I felt intimidated in the casino

brutalBeater · #1 03-09-2007, 07:09 AM

I don't play a lot of live poker.
My friends aren't really into poker. The rake the casino here makes you pay is killing plus if you're not there very early you have to wait a couple of hours to get a seat. So this makes me basically don't have much live experience.

So me and my brother decided to go to Vegas to gamble, have fun and play a lot of poker. I had an awesome time there and absolutly loved the city even though I lost a decent amount of money.

Now for the bad part: I played extremly weak and scared poker, especially post flop. I think this has to do with some psychologic factor, but not the money I was playing for. I brought enough money with me and played 200NL plus some 4/8 limit in Vegas, while I 4tabled 200NL online at that time.
While playing my hands were very shaky and I made a couple of beginners mistakes.
When I had to make a marginal decision I just folded because I didn't want to look a fish who paid of. I even folded a FH on the river because there was a small change villain had a higher FH [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

I was wondering if this is common for people who play mostly online and switch to live. I'm kind of a shy person, does this have something to do with it?
I was also hit by a cold deck so that didn't exactly help me with my confidence.

johnnyrocket · #2 03-09-2007, 10:21 AM

Well yes, lots of players have trouble with their tells if they solely play online cuz they dont have much experience in person. I get nervous each time also, if you play 200nl online u can probably beat 1000nl in person also. They say these games are equivalent skill wise.

johnnyrocket · #3 03-09-2007, 10:21 AM

if you want to learn better keep going, the more you go the less nervous you are each time.

mutiger91 · #4 03-09-2007, 10:32 AM

I play both live and online

1) Live is easier. There is SOOOOOO much more information if you know what to look for. Before you go back to Vegas, read Caro's Book of Poker Tells. I think if you know what the skilled players at the table are looking for you won't feel so under a microscope

I made a play in a tournament last night solely based on a read of the other player. I had a small PP that was better than middle pair. UTG made a bet that I correctly read as a c-bet on a hand that had missed the flop. I pushed all-in. She called with a decent draw, but I doubled-up. Online I would have had to fold.

2) The dealer is there to help you. Don't worry about looking like a newb. People will probably underestimate you and that works to your advantage.

About the only ways you can mess up live are tossing a single large chip in a pot when you want to raise without saying "raise" (lost money twice doing this giving a person a free card) and string betting (making two moves to the pot to bet). If you avoid these mistakes, you should be able to kill the $1/$2 games in Vegas if you are a good online $1/$2 player.

nineinchal · #5 03-09-2007, 11:06 AM

I even folded a FH on the river because there was a small change villain had a higher FH

mutiger91 · #6 03-09-2007, 11:31 AM

You shouldn't laugh before you know the facts.

I flopped a full house once PP =88 board = AA8. I bet the flop, got one caller and then check-folded the turn when another A hit. I mucked face up (opponent had JJ). The good part about it was that I got such a tight image from that play that I was able to steal the next 2 pots I played and came out ahead on the deal.

swingdoc · #7 03-09-2007, 12:08 PM

OP don't worry at all about what you experienced. Feeling intimidated and out of your element happens to everyone the first few times they play in a casino (unless you grew up in a casino some how). All of a sudden you're playing surrounded by sparkling lights and unfamiliar noises and hot cocktail waitresses. A few more trips and you'll be playing like an old pro.

Johnny Hughes · #8 03-09-2007, 12:23 PM

You will get used to it. I wear earplugs and have written an article about playing poker in Las Vegas in ear plugs. It was picked up by an ear plug manufacturer. I wear a hat and sometimes dark glasses. Shield yourself from all the distractions. I would suggest you play the cheap limits some and watch the poker games until you feel aclimatized.

Casinos are kept chilly so no one will get sleepy. Be sure you have a couple of layers of clothes to adjust. Buy a book on tells. These Internet players light up like a Christmas tree.

mutiger91 · #9 03-09-2007, 12:57 PM

I'm not a big fan of earplugs. Too much information in the chatter of other people around the table. Some people also do that fake *sigh* when they have a really strong hand. Some casinos have their card rooms isolated from the slots and bells and whistles. That's the way to go. All that ching ching ching grates my nerves, but I like to be able to listen to my poker games.

Frond · #10 03-09-2007, 01:21 PM

I still get a little bit nervous when I play live but I like a little bit of nerves when I play. I don't want to be too relaxed or too jumpy, I want to be into the game and focused. I little bit of nerves I think is a good thing for me.

With your online experience you are probably a lot better than most at the table than you realize. Some of them probably have more live play time in than you do but it doesn't mean that they are better poker players than you, just more live time in than you. My very first time playing I wa a bundle of nerves and it wa only 2/4 limit. Turned out I was one of the better players at my table and I had the least amount of live experience than of all of them. I had way more online time and I read way more info on the game than any of them as well, I can tell you that for sure by the play