Ask me about poker!

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maskenfreiheit: Dec 30, 2004

So how do you decide if you're going to try to see the flop? Pair or better? High pair or better? Some other scheme? (Newbie here)

# ¿ Mar 22, 2017 22:33

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# ¿ May 4, 2024 20:18

maskenfreiheit: Dec 30, 2004

Any suggestions on places to play for an amateur in Vegas?

I mostly hung out at the 1/2 limit table at Golden Nugget last time, going to give NL a shot this time. I read a David Sklansky book so I'm basically a pro

# ¿ Jun 17, 2017 03:38

maskenfreiheit: Dec 30, 2004

Imaduck posted:

In general, 1/2 games are going to be pretty casual and newbie friendly. Harrah's and The Flamingo tend to be very casual and full of tourists and new players. If the Mirage has games going, they're usually pretty relaxed as well. If you're on the south end of the strip, Excalibur is a good option.

Caesar's is the best place to play on the strip now, deal wise. They have the lowest rake pretty much anywhere: 5% rake, $4 max, no drop for bonus. They also give $2/hr. in comps.

If you're in Vegas between now and July, go to the Rio and check out the World Series of Poker! Even if you're not a poker player, just walk through the room; it's really an amazing thing to see thousands of people playing poker at the same time in the same place. If you are a poker player, play the cash there. The action is loving amazing.

Thanks for the tip!

I'll be there late July during Defcon. (Which has discounted rooms in The Flamingo, Linq, and Harrah's that will be pretty popular)

I don't want to get destroyed and there's a strong overlap between people who play poker and people who hack gibsons so I may avoid the strip's poker rooms.

I'm thinking of heading downtown since I had a good time at Golden Nugget.

Oh, also I want to actually gamble on this trip a little, are there any sub--5 dollar craps/blackjack/roulette tables anywhere?

(Also down for slots if they're old timey and literally spew coins)

# ¿ Jun 18, 2017 01:39

maskenfreiheit: Dec 30, 2004

Imaduck posted:

I wouldn't be too worried about it (or at least, no more worried than you should be at a 1/2 table anywhere else). Just play tight and don't go too crazy and you should be fine. And remember to keep a healthy attitude about it: you're only going to be playing for a relatively short time, so luck will still be a huge factor in your outcome, even if you play well. Enjoy yourself, be conservative, and make sure that no matter if you win or lose it all, you're still going to feel like you had a good time.

During the week and during the daytime you'll sometimes see $3 craps downtown. You'll pretty much never see less than $5 craps on the strip, and honestly $5 is getting pretty rare nowadays. I don't know of anyplace that does blackjack for less than $5/hand. Keep in mind that the lower denomination blackjack games tend to have rules that give the house a much, much larger edge.

I think someone mentioned that The D still has these. If you have more Vegas specific questions, you should check out the Las Vegas Travel Thread.

Thanks a ton, and my bad, I actually crossed my wires and posted some of these in the wrong thread

# ¿ Jun 18, 2017 15:07

maskenfreiheit: Dec 30, 2004

fisting by many posted:

I hear conventions make the poker games better. Being smart (even computer smart!) doesn't necessarily translate to poker skills.

But the golden nugget is a fine place to play 1/2 and if that time I went to vegas five years ago still means anything probably has as soft a game as you're going to find. I hope they still rake in 50c increments giving players actual half-dollar coins in change. I'm not sure why but I thought that was cool.

Obscure currency is always good. I like to stock up on two dollar bills before I go, people seem to like them.

(Ex: Tipping a cocktail waitress with a $2 is a great ticket to a literal glass of whiskey next time she comes around)

Speaking of tipping, what is the etiquette for tipper poker dealers?

I usually throw a dollar when I win a pot... I've so far been playing low limit so pots are usually only like 20-30.

maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 17:31 on Jun 18, 2017

# ¿ Jun 18, 2017 17:29

maskenfreiheit: Dec 30, 2004

What's the typical payout structure for tournaments? I downloaded that Bravo app to scout stuff to checkout in Vegas, and I've noticed pretty much every poker room seems to offer these 75-150 dollar tourneys. How far in do you need to get to at least win your buy in? Or is it usually all or nothing?

I was thinking of budgeting about 150 to do a tournament and 150 for some low limit cash game fun

# ¿ Jun 24, 2017 16:28

maskenfreiheit: Dec 30, 2004

fisting by many posted:

Your budget will probably last you a total of 90 minutes

I thought 50*BB was a good heuristic for minimum to bring to a table? I played a pretty long time with a bankroll about that size playing 1/2 limit... maybe I need to adjust for NL?

Sheep-Goats posted:

Also depending on how many hours you plan to play you might qualify for the weekend freeroll tournaments -- I forget how many hours it is. Harrahs and Flamingo ran them, maybe some other places like that that have trouble getting a 2/5 table going. They use the same kind of small stack fast structure things the cheaper paid ones do.

