Combating Boredom in Casinos

Barkeep49 · 10-17-2005, 08:39 PM

I am planning on making my first real trip to a casino, a week from Thursday, to play some limit poker. As it will be a 2 hour or so drive (so 4 hours round trip) I'd like to have a longer session. My problem is that when I'm playing online, after a bit of playing good poker (that is tight-agressive) I tend to get bored. This obviously hurts my win-rate. I expect that since the whole physical experience will be new for me that it'll take longer for this to happen, but I anticipate it still happening. Anyone have any suggestions?

Craptacular · 10-17-2005, 08:41 PM

Jumping jacks everytime you're on the button.

panerd · 10-17-2005, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barkeep49

I am planning on making my first real trip to a casino, a week from Thursday, to play some limit poker. As it will be a 2 hour or so drive (so 4 hours round trip) I'd like to have a longer session. My problem is that when I'm playing online, after a bit of playing good poker (that is tight-agressive) I tend to get bored. This obviously hurts my win-rate. I expect that since the whole physical experience will be new for me that it'll take longer for this to happen, but I anticipate it still happening. Anyone have any suggestions?

Take a craps break or hit the strip clubs. Seriously, why does poker have to be played by everybody nowadays? People that really can make money can handle the boredom, but there are probably less than 100 people who really make money (meaning a career). The rest are just bored. Why can't I go to Vegas and blow $200 playing agressive poker instead of blowing it on craps or blackjack?

My last trip, while me and my friend are having fun drinking, playing craps, and going out and doing shit my other buddy was sitting on his ass to make about $200-$300. Why not just stay back in St. Louis and work at a job for more money? Was it really worth it to waste a vacation? He didn't drink a drop one night so that he could stay up all night. Me and my other buddy stayed awake by drinking more and more.

Not to make this personal, because I feel this way about a lot of people. But play what interests you and screw playing at a 0.0% disadvantage and being bored while you could be at a 0.9% disadvantage partying your ass off.

Barkeep49 · 10-17-2005, 09:39 PM

Panered I make so little money that it's not about that. For me it's the thrill of winning, much like I get from playing basketball. The anology is this: I work at a youth center. There is a ping pong table there. I far surpass all of the kids in ping pong skill (for instance I won 15 games today). It is most of the time rather boring for me (though I pretend otherwise). However, every once in a while either a new kid comes in and I have to work at it, or some kid has a great game while I have a bad game. The boredom is worth it to me for those moments that get my blood flowing. The difference between Ping Pong and Poker is that I make money from ping pong (thanks to the City!) even if I'm bored while I lose money from Poker. My goal is to have a good time, in the end, something much harder if I lose money because of stupid playing.

sabotai · 10-17-2005, 09:40 PM

I've found that I really don't get bored at all when playing a live table. I've gone through 5-6 hour sessions playing without being bored (I wanted to keep going, everyone else not so much.

).. Playing online I get bored after an hour or two. Dunno why.

panerd · 10-17-2005, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barkeep49

Panered I make so little money that it's not about that. For me it's the thrill of winning, much like I get from playing basketball. The anology is this: I work at a youth center. There is a ping pong table there. I far surpass all of the kids in ping pong skill (for instance I won 15 games today). It is most of the time rather boring for me (though I pretend otherwise). However, every once in a while either a new kid comes in and I have to work at it, or some kid has a great game while I have a bad game. The boredom is worth it to me for those moments that get my blood flowing. The difference between Ping Pong and Poker is that I make money from ping pong (thanks to the City!) even if I'm bored while I lose money from Poker. My goal is to have a good time, in the end, something much harder if I lose money because of stupid playing.

That makes sense. I guess one of my bias (that a lot of people probably don't have) is that we have casinos and live poker games in Missouri. So while I may enjoy lively craps game or great blackjack run in Vegas I mainly focus on the night life, atmosphere, and sheer size that local casinos can't ever dream of competing with. On the other hand at is almost the exact same trip udring a 24-hour poker run in either St. Louis or in Vegas. Except for the varietly of opponents you could knock me out and put me in a room and I couldn't tell you if I was on the strip, downtown Las Vegas, Atlantic City, St. Louis, or wherever. So I always wonder, why waste a trip? It's like traveling from St. Louis to Cincinnati for a vacation. They are the same!

