Re: First time Experiences
1/2 NL is very high variance in terms of buy-ins, as you will see a lot of players eager to build pots and go all-in.
I'll try to explain how. Most bets only use $5 chips, so you will often face $10 as the default raise preflop. With 3 callers - which is very common at this level - and 4 players to the flop, the pot is suddenly $40. Then there's a $25 bet and two callers, and the pot is suddenly $115 before the turn. If you started out with $200, you're suddenly down to only a pot-sized bet on this one hand.
Starting out with $400 is fine, but be prepared to lose it all - in the sense that $400 shouldn't be a lot of money for you. The first time I went to a casino, I also walked in with $400 for 1/2 NL. I had more, but that was how much money I was ready to lose that day. I said to myself: "I am paying $400 for the experience of playing at a casino, and if I walk out with more than $0 it's a bonus". I lost a few chips in the beginning, but when I adjusted to the crazy live play, I won it back - and I walked out with about $600.
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