Playing live poker can be a nerve wracking experience for many people. This can be especially the case for players who have only ever played online. If you want to make a play in online poker like a bluff then there is no one to see you squirm in your seat or to see you look uncomfortable. In Online Texas Holdem poker you can bluff and if you get caught then there is no shame as your opponents simply cannot see you! If you get caught making a stupid play in a live game then you have to face the prospect of the entire table seeing your face and knowing who you are.
In tournaments then there is a different factor to take on board. This is to do with the novelty and the newness of it all. I have seen many players who were new to tournament poker blow all their chips very quickly and the probable likely reason for this is to do with the adrenalin flowing and them being very nervous. New environments tend to drag players away from their best game and so I would recommend that if you are thinking about playing a live event for the first time that you primary concern should be to get use to the new surroundings.
This means taking things nice and steady for the first few levels if that allows you to do so. It all depends of course what sort of live event you are playing. If you are playing a tournament with a slow structure then you have a few levels to sit and wait and play your way into the event. I would really advise a new player to do this and after all, what you are practicing here is good tournament strategy anyway. Many years ago players used to play tight to start with in large field tournaments but the very best players liked other players to believe that this was the best way to play.
Meanwhile they steal blinds that they claim are too small to be worth stealing but the fact of the matter is that they are not just stealing blinds. If they are calling raises or having their raises called then they are likely stealing extra chips as well. So in many cases if the blinds are 10-20 then they could be stealing 200 in chips and not 30. But until you have some experience and skill then I would advise players who are new to tournament poker to play cautiously during the opening levels.
I have seen too many players blow off half of their stack through loose limping and calling and then be relatively short stacked very quickly. Players can then feel pressured into taking risks to rebuild their stack to where it was and suddenly they are out of the tournament and walking around the casino or card room looking for something else to do. So it pays to take it slow the first time you play live and play your way into the game.
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