Lathum · 10-18-2005, 12:37 AM

OK Barkeep, here is my advice. The best way to entertain yourself is when you aren't in a hand still watch the other players and try to guess what everyone has. This sharpens you skills and lets you observe the other players. Another thing I do when I am bored is I usually play in a casino that also has horse racing, throw down a bet on an occasional race, that provides a nice distraction. Also you can talk to the other players at the table, there are usually a few good people.

Schmidty · 10-18-2005, 02:44 AM

Three words: Hand in pants.

Maple Leafs · 10-18-2005, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Schmidty

Three words: Hand in pants.

And not your own pants.

Subby · 10-18-2005, 08:53 AM

You don't need any tricks or gimmicks. Live poker is so much more entertaining than playing on the Internet you'll wish you could do it all the time. You'll be stunned by how fast the time goes by. When I went to Turning Stone a few month ago I logged a14 hour session and had a blast the whole time.

Now, I was playing 100 Max NL - so the table was a lot more fun - there was more drama, etc.. Limit may be different because you have all the old folks and boring rocks grinding shit out over there. In fact, we would occasionally make fun of the limit tables because they looked so miserable.

What Panerd says holds a lot of truth. If you are going to play poker live, try something exciting like a tourney or a NL table. Don't go to a card room to grind out your regular 2/4 game. The rake sucks, the toke sucks and the company probably sucks. Play NL and make friends.

Barkeep49 · 10-18-2005, 09:06 AM

Thanks to Lathum and Subby for the advice.

Subby -- I'd love to play NL for the reasons you describe. The problem is that I don't believe that any of the casinos with-in 2 hours of me offer NL tables. I will take another look, however, as you're probabally right about that being more entertaining.

QuikSand · 10-18-2005, 09:19 AM

Don't listen to Subby, limit poker is just fine. If anything it's usually less prone to boredom than no limit. Sure, it's exciting when there's a big all-in move at the no-limit table... but if you are playing sensibly there, there is much more time for boredomm, and fewer actual decisions to consider.

And if anything, the company seems (in my experience) to be better in the limit games -- I'd rather talk with adults than with a whole gaggle of dirtbags with crappy sunglasses. But maybe that's just me.

Subby · 10-18-2005, 09:36 AM

Quik doesn't play 2/4 or 3/6 limit, so keep that in mind.

QuikSand · 10-18-2005, 09:44 AM

Just don't listen to Subby. I really don't need to elucidate on that.

Barkeep49 · 10-18-2005, 09:47 AM

Well I did a little more digging and found a Casino with-in driving distance that seems to spread both kinds of tables at all points during the day. So I'll likely head there and can judge where the fun is at then, and sit myself down accordingly.

I appreciate the advice Quik but as someone who has "known" Subby longer than just about anyone on this board (I was indirectly involved, I believe, in telling him about FOF) you need not warn me about the quality of his advice

.

QuikSand · 10-18-2005, 09:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Barkeep49

as someone who has "known" Subby longer than just about anyone on this board...

oh, dear

Subby · 10-18-2005, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuikSand

And if anything, the company seems (in my experience) to be better in the limit games -- I'd rather talk with adults than with a whole gaggle of dirtbags with crappy sunglasses. But maybe that's just me.

This is part of the allure for me, of course.

Barkeep49 · 10-18-2005, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by QuikSand

oh, dear

I didn't mean it in the Biblical sense!

dixieflatline · 10-18-2005, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lathum

OK Barkeep, here is my advice. The best way to entertain yourself is when you aren't in a hand still watch the other players and try to guess what everyone has. This sharpens you skills and lets you observe the other players.

I agree with this but the first "game" to play IMO is counting the pot. Online there is no need to count since the size is always displayed so you have easy pot odds calculations. This is not the case live and it took me a while counting the pot while I wasn't in the hand to get comfotable for when I was in it. This is a HUGE advantage if you are keeping track because you will probably be the only one. You can check you count early against the rake that the dealer is taking out of the pot. I once caught a dealer who had raked the pot $1 too much and told him. He recounted and I was right and I had made several new friends at the table(be friendly BTW).

Lastly, I would recommend moving up a level(at least) from what you play online. The play live is much much worse than online from my experience.

