Poker Forums

Hey,

I'm going to be playing in a nickel dime home cash game tomorrow and would like some basic tips if anyone has any. I don't play with these guy that often, but what I've seen in the past is a lot of limp calling in tournaments and with a variety of hands,...a lot of slow playing big hands too. I'm going to have two $10 buy ins. These guy play a lot of those free poker leagues with the quick structures and a few of them deal for them.

My first thoughts are to take the advice JM and Zoe have given me about my online play. Play position, and TAG hand selection depending where I'm coming in from and action before me.

Should this work basically the same for a 8 to 10 handed home game? Any other advice?

Thanks and I look forward to everyones comments.

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"Coffee is best when shared"

See lots of flops, splash money around, have fun... There is little you can do in these games to lose. You will see animated versions of normal playing types. I mean super calling stations, insane maniacs, the biggest bluffers, and the incredibly weak tight. Trust me, I have played in a few games like this one. Basically have fun. It is $20. Bring some beer and be ready to chit chat. Good luck.

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"You will succeed far more by capitalizing on your opponents mistakes than you will by the greatness of your own play." --- I am not sure who said this but it is a great quote and piece of advice.


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At first I was gonna say just play tight and valuebet but powda makes a good point. Don't think about this so much as a proposition for profit but more as a cheap night out. A lot of people get really down when they go out to home game and get sucked out on and lose $20. Don't! You can't do anything else for that kinda money so as Powda said just enjoy yourself. Overly tight players at home games sometimes offend the drunken gamboolers.

Nevertheless try to play your very best postflop and work on your skills. Make a point of picking up on at least one solid tell from somebody at the game so that when you play with them in the future you can profit from it.

My friends and I haven't been playing much lately cuz everybody is always so busy, but on Jul 17th 10 of us are all going up to my friends cottage for the 5th annual South Barrie Poker League's Pokerpalooza! I can't wait. Lots of drinking and eating good food, some basketball, canoeing and of course lots of poker.

I agree with the above tips. Remember that you play poker b/c you enjoy it, not because you're trying to become a professional at this nickel/dime home game.

Whatever you do, don't be the douche that wears sunglasses. No one likes someone that takes themselves or the game too seriously.

Shoot, now what am I going to wear =)

I'm all for the good times as well, but these guys won't be drinking either. Remember, they play in the free poker leagues and do so competitive , so their minds are more on poker than just being social. I'll take the advice though and keep it lite, but still try and play a somewhat tight game. Play position pots, see cheap flops and value bet my good hands.

This kind of brings up another question... why is a home like this different than playing 2nl online? I want to have fun, but the most fun for me would be to take home all their money. Would it make a difference if it were higher stakes? To be honest, I'd rather play serious and take their money than be social. Even though it's micro, they all (myself included) want bragging rights as well. It's that kind of group.

Also, how does a full ring home game (played serious) differ from a full ring $1/$2 limit game at a casino? I say limit, because I don't think the Hard Rock in Tampa has cheep NL cash games.

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"Coffee is best when shared"

In general, live games play harder than online games of the same denomination (up to a certain point). This may be in part because online people are typically multi-tasking...chatting, surfing the net, watching TV in the background etc...., but it's also because there is a sense of value when you're physically pushing cash into the middle vs. clicking away virtual money.


What is your definition of "HOME" game? If by home, u mean a weekly game played by the same general cast of characters, then a home game becomes rather friendly. You were invited b/c they are co-workers, or neighbors what have you. You have your weekly game b/c its enjoyable and can be "guys night", an escape from the wife. The focus is generally more to have fun, share stories, see your buddies. A casino is a whole different animal. Strangers assemble at the casino. You're there not to make friends, but to make money. It's a lot more serious, most of the time. Plus you can't find penny tables at a casino. Your home game allows you to play w/ coins..not in a casino. It's a business for the house and to the players.


For general tips on how to win this game, I'd advise you to (re)read Ed's Poker Zone article (below). I am a big fan of his 'pretend you're a TV announcer to help follow the action' game. It will get you to focus and help piece the puzzle together.

Another thing to remember if you're a green live player, FAR LESS hands per hour. You should still be tight, but you can't wait around for premium hands as you would online...you'll be waiting for 3 hrs! Suited cards, connectors and gappers are much more playable in live games (IN POSITION!!)

http://www.pokerstrategyforums.com/e...-zone-1575.php

This is actually exactly opposite from the truth. I've never actually played poker in a casino but I've read enough about it on 2+2's forums. $1/2 in casino plays very similar to .05/.10 online. There are a lot of loose passive fish and you can beat the game by playing tight ABC poker. $1/$2 online is INFESTED with online pros making 6 figures per year. Dan Harrington actually talks about the difference in the caliber of players online compared to live and states that .25/.50c is for 'pros'.

And rightfully so, since a multi-tabling regular at .25/.50c is going to be making around $10/hour in rakeback.

It's possible that this .05/.10 home game could be a fair bit tougher than .05/.10 online or higher since they're all regulars taking the game seriously. The thing that makes the game easy is the presence of the fish.

You're probably right with regards to the 2 lowest levels of casino play. I can't speak above 1/2 and 2/5 b/c i've never played them personally and I don't think reading about higher games has much merit unless you've sat yourself.

The 1/2 is the lowest level available at a casino. You can't play penny games so the players who would normally play these micro stakes are forced to play what's available, the 1/2. So naturally, there are a lot of "tourists." But where the fish go, the sharks follow. I know several guys that grind out the 1/2 and 2/5 at Foxwoods and support themselves completely. Plus, you can't multi table and there's no PokerTracker so you are forced to pay exclusive attention to your table, and there's no rakeback! You've got to be good to maintain the hourly rate available to online multi tablers with software & rakeback. It's a battle.

Conversely, I used to play a 1/2 ring game in college that was tough. It was mainly the same bunch of 15-25 guys, but it played hard. Far fewer fish than the 1/2 at Foxwoods, yet we were usually drinking and/or high. Go figure.

1/2 live = .05/.10 online.
The fact that you cannot multitable and have no pokertracker does not make a live game any tougher. If there was any comparison, then a 1/2 live pro would do much better staying at home, and getting like 10x more hands per hour simply by 4 tabling, and not having to worry about travel expenses, meals and tipping the dealer.

The amount of talent required to play 1/2 live professionally is probably barely enough to break even at the same stakes online.

1/2 live =.05/.10 online?? No way. That's a pretty outrageous claim from someone who admittedly has never even played in a casino. I agree the 1/2 live isn't the same as the 1/2 online, but the the .05/.10 is horrible. From my personal experience of playing both, I'd rank it at least at the .10/.25 but not above the .25/.50.

You should know better than most that even the .10/.25 is soft. That's your bread and butter. There are plenty of bad players there and you can just sit and play 8-10 hands/hr and dominate. It could be riddled with multi-tabling pro's sure, but they're feasting on all the incompetence.

And I do think the absence of tracking software and multi-tabling makes live games play tougher. In order to maintain the win rate possible online utilizing the aforementioned tools, plus rakeback, you need to be that much more successful on the felt.

It's probably accurate to assume that most successful live players would be better off playing online where they could multi, but the transition isn't that easy. Some players are simply better live players who utilize tells and whatever else. Negraneau is a prime example. He's well regarded as a fantastic player, but he's far better live. His results tell the tale. He mentions this discrepency all the time in his blogs.