The transition from online to live and vice versa

Learn the key changes needed

By Philip Tuck

"Betting patterns tend to differ subtly online compared to live"
Much is made of the importance of sizing up your opponent face to face in live play, through observing ‘tells’, and the general demeanor of your opponent - a feature which is clearly impossible online. However, tells are not the only differences between live and online games. Betting patterns tend to differ subtly online compared to live, and here I want to look at what these differences are, the possible reasons for them, and how to adjust to them. Although this guide is aimed at online players who are playing live more often, all the concepts are equally valid in reverse if you are moving from live games to the online arena.

The main point that needs to be made is that in live games, players will typically play loosely for small bets early on, but will fold more liberally to smaller bets later on, when the blinds and antes are high. Online this is largely the other way around.

The reasons behind this are quite simple. Live players tend to be playing much more for entertainment, and see calling small bets with junk early as entertaining. Online players can play numerous tables to stave away the boredom, and largely avoid this leak. Late on, live players are usually looking to just get paid and have some result from their evenings play and tighten up considerably as a result. Compare this to the average online player, who has the ability to just start another tournament if need be. This seems to enable online players to play much more aggressively late on, safe in the knowledge that they can always start another tournament if they bubble.

Adjusting to this is quite simple. If you are patient early on live, you can become very active when the antes come in, and steal very cheaply. Often just a raise of 2-2.5x the big blind will take down the blinds and antes live. Compare this to online tournaments, where your raise sizes will typically have to be in the range of 2.5-3x the big blind to have a decent chance of a steal. You can also lower your continuation bet sizes live as a result of this effect, often to as low as 1/3 of the pot.

Not only do live players tend to fold too often, and for too little late on, but they also seem to respond to other bet sizes differently - particularly a player being ‘all in’. In live games, people seem to see a player being all in as a much more serious thing than online. Again, this is probably caused by the fact that when a player is out live, they have no scope to carry on playing in another tournament - and it makes the play seem that little bit more serious.

This means that an all in bluff is a much more successful move live than it is online, and the value all in shove with a good hand is a worse move. One of my favourite moves in live games is to value bet most of my stack on the river but leave all the lowest denomination chips standing. This makes it look like your stack is still intact and will often persuade weaker players to call in spots where an all in bet may have caused them to fold.

By taking into account these factors you should be able to make the transition from live too online, or vice versa, much smoother. Happy hunting.

23/04/08