A surprising comment in a live game?

[TripleH68]

While playing live a question often arises. "Do you play online?" The other night in a live game a fellow says "yes, but I play way too loose online. It is easier for me to play better in a live game than it is online."

Which is it for you? Do you play better online or live?

[cnfuzzd]

Ideally, one should play exactly the same. I try, but sometimes the number of free drinks consumed will get me calls i dont want, so if i *am* drinking i never ever bluff, which i do somewhat often online. Plus, its so much easier to fill the table with inane chatter live that my game approaches the level of TAG-ish LAG that CDC described. Good times.

peace

john nickle

[Nottom]

I think its easier to play tight online becasue the hands come faster and you can multitable to avoid getting bored waiting for a hand.

[SevenStuda]

I think it depends on your motivation.

-Dimitri

[Andy B]

As you might be able to tell from my posts, my brain tends to disengage when I stare at computer screens. I play much better live, and I enjoy it a lot more too.

[DcifrThs]

[ QUOTE ]
While playing live a question often arises. "Do you play online?" The other night in a live game a fellow says "yes, but I play way too loose online. It is easier for me to play better in a live game than it is online."

Which is it for you? Do you play better online or live?

[/ QUOTE ]

i make more money online but play better per hand live.

simple.

-Barron

[knightunner]

I play better live just because I enjoy it more. When I muck 25 hands in a row live, I am still having fun talking and joking around with the guys at the table. Online is so lifeless and dull...

~knight

[2ndGoat]

I focus a little better on each hand live because I'm playing 15-25% as many hands as I would online. On the other hand, I do not have a great deal of time in at card rooms (probably 150 hours lifetime, vs ~2000 online), and for all I know I may be giving off a damaging tell, or missing some tells that serious live players pick up.

I think very poor players usually play worse online- sepcifically, the type that just want to gamble and do not have big egos or a lot of self-confidence. The shame induced in some players by hitting runner-runner in front of 9 other people is much greater than one or two guys screaming at you in a chat window. Also, the "What the hell are you thinking?"-type comments are much more difficult to deflect live- weakies generally have to at least address the questioner with a shrug, which will usually make it worse because they realize that they have no response and that the entire table is aware of that. You can just not respond when you're online.

All of this adds up to some poor players playing slightly less badly live just so they don't have to deal with the disapproving stares of their opponents, but they don't have that motivation online. This, of course, goes back to the general rule that you do not berate weakies in your cardroom so that they do not play better or leave to avoid the ridicule.

2ndGoat

[LetsRock]

I know I'm more "successful" on-line, but I don't think I play any different live or on-line. If anything, I play just a little looser preflop when live. I can get a better read on the table and am a little more willing to see flops with smaller suited connectors when I can more easily predict who's gonna raise, who's gonna call etc.

Other than that, my game plan and execution is the same as far as I can tell.

(In case you're wondering, this is NOT what causes my live sessions to be less successful then my on-line play. I seem to get lots of cold cards and lots of amazing suck-outs.)

[xrongor]

live games offer two huge advantages imho.

1) you can put a player on a hand much easier especially if you know his tells. this advantage is huge.

2) i think its easier to tell if you are being hustled.

[jimymat]

I have never won money or "cashed out" when playing on line. When i go to the casino i sit down at the no limit $500 max buy in or 15-30 and average 10 winning sessions to 1 losing session. {if i walk with $501 it gets marked as a winning session} Needless to say i have purchased four new mouses and one keyboard due to stress release when i play online. I am no Hellmuth when it comes to reading players but i can really get in the zone when im in live games. I'll make a read and call down my pair against Big Slick, take the pot, and throw the guy on tilt. He cant believe I stayed in the pot when he bet the flop and checked the turn when the flop comes 8 6 2 rainbow. When im online i never know where im at in a hand. A lot of it might have to do with the limits i play online {3-6 no limit usually} It seems like its just draw out city every hand. Pocket aces vs three other guys who dont understand a pot size raise and saw Ivey once win with 8 5 suited so.......... thank god office max is only 3 miles away. Thankfully I make enough in the live game to counter the losses online. To answer your question, for me, live games are the only way to go. The reads, tells, manerisms, voices, everything, is how you get the money. The big money. Once you reach a certain level I think you breakover from playing top ten to playing the player. I am in transistion right now and online is missing most of what you need to make it, in my opinion and experience.
Ive been reading this 2+2 forum for around a year and this is my first response. Let me know if Im to chatty. maybe you just wanted to know either live or online. Thanks.
7 /images/graemlins/spade.gif2 /images/graemlins/diamond.gif

