Questions to ppl who transitioned from online to live poker
 

this also means all who have made it it big/qualified to large live events after playing online and/or who play online and live side-by-side, etc.

yes, im calling on TP and a few others to help provide the rest of us with some pointers that intrigue me, for instance:

1) on the most basic level, how difficult was it for you, and how long did u get over dealing with actual physical stuff, such as the chips, and, most important, having to keep track of the stack/pot/bet sizes at all times on ur own? can u ask the dealer to count the stack/pot/bet for u at all times or is that bad etiquette (if u 'overdo' it)?

2) r u obliged to count ur stack if an opponent asks (a favorite 'hassling' technique of many ppl, esp the pros) or can u just silently point to the dealer?

3) after 'mastering' the game online, so to speak, how easy/difficult did u find playing live? did u find 'reading' ppl face-to-face easy/ier or quite the opposite?

4) did u find sunglasses useful at all and, if yes, why? to shield from the lights/cameras/misc glare and/or to contain 'tells'?

5) can u keep/read/write notes in/from a small notebook while at the table? (not while ur involved in a hand, of course)? (i know this is very important to me! :D )

thats all i can think of for now, but ill be sure to edit in more stuff later. anyone else, pls post ur own questions here. i know the big sites hold seminars on these things for the live event rooks before the WSOP/WPT shows, so why not take advantage of our own forum 'pros' here and their experience? :)

I'm no expert, but I think I can recall seeing on WPT and WSOP a couple of times that someone has asked "How much do you have left?" and the person just sort of acknowledged the dealer and the dealer will count it.

Generally the reason people acknowledge the dealer is because they're inexperienced in live play and don't want to give anything away by how they count their chips. The biggest problem most people that I know who made that transition is table etiquette, they don't know how to act in a casino and how to tip dealers. My best example is when a friend of mine won a tournament and I almost had to kick his ass to get him to go tip the dealer the standard 10%. Table talk sometimes becomes an issue, cursing and whatnot.

Keeping notes, some casinos allow it others don't. Ask either the floor manager or the dealer before you take a book out.

Personally I started by playing home games, then went to casinos, then into online.

edit: fixed a couple of typos

I forgot one big one, try your best not to react to hands that you aren't in. If you watched the wsop with sheikan and mattisow, that was ugly. But I've seen very similiar situations some of which had to be broken up by security. One thing I used to see a lot was people who drank to much, then someone did something like this in a tournament and it blew up.

I actually started my Texas Hold'Em career in a home game way back when. Then Vegas in 99 and 2000... I didn't play online regularly until early 2003. BUT..... with that said, I didn't play THAT much live, and I'd consider myself an online player more than a B&M player. I still remember the first time I tossed an oversized chip into the pot at the Bellagio without saying "Raise," so it was ruled a call. Haven't made that mistake again, and I never will.

As for your specific questions:

1. The only thing that was remotely difficult for me was keeping track of the size of the pot. It was ALWAYS bigger than I would have guessed at first. To this day, it's easier for me to review the action in my head to add up the pot than to try to estimate by looking at it. Some casinos/tourneys allow the dealer to count the pot down for you, and others only allow them to spread it.

2. I think this also depends on the game/tourney. Personally, I will gladly count down my stack for an opponent. I'm not afraid of giving anything away.

3. I love playing live. I won't say I have a gift for picking up tells or anything (because I don't), but I am pretty good at putting people on hands and telling if they are weak or strong. Sometimes I can tell by looking at them, but I can't necessarily tell you WHY I can tell. Like, it's not their eyes or their hands or their voice - it's the whole picture.

4. I wear sunglasses sometimes, but not all the time. Honestly, I find them kind of annoying, but when I am in a hand, I like having them on, both to hide my subconscious tells that I may not even be aware of, but also so I can look at my opponent(s) without him/them knowing. I can sit there and stare at him without him knowing it. If it's really bright, I also like the shades for a break from the light. Most of the time though, I find my sunglasses sitting on top of my hat and I put them on when I get involved in a hand, ala Greg Raymer.

5. I keep a notebook for tourneys now. I never used to, but I find it beneficial. Especially if I want to write up a recap for you guys.... which reminds me, I still haven't done my Aruba tourney recap!

Do It!! :) i really like reading those from u.

I too started mostly in live home games / card rooms, then made it to online and casinos.

Differences for the most part have been discussed. Counting the size of the pot is a main issue, and physical tells is the other.

I found by carefully paying attention to players, there are a lot of tells you can pick up if you are looking for them (different facial expressions, betting patterns, glancing at chips, reaching then checking, time taken to bet etc). I also find it easier to make generalizations about a player after sitting with them for a while when I can actually see them, rather than a circle with a picture.

The play is less loose live as well (generally) calling a large bet is harder than clicking call.

I'm not sure why anyone would want to go to live play from on-line play. I got to Atlantic City 2-3 times a year but it's for fun, not really to grind out any winnings. I'll play outside my bankroll, play in tournaments with rediculous blind structures, hit the Carribean Stud tables, etc...

In online play you get more hands per hour, can play several tables, if your at a bad table you can switch to another without a wait, you don't have a dealer to tip (I am always generous with the live dealers, so relax), your never embarrased about a bad play, etc.

The only drawback is that I have to pay for the booze at home and it's free in the casino, other than that staying on-line seems smarter the whole way around.