How much advantage local players have over "visitors" in tournament?

NYWalker · #1 05-02-2007, 02:15 PM

From military strategy point of view, (at least in the old-fashioned wars)the local defense military has advantage over intruders because they fight from home while the intruders fight after traveling a long journey.

From my own observation of the players who cash in tournaments, the percentage of local players are generally higher than that of "visitors" or "intruders".

In my own (limited) experience, when I play tournaments at L.A. local cardrooms, I feel less pressure. The dealers/floormen are all familiar faces and always being friendly to me; I know most local players' styles and they always know my play; in the game, I only need to focus on reading 1 or 2 "intruders" at my table; I get home in less than 10 minutes after the tournament; I don't have to book hotel and don't have to worry about a lot of things related to travel(which may affect one's tournament plans). I feel like defending "our own tournaments" against "intruders" from other parts of country.

When I play in Reno, Vegas, I just don't feel I have any advantages like the above.

The critical problems are:
1. not able to read opponents' play in short period of time;
2. can't adjust the speed of play;
3. other factors affect the play such as "I have to go deep in this one in order to stay on Monday" or "OK, let me gamble this hand here, if I get busted, I just go home tonight and don't take day off on Monday...."

Do you feel the same way? How to overcome?

unconscious · #2 05-02-2007, 02:20 PM

I feel exactly the same way. I try to play cash games in said town/casino the day before to trick my subconscious. That sounds gay but I don't know how else to say it.

cow_phunk · #3 05-02-2007, 02:25 PM

if you're saying there's only 1-2 "intruders" at your table, aren't you saying there's 7-8 locals? thus meaning a greater percentage of locals will cash?

NYWalker · #4 05-02-2007, 02:39 PM

[ QUOTE ]
if you're saying there's only 1-2 "intruders" at your table, aren't you saying there's 7-8 locals? thus meaning a greater percentage of locals will cash?

[/ QUOTE ]

Pretty good "GMAT thinking". [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

Well, generally, the "intruder"s are better players than most local players. Most local players are amatuers while *most* "intruder"s are pros (or full-time poker players). Hope this can offset the implied favor from the 8:2 ratio.

In big events at Commerce, that radio declines a lot (maybe to 5:5 or 4:6).

Shine · #5 05-02-2007, 03:13 PM

For the reasons you (OP) mentioned, obviously local players have an advantage. But it is most probable that "visiting" players are favored (that is, the expected EV of visiting players is higher than of local players) because of the selection bias; players that travel to tournaments (especially big ones) are more likely to be good.

blockafor · #6 05-02-2007, 04:16 PM

[ QUOTE ]
Well, generally, the "intruder"s are better players than most local players. Most local players are amatuers while *most* "intruder"s are pros (or full-time poker players). Hope this can offset the implied favor from the 8:2 ratio.

[/ QUOTE ]

At first I thought you were arguing that the ratio of locals:visitors in the people that cash is greater than the ratio of locals:visitors in all the entrants. That could be an argument. But expecting an 8:2 to become a 1:1 by the time they reach the money is silly.