Thanks very much, sounds like v. solid advice (not to mention comprehensive)!

If anyone has anything to add, please do.

Thanks again, Sciolist

Sci's advice is very good. Aspers is as good a place as any to get started, there arent many exceptional regs vs. The number of bad players there

Busiest is Friday and Sat, then Thurs, then Wed, from about 7pm-2am I'd say. Obviously affected by sports events, holidays, tournaments, other things

Aspers spreads cash 8-handed, so you'll often be playing a 6 Max game

Just 3b for value until you get a better handle on player types. Some will flat your open with AKo on the button, some will call J5ss out of SB for half their short stack. I made my first 3b of the night last week (in 3 hours, against an UTG open) and got instant shipped on by QQ while I had red AA

I wouldnt worry too much about spotting the regs, just find the bad players and try to isolate with good cards. Of course, if they know how to shuffle chips, have some positional awareness, order food without checking the menu, know the floor/dealers, etc they've probably played a bit. But that doesn't mean they are any good. I had a reg 3b me with J8o, show it, and then complain when I called him down light later last week. Well....

Also when you flop nuts do not stare forever at the flop or put you chips in slowly.

Insta nonchalantly chuck a pot size stack in without a care in the world. Especially on those KxQxJ or QTT or AA2 flops. if you fire 3 barrels like this you'll get looked up, if you take your time and slowly bet you'l get found out quickly.

Watch the players hands and eyes. Dont forget to look out for seating posture change in correlation to flops, ie interest/disinterest...

Concentrate on the blinds and the 2 players to your right+the value at the table.

Dont look at your hand until its your turn to act to avoid giving off tells..

Try to spot who is going to fold pre before their turn to act. Use this same information postflop.

Go with the mantra that everyone is atrocious, even the most confident of persons. Do not use internet slang to try identify serious grinders. Everyone is a fish. Bee nice to everyone. And dont be affraid to hand out a rub down every now and then to that idiot that deserves it. Theres a plenty at aspers.

Also dont be a nit. Tip. And apologize to the dealer if you scoop a massive pot and forget to tip.

If you feel like the mark at the table, ie people are cheering for you to win a flip, then ask for a table change. Start your own table if you have to and sit at 8pm to the dealer for comfort and postion on fish who'll wanna sit at seat 6pm on a table stater.

Most of all, stay classy and be lucky.

Yeh - 2nd easiest live tell is checking people's reactions when they see the flop. I combat that by not looking at the flop until it's my turn to act as I can prepare myself. Then you can look at the other players instead.

Incidentally, I also always cap cards whether I'm folding or not to combat the first easiest live tell. I think a lot of people don't think telegraphing their folds hurts them, but anything that improves another player's EV is bad for you.

uh-huh, imo you should always look like your going to play a hand, even when your not.

Its classy.

Also, learn how to talk and have table banter whilst also, reading body language... I love to pull a reg out of his focus by talking to him whilst I keep my focus and talk. -- especially when its short handed

This is a kinda a crash course of stuff to do, but just things I wish someone pointed out to me when i first started playing live.

On that theme, I also like it when people don't act upset after they lose to a bad beat. Not only does it make you look classy, it's also quite intimidating to players who do get upset in those situations. Also I think that players getting annoyed at losing is going to put off the casual types (particularly when they're the ones that win and the losing player starts telling them they're an idiot - but I digress).

Similarly, it's bad to act embarrassed when you show a bluff. I think it intimidates players to show lots of strong hands and lots of weak hands. When you make a bluff and someone raises you, I think it's good to instantly throw your hand away for the same reasons. Thinking for ages and folding makes it look like you're folding something medium strength at best and you can be pushed around.

Guys, thanks so much - this is a wealth of great info. I play in a pretty fishy homegame so I have developed my staying classy skills over years of ridic beats through opponents' bad play. Plus have played enough online to take every beat in the book without breaking a single piece of electronic equipment. I'm pretty easygoing in general so I think this side of it won't be a problem.

My problem is mainly just nerves about a new experience in general, but replies in this thread have really been very helpful, so thanks again.

Obv I had taken "Do not use internet slang to try identify serious grinders." as a given but was wondering: does "Sup Bro?" still fly? My default would be to not use any online lingo at all; I'm a big advocate of "no strat at tables" and often find myself shaking my head sadly whenever I see/hear it online or home games.

Thanks again, I can't say it enough.

To quote the mighty Doug Lee, "see ya on the felt!"

I've never heard or tried "sup bro?" live. But to be honest if someone used it I'd probably ignore it. I used to when it was big online too. But then I don't use internet lingo on the internet either really.

Yeah, I figured as much. I don't even remember the response anyway.
Thanks again!

Sup bro

Caught some nice brown trout in the Thames last week

The brown cow goes moo

lol look at us old-school 2p2ers

think over my 9+ year career of playing live poker i'm the only person who's ever said 'sup bro'

I may stroll down to Westcliff tomorrow for the 20 quid donkament to get some live experience on the cheap. I'll be a donator because I'm a donkament hospital case but it's all about getting a feel for it.

As much as it breaks my heart, I won't be "sup bro"-ing anybody

Anyone got an idea of the number of runners the hippo weds bounty gets?

20-40max

generally hippo gets a real poor attendance for tournaments except for UKIPT series and the Classics

tonight's guest bounty is Sam Razavi which may bring in a few more people

I'd say 20-40 is on the high side. Played the one a few weeks ago that Joe Stapleton was the bounty and there were less than 30 there and I heard someone say the week before it didn't even run!! I think Sam Razavi will be a reasonable pull, so it should be at least a fair field.

<30 people for Stapes makes me a bit sad.

I think initially it made him a little sad but then people kept giving him there chips and bounty, he kept drinking and his sadness subsided

I could be tempted to pop down but I think I did something stupid and agree to go to the gym...

In this heat, Casino & Gym are equally silly choices.

I'm hoping it's air conditioned

You're not the only one!

What's the Sunday deep stack like? Similar numbers?

Sunday deepstack tends to get 15-20 with a 2k gtd so regular overlay.

It's probably the best weekly structure you'll find but like 1 other guy on here said it might actually be to good with 20k stack and 30 min levels and very few level jumps it even has 100-200 repeat with ante if it were to get 30 + runners it would last ages... They should prob reduce it to 25 min levels and 10 - 15k stack