What's your take on internet poker these days?

[Rickey-B-Rickey]

My observations.

The games overall are much tougher than live games.A lot of tables full of regulars who subscribe to training sites and use tracking software. A casino offers a steady flow of looser table game gamblers.

I am not complaining or crying about bad beats. The $1-$2NL game at a B&M probably plays like a .10c-.20cNL game online.

Just want to hear the views of some people who play, but may not all be part of the 12 tabling/HUD/PT world of the internet specialist.

 

[bigdaveyt]

I play on Cake so I don't have to worry about tracking software (as far as I know). Plus they let you change your name so the only unique identifier is your hometown (unfortunately, mine is pretty unique).

Online poker is very difficult to win if you are playing only 1 table. IMO, you're pissing your money away unless you are playing multi tables (cash games). I've recently busted into the tournament scene and have been doing pretty well, albeit not taking down anything big. Personally, I think that is the best thing about online poker: the tournaments. You can qualify for them easily or pay the full amount to get in. Cake has 3 daily 10K guaranteed tournaments and a weekly 100k guaranteed (plus a shitload of others).

Relatively cheap to get in and fast. My casino poker is limited to cash games and I seem to have difficulty playing hands because I'm jaded by online poker. I'm always waiting for someone to have flopped a higher set or something ridiculous (which is seen way to much in online games).

 

[rpark]

Live 1/2NL play like .25/.50 NL online.

Live players are terrible in general but you can make more money online multi-tabling 4-6 tables of .25/.50NL 6Max since you are doing 12-15 times the number of hands per hour than live and there is no tipping and the rake is less online.

Also add in gas and drive time and your hourly rate is much less for live. But live play is fun and I do it once every couple months as a break from online.

I play at 3 major online sites right now. My hourly rate is about $40-60 per hour 4-6 tabling depending on whether I am playing 0.5/1NL or 1/2NL both 6MAX. You have to table select though. I only sit in at a table when I know I have an advantage over a couple players. I don't play for the sake of playing. I do well in online tournaments but 6max NL is my main game.

I have been playing online for 3 years now, spent a good # of hours studying the first two years (10 hrs a week). On my 3rd year, my study time is down to 1 hr a week.

 

[terps1313]

I play on Cake so I don't have to worry about tracking software (as far as I know). Plus they let you change your name so the only unique identifier is your hometown (unfortunately, mine is pretty unique).

Online poker is very difficult to win if you are playing only 1 table. IMO, you're pissing your money away unless you are playing multi tables (cash games). I've recently busted into the tournament scene and have been doing pretty well, albeit not taking down anything big. Personally, I think that is the best thing about online poker: the tournaments. You can qualify for them easily or pay the full amount to get in. Cake has 3 daily 10K guaranteed tournaments and a weekly 100k guaranteed (plus a shitload of others).

Relatively cheap to get in and fast. My casino poker is limited to cash games and I seem to have difficulty playing hands because I'm jaded by online poker. I'm always waiting for someone to have flopped a higher set or something ridiculous (which is seen way to much in online games).

How are you more likely to lose playing 1 table as compared to multi tables? Sorry but that logic makes no sense to me.

 

[ProPokerPlayer]

I was ckin out the cash games at Stars yesterday...at .25/,50 and 1/2 NL the highest % of players seeing a flop was 16%....Thats such a rock garden its not worth playing. The only action to be found is on 6 max tables or Omaha. The NL cash games are awful...

 

[rpark]

How are you more likely to lose playing 1 table as compared to multi tables? Sorry but that logic makes no sense to me.

I don't agree with that statement either:

If you play 4 tables and make $40/hr then you should be making $11-13/hr playing 1 table in the long run. Playing 1 table should be more than $10 (1/4 of the rate for 4 tables) as you have more time to make more reads when only playing 1 table. Playing 1 table is obviously not an efficient use of your time

 

[rpark]

I was ckin out the cash games at Stars yesterday...at .25/,50 and 1/2 NL the highest % of players seeing a flop was 16%....Thats such a rock garden its not worth playing. The only action to be found is on 6 max tables or Omaha. The NL cash games are awful...

You can make $$ off regs playing like nits but your hourly rate is going to be much lower than if you find a table with a couple of loose fish on them. Obviously, I like to have 1 or 2 players with over 50% VPIP and I can generally find 4 tables like this at .5/1NL and 1/2NL, though it may take some time at FTP.

Don't play at Stars at the moment since I can't get cash in easily as I am Canadian. FTP has decent fish come on but u have to table select. Plus u can get 27% rakeback at FTP. At Stars, the % rakeback increases the more you play which is why you get more nits there grinding 12+ tables. If you are American, you are pretty much screwed as the softer sites don't allow US players.

.25/50, .5/1 and 1.2 Omaha at FTP, Stars has good # of loose bad players.

Tournament play or sit & gos for $10 to $50 is still soft on all sites.

 

[terps1313]

I don't agree with that statement either:

If you play 4 tables and make $40/hr then you should be making $11-13/hr playing 1 table in the long run. Playing 1 table should be more than $10 (1/4 of the rate for 4 tables) as you have more time to make more reads when only playing 1 table. Playing 1 table is obviously not an efficient use of your time

This was my point exactly.

 

[bigdaveyt]

I don't agree with that statement either:

If you play 4 tables and make $40/hr then you should be making $11-13/hr playing 1 table in the long run. Playing 1 table should be more than $10 (1/4 of the rate for 4 tables) as you have more time to make more reads when only playing 1 table. Playing 1 table is obviously not an efficient use of your time

Well, this may not make sense to you either, but when I am playing multiple tables, I can lay down hands that I normally would not lay down while playing 1 table.


