB/hr to something ridiculous like 4BB/hr if you have good live instincts? (note: this still wouldn't be high enough to beat multi-tabling)

I can understand playing in live games because they are more fun or because some super high limits aren't offered online, but assuming profit to be the only goal, why would you ever play in a live game?

[fimbulwinter]

[ QUOTE ]
why would you ever play in a live game?

[/ QUOTE ]

Mmm, Mmm, Mmm, for the smell of it.

fim

[knifeandfork]

wow i hope this is not the future of poker, online is better....

[Loci]

I find that I do far better in person than I do on-line. I tend to get restless online, I fail to acknowledge players as individuals with separate weaknesses, I can't see personal weaknesses and problems with their games as clearly if they aren't in person, I can't use personal body language as a weapon(be it to intimidate weak players or throw off good ones), and the biggest issue I have with on-line is that I have gone on tilt three times on-line and never once in person. In the long run, I'm just a better player in person.