08-31-2002, 07:03 PM
First of all, I want to say that this post is _NOT_ one of the endless paranoid attacks on online websites, accusing them of rigging games, installing bots, or manipulating cards. I have read most of the accusations made along these lines, the evidence for and against (mostly against), and the endless "discussions" that follow, and I don't find any real credence in any of the conspiracy theories.
The issue I want to raise is the differing nature between online vs. B&M rooms, and whether certain individuals, because of experience, comfortableness, or most importantly psychological and/or analytic predispositions, might consistently do better in one environment vs. the other. It seems that each environment may suit people with slightly differing characteristics.
Of course, this is not to say that basic skills, basic experience, and good thinking won't form the major factor of success in either. But beyond this, could these factors come into play.
My own experience is this. I began initially, when I knew little or nothing of poker, on low limits online. I didn't do very well. I got some experience, read a little, and eventually played less online and more at a local B&M casino. My game improved a lot, both at the low limits online, and at the cardroom.
Now, I have gone back to online after not playing online for several months, and although I'm doing much better than when first learning, I don't do as well, and my swings are more dramatic. I know that a lot of this may be due to unusually poor players at the live games I've played in, or unusually good players online (paradise, btw).
This wouldn't surprise me. But, I've also noticed that I _PLAY_ differently online, when I really pay attention to my thought processes, psychology, and decisions that I make. In short, I believe I play much more loosely online, playing more hands, and playing farther than I would at B&M (e.g. ridiculous crying calls). I seem to play more impulsively, and that's the best way to put it. It's very ironic, but I actually seem to get _MORE_ impatient online than at a live game. Also, I find it easier to get mentally distracted online. I find it a lot easier to focus on the game sitting at the table. Finally, I go on tilt at what seems like a rate that's 2 or 3 times as often as I do at the table. And when I _do_ go on tilt online, it's worse than at the table. (Meaning, I'm sure there are many times I'm on tilt at the table, when I don't even realize I'm on tilt, but there's no doubt online.)
My point is not to whine and moan about online poker. Again, to be clear, I see these issues as related to individual personal characteristics and skills, and not something "rigged" or "fixed" about online websites. I'm sure many people have psychological and personal characteristics that make online play _ideal_ for them. I'm beginning to think I'm not one of them, is all. To be honest, my best explanation for myself is that my own psychology is simply much more sensitive to impulsivity and being easily distracted in certain environments, and I know many things about myself that would confirm this. Even the simple difference between clicking a button and physically handling chips in one's hands or physically seeing them on a table provides enough of a cushion to stifle the impulsivity and make better decisions.
I was wondering if anyone had thought along these lines, of individual psychology, personality types, and skills, and their relation to the choice of online vs. B&M play.
(BTW, I am posting this on both the B&M and internet boards.)
The issue I want to raise is the differing nature between online vs. B&M rooms, and whether certain individuals, because of experience, comfortableness, or most importantly psychological and/or analytic predispositions, might consistently do better in one environment vs. the other. It seems that each environment may suit people with slightly differing characteristics.
Of course, this is not to say that basic skills, basic experience, and good thinking won't form the major factor of success in either. But beyond this, could these factors come into play.
My own experience is this. I began initially, when I knew little or nothing of poker, on low limits online. I didn't do very well. I got some experience, read a little, and eventually played less online and more at a local B&M casino. My game improved a lot, both at the low limits online, and at the cardroom.
Now, I have gone back to online after not playing online for several months, and although I'm doing much better than when first learning, I don't do as well, and my swings are more dramatic. I know that a lot of this may be due to unusually poor players at the live games I've played in, or unusually good players online (paradise, btw).
This wouldn't surprise me. But, I've also noticed that I _PLAY_ differently online, when I really pay attention to my thought processes, psychology, and decisions that I make. In short, I believe I play much more loosely online, playing more hands, and playing farther than I would at B&M (e.g. ridiculous crying calls). I seem to play more impulsively, and that's the best way to put it. It's very ironic, but I actually seem to get _MORE_ impatient online than at a live game. Also, I find it easier to get mentally distracted online. I find it a lot easier to focus on the game sitting at the table. Finally, I go on tilt at what seems like a rate that's 2 or 3 times as often as I do at the table. And when I _do_ go on tilt online, it's worse than at the table. (Meaning, I'm sure there are many times I'm on tilt at the table, when I don't even realize I'm on tilt, but there's no doubt online.)
My point is not to whine and moan about online poker. Again, to be clear, I see these issues as related to individual personal characteristics and skills, and not something "rigged" or "fixed" about online websites. I'm sure many people have psychological and personal characteristics that make online play _ideal_ for them. I'm beginning to think I'm not one of them, is all. To be honest, my best explanation for myself is that my own psychology is simply much more sensitive to impulsivity and being easily distracted in certain environments, and I know many things about myself that would confirm this. Even the simple difference between clicking a button and physically handling chips in one's hands or physically seeing them on a table provides enough of a cushion to stifle the impulsivity and make better decisions.
I was wondering if anyone had thought along these lines, of individual psychology, personality types, and skills, and their relation to the choice of online vs. B&M play.
(BTW, I am posting this on both the B&M and internet boards.)