[xrongor]

[ QUOTE ]
When im online i never know where im at in a hand. A lot of it might have to do with the limits i play online {3-6 no limit usually} It seems like its just draw out city every hand. Pocket aces vs three other guys who dont understand a pot size raise and saw Ivey once win with 8 5 suited so

[/ QUOTE ]

low limit online poker should simply be called dodgeball. imho the way to play it is play the odds and know the others arent. just let things work themselves out.

randy

[TripleH68]

[ QUOTE ]
I think very poor players usually play worse online- sepcifically, the type that just want to gamble and do not have big egos or a lot of self-confidence. The shame induced in some players by hitting runner-runner in front of 9 other people is much greater than one or two guys screaming at you in a chat window. Also, the "What the hell are you thinking?"-type comments are much more difficult to deflect live- weakies generally have to at least address the questioner with a shrug, which will usually make it worse because they realize that they have no response and that the entire table is aware of that. You can just not respond when you're online.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is a good point. I played live the other night and witnessed this exact scenario. The few players who were loose/aggressive left the table a bit embarassed after awhile. And the tight/weak players were very easy to read. Reminded me why it is worth the effort to play live, but the slowness and the rake were killers in $5-10 limit.

[sammy_g]

[ QUOTE ]
Which is it for you? Do you play better online or live?

[/ QUOTE ]
Online play is more profitable simply because of the volume of hands you are able to play. I play better live, however, because I have more information. It's remarkable the array of tells low-limit players give off. They fold out of turn, reach for chips before the action gets to them, stare at flops they don't like, look back at their cards when the flop comes all one suit, and so forth. All sorts of stuff.

I enjoy playing live more as well because it's more social.

[Milky]

I rarely play live games but I feel my internet play is much better than my live play. I just can't control my emotions as well at a physical table and I get more impatient due to seeing less hands per hour than online. I think I'm getting better though.

[Louie Landale]

I'm having a real hard time on-line. I've got some memory-visualization problem (I cannot tell you what my mother looks like) and this seems to translate into me not being able to associate an on-line handle (e.g. "Rascal") with how the player plays. Also, folks come and go so fast I often don't notice. Live, however, I size folks up quickly and accurately and adjust effortlessly.

-Louie

[ccartman2]

Live without a doubt. I stay more focused and can get a better read on the hands. Online, I tend to get bored and distracted much easier.

[Lawrence Ng]

I have to admit that I have a far far better record playing a live limit game than I do online at every level from 4-8 to 75-150. A lot has to do with my ability to pick up reads, betting patterns, and behaviors at the table. They help me make decisions far easier. Online, I think I tend to pay off a little too much and when I am playing 2 or 3 games simultaneously it's just harder for me to focus.

I am thinking of quitting online limit hold'em play for good. It's no fun for me and I do not enjoy the anti-social aspect of it.

[Gordon Scott]

I play better mirco (.5/1-1/2) online compared to 3/6-5/10 live.

I've never played above above 2/4 online but I know I play 10/20 better live than I do 3/6-5/10 live.

I'm sure I play tighter on-line because I'm playing 3 or 4 tables and I don't feel the need to mix it up and try to "outplay" the maniacs. This is a leak I'm working on. I play TAG ABC poker in the live 10/20 (probably due to bankroll restrictions) and it works.

I also enjoy the people and the odd adult beverage when I play SS b&m games and I'm sure it's -EV.

Best of Luck

[el_dusto]

I think I play better online than in person. I'm not so loose, since I don't have to wait an hour to play a hand if I'm not catching cards; I get bored if I muck everything in a live game. I particularly enjoy being able to drop the poker face and laugh, cry, scream, dance, and wave my arms if the hands get intense.

[rigoletto]

I play better live because the opposition is lousy!