Questions about Pacific Poker

[lunchmeat]

Played a long session at Pacific for the first time today, the site seemed pretty crappy, but I've got a few general questions for people who've played there before.

1) The site crashed 5 times today. Is that normal?
2) What the [censored] is up with their hand histories?
3) So far I've found that if I can win 2 hands an hour, I'll make a profit for the hour because the multiway pots are humoungous, but I never won more than 2 hands in an hour. Two of the six hours I played I didn't win any hands at all. Is it usually this much or a grind?

I'm so frustrated right now that once I can cash out my bonus I'm leaving for good... unless, of course, the gutshots stop sucking out against me and I turn a profit.

[ECondreras]

I more than doubled my inital deposit at Pacific, but I rarely play there for one reason:

The software is the worst in online poker. It is so damn slow and in addition to that, their software hangs up my computer. I can't even play another site while playing at Pacific.

The games I find profitable, if only it was possible to get in more than 10 hands an hour.

[lefty rosen]

Guys if you play during the day stick to shorttable games you will make a killing, I have cleared 3150 there and I am a decent but not great shorttable player . If you doubt ask Lunch if I am Mr. Solid I play under the nickname of DaDumper there. Yeah the players suck and the software is slow, they give guys 30 seconds to call a hand (and some of these morons take the full 30 and you know they will call almost every hand) but if you play shorttable you will get in double the hands and the jack 5 off callers will die a swift death.......

[lunchmeat]

Starting this thread was the end result of major tilt. A few suckouts and I thought every hand less than top 2 pair was no good as soon as any one miracle draw-out became possible, and had to bitch about it someplace... At least I steamed my way in to being a rock instead of yet another loose/passive player.

Then I realized that with all the schooling going on, the "suckouts" against me were really correct plays because of the huge pots... whether the people drawing to those hands knew it or not is a different matter. But I realized that I too would have the odds to make those calls when I had bottom pair or gutshots. Before I went back to the tables at night I came up with a few basics of loose games that helped my play
1) Adjust my game to the other players by paying close attention to the odds of each situation.
2) Implied odds require potential drawing hands pre-flop to need fewer opponents seeing the flop. For example, low pairs in early position are fine even if you think you'll only get 3 others to see the flop. By the end the pot will have almost 20 times the cost of the initial 1 bet investment.
3) Don't steam... I know, easier said than done. I need to remember that of course the fish will draw out on me, b/c they're always playing inferior hands. In the long run those bad calls will break them.

So with that in mind I went back to the tables and won back almost all I lost during the day. Half my winnings came from gutshots.

[lefty rosen]

Since you are new to this site you won't know the whackos who will draw with anything against an ace or loaded board, so your swings will be worse than somebody like me who has played on and off there for 4 months. Yeah if you know implied odds you can even chase third pair there the pots are so large(yikes) I have done this for some sweet checkraises on the turn when a nice over hits that gave me two pairs with my rag...... But like I said I generally avoid 8 caller tables, and stick to shorttables or 7 handed which at this chump place plays like a normal loose game....

[crockpot]

if you need any more advice or reminders about how to adjust your play in an ultra-loose game, try gary carson's "The Complete Book of Hold 'Em Poker", which is geared directly towards people who have that need. It helped me out a ton on the old Poker.com's 75%/flop games.

[lefty rosen]

Hey Rock what stakes were those games? Also do they still exist at that site?

[lunchmeat]

The old poker.com, now thepokerclub.com, has games pretty much the same as Pacific up to 5-10. The site has such low-traffic though that if you're uncomfortable playing shorthanded (like I am) it's hard to find a good game with a semi-full table.

Pot-limit hold 'em is the most popular game there. The players are loose and the pots are HUGE, so a decent pot-limit player should make a lot of $.

The site has fast software and bonuses galore. A decent shortanded 7 stud or O 8/B player can probably make a lot of $ playing these games because of 1) the poor competition and 2) a great shot at the various high hand bonuses (from $50- 250) b/c only 4 or 5 other people will sit at those tables the whole day.

[MS Sunshine]

"For example, low pairs in early position are fine even if you think you'll only get 3 others to see the flop."

I disagree with this statement. I realize that you make a case for higher implied odds. Playing small pairs upfront have so many problems that cost money VS 6-1 flop set that works out well. I want a couple limpers and better position to play these.

This isn't B&M where you might get the tell that someone will bet if checked to.

MS Sunshine

[Mavraam]

Pacific was the first place I played. I was cleaning up there mostly playing pairs and high suited connecters. Made a TON on nut flushes where 3 people would cap the betting on the river completely oblivious to the 3 or 4 suited cards on the table. I was amazed how often I could just bet out a good hand and have 2-3 chase me with 2 pair or LESS.

But the games are SOOOO slow. And there are a LOT of morons who get pissed off by check-raising etc and decide to 'get even' by betting up anyone who dares do that to them. That can queer the game awfully quick.

But once I started playing at Party Poker, I quickly decided to cash out at Pacific. The software at Party is 1000 times better and the games are just as soft. And you can get in about 50% more games per hour which of course increases your hourly rate. Plus there are WAY more games at Party so I can always find a full game. At Pacific, I had to play short-handed or move around a lot. And moving around means posting extra big blinds or waiting till the big blind comes around to you. Either of those things hurts your rate.