Live Vegas $1/2NL vs $2/5NL

[stargazer]

I am a winning regular online player in $200NL (1/2) and $400NL (2/4).

When in Vegas I usually play the $1/2NL at MGM or Venetian and am familiar with the flavor of these games. The way I see them:
- Preflop raises are generally to $10-$15 and get 3-4 callers.
- cb is usually only 1/2 to 2/3 pot
- lots of fit or fold on the flop but typically at least one caller/floater/chaser.
- Players who call the flop and get heads-up usually also call turn.
- $1/2 stacks dont get particularly deep.
- turn & river raises from typical players frequently are for monsters.
- Locals to tourists ratio is 60/40 daytime/week and more touristy weekends & nights.
- 3-bet ranges preflop are usually a monster (except from short stack, any pair 66+ or AK AQ).

Next trip, I plan to move up to the $2/5NL. What differences should I expect? More locals? What's a typical preflop raise, how many typically call? How's their postflop play? What's typical CB success rate? How's 3-bet ranges? More bluff raises? etc.

I've read through the B&M forum with a "+Vegas +NL -Re" 1 year search. Lots of good discussion but didnt find anything dissecting this particular question.

[ob1]

if you beat 200 & 400nl online these questions are not even worth answering. almost every player at your table will seem like they have just learned what hands beat what. play 5/10 live.

[WMB]

[ QUOTE ]
if you beat 200 & 400nl online these questions are not even worth answering. almost every player at your table will seem like they have just learned what hands beat what. play 5/10 live.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. You'll easily be the best player at 5-10 and should hold your own at 10-20

[stargazer]

Are you guys serious? I don't consider myself a great player, just nicely +BB/100 online. Last time I played $1/$2NL at the Venetian, Greg Raymer was in the $5/10NL. No thanks.

Anyways I'm not bankrolled for a whole week of $5/10NL or higher live.

Uhh.. So what should I expect for $2/5NL anyways?

[WMB]

Its somewhat table dependent, but overall 2-5 plays slightly tighter than 1-2. somewhat more weak-tight, so you can sometimes bluff or semi-bluff more.

[AquaSwing]

[ QUOTE ]
Uhh.. So what should I expect for $2/5NL anyways?

[/ QUOTE ]

Almost exactly the same, especially at places where 2/5 is the lowest they spread.

[pig4bill]

[ QUOTE ]
Are you guys serious? I don't consider myself a great player, just nicely +BB/100 online. Last time I played $1/$2NL at the Venetian, Greg Raymer was in the $5/10NL. No thanks.

Anyways I'm not bankrolled for a whole week of $5/10NL or higher live.

Uhh.. So what should I expect for $2/5NL anyways?

[/ QUOTE ]

Nobody can tell you, no matter what they think. I've been in 2/5 Vegas games with players that ranged from so-so, to above average, to super aggressive shark, to WPT final tabler.

[JulioYalil]

[ QUOTE ]
Anyways I'm not bankrolled for a whole week of $5/10NL or higher live.

[/ QUOTE ]

if u beat the 400NL online it means u r properly rolled for it. if u r properly rolled for it then u should have no prob cashin some of the $ to try the 5/10 live for a couple of buy ins.
i.e. if u have 20 buy ins for 400NL online that's $8000. cash out $2000 for two buy ins @ 5/10 live (100BBs each). if that doesn't work out well then u can just play 2/5 and/or 1/2 for the rest of the week. if that doesn't work out well either then drop down to the 200NL and 100NL online and rebuild ur bankroll until u can try it again (this shouldn't take too long). so either u a liar about beatin the $2/$4 online or u too much of a nit w/ ur bankroll. that being said... yes, the 5/10 live is a hell of a lot easier than 1/2 and 2/4 online. although there could be the occasional shark at ur table it actually plays more like 50NL online.
good luck on ur trip.

[spyu]

I see this question a lot and have also heard it being discussed on the flip side during live play(How a certain live player would do online). I don't have a whole lot of online experience, but I would say that the differences are significant and your ability to succeed in one medium vs the other really depends on the individual. Some can't beat either, some can beat both, and some can beat one but not the other at certain limits.
Also I don't believe the limits you play necessarily determine how hard or easy a certain game is.
I think you won't find that much difference in the locals/tourist ratio between 1/2 and 2/5. Depending on where you play they will play almost the same way. Just depends on the table you're at. Sometimes the game is super tight, sometimes You open raise for 30 someone reraises to 75 and the whole table calls behind. I don't know if in online games, there are specifics corrolated to limits with all these number categories that you quoted. But in live play you just have to sit down and see what the table is like because it varies so greatly.

[JulioYalil]

one thing i recommend if u r playin 2/5 is to play it in a casino where it is the smallest game available. that way the worst players will prolly be at those tables. if u go to a casino that also offers 1/2 all the newbies will be @ the 1/2 and not on the 2/5.