can you "prep" for your first B&M trip?

[Chopper]

i recently have been reading a lot of articles on paying in B&M's here on FTR. it seems standard that 50 BB's is the max buy-in. i got to thinking about how quickly this can commit your stack w/ a marginal holding like TPGK. after some more reading i see the players are apparently horrible. so, i wanted to do a little "preparation."

here's what i did, and i want feedback as to how "realistic" an environment i created. i wanted to find the loosest passiveist (not a word, i know) tables. i went to stars and tried to buy-in short at the $5 NL's. they allowed $10, though, putting me VERY SSed. so, i moved up to the 10's. found a couple good tables, and bought in for $5. tried to shove post flop with TP on flushy boards, and bought a lot of smallish pots. lost 1 stack. and finished down $2 after 300ish hands. mostly, i bet pot on the flop after a pf raise, and shoved the turn if it looked like no one improved. i figured i would be committed on the river anyway, and had the most FE on the turn.

in your opinions, is this a decent strategy? i know 300 hands is a negligent sample size, just wanted to show i didnt get killed playing this way.

opinions? or what you do?

just curious.

[BankItDrew]

Preparing to play crappy players at a low bb/stack size game should not include playing shiity loose low stack players.

Preprare by playing full stacks against good players instead. This way, you will be a better player than the average crappy player at your B&M. Not only will the quality of players be a drop (a positive), but also you will be used to playing with full stacks when you double up against them.

Look at it this way. Who do you think would have more success at the local B&M:

1) player who only plays short stacks against their younger 12 yr old siblings
2) player who plays deep stacks against veterans

[griffey24]

From my experience, I don't think you need to prepare much for playing at a B&M.

If you're an online player, the caliber you are used to is waaaaaay better than any B&M.

I guess its good to just remember that there are tons of fish at B&M's who will call with anything, so bluff less. also I usually raise more preflop with strong hands, because people call big raises with marginal hands.

Build the pot up preflop with your strong hands, and the smaller buy-in won't matter as much. Flop all in!

[mrhappy333]

its good to just remember that there are tons of fish at B&M's who will call with anything, so bluff less. also I usually raise more preflop with strong hands, because people call big raises with marginal hands.

this is good advice

[Fnord]

Play hands with Showdown or set value. 22+/KQ/AJ+/JTs+
TPGK is the nuts. If someone can beat the nuts, good for them.
Be ready to re-buy.
Be ready to play a lot deeper than the buy-in and adjust.

[bigspenda73]

From my experience all the players are loose passive. I don't see that many stacks flying around at the lower level NL games. I've played 3 sessions (4hr+) and the 200 buyin NL game and I can only remember a handful of times where full stacks went at it. The players don't want to go busto cuz basically, they didn't bring any more money with them.

It serves you well at these games to find these ppl and bully them around.

[Chopper]

thanks for the advice, guys.

i just needed some confirmation that "the nuts" needs to be pressed MUCH harder than online, possibly to stacks.

i feel so much more comfortable deep anyway, i figured i would practice short. i figure i will drop a level or two online for the moment to find more fishies, and get used to the variance, not that variance disappears, but at 50 NL, it has to be less frequent to see T7s call my raise when i have the position than at, say $10 NL...lol.

[DaNutsInYoEye]

1. sunglasses
2. hat
3. hooded sweatshirt
4. laundry list of cliche poker sayings

good luck

[Chopper]

should i wear my sunglasses upside down? or just pull the hoodie over my head when in a hand?

maybe i should find some glasses w/ goofy lizard eyes.

[Fnord]

1. sunglasses
2. hat
3. hooded sweatshirt
4. laundry list of cliche poker sayings

good luck

NO NO NO

[Chopper]

if it was Fnord i read....

never draw attention to yourself.

so, does that mean i cant wear any FTR or stars gear? lol.

[arkana]

Patience, so easy to get bored and make dumb plays when you are only getting 25 hands per hour. Try to follow the action in the hands that you are not involved in to get good reads, worst thing you can do is to tune out when you get cold cards.