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Live Play - Seal

Even though there are more $10k buy-in events than ever this year, the WSOP main event still reigns as the king of them all. And, for lower buy-in events, those at the WSOP are also more prestigious than others. In a nutshell, for the time being at least, the WSOP is THE place to win a tournament. So, at this time of year, I like to give a few words of wisdom to all those RPT'ers who will be competing this year.

First a word on tells. With all the reading material out there focused on tells, it is easier than ever for even live play novices to use tells to their advantage. What we, as seasoned online veterans, need to do is to reconcile our observations of live tells with our online knowledge. Observe a player's betting patterns and general behavior at the table just like you would online. If you find him to be a tricky player who prefers to check raise and slow play the nuts then give less weight to any live tell you observe as he may be trying to trick a more observant player with false tells. A player who plays mostly straightforward in the game will be less likely to be tricky elsewhere and you can use your tells on him without as much concern for sneakiness. Also, remember that your ability to put together a picture of an opponent based on other things than physical tells is a huge asset and use it accordingly.

One thing you may want to do before you play live is practice your chip counting skills. We get spoiled online by having instant information at our fingertips. Knowing how deep stacked both you and your opponents are is key information that will help you to make correct decisions. You should be able to get a good ballpark figure for the chip counts at your table quickly by just eyeballing the stacks. If you can't do this, practice with some real chips until you can easily recognize a stack of ten, twenty, or more chips by their height. Also, when you play at the tables, don't hesitate for a second to ask for a chip count when you are involved in a decision, or ask a player to not hide their chips if you can't see them well.

Remember to slow down your mindset as you play live. Too often we are so used to almost instantaneous play online that we have developed zero patience for more deliberate play. A friend of mine who is disabled and plays online by using the mouse with his foot is constantly bombarded by a barrage of "zzzzzzzzzzz" and worse. This "need for speed" will not serve you well at a live table. Making quick decisions is still a vital skill, but the ability to slow down once in a while and rethink a key decision may just save your tournament.

There are also the physical comforts to consider. Before you sit down to play, take a moment to memorize the schedule of breaks as well as the blind structure. If you rely on a ten minute break to try to use the restroom, you may get caught in a mad rush and end up late to return to the table. Don't let this stop you from drinking plenty of water though, as staying hydrated is one of the best ways to keep your brain functioning at its best. And, if you like to drink alcohol or caffeine, balance it out with enough plain water to offset the dehydrating effects of those things. You may also want to dress in layers as, even though it may be 108 degrees outside, it is often downright chilly in the poker room.

Lastly I would like to wish you all the very best of luck out there. Although we all try to play to minimize the effect of luck, it is always a factor. So, if it is out there waiting to help make somebody a champion, may it be one of us. I will be in Vegas to play the main event myself this summer. If anyone from RPT wants to rub my bald head for luck, or just say hello, or get together for food or drink, let me know.

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