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Can you spare a poker novice some advice about Vegas poker rooms

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Posted: #1
Okay, I've been watching poker on the idiot box for the past five years, but I've never played it. It's mostly a feeling that I'm a shit actor and bad judge of behavioral nuance.

Basically, that's been my excuse because the game, for lack of a better word, intimidates me.

However this past weekend in Vegas, I decided I've had enough of the regular gaming tables. Basically, when I go to Vegas it's to bet on sports (and hang out by the pools and leer at women), but after all the games are done, I have to do something, and so I sit at the gaming tables and watch all the winnings I made in sports get pissed away.

Seriously, on Saturday, I won sooooo many games while at the new M Resort, Bulls, Cavs, Mavs, White Sox, Padres, Boston Red Sox over. It was a good day ruined by those infernal gaming tables. And the thing is I'm well aware that players are at a disadvantage, but I figure I want to do something to pass time.

So I figure it's time for me to stop being a chickenshit and hit the poker tables. I'd rather piss away $100 in a MB or TI tournament as long as I'm there for an hour or two, than do the same thing in 2 minutes at BJ or even fricing Pai Gow Poker. Even at that game that's supposedly "slow moving", I always seem to lose.

Anyway, for those familiar with Vegas, what's the best way to get started? I've done some looking online at various resorts and their poker rooms, but I figure many of you can steer me in the right direction.




 
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Posted: #2
Hmmm, if you are nervous about playing poker - I'm assuming that you are talking about hold-em - look for a table with a bunch of old bags and play with them.
 
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Posted: #3
If you are intimidated, the best thing to do is to only play pots where you have premium hands (big pair or AK).  When you do play a pot, bet aggressively. 
 
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Posted: #4
Quote Originally Posted by thorpe:

If you are intimidated, the best thing to do is to only play pots where you have premium hands (big pair or AK).  When you do play a pot, bet aggressively. 


Thanks. Actually, I think "intimidated" was probably too strong a word. My hesitation to play is due to the fact that I'm a terrible bluffer. My entire life, it seems people have known when I'm trying to pull a fast one (not to insinuate that a skilled bluffer is a skilled liar). But maybe I can use poker as an avenue to develop the skills of an expert bullshit artist.
 
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Posted: #5
Lemonsky, if you play a Vegas $1/2 NL cash game you wont need to bluff. It's near enough impossible to, when 7 guys see the flop- they never fold. Just wait for decent hands and value bet them. Sit back and enjoy the show, entertainment value is huge in that game and the standard of play is uniformly terrible at that level. Plus the games are available everywhere.
 
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Posted: #6
Get ready to be sucked out on by everyone
 
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Posted: #7
What i do is walk up to the table with bravado and announce "the price of poker just went up boys!" I turn my chair backward and staddle it and tell the masseuse to get her sexy ass over here and yell for cocktails as I buy my chips making a big show of pulling a fat wad of hundreds out and waving them around.  I then try to pick up aces or kings in the first 15 minutes of play and go all in.  If I dont pick up aces or kings I go to the next hotel and repeat.
 
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Posted: #8

I gotta start doing that
 
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Posted: #9
don't be intimidated AT ALL...at a 10 person 2/4 limit and even 1/2 NL table 7 are as bad or worse then you think you are ...and the ones that are better will treat you nice as hell because they want you to stay at the table a long time to take your money...

my best advice...wait for premium hands and don't OVERPLAY Aces, Kings or top pair because they WILL COST YOU EVERYTHING if you get outflopped...be prepared to lay those hands down if the guy at the other end of the table has a smile like the cat who ate the canary...otherwise, its good to act like an idiot and especially an idiot beginner...itll improve your image profit-wise
 
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Posted: #10
If you wait for premium hands you will be bored and not enjoy the experience.  When I first started playing poker I played 3-6 limit as it was one of the more popular tables back than.  I moved up to 5-10 limit within a few months when I felt comfortable about my game.
 
START WITH LIMIT poker, play many hands any suited connectors pocket pairs and A10 or better.  I never play A6-7-8-9off  but thats just me.
 
I completely skipped 1-2 no limit as it was a crap shoot at best.  My fav table is 2-5 nl and Iam content staying there no need to move up out of my confort zone.
 
3-6 limit is a great table to get hammered at and anyone with sunglasses on is laughed at. 
 
Let us know how it goes.
 
You will establish a comfort level and you will also learn what
 
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Posted: #11
Quote Originally Posted by pezeveng:

If you wait for premium hands you will be bored and not enjoy the experience.  When I first started playing poker I played 3-6 limit as it was one of the more popular tables back than.  I moved up to 5-10 limit within a few months when I felt comfortable about my game.
 