Barkeep49 · 10-29-2005, 12:52 PM

Well I did go this last Thursday. Played in a 5/10 NL game. I sat down and first hand in get pocket 9s. I put in a very weak preflop raise, got called by several players. Flopped a set, and ended up having another player put me all in. I called and doubled up against top pair with a gutshot straight draw. My hands were literally shaking after the hand. This was a good thing as I had not gone to the bank ahead of time as I had planned and so I only had $500 that I got from an ATM machine to play with instead of the $1500 I had planned on getting. I needn't have worried about boredom as it turned out not to be a problem. I hadn't realized just how accustomed I'd become to Poker Tracker until I sat at the table and even trying my hardest to pay attention and having a fairly static table of 8 players only ever got a good read on 4-6 of the players. I played INCREDIBLY weak tight and somehow still managed to get most of my good hands paid off, partly by playing off of my table image. I would have ended up a big winner, except I my set of 8s beaten by a set of Kings when a King came on the river. I am not unhappy with how I played or read the hand. I made a couple of tough lay downs which proved to be the right call. My nervousness never went away despite one guy telling me that I had managed to beat someone (never got his name) who had finished third in the WSOP on more than one occasion and so should just relax since it was clear I wasn't a poker idiot. I played four about 5 hours all together and would have played longer, but after I dropped down to even after laying down second best two pair to best two pair, and had a guy sat down the my left with $2500, and with it nearly time to pay rent, I decided it was time to call it a day. It was a nice experience all-in-all, but I'm not sure I'm going to rush to repeat it until I've built up my bankroll a little more so I can play a more agressive style.

GoldenEagle · 10-29-2005, 01:21 PM

At the casino I go to, they have a no limit game with no max buy-in. During the weekends there will be $20k on the table. When they had the WPT event there, there was something like $70k on the table. I have yet to have the balls to sit in that game.

I agree with Quik. I enjoy the limit live game. Its fun to go and no one slows down the game. At that NL game you get the staredowns, the sunglasses, the whole nine yards. I will probably sit in it once just to say I did, but I would rather just move up to higher limit poker.

10-18-2005, 02:44 AM	#8
Schmidty Coordinator Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Early, TX	Three words: Hand in pants. __________________ Just beat the devil out of it!!! - Bob Ross

10-18-2005, 08:53 AM	#10
Subby lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: sans pants	You don't need any tricks or gimmicks. Live poker is so much more entertaining than playing on the Internet you'll wish you could do it all the time. You'll be stunned by how fast the time goes by. When I went to Turning Stone a few month ago I logged a14 hour session and had a blast the whole time. Now, I was playing 100 Max NL - so the table was a lot more fun - there was more drama, etc.. Limit may be different because you have all the old folks and boring rocks grinding shit out over there. In fact, we would occasionally make fun of the limit tables because they looked so miserable. What Panerd says holds a lot of truth. If you are going to play poker live, try something exciting like a tourney or a NL table. Don't go to a card room to grind out your regular 2/4 game. The rake sucks, the toke sucks and the company probably sucks. Play NL and make friends. __________________ Superman was flying around and saw Wonder Woman getting a tan in the nude on her balcony. Superman said I going to hit that real fast. So he flys down toward Wonder Woman to hit it and their is a loud scream. The Invincible Man scream what just hit me in the ass!!!!! I do shit, I take pictures, I write about it: chrisshue.com

10-18-2005, 09:36 AM	#13
Subby lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: sans pants	Quik doesn't play 2/4 or 3/6 limit, so keep that in mind. __________________ Superman was flying around and saw Wonder Woman getting a tan in the nude on her balcony. Superman said I going to hit that real fast. So he flys down toward Wonder Woman to hit it and their is a loud scream. The Invincible Man scream what just hit me in the ass!!!!! I do shit, I take pictures, I write about it: chrisshue.com

10-29-2005, 01:21 PM	#21
GoldenEagle Grizzled Veteran Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Little Rock, AR	At the casino I go to, they have a no limit game with no max buy-in. During the weekends there will be $20k on the table. When they had the WPT event there, there was something like $70k on the table. I have yet to have the balls to sit in that game. I agree with Quik. I enjoy the limit live game. Its fun to go and no one slows down the game. At that NL game you get the staredowns, the sunglasses, the whole nine yards. I will probably sit in it once just to say I did, but I would rather just move up to higher limit poker. __________________ Xbox 360 Gamer Tag: GoldenEagle014

10-17-2005, 08:41 PM	#2
Craptacular College Starter Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: The Mad City, WI	Jumping jacks everytime you're on the button.

