Live vs Online

[hawkman1985]

Hey guys i just found out that a casino near me is hosting a large poker tournament along with many other smaller events. I have never played in a live tournament at a casino before do you guys recommend it or think its a whole different animal?? The buy-ins are pretty steep compared to what im used to but ive been doing pretty-well online. Any thoughts or opinions on live tournys vs online?

[KoTToN420]

no difference less u get shakey or can't count chips or can't calculate the pot or know what to bet or play like half the noobs that try it b/c they see it on tv :beaten: good times-rather play a live tourney than online any day, but I get bored quickly so it better be a rebuy :eek:

[seakcsn]

i played a live tournament for the first time a couple of months ago and i try to do it as much as possible now. like kotton said the biggest difference for online players is that you have to keep a running count of the pot and your own chip stack... the number isnt just on the screen. i tried to add up the pot as the chips went in rather than count what was in the middle because the chips get to be spread out once the betting round has ended.

the big pro of live play is the extra information. it is much easier to pick up on the way the other players are betting their hands and you have a lot of free time to try and put them on hands and get reads. boredom is an issue, you may go a long time without playing a pot but since i am new at it i just tried to concentrate on counting the pots i wasnt involved in and see who was sizing their bets wrong.

one other thing which i guess should be obvious is to know the structure of the tourney. the first one i played in was a $250 buy in and had no mentions of rebuys. i registered early to save a couple of bucks and get dinner added in. on the day of the tournament, after it started, i found out that there were no rebuys but that they were re-seating players until the first break which was 2 hours in. so most players had come expecting that they could bust and re-enter whereas i really couldn't justify doing that with the money i put aside. in the end i think only half of the people at the final table had paid more than one entry fee but i wasnt there so i couldnt ask them.

do it, if not for the experience then because it is fun.

[ChrisGill]

After playing online, live is the slowest, dullest and generally the most boring thing you could possibly do.

[Dori113]

I think there is a huge difference in the two. Live is slow and usually most at the table need help with their bets, nudged by the dealer when its their time to act, what their options are, etc. It takes awhile to make a swing around the table. I am hoping it takes awhile to swing around a table for me tomorrow if all goes well this afternoon and the hangover isn't earth shattering ;). To play a tournie I have to spend $75-100, and to sit at a ring game it's $1-2

If you know the game I don't think it makes a difference where you play it, but they are 2 totally different animals in my eyes. I played online prior to playing live (we just got tables games in my area) and it is just so very slow. Have had a blast though with people at the table waiting for our turns to come back around.

Have Fun & Good Luck

p.s.: will you post what you think after you have done it. Just curious to see if you think they are very different too.

[hawkman1985]

Ya im still decieding if im going to play or not because it is a really busy time for me at work right now. But the main event is a 3 day 10,000 buy in that i think is a WPT event. Way outa my league but the tournaments running up to the main event are smaller with i think up to 2,000 buy in they even have a few omaha tournys. Thanks for the feedback though im kinda coming the the conclusion that i should at least try a couple and see what i think.

[serzrokoko]

Online poker is good, becouse I can play when I can, its faster,here are new friends from all word etc:)
Live poker is good for me too, becouse I m playing with my friends with a lot fun:)
I worked in cassino 10 years and I m here 1 year, so for me "live VS online" can not be, becouse they are different things:wave:

[DADuhWEEwah]

live poker > online > 3cardmonty

[Miklosik]

I'd much rather play live. But before you decide, check out the blind structure and time limits. Most casinos, for events of this type, use horrid blind structures because they can't tie up to many allowable gaming positions for long periods of time. If you can afford it and can live with the structure, please play it.

[CocaKolaKid]

I've done well for myself playing live where as being new playing online (4 months), I've struggled. I'm finding it quite different...the way players bet or what they call...almost unreal to me...makes my me wonder sometimes if who I'm playing against is really another person on the other end or is it a computer program. But I think the biggest part online players (and I hate to say in this way) can be very vocal? or disrepectful to others more openly and obviously without fear. "DONK!" - ha..you gotta luv it. In my mind...you're the donk for calling me. I'm going to still continue plugging my way online and hopefully improve my game here...but still strongly feel...live poker is real poker...for now. - one more note off topic but still with online gaming - BJ is this a scam? or what? For anyone wanting to see a colourful difference between online vs live gaming - play BlackJack at the casino and play online....you'll be back at the casino in no time.

[hawkman1985]

Ya i like the idea of playing live at a casino but i just cant get myself to shell out over a grand for a tournament buy-in especially if its going to be my first live tournament. I would rather take babysteps and start small than just throw in money and not know what im getting myself into.

[CocaKolaKid]

LOL - true I wouldn't shell out a grand to play in live tournament or any tournament for the first time. Not sure what city you're from but where I am there are plenty of live tournaments to join for much much less.

[hawkman1985]

well its in Biloxi MS and they are having the WPT Southern Poker Classic with like 10 events leading up to the main event with some pretty steep buy-ins but last year the tournys averaged 500-700 players.

[bluelips]

live is boring

[hawkman1985]

that does seem to be the concensus.

[Dori113]

The people at the table are the make it or break it. And that can't be figured out until you are there and in it. Go, you'll have a blast I would think ~ win or lose ~ as long as you play within your budget.

[KoTToN420]

I've done well for myself playing live where as being new playing online (4 months), I've struggled. I'm finding it quite different...the way players bet or what they call...almost unreal to me...makes my me wonder sometimes if who I'm playing against is really another person on the other end or is it a computer program. But I think the biggest part online players (and I hate to say in this way) can be very vocal? or disrepectful to others more openly and obviously without fear. "DONK!" - ha..you gotta luv it. In my mind...you're the donk for calling me. I'm going to still continue plugging my way online and hopefully improve my game here...but still strongly feel...live poker is real poker...for now. - one more note off topic but still with online gaming - BJ is this a scam? or what? For anyone wanting to see a colourful difference between online vs live gaming - play BlackJack at the casino and play online....you'll be back at the casino in no time.

live 1,2 game ppl call 12-20 pre np. The best part of a live game is the "live straddle". plz put a "stroodle" button on pdc...been begging admin for years, the action would be awesome and as far as i'm aware of, a very unique feature to an online poker site. "yes we can" "change"

[King752]

poker=poker2

[Miklosik]

Straddle bets are ridiculous. Just play higher limits. Last week, guy to my left straddled my bb 3 straight rounds. Fourth round he made the mistake of putting out his straddle before I placed the blind. I took a potty break instead, just to kill his straddle.

If you want to add a feature, kill pots would be nice.

[KoTToN420]

Straddle bets are ridiculous. Just play higher limits. Last week, guy to my left straddled my bb 3 straight rounds. Fourth round he made the mistake of putting out his straddle before I placed the blind. I took a potty break instead, just to kill his straddle.

If you want to add a feature, kill pots would be nice.

to each their own, it could be a table just like the deal it twice option so you can play it if you'd like.

[ZER007]

well its in Biloxi MS and they are having the WPT Southern Poker Classic with like 10 events leading up to the main event with some pretty steep buy-ins but last year the tournys averaged 500-700 players.

Live is fun and isn't that, the real reason you play poker? It is mine. You are talking about the WPT tounament at the Beau Rivage Jan 14-17. They are going to have a lot of smaller buyins starting Jan 2nd. Some as low as 300-30. Those are the ones I play in. Hope to win one and get into the big tournament on the 14th. I play them when they come to Tunica. Came in 19th in a $300-30 a couple of months ago, paid $780. It was fun. Try it out. If you go to Biloxi, look for an old man in a Carbon Poker hat. I may be there.