It's no secret that online poker and its live counterpart play out differently. Despite being the same game, live and online game dynamics can differ significantly, leading to misconceptions about approaching both environments.
In this article, we'd like to look at a few key traits of poker games in casinos and shed some light on how you can apply your theoretical knowledge not just to participate but succeed in live poker tournaments and cash games. Your online skills can be a powerful tool in the live arena.
For the last few years, cash games and tournament poker organized during various live events have been thriving, so if you achieve decent results online, visiting your nearby poker room is probably a good idea.
What makes live poker so different from online poker?
The most straightforward answer is boredom and willingness to gamble. Nowadays, online poker is accessible. You can launch the most popular software (PokerStars, GGPoker, Party Poker - you name it) in less than a minute on a PC, tablet or phone. The stakes and number of tables you play are totally up to you. You can switch off (cash game) tables anytime or even play from your bed if you feel like it.
The same is not necessarily true for live games. Getting to a poker room takes some time and logistics, and quite often, it is a multiday affair involving booking flights and accommodation. Overall, playing a live poker festival is an investment, and poker players want to make the most of it, even if things do not go their way.
Of course, the softness of live poker is caused mainly by its participants, who mostly play poker for fun and to gamble (and this is true not only for Las Vegas). However, even professional poker players are not immune to live cash games' splashy and loose atmosphere.
How does the typical Texas Hold'em table play out?
We'll focus on this format since live cash games get wild more often than tournaments.
Of course, your average cash game will look different in various parts of the world, but a few things will be accurate more often than not.
Your opponents will be sticky
People playing live cash games are there to play, not to fold. Some will be very call-happy, others will play like maniacs, and most players will fall in the in-between category. Overall, the average VPIP in your local live game will be much higher than the online tables.
Player levels vary a lot
In live poker, you'll encounter people of all skill levels, from players barely knowing the rules to seasoned players waiting for higher stakes to open or their friends to bust from the ongoing tournament. Your average cash game opponent at the lowest limit tables (usually $1/2, $2/5, or its equivalent in the local currency) will likely be a loose, passive guy.
Such players typically call too often and wide but are not overly aggressive and are unwilling to run bold bluffs. The higher the stakes you play, the more polar the level of your opponents will be. Skilled players will be better, but the recreational players will likely be more splashy and thrill-searching.
There will be a full spectrum of stack depths
The usual stack depth for online cash games is a 100 Big Blind buy-in, which over time grows, but the average stack on most tables rarely exceeds 200-300 BB. This is not the case in live poker. The game's splashy nature often includes multiple straddles (even on the button), and the chips fly left and right.
As a result, the average stack tends to be way higher than online, with people buying in for 200 BB for a start. However, some players will not be keen to put so much money on the table, so a stack with under 100 BB and over 1000 BB at the same table is not impossible.
How do you adjust to cash games in your local casino?
A few things are worth investigating before you even consider applying GTO knowledge to a live environment.
Consider the size of your open raises
Usually, the most common open raise sizing online ranges from 2 to 3 BB since it is enough to have a chance to play a heads-up pot. That won't happen in a live game (especially on the lowest stakes) since your opponents will call much more often. There is no rule of thumb for which sizing works best; you have to find out for yourself what works best in the game you're currently in. In some games, 3 BB open will be enough (unlikely, though); in others, even opening 10 BB won't scare away multiple callers.
Remember, your ranges should be similar to what you're used to, but you should open the most considerable amount possible to maximize the chance you'll be against one or two opponents postflop.
There will be a lot of multiway pots anyway
Many pots (more than you think) will include multiple players, and you won't be able to do much about it. As a result, you'll often play out of position. Playing OOP is hard, and playing OOP versus multiple players is even harder. Do not c-bet blindly in such situations, and be aware of how strong your range needs to be to continue betting.
Be aware of who you should and shouldn't bluff
Sometimes players won't fold against a bet even if the whole table knows they are not facing a bluff. Others will be reluctant to put many chips into the pot without solid holding. Do not try to fight against these tendencies. Your job at the poker table is identifying and exploiting certain people's weaknesses.
Do not complete big blind with any two cards
It should go without saying, but the loose atmosphere at the live table often convinces even solid players to throw in an additional few blinds with their J2o or Q5o. After all, everyone is so bad that when you hit big, you'll be paid off, right? Wrong; you're making money in poker by capitalizing on other players' mistakes, not trying to play unplayable hands. Completing with trash hands, even against one player, can have a negative expected value. It can become a disaster in multiway pots where the reversed implied odds are even more prominent.
How can you use your poker GTO knowledge in a live environment?
Using a correct poker strategy is the most efficient way to maximize winning against lousy players. But how do you know which approach is correct? This is where poker GTO comes in handy.
While mindlessly following the solvers' output is another recipe for disaster, you can use their solutions to understand what to do under certain circumstances.
Studying poker GTO solutions will help you identify the most essential thresholds, like where your range's value portion starts. For example, knowing what the worst hand the poker solver would bet for value on a specific board structure will give you a head start in deciding what the worst hand to value bet against a type of player you are currently facing.
The same logic applies to other situations, like choosing the best hands to bluff the river with or calling big bets yourself. Your opposition in live poker will usually consist mainly of weak players, but to capitalize on their weaknesses, you must know what is theoretically correct.
Both live cash games and tournament poker present big opportunities
The road to being a regular at European Poker Tour events or WSOP festivals is long and can't be traversed overnight, but it is still an achievable dream. The live poker game has much to offer to every player willing to learn and spend time studying, and GTO findings (when applied mindfully) can often tip a scale from being a decent player to being a crusher.
Start your journey now and discover how good Deepsolver is by yourself. You're not alone in your quest for poker greatness; join our Discord server and take your game to the next level with the help of other aspiring poker players.