I started to play at the Vic in London the £1-1.

I played probably 10-15 times there, and I know that is not a good sample, but I feel there is something wrong iwth my approach.

Things I need advice on:

-how much to raise, if I raise 5x i get at least 5 callers

-how to put people on a hand when I see people calling raises with Q7s, 10-7,10-2 etc.

-what to do when you raise and miss the flop with 4 callers (check fold i guess)

-what range to 3bet..I mean if somebody raises to 5 and I 3bet to 20 I still get 2 callers, so there is no point in 3 betting 10s and maybe JJ too

I am donig ok online (even though I play more sng and mtt) and I have a good grasp of poker concepts. I did quite well the first 4-5 times playing live, then lost everything back.

I really cannot believe I cannot beat this stakes.

Any basic help would be great.

I played my first live cash game at G Casino in Manchester last friday - Playing the £1-£1

I sat down for 10 minutes and noticed people opening for £8 and getting four callers.

I raised with AK to the amount abv and it's pretty obv that c-betting is no longer profitable with the amount of callers.

I feel that next time I will mix up my opening bet amount to see how that affects the amount of players calling.

But I'm pretty much in the same boat - think I need to think alot more about how best to exploit these games, unfortunately I was on a table of regulars who had position on me and it was hard to isolate the poorer players.

With premium hands, bet as much as will be called ordinarily. Make top pair+. Buckle in because variance is a beotch. Make sure your 'roll is big enough. Win lotsa manies over time.

EZ game.

Simplify your game. Play more passive preflop and get profit postflop when peeps get stuck on second best. Semi-bluff less and often pot control with mid-range hands, dumping them with too much pressure. Don't make hero calls and limit your bluffing to obv situations.

#1. You need to figure out the table's thresholds for betting/calling.
If everyone is calling 6 x BB with garbage make a note.

#2. Adjust your betting until you get the desired effect.
You Bet 6 x BB and get 5 callers. If you want 5 callers great. If not, bet more. You bet 10 x BB and get 3 callers. If you want 3 callers great. If not, bet more.... Rinse and repeat until you get a handle on what bet results in the amount of callers that you want.

#3. Stand back and let them make mistakes.
There will be many times at these sorts of tables where limping with SCs will be profitable. Often times, villains will give pot odds to draw. So when they give the odds, draw. When you hit, nail em.

#4. Lock and Load.
THe biggest mistakes I see at these sorts of tables is 'weak betting'. A lot of players think, "Well, everyone just calls with garbage anyways, so what's the point in betting big?" or something to that effect. When you are big and have a lot of equity, inflate the pot and then SHOVE. Odds are good that a bunch of weaker hands and draws will call you.

#5. Making/Calling big bets.
A lot of these tables will have a maniac or two that love to shove. You are going to have to reach down between your legs, grab your balls, and make some big bets/calls. And you are going to have to do it without having flopped a set or straight. Often times, top pair good kicker will be enough to take it down. usually, stacking off with TPGK is a good way to go broke. But not at these sorts of table (provided you have limited the field. Shoving with TPGK vs 5 villains is spewy).

#6. Never slow play
Another mistake noobs make is this need to 'slowplay' when they are big. That just losing value at these tables since these villains love to chase and draw and float. So when you are big, bet big.

#7. Widen your 3betting range and frequency.
Players at these tables love to raise with garbage. So you should be 3betting with a wider range. AT-AK, 88-AA, KQ, KJ. Yes, that's right. KJ is in there .

#8. Punishing drawers on the turn
The turn is where you are going to be making a lot of money. Inflate the pots on the flop so that you can extract max value on the turn when you are strong.

anyways, good luck

How much live cash experience do you have? I'm not doubting your answer btw - just intrigued - the live cash game I saw seemed very passive and unquestionably profitable with a few adjustments to ABC poker

^Games vary from weak tight nit infested tables to rock-n-roll wild maniac aggro tables.

It just depends.

most times, ABC nit is a very profitable style at low-stakes NL tables. But if you want to maximize profits at the wild tables, you have to be willing to widen your range a bit, and be willing to play for stacks.

Thanks for you input - very helpful - will try and apply if I go back there friday!

dgiharris - another question

Found playing live hard work focussing and after 4 hours I felt like a zombie, any tips in this respect? my concentration levels were going down the drain!

OBV i'm not dgi, but I can tell you I can only play about 4 hours at a time before I start making mental errors. Take a walk, grab a bite to eat, then when you're focused, get back at the felt.

Been playing live regularly for about 3 years now.

Thanks

What do you think are the pro's and con's over online play?

Live is softer, more social, and I enjoy it more. However, it's a more expensive option (rake, drinks, travel, etc).

I play 5 days a week 8-12 hour sessions.

WHen I first started, I noticed my concentration waned after 4hrs. I slowly increased my endurance from 4hrs, to 6, to 8, to 10, to 12. Next year i'm going to try to up it to 14.

Breaks are essential. I take a 10-15 minute break every 1.5hrs to 2hrs I have my watch on a timer. I don't care how juicy a game is, being mentally 'fresh' is more important. If I feel good I can skip 'one' break, but I never skip more than one. During breaks, I like to take walks outside and also stretch: back, legs, arms, shoulders, etc (I do this behind the casino and get strange looks from the security guards )

The Stretching is the key, that is my secret i'm giving to you for free. It really helps reinvigorate you.

I also DON'T eat at the table and found that that 20 minute break is great. I order food and have the servers set it in the dining area then come get me. WOrks like a champ.

Coffee and soda also help. I drink a coffee every 2-3 hrs.

Also, playing the same times during the days really help.

I normally play 1pm - 11pm Wednesdays and Thursdays and Sundays
and 1pm - 3am on Friday - Saturdays

cocaine


live is so slow though, I have no problems until 12hr+. I think longest session for me has been roughly 24 hours. After a few hours I get into this super focused 'zone' where I am listening to music and paying attention to reads, ranges, cards, etc...

dgiharris has some solid advice (as usual). I agree with taking some sort of break after 2 hours or so. I usually take a bathroom break. If for some reason you can't, you can always take a mental vacation at the table. Just nit up and watch the TV for 15 minutes. Sure you're playing AA and KK, but there's no need to start playing marginal hands. Remember, if you weren't at the table, you would have lost the opportunity anyway.

Finally, skip the coffee, energy drinks and coke (legal kind). They all have caffeine, which dehydrates you. While a big casino is swapping the air fast, it is also keeping the air dry, which drys you out. Dehydration also tires you out. Drink water or your favorite electrolyte drink. If you don't have to pee regularly, you're not getting enough liquids in you.