I'm going to a casino for the first time tonight and have a few questions.

1. I am planning on playing something like a VPIP/PFR of 20/10 and then just value bet relentlessly post-flop, and then just uber-nit up when raised.

I also only have around $2000 so I need a relatively low variance-style play.

My main question is do I need to worry about having my bet-folding tendencies exploited at 1/2 live? Generally, I don't plan on calling a c/r w/o at least top two unless the villain is a maniac. Thoughts?

Call a lot, just to make sure?

LOL, tell me this is a level post.

sick level! Just flat calllllllllem all day

Yea you are going to run into a lot of Ivey-esque players

Mmmk? Thanks for being pricks about it. Maybe a "hand history" will get a serious response.

Preflop:
Hero raises $10 dollars UTG with [AA]
5 callers

Flop: [ K 8 3: rainbow]
Hero bets $30 dollars
complete unknown raises to $80


I would turbo muck here so fast, but at the 1/2 home game I play at, the raiser would have KJ, raising to "see where he's at".

So trying to compose a range and aggression factor of a complete unknown, can I assume the average player to be too passive or too aggressive?

The reason why people haven't answered the question is that it's too vague. It depends on the individual player. And because we don't know the players you might be playing against we can't answer. Someone can give you a general answer but at most it's going to be 60% correct. That's a lot of error.

Some 1/2 people will stack off with tpmk and not think twice. Others won't stack off without top two. You won't know which until you get some reads on them. You are going to have to spend a couple orbits watching everything every player does and how they respond to bets, raises, etc. Who is folding, who is calling and who is raising. And with what.

If you want some general advice, don't worry about getting bluffed to much at 1/2. Try to figure out the player and their style. Then try to figure out how they are making mistakes and how to capitalize on those errors. You are worrying too much about something that's not going to matter that much.

And if you are leveling, you got me.

If you seriously only have $2000 you should shortstack till you get to $6000. Go with 2 BI's of $100 apiece and just pushbot till you get to 100bb, then open up your game.

And, to answer your original question - yes, you will be bluffed. Will it be inconsequential? That's up to you...don't be a hero. Live players are quick to correlate information with laughably small (ie. 1 instance) sample sizes, so letting someone bluff you off a hand can set up a play for stacks later on.

Be prepared for the monotony and tediousness of non-stop folding, however.

EDIT: Limon advocates a 70bb (ie. $140 in your case) BI for a table of unknowns. My advice is to plop down $100, if you're solid at sstacking strat you'll double through pretty easily, and you can keep $40 in your pocket to top off if you have to fold your way through the first couple of orbits.

If you think your table is terribad, you can always load up later...

You don't need 6k to beat 1/2.

Ok thanks. Seems like solid advice.

Couple quick questions before I leave.

1. Can I keep chips in my pocket and top off while the dealer is shuffling cards?

2. If I see a seat with no chips at another table and want to switch, do I just grab my chips and take the seat, or do I need to join a waiting list?

To be clear: parceling out OP's $2K roll for 10 BI's of $200 opens him up to a ROR significantly higher than halving his BI-size (or, doubling his BI amount).

If OP grinds up a $6K roll, his intended $200 BI is now one of 30 available to him. Risk-management FTW.

1. Yes
2. No - you need to usually speak to the floor, advise them of what you'd like to do table-switching wise; for seat changes, the dealer handles this, but ask for a seat change button as soon as you sit so you'll get first dibs on seats that open at your table.

grunch. no.

As far as keeping chips in your pocket...that's fine as long as you got them at the cashier...at most rooms, any chips you buy at the table need to stay on the table, and if you get up a bit you can't take part of your profit off.

But it's absolutely ok to pick up 200 at the cage before sitting down, and then only putting 100 on the table to begin with. Most people would just buy 100 to begin with, though, and pull out a 20 to get more chips if they start to get low...5 20s generally fit in your pocket a bit easier than 20 reds...

buy-in full.


cannot add-on over the max buy-in, I buy two BI's at first (one in red $5 chips and then 8 green $25 chips, any color chips can play) so I can top off without leaving my seat to wait in line at the cage.

buying-in full gives you the maximum advantage over your opponents and a $2k bankroll is plenty to get started playing 1/2 live as effective stacks are generally in the 20-60 BB range, not the ~110BB range you see online so coolers hurt less.

Read up on FPS and don't fall into it.

Play in order and do not be afraid to ask the dealer (dealer > guy next to you) if you have a question about anything.

Have fun.

Ok, so I'll do a little follow up on my trip here.

LOL at having my weak-tight tendencies being exploited by players at 1/2. The play at $.02/$.04 on Merge currently is significantly harder that live 1/2.

I now understand why I am being laughed at for making this thread.

I ended the 3 day trip up $1000. I lovvvvvee live poker. The people there say the stupidest **** and play so ****ing bad.

There were a few bad players there that were better than the other god-awful players. They felt compelled to critique everyone's play and tell them why calling 3b OOP with KJs is bad.

This hand probably sums up my love for live play

Preflop:

MP: AQ

Hero: T9


The old dude in MP throws out two bucks, the dealer then proceeds to tell him that there is a straddle. Old man says, I ****ing hate people who straddle and takes his two $1 back and throws in 4 $5 chips. Dealer tells him he had already called when he put the $2 in. Everyone folds to me and I check

Flop ($13) : T92

I check to this old mother****** and he fires our $30 dollars.

I checkraise to $140, he calls.

Turn ($~$280) J

I fire $100 and villain calls AI $78.

River: K

First, one lady tells me how dumb I was to bet the turn, he could already have a straight or a higher two pair, I agree with her telling her, "Good point, I never thought of that."

Mr online pro then proceeds to explain how it was a bad call on the flop. The old dude then says he had pot odds. I jump in (I'm still happy, talking and joking around with everyone) and defended the old man explaining how not only did he have good pot odds to call, he also had huge implied odds because if he hit his flush/straight, he would win my ENTIRE stack.

The whole table is subtly nods their heads in agreement , while Isildur looks like he's about to vomit.

I can't wait to go back.

OP seems really euphoric. You had a good session. Its not much of a sample.

I'm going to tell you this for your own good. For your next 4 sessions, focus on playing really solid poker and then take a break. It is extremely likely that you are now overconfident and vulnerable to tilt.

Your original post suggested a reasonable strat for an inexperienced player (which is what you are - don't delude yourself). But any decent player would have noticied that you didn't seem to have a feel for why stack sizes matter. A book like professional nlhe by Ed Miller et al could help you plug that leak.

This, however, what is a bluff to one person is pure value to another.

On the other hand, when you're playing short stack, you'll get $70-$100 into the pot a lot more, so does it really decrease your variance?