How to practice?

[Wada]

Ok I've been playing online with fake money and don't really want to play for real money online. I have a few casinos here locally that have poker rooms. I've played a couple home games and did real well. But I wanted to start playing in the casinos. I noticed from what I've seen and read online that casino vs online play is especially different - including playing online with fake money.

I just recently played for the first time at a local casino. 4/8 Limit 1/2 kill $60 min buy in. I bought in for $80. Just under an hour it was gone. I felt that I folded alot pre-flop and probably could have done it more. I had some good hands but when I did, the limit happened to be raised to $6 because of their 1/2 kill rule. (A player at table wins two hands in row the limit goes up.) So by calling with a tad higher limit and then folding after realizing my hand was beat, I ended up losing more money. I wish they had a 2/4 or 3/6 game going. I thought 4/8 was a little high for a rookie to be starting at.

Now since I've learned and noticed the different styles of play between online fake money and casino play, the question pops in my mind - how the hell do I practice for card rooms? The online fake money definitely will not help. And I'm sure with real money online that will not help either since there is a difference with online play and card room play.

Home games are rare because I don't have a usual group, although Ive talked to a couple of friends that play and are interested in getting something going. But it's probably not going to happen in the near future.


What can I do to improve for casino poker rooms without having it to be a costly lesson? Any advice that can be given to a novice player would be very appreciated. Thanks!

[ORGrinder]

my suggestion... would be one of two things... either find a lower limit game so it doesn't cost you as much, or find inexpensive tourneys. the tourney play should be close enough to actual cash play that you'll get the practice you need, but you'll be able to play longer since you'll be buying a set number of chips for your $$ (e.g. 500 chips for 20 bucks... that sort of thing).

jmho though.

[Dave B]

For a 4/8 kill game you should start w/ at least $200. Swings will happen, so you need to give yourself a chance to withstand some losses.

[Wada]

$100 buy in would be for??? 2/4 games?

[ballbp]

$100 would be good for 2/4. Some people say 50 times the small bet which would be $100 for a 2/4. Some say though that 100 times the small bet is better so you will be able to withstand swings and be able to call a big bet if you're getting down in chips.

[sickity]

online for fake money is a WASTE OF TIME!!!!! You must play for real money to get a feel for the game as people playing with this imaginary cash doesn't care if they win or lose so they will call, bet, and raise on anything.....find a low limit game and play it so you can get a lot of experiance that way, that is what I am going to do....LAter