Live

1. The opposite of online; occurring in a brick-and-mortar casino.
2. Referring to a straddle made by a player under the gun of twice the big blind, called a "live straddle."

Fitting In

There are many ways to look like you "belong" if you are an online poker player venturing into the live poker world for the first time. A sampling for your review:

* Wear sunglasses - if you have ever seen poker on television, you should know that this is standard.
* Wear online poker room apparel - shows your opponents that you know what's up.
* Stare into their souls - intimidation is key.
* Never talk, never smile - poker is SRZ BUSNZ (also: intimidation is key).

Stakes

The skill level of live players is typically lower than the skill level of online players at the same stakes. There are a couple reasons for this. First, micro stakes games don't exist in brick and mortar poker rooms. People who play $0.10/$0.25 blinds online are going to have to step it up to at least $1/$2, if not higher, just to play at a casino. Second, online players have had the opportunity to play many, many more hands than live players in an equivalent time span. As such, online players are able to develop their skills quickly and outclass their live counterparts.

Related Terms

Brick and Mortar, House, Straddle