Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

I just had my 1st casino experiments at Barona and Morongo in southern cali. Both of them were 18+ casino's. For me the experience was really boring in comparasion to the 4+ tabling 100 hands per hour rate I was getting online.

What do you guys recommend to do while playing besides listening to your ipod and talking to other players at the table.

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

how about watching the other players and getting a read on them? I don't even listen to my ipod when I play higher than 1/2. I think there is plenty to do if you want to max your EV.

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

My favorite thing about playing live is how it forces you to pay attention to the other players and the hands you're not in. I try to put people on hands, figure out what I would do differently than the players in the hand, figure out what I would do with the hand I started with preflop if I had played, etc.

If you're lucky you can also get a table with 2 or 3 other people that are relatively normal and social. Then you have people to talk to.

If you're an agitator you can also get a our side vs. the other side mentatility going to the game. Just find somebody sitting near you that thinks they are the next Doyle Brunson (but isn't) and make a couple under your breath comments to him about bad plays made by people at the other side. I love it when this happens (although I very rarely start it myself).

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

drink heavily.

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

my goal when i play usually is to make a fish cry by berating them so badly. try it out.

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

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my goal when i play usually is to make a fish cry by berating them so badly. try it out.

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Meh, I like fish. I berate the people that think they're experts but just play super tight and don't understand pot odds. Nothing better than getting something like 12:1 odds on your gutshot and hitting it. Boy do they whine and whine about how horrible you are.

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

for once I completely agree with a Lawyer

Drink Heavily

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

What's the proper reply to this statement?

No tapping the aquarium!!!

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my goal when i play usually is to make a fish cry by berating them so badly. try it out.

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Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

I assume you're playing the highest limit that's appropriate for your bankroll, but since you're new to B&M, maybe you started lower than you otherwise might. Play high enough to where it keeps your interest.

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

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What do you guys recommend to do while playing besides listening to your ipod and talking to other players at the table.

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Lose the iPod (damn Harrah's in KC for banning them, makes it harder to spot idiots) - seriously, you miss out on so much of what poker (in my opinion) really is

Play the biggest limits your bankroll can afford - play with good players - this is only possible if you live in an area with a bigger poker room and not just one with 3/6 limit and 1/2 no limit

If you can sit there w.o. an iPod or other distractions - might just stay online and play - i am happy that i played live before online as it seems that most online players have this fast paced action view of poker from online that doesnt really exist live - maybe play omaha h/l for awhile in a casino, go back to hold em and it will seem fast [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

Obviously for a player who got into the game via online 4+ tabling it can be an adjustment to the slower-pace of live play.

But if you've never played before you can learn to read tells on players. Watching for how a player might shake a little bit when he has a big hand is incredibly interesting to me.


I used to kind of auto-pilot when I would kill time live and even considered bringing headphones or reading a magazine or something.


But then I had the opportunity to play with a couple really good players at the WSOP last year. In two different events I played a few hours each with Huck Seed and Johnny Chan.

Just by watching these guys, and chatting with them a little bit, it seemed clear to me that they were far more aware of what was going on at the table than anyone else there.

Huck was chatting with me a bit because the guy on the other side of him was wearing headphones and I don't think spoke much english.
Huck had thoughts on almost every hand that was played it seemed and shared some of those thoughts or asked my opinion on a few of them.
Just little stuff like seeing a big bet and him whispering to me, "I think he has top set here. Don't you think?" Something like that.

Then I would fake my way through a response because after I had folded my cards I had lost track of the hand and was day-dreaming or looking for my waiter with my coffee or something.


One player (me) day-dreams when not involved in a hand.

Another player (Huck or Johnny) would follow the hand with great interest and try to figure out what each player was holding.


Pretty easy to figure out which one is the internet-auto-pilot-donk and which one is the multi WSOP-bracelet winner.

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

i get bored as hell too, if your cell phone supports it, which mine didnt, put on mobile pokerroom.com and play an extra table

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

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What do you guys recommend to do while playing besides listening to your ipod and talking to other players at the table.

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Lose the iPod (damn Harrah's in KC for banning them, makes it harder to spot idiots)

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You're an idiot for wanting to listen to music instead of hear people ramble on about how they lost with KT to QJ.

Awesome.

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

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drink heavily.

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Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

If you get really bored, pretend you're on partypoker and go to the BJ tables. Betting $25 a hand for 30 minutes will wake up. Then you can return to the poker table. Or Craps. PartyCraps would be awesome. And bad.

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

I have the feeling most online players find B&M boring not because of the fewer tables, but because of whatever the hell else they do during online poker that they can't do at a live table. (Watching Jon Stewart? Looking at pr0n? IMing?)

I was so happy when I started playing B&M - I find online play really boring in comparison. There's so much more depth to reads live.

And to answer the question: paying attention to hands you're not in is not only a way to make it less boring, but also to get better at live poker.

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

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how about watching the other players and getting a read on them?

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Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

Playing at a B&M is generally enough activity to keep me occupied, but even four-tabling online is like watching paint dry.

And they say *I'm* missing the social gene.

If playing a single, fairly lively (loose) table at a B&M isn't enough to keep one's attention, might I suggest that there are bigger problems to deal with than what to do between hands.

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

I watch sports on TV, hell I was even watching Mad Money at the Bellagio last week. I don't pay attention to all the hands, its just too boring for me, even though I was playing 100/200 though I'm a pretty good multi-tasker and felt I paid attention when I needed. I just enjoy talking to others and watching tv more

Re: Things to do while playing poker at a casino?
 

I regard playing @ a B&M as "playing poker"....

I regard four tabling online as "playing math"....