From online to real play.

[doublesnapper]

Thanks. Is that 100/200 table filled up most of the time?. I'm not at that level yet, but 2 more bankroll doubles and I'll go for it!. I haven't played at Pokerstars, but I doubt they have more than 1 of those tables open. I hope they do!. I read players at Pokerstars are a lot better than in other sites. Comments anyone that plays there and 15/30 or above?.

Maybe I won't need to move... but I'll visit LV anyways. Thanks also for the California suggestion.

Best

DS

[Paluka]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks. Is that 100/200 table filled up most of the time?. I'm not at that level yet, but 2 more bankroll doubles and I'll go for it!. I haven't played at Pokerstars, but I doubt they have more than 1 of those tables open. I hope they do!. I read players at Pokerstars are a lot better than in other sites. Comments anyone that plays there and 15/30 or above?.

Maybe I won't need to move... but I'll visit LV anyways. Thanks also for the California suggestion.

Best

DS

[/ QUOTE ]

I am a regular in the Stars 100/200. It is a fun game, but it does not go all the time. Lately it has been better. On Friday night there were 3 near full 100/200 games going.

[redwings03]

I played Poker Stars 30-60 and tournaments for awhile. I have been too busy with my "real" job to give poker much attention (mainly because when I get involved a little, I get involved a lot and that would compromise other stuff I need to focus on). I didn't think that the 30-60 games there were that hard to beat, of course there are natural fluctuations and online where hands/decisions go quickly the swings can be a bit bigger than actual cardrooms.

I sat in the 20-40 at the Mirage about 2 months ago in Vegas. There were at least 3 people in the game who definitely were making (or trying) their living there. One kid was my age, 28ish, and he had not worked in 7 years. He said that he fared better in live games. Ironically, I had played against him online at Poker Stars before on multiple occasions. His opinion (for what it's worth and he had no reason to say otherwise) was the the live games were easier to beat. I knocked down about 1200 out of that game on average cards at best, one steady upswing followed by a decline then monster pot. I would tend to agree that live games are a little easier to beat but the concentration level needs to increase to play live games and you also need to get over a lot of initial nervousness. Despite how solid your ability and theories are, my best advice is to start at a VERY comfortable limit level to get past your initial nervousness and emotions.

[doublesnapper]

Thanks for your input Paluka.

Do you have enough hours logged at the Pokerstars 100/200 to have an estimate of your take?. How would you describe the game, are there enough "clients" to make the game juicy enough for a pro?.

I see from your profile that poker is not your main occupation. I used to be a CBOT bond pit trader and later a FX dealer at a Bank in South America, but I am currently a semi-retired consultant (i.e.: My income could use some help, hence poker looked good to me). Amazingly (I think mainly due to some luck) returns from online play have been very good... percentage wise, if not yet $$$ wise. I want to move to higher limits to see how it goes.

It's interesting how many traders have poker as hobby/second job.

Best

DS

[doublesnapper]

Thanks for your input redwings. Your suggestion to start "small" at live games is only too logical. How do you go about "cleaning your tells" for live play?. An observant buddy sitting at the game would be the only way I can think of re. the above. I would think that observing others' tells is easier than cleaning up my own, but I have no reference on this. Maybe I'm too nervous about my tells?.

I know that a guy used to beat me up pretty good at liar's poker (played for $1.00 at the CBOT cafe), just based on the tells I gave... so that's my obsession now. Maybe that's why I play good online too, so I have to be paranoid about this if I try live play.

Best

DS

[redwings03]

If you are that nervous about tells it will show. I think that reading people is a part of my game that has improved. It is like anything else, it takes practice. If you try to hard to look calm, it will show or vice versa. The biggest thing is controlling your emotions. Jennifer Harman made the nut flush I believe against Hellmuth in a tourney and she didn't move a muscle, never looked back at her cards, nothing. I feel that if you are playing in a live game, you need to set a pattern before betting that doesn't change so no one can pick up anything they shouldn't. I don't look at my cards until it is my turn to act and I generally look once and only once. I watch my opponents pick up their cards. If I am going to raise, I simply say raise, and put the chips in. There is a lot to be said for simplicity. Now, when it comes to the betting, that is where you really have to mix your game up to keep your opponents guessing, but if you keep the physical procedures simple and steady throughout a session I believe that is going to help you in the long run.