START WITH LIMIT poker, play many hands any suited connectors pocket pairs and A10 or better.  I never play A6-7-8-9off  but thats just me.
 
I completely skipped 1-2 no limit as it was a crap shoot at best.  My fav table is 2-5 nl and Iam content staying there no need to move up out of my confort zone.
 
3-6 limit is a great table to get hammered at and anyone with sunglasses on is laughed at. 
 
Let us know how it goes.
 
You will establish a comfort level and you will also learn what

good advice with the A-8 and under (A-9 i do play)....they are garbage hands and contain sucker straights as well (A2 345 when the other guy has 56 suited)....save your money and DONT play AX when x=8 or under
 
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Posted: #12
Quote Originally Posted by VegasMaxx:

What i do is walk up to the table with bravado and announce "the price of poker just went up boys!" I turn my chair backward and staddle it and tell the masseuse to get her sexy ass over here and yell for cocktails as I buy my chips making a big show of pulling a fat wad of hundreds out and waving them around.  I then try to pick up aces or kings in the first 15 minutes of play and go all in.  If I dont pick up aces or kings I go to the next hotel and repeat.

 

 

 
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Posted: #13
Quote Originally Posted by VegasMaxx:

What i do is walk up to the table with bravado and announce "the price of poker just went up boys!" I turn my chair backward and staddle it and tell the masseuse to get her sexy ass over here and yell for cocktails as I buy my chips making a big show of pulling a fat wad of hundreds out and waving them around.  I then try to pick up aces or kings in the first 15 minutes of play and go all in.  If I dont pick up aces or kings I go to the next hotel and repeat.

 

 

 

 
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Posted: #14
Quote Originally Posted by pezeveng:

If you wait for premium hands you will be bored and not enjoy the experience.  When I first started playing poker I played 3-6 limit as it was one of the more popular tables back than.  I moved up to 5-10 limit within a few months when I felt comfortable about my game.
 
START WITH LIMIT poker, play many hands any suited connectors pocket pairs and A10 or better.  I never play A6-7-8-9off  but thats just me.
 
I completely skipped 1-2 no limit as it was a crap shoot at best.  My fav table is 2-5 nl and Iam content staying there no need to move up out of my confort zone.
 
3-6 limit is a great table to get hammered at and anyone with sunglasses on is laughed at. 
 
Let us know how it goes.
 
You will establish a comfort level and you will also learn what


Really love this advice. Same goes for scalabrine. I probably would've tossed suited connectors, provided they were, say, 4 and 6, but would you still recommend this if there are two gaps?


 
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Posted: #15

Quote Originally Posted by lemonsky:



Really love this advice. Same goes for scalabrine. I probably would've tossed suited connectors, provided they were, say, 4 and 6, but would you still recommend this if there are two gaps?


well where's the freaking update?

I find that when I play the 8-6 or 8-5 suited I get burned because whenever I hit the Flush or the Straight someone has the higher flush and even more frequently the higher straight.  Still worth playing in limit because when you raise and face a re-raise you can just call.  In NL or tourney plays I find that I really have to dissect the hand when all my chips are at risk.  In limit poker I definantly recommend it.

 

 
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Posted: #16
Quote Originally Posted by pezeveng:

well where's the freaking update?

I find that when I play the 8-6 or 8-5 suited I get burned because whenever I hit the Flush or the Straight someone has the higher flush and even more frequently the higher straight.  Still worth playing in limit because when you raise and face a re-raise you can just call.  In NL or tourney plays I find that I really have to dissect the hand when all my chips are at risk.  In limit poker I definantly recommend it.

 



Sorry, I've yet to take a jaunt to Vegas since my original post. I know there are poker rooms in and around Los Angeles, but I'd rather play in Vegas. Besides all these casinos in Los Angeles give me the heebie jeebies.

I'm actually considering a day trip there tomorrow but I'll probably just fester around the sportsbook (wherever that may be) since there are full slates of good NBA and MLB games all day tomorrow.

Maybe on my next trip when I'm staying overnight I'll hit a poker room.
 
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Posted: #17
if ur looking for a good place to get started, go play 1/2 NL at the MGM...its a loose and almost party-like environment at the rite times, theres never more than 1 or 2 good players at the table and lots can be made by just sittin and waiting for premium hands
 
 
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Posted: #18
Quote Originally Posted by mjt685:

if ur looking for a good place to get started, go play 1/2 NL at the MGM...its a loose and almost party-like environment at the rite times, theres never more than 1 or 2 good players at the table and lots can be made by just sittin and waiting for premium hands

 

ur dead on it!!!!!!!!! couldn't have said it any better

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