Im playing my first live tournament next week in the LAPT vina del mar in chile. What do you think i should expect to be the biggest difference between the play in an online tournament and a live tournament / any advice for first live tournament? Thanks for your help.

Thanks for the advice but im looking for a little more advice in the change in strategy and approach to a live tournament vs an online tournament. I play online for a living and was just trying to see if any of the other online pros who have succes live change anything or if they play pretty close to their same online game.

Wear gloves

the LAPT is a very solid event, but it might apply here. I find that people are willing to shove less and make loose allin-calls less as well. Playing in A.C. and Vegas at the 100$-550$ levels people want to play longer and i've been told multiple times: "it's not worth", "you wouldn't be moving allin on my BB with less than AQ, so i'm folding my Ax" Just know push/fold and use it to ur advantage. I know the LAPT is a 3500$+ buyin so you will find a lot of internet players that know this. Spot the ameateurs (SP) out and exploit them. GL and bring it back to North Carolina.

 

Originally Posted by Jaybone2315

People play very slow and take forever to make up their minds.

Dont let this tilt you, because it definately can.

Othere then that, play the same. I dont see why you should switch your game up just cause its live and not online (depending on structure obv).

people antagonizing over the easiest decisions massively tilts me live...

"oh noooo he shoved 8bb's from late position and i have 30bb's with AK what do i dooooo ohhh mannnnn, i bet phil helmuth would fold here, oh but it's so pretty what do i dooo"

*10minutes later*

"ok i call."

*person behind shoves for 11bb's total "

"oh nooooooo what do i dooooooooooooooooo.........etc.

As far as the game of accumulating chips go, just play what you know. Can't really give you advice there...

But for other stuff: Please don't Hollywood decisions. If you're in a big hand and it's the river and you have an actual decision, fine, but just fold if you're going to fold pre flop and shit.

Also, get comfortable at your chair. Be friendly to people around you, but don't be the guy telling your life story. And as pointed out above, refrain from discussing hands all frickin' day. Some people cannot help themselves commentating on every single thing and explaining why they did something.

Count your chips out in front of your stack but behind your cards (and us a chip as a card protector at all times). If you are going to raise just say raise, then put out your chips.

Oh my god I could go on for hours...so much stuff.

As mentioned - do not let your surroundings tilt you. There will be idiots at every table but you have to focus on the game. I make a major point of focusing during hands I am not in to try and pick up on anything that might help. You'd be surprised how just seeing a poorly played hand in level one can lead to you making a tough decision later on against someone.

Unless you really feel it will help, don't be that guy who asks every single time "Do you have the flush?" "Do you have a pair?" "Do you want me to call?" Just play the game.

GL

I've only played one live $5k+ but have played smaller stuff (100/300re to 2k fo).

What I've observed. People play so slow to make the easiest of decisions, don't let it tilt you. People spew badly. Call off half their stack pre then ck/fold their JT. They don't understand pot odds at all. People play a lot tighter once antes kick in. Easier to accumulate. They are afraid to get their money in with huge hands. Don't think someone is slowrolling you when they take 5 minutes before finally calling you with KK lol. They honestly are thinking about how they're behind or how they're gonna lose. The play is pretty bad at this level. And this is coming from someone who is not very good. Just play your solid game. Being card dead live sucks ass. So don't get impatient and start spewing

Obv with bigger events you're gonna get alot of good online players and better live pros.

GLGL

you've got such a skill edge going, its like asking a college student going to a first grade class and asking how to prepare for a test. I admire the will to get better even at the high level of play you're at, but going to a live setting, you're litterally stepping back... GL, I def wouldnt be shocked to see u go far.

 

Originally Posted by Bdybldngpkrplyr

Thanks for the advice but im looking for a little more advice in the change in strategy and approach to a live tournament vs an online tournament. I play online for a living and was just trying to see if any of the other online pros who have succes live change anything or if they play pretty close to their same online game.

3bet ranges are much more narrow from randoms...Live players are AWFUL. Have no idea about pot odds, position, or any other poker concept. Especially at LAPT events. You will see plays that astonish you, a bunch of local donks play in those events. Play solid poker and you will be fine. Then abuse the blinds and your position.

