Hey guys

I've never played live poker regularly, I was used to play online multitabling 8-12 tables.

I moved to Panamà (if you happen to be here as well hit me up ). Using to be over stimulated by the multitabling, it's kinda hard to maintain patience playing only one table and I'm making some errors due to this.

I'm wondering how you more experienced guys handle this.

Do you play with your cellphone? Music? You follow the game and think about hands etc.? How long is your avg session?

Thanks for sharing

I see people at the table playing games on their smartphones and they are there playing like they were at home. I tried it too but I feel like a degenerate loner so I can't.

I seriously thought about bringing a book and read it.

Isn't this a issue for you?

I focus on the action at the table. I notice the tendencies of the players. Sometimes, I try to figure out their ranges in certain situations. I think of ways to exploit them in future situations.

In times past, I have tried to read, listen to podcasts or daydream. This is a huge wasted opportunity. If you are able to pick up information when you are not in the hand, you will significantly increase your win rate.

Online multitabling is like playing video games. It trains your mind to need constant input. Essentially it causes ADD. With your mind needing this constant input, it decreases your ability to deal with normal situations in life. It also hurts your ability to single table live poker.

Eventually you have to ween your mind off the video game effect. See what's going on around you. Talk to the other players. Sometimes you can learn things about their game just from conversation. Sometimes, you can develop friendships with other players. Having a good time playing poker and talking with these new friends can help serve as a diversion from the monotony.

My sessions are usually 6-8 hours, and I try and stay tuned into the game whether I'm in a hand or not. I found when I dont and tune out I miss a lot of potentially useful info, plus i never feel like I get into a good flow of the game. I have seen internet multitablers who tune completely out, look at their cards, and if they decide to play, then focus.

Some are very successful at that, but it doesnt work for me.

I think the play of online is a bit more (for lack of a better word) "robotic" because aside from being able to multitable, you're also loaded up with all sorts of data, pokerTracker, notes etc. , because it's the main thing that you have to base your decisions on; just like, facial expressions, or nervous tells, or just the way someone acts or interacts are what's prevelant in a live setting, so naturally these things are your tools and thus, I think it's super crucial to not get overly engrossed in your iPad or your cellphone or whatever other vice you enjoy if you're just making this transition. JMO

So with that said, I can't, with a sound mind, recommend any vice for you if you're just making this transition from online-live. You need to pay attention to all of those nuances and train and retrain your senses into looking for other, new and important pieces of that puzzle that also aided you when you played online. Then, little by little, you should be able to tell what works best for you. Sometimes music does it for me but it's never for too long, but I will break out my iPad, although, it's usually just when I'm waiting for my game to start. All in all though, I enjoy the dynamics of the table, it's really fascinating to me! Poker players are never dull.

I follow EVERY hand. But it never looks like I do. And, I make it a point to look at the faces of the players to see if I can gauge whether or not that player may have a bluff tell or a tilt-tolerance level or whatever. It's exhausting at times but I think it helps me.

My average session per day is about 10-15 hours and I usually play about four days a week.

People who don't pay attention to every hand are leaving money on the table.

People get tilted, bored, drunk, sleepy, vengeful, horny, and a dozen other things that cause them to deviate from their typical play. You don't have a HUD to calculate their PFR% or flop cbet% - it's up to you to calculate those mentally.

Look through the strategy forums and note how many threads start with, "I've only been at the table for an hour, so no reads." Laugh at them.

The first sentence is good. The second is expert.

You can also - gasp - talk to your fellow poker players to see what motivates them. Do they bet sports? If so, what's their decision process like? Do they have a job? Family? How much can they lose at the stakes you're playing? What shows do they watch on TV? Do they watch poker? Have they ever been to Vegas? What vices did they partake in?

(I chuckled at the "gasp")

Funny thing is, I don't even need to start any of these conversational topics, people love talking about themselves...I know everyone's business! But it's their choice.

"How much can they lose at the stakes you're playing?" is very key. Very.

I talk, a lot. Sometimes it's to get info from people, sometimes it's to keep people engaged with the ongoings of the table and not buried in their phones and slowing down action. Sometimes it's just because I'm a friendly guy. I want to be friendly with everyone at the table. I don't want them to hate me when I try and take some of their money.

I try and get info, it sux when I misapply that info though.

I find enough interest in the chat, logging reads of people and following hands to keep me entertained to be honest

This x100.

IME the win rate difference between two players of similar technical skill boils down to who has a better interaction socially with their customers.

Our customers at the casino are the other players at our table. Engage them. Ask them about their business. Ask them about their silly card protector. Get them talking.

Not only will you find out valuable info about how they play but also what motivates them. You'll get looser action with your value hands and will get more lay-downs to your bluffs.

So cliffs: stop playing the OFC on your phone and start talking to the OMC's!

I drink and throw money in the middle.

I keep myself entertained by watching the way people play their hand.

I am watching and listening to every hand and every player to glean as much info as possible. I make mental notes of what has happened so that I can use the information against my opponents. IMO if a player is sitting at the table listening to music, playing games on their phone or otherwise distracted, it's to my advantage. So please go ahead and entertain yourself. :-)

Adderall. You'll pay attention.

+1. couple beers and playing lots of hands is a good way to not get bored.

I just sit there & pay attention to the other players.

Some times I'll engage in small talk at the table. There's always an entertaining bunch of degenerates where I play.

Rolled up aces over kings. Checkraising stupid tourists taking huge pots of them. Stacks and towers of checks I can't even see over. Playing all night high limit hold em at the Taj where the sand turns to gold.

On my cell phone a lot in between hands. I generally get acclimated to the game, put my headphones in and alternate between listening to music and keeping the headphones in my ear with no music and listening to the action on the game. I rarely will eat at the table, if I do it's usually just a snack I brought, but if I'm in for a particularly long session (put in a 14 hour at Venetian the other week) I will take a lunch break and clear my head. There's a mix of small talk if I hear someone say something of interest and I have something to say, but I don't talk unless it's a conversation.

I don't get to play often so when I do it's long sessions.

+1

I am a stand up Comic so i test my material on the table, they are like my audience, i also give out free tickets to my show in exchange for a check on the river.

I wear pants with a elastic waistband so my hand can fit in easily.

I actually do use a live HUD and on occasion do pay attention on what's happening and i can say with the utmost confidence, that the majority of time, first hour reads are wrong, because even an hour doesn't provide a large enough sample size and it takes more for people to normalize closer to their true stats.

Conversely, I see people overreact to what I am showing over a small sample size that has little to do with how I am playing. In other words, sometimes I get hot and I only show premiums that hit so people fold, other times, I can't buy a mid pair and people keep calling my cbets regardless of whether they re behind my range. and so on and so on.

Very simple I play poker.