10-17-2005, 09:39 PM	#4
Barkeep49 Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Not too far away	Panered I make so little money that it's not about that. For me it's the thrill of winning, much like I get from playing basketball. The anology is this: I work at a youth center. There is a ping pong table there. I far surpass all of the kids in ping pong skill (for instance I won 15 games today). It is most of the time rather boring for me (though I pretend otherwise). However, every once in a while either a new kid comes in and I have to work at it, or some kid has a great game while I have a bad game. The boredom is worth it to me for those moments that get my blood flowing. The difference between Ping Pong and Poker is that I make money from ping pong (thanks to the City!) even if I'm bored while I lose money from Poker. My goal is to have a good time, in the end, something much harder if I lose money because of stupid playing.

10-17-2005, 09:40 PM	#5
sabotai General Manager Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: The Satellite of Love	I've found that I really don't get bored at all when playing a live table. I've gone through 5-6 hour sessions playing without being bored (I wanted to keep going, everyone else not so much. ).. Playing online I get bored after an hour or two. Dunno why.

10-18-2005, 12:37 AM	#7
Lathum Favored Bitch #1 Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: homeless in NJ	OK Barkeep, here is my advice. The best way to entertain yourself is when you aren't in a hand still watch the other players and try to guess what everyone has. This sharpens you skills and lets you observe the other players. Another thing I do when I am bored is I usually play in a casino that also has horse racing, throw down a bet on an occasional race, that provides a nice distraction. Also you can talk to the other players at the table, there are usually a few good people.

10-18-2005, 09:06 AM	#11
Barkeep49 Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Not too far away	Thanks to Lathum and Subby for the advice. Subby -- I'd love to play NL for the reasons you describe. The problem is that I don't believe that any of the casinos with-in 2 hours of me offer NL tables. I will take another look, however, as you're probabally right about that being more entertaining.

10-18-2005, 09:19 AM	#12
QuikSand lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Annapolis, Md	Don't listen to Subby, limit poker is just fine. If anything it's usually less prone to boredom than no limit. Sure, it's exciting when there's a big all-in move at the no-limit table... but if you are playing sensibly there, there is much more time for boredomm, and fewer actual decisions to consider. And if anything, the company seems (in my experience) to be better in the limit games -- I'd rather talk with adults than with a whole gaggle of dirtbags with crappy sunglasses. But maybe that's just me.

10-18-2005, 09:44 AM	#14
QuikSand lolzcat Join Date: Oct 2000 Location: Annapolis, Md	Just don't listen to Subby. I really don't need to elucidate on that.

10-18-2005, 09:47 AM	#15
Barkeep49 Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Not too far away	Well I did a little more digging and found a Casino with-in driving distance that seems to spread both kinds of tables at all points during the day. So I'll likely head there and can judge where the fun is at then, and sit myself down accordingly. I appreciate the advice Quik but as someone who has "known" Subby longer than just about anyone on this board (I was indirectly involved, I believe, in telling him about FOF) you need not warn me about the quality of his advice .

10-29-2005, 12:52 PM	#20
Barkeep49 Coordinator Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Not too far away	Well I did go this last Thursday. Played in a 5/10 NL game. I sat down and first hand in get pocket 9s. I put in a very weak preflop raise, got called by several players. Flopped a set, and ended up having another player put me all in. I called and doubled up against top pair with a gutshot straight draw. My hands were literally shaking after the hand. This was a good thing as I had not gone to the bank ahead of time as I had planned and so I only had $500 that I got from an ATM machine to play with instead of the $1500 I had planned on getting. I needn't have worried about boredom as it turned out not to be a problem. I hadn't realized just how accustomed I'd become to Poker Tracker until I sat at the table and even trying my hardest to pay attention and having a fairly static table of 8 players only ever got a good read on 4-6 of the players. I played INCREDIBLY weak tight and somehow still managed to get most of my good hands paid off, partly by playing off of my table image. I would have ended up a big winner, except I my set of 8s beaten by a set of Kings when a King came on the river. I am not unhappy with how I played or read the hand. I made a couple of tough lay downs which proved to be the right call. My nervousness never went away despite one guy telling me that I had managed to beat someone (never got his name) who had finished third in the WSOP on more than one occasion and so should just relax since it was clear I wasn't a poker idiot. I played four about 5 hours all together and would have played longer, but after I dropped down to even after laying down second best two pair to best two pair, and had a guy sat down the my left with $2500, and with it nearly time to pay rent, I decided it was time to call it a day. It was a nice experience all-in-all, but I'm not sure I'm going to rush to repeat it until I've built up my bankroll a little more so I can play a more agressive style.

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