B&M live poker : Duh?

Baulucky · #1 11-08-2005, 11:34 AM

I played at the WYNN 8-16 and at the BELLAGIO 15-30 live for the first time in my life. My hands were trembling, I mishandled chips/bets, forgot to tip most of the time (and tipped later with apologies). I was a telegraph station, I think.

I found the experience very boring. I was full of tells (I presume) and still came out way ahead. My cards were running average. I didn't think much of the opposition. Some got angry at my "I don't chop". They didn't even answer my "good night" at 4:00 AM when I walked out with 2 extra racks than I sat in with. Loose-Passive and weak-tight for the most part. Some slow rollers too. Some played the part of "long term LV pros". Duh!. Kept pushing them off best hands, etc.

My impression of the dealers is that they are a greedy bunch that take tips for granted. The easiest money ever earned was by the dealers. Not even a likeable bunch.

All in all, an interesting experience, just for learning that online is way better, faster and lower rake/no tips.

If I could play 200 hands per hour live, this would be a gold mine.

Anybody else agree or I was in untypical games/conditions?.

I can't even consider a live grind at poker. Hats off to anyone that has climbed the ladder playing live poker.

Edit: Extraordinary buffet at the WYNN for $34. I did not eat at the Bellagio.

Jeffage · #2 11-08-2005, 11:40 AM

Play higher live. It will be less boring. In general, I acutally prefer live because the action is so much better and I like the experience and immediate gratification of paper cash when you win, the cameraderie at the table, the chips and cards. I dunno, maybe I'm "old school" lol. I play lots of online poker as well.

Jeff

#3 11-08-2005, 01:08 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Play higher live. It will be less boring. In general, I acutally prefer live because the action is so much better and I like the experience and immediate gratification of paper cash when you win, the cameraderie at the table, the chips and cards. I dunno, maybe I'm "old school" lol. I play lots of online poker as well.

Jeff

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. I'll take live over online any day. And I don't think your experience was typical and I don't believe you have to bump up in levels to enjoy the experience. If I'm leaving with 2 extra racks, I'm enjoying it, no matter the level.

I played 4/8 the other day, made a killing, didn't talk to a single person the whole session, was courteous, respectful and tipped the dealers, and had a fine time. Boring? A little bit. But I'd rather be bored and make some $ then have a great time losing.

beavens · #4 11-08-2005, 01:09 PM

I've only played B&M twice - once in New Orleans and another in Vegas. I really like the ability to sit down, chat up people, drink beers and play cards. I wasn't there to try to make money, I was there for the entertainment value. One night at the Mirage I played for over 12 hours straight because I was having such a good time with the table I was playing at. I got somewhat drunk and by the end of it I was down a buy-in and a half (about $150). I didn't regret losing money at all, considering I had a great time doing it.

Playing online is entirely different. I play because I enjoy poker of course, but I also play to make money.

bodie · #5 11-08-2005, 02:56 PM

Live poker is definitely slower and can therefore be boring if you're not getting good hands.
However I would not say your experience was "typical". The fact that you could sit down, make mistakes, give tells (according to you) and still be so much better than everyone else tells me that you had a great night! Those are the fun times when you happen to find a table of players that you can easily beat.
But it doesn't mean that all live play is like that.
I'm glad you left ahead, though.

Baulucky · #6 11-08-2005, 03:09 PM

Really you can't make any statistical conclusions about ~180 to 200 hand sessions (I played 4 sessions, so total about 800 hands). Two racks/session is just 25 to 35 big bets, depending on the limit. The plays I saw is the only thing indicating me that the players weren't very good at all. I could have lost 2 racks and my opinions wouldn't change.

I don't consider +/-25 BBs any type of "big night" good or bad. Of course + is better...

Maybe I'm just spoiled by online play.

andyfox · #7 11-08-2005, 03:43 PM

"Maybe I'm just spoiled by online play."

You've only played on-line, so that's natural. We old-timers who grew up with B&M play and who haven't played on-line at all, are the opposite.

The difference might come down to this: other day I saw a guy sitting on a step, hunched over, apparently engrossed in something. Coming up on him from behind, I assumed he was reading. When I passed him, I saw he was playing a video game. I would imagine had our situations been reversed, he would have assumed I was playing a video game. But I would have been reading.

FWIW, I see Bobby Hoff playing on-line on his laptop while he's waiting for a B&M seat.

#8 11-08-2005, 03:54 PM

[ QUOTE ]
If I could play 200 hands per hour live, this would be a gold mine.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, yeah it would.

#9 11-08-2005, 04:13 PM

For me on-line is just passing the time between trips to B&M live games. I get board wtih the on-line games personally. I feel that's the grind. I've taken to playing sit and go's not ring games because the ring games are tedious for me.

Live I feel adrenellin pumping. I can see my opponents and although we play fewer hands together I can more easily put them on a skill level. It's tough to track whether someone's in every hand on-line versus live. Live, you see them limp ever hand and cold call. On-line, maybe you're watching tv or listening to music, or whatever.

Plus, the level of play live is usually much worse. People are there to gamble it up and poker is the new hot game. Craps in the 70s. Poker after the MIT team made the press. Now poker. On-line people are seeking the game out, they're not on vacation just looking to give money away.

beavens · #10 11-08-2005, 04:35 PM

[ QUOTE ]
For me on-line is just passing the time between trips to B&M live games. I get board wtih the on-line games personally. I feel that's the grind. I've taken to playing sit and go's not ring games because the ring games are tedious for me.

Live I feel adrenellin pumping. I can see my opponents and although we play fewer hands together I can more easily put them on a skill level. It's tough to track whether someone's in every hand on-line versus live. Live, you see them limp ever hand and cold call. On-line, maybe you're watching tv or listening to music, or whatever.

Plus, the level of play live is usually much worse. People are there to gamble it up and poker is the new hot game. Craps in the 70s. Poker after the MIT team made the press. Now poker. On-line people are seeking the game out, they're not on vacation just looking to give money away.

[/ QUOTE ]

you mean the MIT team and blackjack?