Seven Rules for Switching from Online Poker to Live Poker

If you've mastered online poker, are a profitable player, and want a new thrill, why not try live poker? How different can it be?

Yes, the rumors are true, live games really are tempting.

However, if you can't adjust your game for live poker, you won't be as big a winner as you should (or as you think you should).

Below are the biggest differences you should feel when adjusting your game:

1 – Live games are slower than online games

The biggest change that will affect you immediately is the speed of the game. Live poker is incredibly slower than online.

Not only can you only play one table at a time, but hands seem to last forever.

While you can play around 80 hands per hour per table online, you’ll be lucky to play 30 live. More folds means more boredom. But that doesn’t mean your time is wasted – use this time to analyze and study your opponents.

If you can stay alert, you will notice the players' playing style, and when you have a good hand against them some time later, you will already have a good advantage during the game.

2 – Games tend to be weaker

When you play online, you can consider a table good if it has a full-stacked fish.

In live games, with stacks up to R$5/R$10, a table consists on average of two fish, two gamblers (fish type), four super-tight regulars, and maybe two good players (hopefully including you).

The table in general is weaker. The fishes are usually horrible and the regulars are predictable.

There are players who are so tight that when they open a raise, you can be sure they have KK, AA or the nuts.

These players would be devoured online, but as live has a lot of fish they can be profitable.

In a nutshell – value bet against the fish and put pressure on the tight regulars, pushing them out of the pot. If they show aggression, fold. The game is easy.

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3 – The games are loose-passive

If you are used to 6-max games, you will be amazed at how passive these games are.

Online, it can be profitable to 4-BET shove or call shoves with AK in any preflop position. In live, if you do this, you will almost always find KK or AA and get eaten in the game.

Light 3-BETs are almost non-existent. Certainly when a player re-raises pre-flop he will have a good hand.

Watch your opponents – they may play an entire session without 3-betting. Some will even flat call with QQ and AK to play post flop.

If you go all-in with AK preflop (with 100bb) too often in a live game you will have a hard time being profitable.

The game remains passive after the flop. Players will prefer to call rather than raise with draws, hoping to hit.

They will also slow-play very strong hands instead of building big pots.

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4 – Pre-flop limping is frequent

As mentioned above, limping is performed very frequently in live games.

In online poker, you can identify fish when they limp, in live poker it is not the same.

Everyone limps, a lot.

If you try to isolate a limper, you will end up on a 4~5-handed flop regularly.

Live players love to see flops.

Instead of trying to raise to isolate with :Tc :8s on the button, it's better to call and see a flop with 6 opponents.

5 – Pots are contested with several players

In online poker, 90% of pots are heads-up. In live poker, that average rises to three players.

With more players in the game, the chances of a real hand coming up are higher.

If you are the player who raised preflop, you should make a smaller C-BET. You will also need better hands on average to win at showdown.

6 – The games are deep stack (200bb~500bb)

If you are a winner in online poker, you should be used to having a 100bb stack. In live games, you will be at 200bb or more most of the time.

Adjusting to deepstack play can be difficult.

You will play hands where you would be happy to go all-in with 100bb on the flop. But if you are holding 300bb, that may not be profitable.

If you decide to call, be prepared for big bets on the turn and river.

7 – Just play your game

It doesn't matter if the game is online or live, your goal is to make your opponent fold the hand before showdown, or to win the hand if the round reaches that point.

Watch your opponents, study their habits and play their game. The rest is just experience.

Get up from your computer, be sociable, have fun and enjoy the benefits of live gaming.

You might be surprised at what you've been missing.

Translated and adapted article from the original (by Daniel Skolovy)