Live Tourney

Anonymous

I just recently turned 19 (legal age to go to a Casino in Ontario) and after searching around, only found two casino in the Toronto area that have poker.
Casino Rama and Great Blue Heron.

I always wanted to try a live tourney, and found the cheapest I can do is $100+20 buy-in($50 rebuys and $100 addons), unless someone from Toronto knows a cheaper place to play a MTT. My bankroll so far is $761 CDN (all I made from online)

The tourney is limited to 88 ppl (8 tables) and I was wondering what your recommendation were to prepare for a tourney like this. I got 3 months, and I want to place in the money. I''ve played MTT online before and made it to the final tables 10+ times, but I guess live play is way different. Are their strategies I should use, or books that I could read to prepare myself for this?

Also want to try $3-6 limit at Casino Rama, and will look to go in a week or two, how should I play these games as I know the tables are limited, so i am expecting tougher competition than online.

Thanks

Tilter

Oppps, forgot to sign in.

Unknown

Are their strategies I should use, or books that I could read to prepare myself for this?

I'd recommend reading Dave Scharf's latest WSOP report (May 10th I believe) in the 'Ask Dave Scharf' section. Or, you can read any of mine to find out generally how not to play.

'Tournament Poker for Advanced Players' by Sklansky is a good book. Not everyone thinks so, but I think it's definitely worthwhile, and it's easy to get from amazon.ca.

I've heard good things about McEvoy's tournament book, too. I think there's a thread somewhere called 'favourite books' that might be of use to you.

Also want to try $3-6 limit at Casino Rama

I haven't played these tables in a while, but my experience with live $3-6 tables *in general* is that they are very, very loose. A lot of chasers. Expect to be rivered, a lot. Tighter play would be the game plan I'd be going in with.

Good luck!

all_aces

Tilter

Thanks for the response, I just wanted to know what to expect because the highest limit i've played is 1/2 so 3/6 is a big jump. I cashed out $750 CDN and will bring about $150 there (50BB) to see how I do and to not lose all my money. I hope I have a good experience there!

Anyone ever play a tourney @ Blue Heron though? Tough competition? Think I should go for the rebuy right off the bat?

Unknown

Hey Tilter,

I've never participated in a Blue Heron tournament. The dumb part about them is that you have to physically go there to register in advance, which is a bit of a drive from downtown Toronto. I'm not sure if it's the same with Rama.

In rebuy tournaments I always rebuy once immediately. It's not that I think it gives me a license to 'gamble it up'... I look at it this way: if I'm going to double up, I want to double up with as many chips as possible. Maybe I'll double up against someone who didn't rebuy, but on the off-chance that I get an amazing hand against a big stack, I want to make the most of it.

Regards,
all_aces

Tilter

aces, I was wondering if you knew of any other tournaments.

Not to costly in the Toronto area?

ScottyZ

only found two casino in the Toronto area that have poker.
Casino Rama and Great Blue Heron.

There's also one in Brantford. Depending on where exactly you are in Toronto, I suppose any one of these 3 might be the closest one to you.

so i am expecting tougher competition than online.

You might be surprised that it's not as tough as you may think. 8) One thing though, I bet you will find the competition in the tournament you mentioned *much* tougher than in a $3-$6 cash game.

and will bring about $150 there (50BB) to see how I do and to not lose all my money.

I'd suggest bringing a little bit more. Probably $300, *maybe* as little as $200. I normally like to have 100 big blinds. But if you're not comfortable with bringing any particular amount, then don't of course.

I believe they have also $2-$5 at Rama. Do they have $3-$6 also? Seems strange to have different games with such similar limits.

Are their strategies I should use, or books that I could read to prepare myself for this?

As for books, I think you should read at least one, prefereably both, of (alphabetical by author):

Winning Low Limit Holdem by Lee Jones
Winning at Poker by Dave Scharf

to be able to play the $3-$6 game right.

For tournaments, you should have the following under your belt as a minimum (in approximate order of importance):

Theory of Poker by David Sklansky
Holdem Poker for Advanced Players by Sklansky & Malmuth
Tournament Poker for Advanced Players by Sklansky
Pot Limit & No Limit Holdem by Ciaffone & Reuben (unless it's a limit tournament)
Caro's Book of Poker Tells by Mike Caro

Perhaps at this point you might be able to see whether I think tournaments or $3-$6 games are tougher. 8)

Well, good luck and have fun!

ScottyZ

Tilter

Have you ever played @ a Blue Heron tournament before (how many get paid and how many usually rebuy and add on because it is pretty expensive).

i live Near the Toronto Zoo so it is pretty far all around.

I had a friends at U of T which told me the cheapest game at Rama was 3-6, but if they have2 2-5, i will be all over that!

Flush

Scotty Z said:

I believe they have also $2-$5 at Rama. Do they have $3-$6 also? Seems strange to have different games with such similar limits.

I believe they used to have 3-6 but then switched it to 2-5. The last time i was there (March 2004) the limits were 2-5, 5-10, or 10-20.

Tilter

Cool, not sure, probabaly around the time my friend went.

That is awesome. I think I may go to Rama next week!

Jay

The Brantford Casino is like an hour from T.O. The lowest limit table they offer is $5/$10 though...

Tilter

" wrote:

The Brantford Casino is like an hour from T.O. The lowest limit table they offer is $5/$10 though...

Thanks for the heads up, but I doubt i'll be heading down there, I want to fins a limit as cheap as possible.

Systine

I have played in one tournament are Blue Heron, $100 with $50 rebuys and $100 add on. It was my first experience at a live tourny and was completely different then online. The blinds were extremely aggressive forcing you to play or die (I think they do this for the rebuys and to shorten the time it takes to play the tourny out) even early in the tourny. It starts out limit but after the second hour becomes no-limit, however for me it was pretty much no limit the whole time because of the size of the blinds, you can find half your stack in the pot on the first hand you play.

Systine

I should mention it was my first exposure to rebuys as well. I learned a lot about the strategy of rebuys that day and made some mistakes I will not repeat.