online holdem

I play live poker and more often than not win.

About a year ago i decided to try online holdem.

Ive read the books and play a fairly consertive game.Online i tried the same things i do live and I could not sustain any kind of winning percentage.So i tried everything from ultra consertive to ultra stupid the only thing i noticed is that online it does not make much of a difference when you start to run hot you will hit anything your dealt and if your cold you will hit on nothing no matter what.Overall it seems impossible to sustain a win over more than a couple of sessions and in the long run its a sure thing to lose.i am definitely open for response on any views comparing live to online.

Kinda ended up with the same feelings. It may be that when I gear up and go to a B&M I am more ready to play than when I can sit every night in my basement and do it, but I can't seem to have a positive increase in my roll when playing online.


I see horrible play, but can't seem to come out ahead. I have also run into buzz-saws at limits I would not expect. I have had monumental runs or both can't lose and can't win, but the long-term has been at best a flat trend.


I think it may boil down to online play being a very particularized and specialized type of poker. If you can get the skill set (which is slightly different that pure, B&M poker) I think you can be a winner. I have been frustrated though and dumped out of online games altogether as a result of that frustration. I cashed out ahead for my 8 months of play, but just barely and probably at the rate of .0005 BB/hr. I think a big part of it was the distractions at home and the inability to fully concentrate on the game that may have been the problem. Part of it I am convinced is also a small percentage (perhaps very small) of colluding, just enough to eat into that thin margin of playability you need in a game. No real proof, just a gut feeling. Combine that with some very good players at these sites and it is recipe for trouble.


Ah well. Enough rambling from me.

I think on-line it is much easier to win $$ because you get dealt twice as many hands, can play multiple tables and don't have to toke.


However, at any given limit, the on-line version is typically much tougher than the B&M version of the same limit.


It is also a different animal in that there are not people around. For some, responding rapidly to flashes of light, clicks and beeps works great, for others it totally throws off their game.


The bottom line is the question, "why do I play poker?" For many, their answer involves things that on-line play cannot deliver. This makes it both un-fun and probably affects their game.


Good luck be it on-line or in the B&M, play where you want for the reasons you want!


Paul Talbot

i agree 100%...


i started at B&M. playing low limit (3-6) after about 30 sessions i was up $500 or so (not excellent by any means, but i was just starting)


then i moved to online, instantly picked up on numerous betting tells, began profiling players, keeping databases etc. i have gone on to win many $1000 at online poker, and actually doubled my winnings by participating in all the affiliate programs to get new players in the site.


the last *8* sessions at bay 101 (the local B&M) have resulted in loss. probably around $1000 leaving down $500 at bay. I have developed the skill set necessary for online pay, and lost my skillset for B&M. i have been concentrating at the differences but have given up after the last 5 failed attempts at strategy changes.

I think part of the reason online has become tougher is because of the many credit cards that can no longer be used and US legality questions.

If the fish can't get in as easy, you have to battle the sharks and the colluders. I have won 1BB/hr online for a couple years, but recently I am having a very hard time maintaining that earn.

i have kept records of how loose games are at Commerce by recording # of people seeing flops. In 15/30 and 20/40, its about 3.7-4.0 out of 9 players. At Paradise, they tell you the number of players that see the flop out of 10 players at every table. To get games as loose as Commerce, you need to play 2-4. All bigger games are tighter, and anything above 5/10 is so tight that I believe it is not worth playing. 20/40 usually is about 2.0-2.5 which means the average hand is played by only the blinds or one player and one blind.

What is exactly is B&M poker? Also, I hear people referring to a certain player as the "cutoff". What exactly is the cutoff?

Hey y-train...


B&M refers to "bricks & mortar" cardrooms/casinos, as opposed to online cardrooms/casinos.


The cutoff is the position one off the button.


Hope that helps...JAA

Thanks for the answer, but why is the position one off the dealer known as the cutoff? I thought it would be a position that is borderline middle/late position or early/middle position.

Another advantage is the low rake. Rake is at least 50% lower than most B&M card rooms (Bellagio and Mirage excluded, they are reasonable)

Even at micro limit (50 cents/$1), the average number of players to see the flop is 3 to 4.

[Jimbo]

When you bet one off the button you are attempting both to cutoff all action behind you and steal (or cutoff) the button so you now have the best position.

Jimbo