They run early in the day (they're catered to the older locals that love them)

I don't know if that's worth the time for you or not, just call the rooms and ask them about it (the numbers are on the Bravo app and sometimes, if they've updated it, I think the promos are listed in the app too)

The Harrahs one had usually 8-10 tables at start, like three or four hours to finish up I think. I don't remember that stuff very well. Oh and almost always the freerolls are actually ten dollar tournaments where you get a double stack if you pay the ten when you sit -- they use that money as an apology to the dealers for making them show up for that poo poo. I think the final table is the same as finishing in the money for those but only the top three get any sort of three digit payout, maybe it's more spread out though. I only played two of them.

Cool, I mainly see it as a way to cheaply get some experience. Bravo says 12 hours to qualify for the freeroll at the Flamingo - I'll keep that in mind. (Time spent in a paid tournament counts towards that, right?)

It's 70 to enter (split 49 "entry fee", $21 "admin fee"), 1k payout guaranteed. So on one hand, probably not best odds but OTOH it's likely people won't be as experienced as Caesar's or fancy places like Aria or the Bellagio.

(Or is my fear of sharks stupid and I should just find a low limit table at someplace fancy and learn?)

# ¿ Jun 25, 2017 15:34

maskenfreiheit: Dec 30, 2004

Total gambling budget for the trip is up to 500, it looks like the maximum buy in at both Flamingo and Caesar's (two spots I was eyeing) is 300 for their 1/2 NL so I think I'll give that a shot and if I bust out or do poorly will probably use the remaining two hundred on non-gambling fun.

Honestly I'm mostly looking to have fun and learn, but winning would be nice obviously. I'm a bit of a statistics geek, been reading a copy of Sklansky's Theory of Poker.

maskenfreiheit fucked around with this message at 00:49 on Jun 26, 2017

# ¿ Jun 26, 2017 00:41

maskenfreiheit: Dec 30, 2004

So what are most people's heuristics for when to go in vs fold?

I've been practicing and notice I have tendency to get bored and try to see the flop with sub par hands like J8s.

Just don't see the flop w/o at least a pair or suited face cards?

# ¿ Jul 21, 2017 14:30

maskenfreiheit: Dec 30, 2004

JaySB posted:

Lol wut

Like, how do you decide whether to fold pre-flop.

I've been folding pre-flop. unless I have at least a pair or suited high cards.

# ¿ Jul 21, 2017 21:04

maskenfreiheit: Dec 30, 2004

to be clear, i'm not a total nit... if i have a chip advantage and someone seems like a shy player i'll steal a few pots here and there

ex: i'm playing 1/2 NL, catch A5 unsuited, BB is a slowly dwindling nit, i'll raise 5 or 10 and watch him run.

# ¿ Jul 22, 2017 15:42

maskenfreiheit: Dec 30, 2004

Sheep-Goats posted:

Are you talking about in tournaments?

The cards you see the flop with vary hugely depending on the situation. I mean, you have to start with some rudimentary advice somewhere (we all did) but most of the people talking to you here have played poker for years and years and when you ask them "what are your heuristics for when to go in vs. fold?" the immediate reaction is to talk about the what-ifs because they are what matters the most in those decisions.

Here's one of the best players in the world talking about his decisions that went into how he played a now famous hand, it's in a cash game but I'm posting it so you can hear him think about what he was actually thinking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DR6AHzamALs

Here's another well known and very good poker player walking you though his decisions similarly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i97F6I2xrKc

If you're looking for a good place to start with what hands to open with in a tournament the best thing to start thinking about is a thing called M:

https://www.888poker.com/magazine/strategy/m-ratio-poker/

The key to all poker decisions is to think "does this make me money long term." Throwing away a good prospect is as expensive as pitching in money on a losing spot. Its difficult to do this well, that's the essence of poker.

Thanks, those are some cool links.

I'm more thinking of cash games.

I also don't have a ton of experience, so my upcoming trip to Vegas will be a trial by fire. (Purposefully set a budget I can afford to lose all of)

# ¿ Jul 23, 2017 22:05

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# ¿ May 4, 2024 20:18

maskenfreiheit: Dec 30, 2004

Imaduck posted:

I made a post earlier in this thread that's probably a good place to start for preflop strategy:

Note that this is meant to be advice for a place to start for newbies, not a complete, solid poker strategy.

If you want to understand the theory behind hand ranges and all that a little better, I really think Harrington on Hold'em does the best job explaining not only what hands you should play, but why you should play them. Hand range charts are a nice place to start, but if you want to grow as a player, you really need to understand the underlying theory of why you're playing certain hands in certain situations so that you can adapt on the fly, as opposed to sticking to some prescribed formula. Simple, prescribed formulas rarely work in poker, and will never work against very good players.

Thanks a ton this is exactly the kind of thing I was looking for

# ¿ Jul 24, 2017 14:48

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Ask/Tell > Ask me about poker!