From mig's well

<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD><H4 class=P5_PostHeader> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=center><TD vAlign=top align=left rowSpan=2> </TD><TD align=left colSpan=2><TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD>Re:The Well: Mig.com </TD><TD vAlign=center align=right>In reply to </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR><TR><TD align=left>By mig.com on 12-23-2008 4:11 PM </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></H4> <TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD class=P5_PostContent><TABLE height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=ForumPostContentText><BLOCKQUOTE> Get warmed up playing some cash games online. Live tournament are really very similar to online, tells are generally pretty overrated. So just make sure you work on your deepstack play since you will be deeper at pca than you will in most online tourneys. And just stay relaxed and have a good time, you will play better.

My own advice (combined with mig's landed me 13th in the pca main event (brag!)):
-try to relate the level you are at with the corresponding stage of an online tourney--6 hours in you'll feel like you've been playing forever but the corresponding level will be early second hour (if that) in an online MTT. its a good way to gauge where you are in relation to the field.
-value bet big with made hands--i cant tell you how many times people paid off huge value bets because they couldnt tell i was really betting 1.25 times the pot.
-i made it through without picking up what i would consider physical tells--but things like bet timing and sizing are just as useful live as they are online. if someone hollywood's for 2 minutes and shows down a monster and then later instajams you can assign a proper range accordingly.
-definitely develop a good rapport with your table--people are much more willing to let you steal blinds if they like you than if they dont.
-run good.
</BLOCKQUOTE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

• <LI> Keep you highest denomination chips visible to the other players. Otherwise, the dealer will direct you to do so.
  </LI> <LI> Get used to visually counting up the chip stacks. You don't have an instant and accurate count as you do online and you need to make estiamtions. Players will stack in 20's and 40's...get used to visually estimating their chip stacks.
  </LI> <LI> Wear sunglasses that hide your eyes. The eyes give out the most tells and the experienced players will read you from that fact.
  </LI> <LI> Do not answer any questions by other players while you're in the hand. People like Negreanu have developed this into an art form. Remember, if someone wants a chip count, they are usually looking at your reaction....not the chip count. Let the dealer make the chip count. You look straight ahead without any emotion.
  
  </LI>

Sit down, ask if anyone plays online and what their names are, and when you get 30 yr old men staring at you, thank god ur at such a ridiculously soft table and pwn. If you get like 6 guys that say yeah my name is "xxxxx" treat accordingly. Otherwise enjoy the free trip and whatever is fascinating in that damn country??? Kinda lost on what S.A. is like.

to be completely honest when transitioning from online to live play its astonishing how many tells and reads you give off unknowingly and unintentionally. I experienced this first hand this summer living in vegas for WSOP and venetian deepstack tourneys. soo many times this summer i would be deep in tourneys and unknowingly give off a tell wheter it be because i stopped smiling, stalking, my voice cracked, my eyes darted away. whatever it was i was unintentionally giving off a lot of info and found myself getting soul read in the worst spots all of which could have been avoided had I just stfu and worn a ski mask + goggles.

cliff-notes= wear ski mask + goggles or goody tied tiegh so only ur eyes are visibly obv w/ sunglasses, or do the Tony G/ beavis cornholio tshirt over heard bit and just stfu @ the table and let your chips and physical appearance do the talking.

Limited live tournament experience.

1. Have fun

2. Sit back, watch and listen to the actions and phrases made by other players. It is always beyond hilarious and makes the tournament that much more fun. No matter what happens you can take what they say as solace that you aren't even close to the worst player in room.

3. Keep your mouth shut. There's next to nothing you can say that will help your game.

4. If you can, recognize an internet player. He'll be the younger guy and you guys will make contact every time you see someone do something stupid. Form an unspoken bond that you guys are the most skilled players at the table.

5. When/if you get short-stacked, open shove the first shitty and that gets folded to you. If you get called, wait for the caller to turn over his A9o and triumphantly flip up 73o while yelling, "I GOT YOU DOMINATED!!! CRUSHED!!!!!!!!"

 

Originally Posted by sandler1860

Live players value tourney life way too much....1st advice I would give is push wider and call tighter.

That's a good one fasho. Push wider and call tighter.