First random live game

YOUNG_GUN

Hi all,

As above i play monthly anyways but played in a workmans club last night, just wanted to pick up any advice

for starters at no point was i uncomfortable or nervous which im guessin is due to my other games i play regularly, one of the things i did struggle with though early on found i wasnt really paying much attention to tells as such so firstly anyway to pick up live tells a bit better? i can amogst our usual bunch i play with but we've been playing for 3 years so naturally will pick up on these.

Secondly the structure is very quick which leads it to become a crapshoot so any advice, blinds start 100/200, 6k starting. 8 minute blind levels so after 16 minutes you are 7.5 bb deep. I think i played ok and didnt do anything wrong 1st game would have liked to shove bit sooner but didnt get a chance then unopened 500/1000 blinds i had about 4800(which was above average  or there abouts only a couple had left i shoved with KQ, called by 10 10, standard race which i lost

Second game, pulled of nice bluff earlier on based on my read the opponent was weak. but due to blinds soon caught up had about 6k blinds think blinds 400/800, shove with AK Suited unopened and called by Aces. Rather unlucky imo and didnt do much wrong which can happen.

My theory is because its quicker it takes away the edge of the better players, so i think any strong hands i should play strong etc any advice?

BTW i did really enjoy it still and think i will go as often as possible good laugh

DeucesLive

that tournament sounds hideous, when I played in blackpool a 5k starter with 30min blinds felt like a horrible crapshoot to me, 8min blinds is horrific! You'd have barely done an orbit before the blinds go up, just... ugh

You just have to play hyper aggressive mate, I'd be raising around 80% preflop lool, any pair/suited con/ace, chuck it all in. I'd probably nit for the first level, maybe two, then just start shoving allin with abandon. No doubt about it, you've gotta get lucky- that kind of speed doesn't favour a good player.

But it does favour an aggressive player, if you've got people who won't call off their stack light, then it's a dream.

YOUNG_GUN

Cheers deuces my thoughts exactly although did enjoy it )

I dont think they will call of light so was wandering whether to go for it early and then tighten the range up a bit or whether to tight first level then crank up the pressure

DeucesLive

definitely tight for first level, you're 30bb deep which isn't enough to start raising pre and then folding to a shove in my book, and definitely not enough to limp. If you raise, only do it with a hand you're ready to go all the way with.

Lv 2 or 3, then shove every half decent hand. Without a double up, you won't last past half an hour. With any luck, your tightness in the first 10/20 minutes will pay off and you'll get a couple of freebies- at 4/8, every free pot is 1200, or a 20% increase on your starting stack. Much better than getting a high risk 5% increase in lv 1.

shelski

Sounds like a fun, cool man.
With such a fast structure I personally would like to see a clock in live games that gets paused to allow players to visit the bar and toilets as often as necessary. That would give the remaining players time to chat and have a laugh.
This would then enable the players to get properly drunk and impo enhance the playing experience.
I wonder if someone will ever invent a drunk poker league or does anyone know if such a thing already exists ? Being a drunk player never stopped Ilhari Sahamies getting to the very top of the game.
All views warmly welcomed here.

yb

This sounds a lot like my uni poker club tourny.

Basically almost right from the first hand you should be looking for spots to 3bet shove, and by the 2nd blind level its def shove or fold terrirtory unless you've been able to build a stack really quickly. By the 2nd/3rd level (depending on stack size) any ace is an insta all-in pre. The main thing is not to get blinded out.

But tbh with these sort of structures its so much about luck, if you want to play them just do it for a laugh rather than actually expecting to win anything imo.