Bars, Casinos, and the Internet

We're always told that in order to become a better card player, one has to play poker more often. I agree with this theory 100%. The regular game at Zucca Bar and Pizzeria here in Smyrna, Georgia is tonight, and as I am thinking about going to play, I find myself hesitating.

As I mentioned in my last post, I cut my teeth playing cards in the local Atlanta-area bars (it is quite a scene -- check out this list of Atlanta bar games, which is about 6-months old at the time of this post). In most cases, these games are free and so are the players. Bar poker has certainly taught me how to play No Limit Hold 'Em tournaments against weak opponents -- although, for the record, players at Zucca are a notch above most bars. I have also played thousands of hands on the internet (PartyPoker in the past, and Bodog since the most recent legislative term). The competition in low stakes online tournament poker is slightly stronger than what you might find in the bars around here. In preparing for my World Series run, however, I am finding that there is no substitute for live tournament play in brick-and-mortar casinos and card rooms.

The biggest reason I have found live tournament play more useful is because it has acclimated me to the casino tournament environment. I played in my first casino tournament at Harrah's in Las Vegas a little over a year ago. I was so enamoured with the nice tables, the champions' pictures on the wall, the raucous table talk, and free drinks that I lost my mind and busted out way early. On the surface, you would expect this to have done more damage to my confidence than anything, but this is not the case. I learned from my mistakes, and over time as I have played in more casino tournaments, I have become increasingly comfortable. I know for certain that this going to help me this summer. My rhetorical question for the day is, what is better for preparing for the World Series? Bar/online poker, or no poker at all?

I know there are weak players in the World Series of Poker, but there are also very strong players as well -- including the world's top pros. The bottom line is that, for me, my biggest adversary will not be any one individual among the field of players, and not a run of cold cards, but rather the onslaught of distractions to overcome in Las Vegas -- airport security, bags, transportation, check-in, the lights, the slot machines, the sounds, the excitement, the cocktails, the 'ESPN' logos -- all things expertly designed to take my mind off my game!

I think the answer to my question is simpler than I thought. Any poker is better than no poker when preparing for the World Series, but you can't beat the experience of a live card room.