There is nothing worse then playing 1 table and getting cold cards for hours. When I play multiple tables, I may lose all my money on one (cold table) and win it all back plus more on a hot table.

If I wasn't playing multiple tables, then I would have to stick with that 1 cold table.

Plus with all the bullshit that happens during online games, do you guys really have reads on people? Don't get me wrong, I play with a lot of the same people and I know their style, but overall I think you are playing a.) the program and b.) the cards more than the player.

Just IMHO.

 

[rpark]

Well, this may not make sense to you either, but when I am playing multiple tables, I can lay down hands that I normally would not lay down while playing 1 table.


There is nothing worse then playing 1 table and getting cold cards for hours. When I play multiple tables, I may lose all my money on one (cold table) and win it all back plus more on a hot table.

If I wasn't playing multiple tables, then I would have to stick with that 1 cold table.

Plus with all the bullshit that happens during online games, do you guys really have reads on people? Don't get me wrong, I play with a lot of the same people and I know their style, but overall I think you are playing a.) the program and b.) the cards more than the player.

Just IMHO.

Well, OK, if you change your style (ie. open up range) when u play 1 table then obviously your win rate will change (u may even lose) but if you played the same way regardless of whether it be 1 or 4 tables than your winnings from 100,000 hands of 1 table should approximately= 4 tables of 25,000 hands each.

Yes, I have specific notes on regs but they are over 1K hands. You can pick up lots of reads from bad players while u play since they are more obvious and you only need to see how they play for 20-30 minutes. The other thing is your bet sizes are much better when you have time (rather than the standard bet pot, 1/2pot, 3/4 pot) which increases your hourly rate.

 

[HaoleLama]

I play on Cake so I don't have to worry about tracking software (as far as I know). Plus they let you change your name so the only unique identifier is your hometown (unfortunately, mine is pretty unique).

Online poker is very difficult to win if you are playing only 1 table. IMO, you're pissing your money away unless you are playing multi tables (cash games). I've recently busted into the tournament scene and have been doing pretty well, albeit not taking down anything big. Personally, I think that is the best thing about online poker: the tournaments. You can qualify for them easily or pay the full amount to get in. Cake has 3 daily 10K guaranteed tournaments and a weekly 100k guaranteed (plus a shitload of others).

Relatively cheap to get in and fast. My casino poker is limited to cash games and I seem to have difficulty playing hands because I'm jaded by online poker. I'm always waiting for someone to have flopped a higher set or something ridiculous (which is seen way to much in online games).

did i read that cake has a rakeback?

 

[billhill999]

Still too many all in donkeys in MTT's.
Have to wait until those fish weed themselves out before I can open up and play my game.

 

[ECS]

I really don't know why I keep playing (well I do, because i am still profiting), however, I just see the same predictable cards coming over and over.

 

[bigdaveyt]

did i read that cake has a rakeback?

Cake is made up of a bunch of different sites. I play on sportsbook (so I can bet on sports as well) and they do not have rakeback. Cake Poker dot com does have rakeback.

 

[TheSaint]

I really don't know why I keep playing (well I do, because i am still profiting), however, I just see the same predictable cards coming over and over.

sometimes i play for nickels and dimes online, just for fun, and those situations are really something. never had seen so many rivered quads, sf's and other bullshit in my life in real games, like it happens in online poker. i dont say its rigged, when it happens, that x-files tune starts playing

 

[fivestarjake]

easy...

jack/4 os...balls to the wall

aces or kings...better off to fold

 

[rpark]

Cake Network has 33% rakeback.

I looked at my database which has 200,000 plus hands that I've played and I can tell you the frequency of specific preflop cards are as expected in a random game. I've had AA as many times as I have had KK, etc...down to 22 preflop. So, frequency is fine.

Frequency is good but the randomness is not always random at certain sites. I remember getting AA,KK,AA,QQ in 4 consecutive hands on one table one time which is always good as I rather have them in bunches versus being spread out since you get more non-believers by the 3rd hand. But you must also realize when someone else (TAG/NIT) bets 4 straight hands hard, they are having the same big PPs so you have to fold preflop or flop if you don't flop a set.

By your 3rd year of playing online poker, it is pretty machine like (monotonous) but the money is good for a part time job/hobby. I graduated in computer science and worked with computers all my life so I could easily program a winning poker bot in a month that could multi-table 20 tables of 50NL 24 hrs a day but they (poker bots) are illegal. Anyways, I am getting into sports betting now as a second hobby and with 2% juice at matchbook.com I think I can have a positive ROI sports betting.

 

[ProPokerPlayer]

Ive seen Rakeback offered for PlayersOnly.com...Cake network + sportsbook..

 

[bigdaveyt]

Ive seen Rakeback offered for PlayersOnly.com...Cake network + sportsbook..

Thanks for the tip. I might try them out. I like sportsbook (no rake) just because I can have a great day sportsbetting and then use that cash to play some poker and vice versa.

 

[MaxSquat]

I was ckin out the cash games at Stars yesterday...at .25/,50 and 1/2 NL the highest % of players seeing a flop was 16%....Thats such a rock garden its not worth playing. The only action to be found is on 6 max tables or Omaha. The NL cash games are awful...

this is true...even at the microstakes....tables with the flop at 30% or more have a HUGE long wait list