Should I be online?

[Anastasia]

My friends in my usual game say that online poker is really easy.
Should I be playing on the net? Is it safe?? Is Mike Caros room a good room to play in? What stops people from using two computers in one game?

Lots of questions but the FAQ didn't seem to help and I'm not really sure what to search for.

Thanks to anyone who helps.

Annie

[uuDevil]

My friends in my usual game say that online poker is really easy.

For me, this is only sometimes true.... /images/graemlins/wink.gif

Should I be playing on the net? Is it safe?? Is Mike Caros room a good room to play in? What stops people from using two computers in one game?

Only you can judge-- try microlimits til you feel comfortable or decide it's not worth it. It seems somewhat safe at the moment, but who knows for sure? Protect yourself. Do your homework. Read posts here. Do some searches.

I don't know about Caro's site.

Online there are many ways to cheat. Fortunately many cheats are not very good at it. If you detect it, you may be able to get a site to repay a loss. The games seem to be good despite this. Again, see posts on this site.

Lots of questions but the FAQ didn't seem to help and I'm not really sure what to search for.

You're right, the FAQ is completely inadequate. Search for collusion and cheating. Pay attention to posts by MS Sunshine, Lori, and GrannieMae among others-- after a while it's not hard to tell who is trustworthy and who is not.

Good Luck, have fun, and welcome to the forum. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

[JAque]

Hello Anastasia:

Those are all valid concerns that we all have. However, if you stay with the major casinos (UB, Paradise, Pokestars, Party , Planet) you can assume that they are trying to catch colluders and cheaters.

My suggestion is that you sign up with one of the them that has micro limits (.10/.20) and get your feet wet. Once you feel that can beat those games and the get used to the online enviroment you can try for higher limits.

good luck

JAque

[sumdumguy]

No. You should not be playing online The rakes are too high. You are better off playing in Los Angeles, Toronto, or New York where they rake 1%, cap the rake at $1, and tipping the dealer is forbiden.

If action and a reasonable rake is what you want, you should play at Pokerstars, one of the best and most stable software around. Many games, great action and a reasonable rake. You'll love it! Their standard site-user agreement states specifically: no tight asses allowed. I personally have had a Pokerstars account for years, and spend much of my free time there. Unfortunately, I haven't had much free time to go around lately.

If having the absolute best software and security is your thing, then play at Paradise Poker. They guarantee no collusion at their tables. I once set up a network at a friend's house and we played with two computers side by side, off the same router/internet connection. Fearing possible security issues with the site, I emailed Paradise, and informed them that we accidentally ended up at the same poker table. They responded in their usual very quick fashion, assuring me that their anti-collusion software is the best in the industry and so sophisticated, that they were not in the least bit concerned about the fact that we were in the same room, occupying two seats at the same table, and able to see each other's cards! This clearly indicates they have superior software and security features, not to mention speedy and well informed customer support staff. Alas, that was 2003, maybe they are less secure now about their software and don't let you play with two computers side by side anymore. I used to spend much free time here also, but like all good things, there just isn't as much to go around anymore.

If you like soft, passive, easily beatable games, I'd go play at Ultimate Bet. They have no props in their games, the highest flop percentage, very little aggression and no tricky players. Did I mention great software, big pots, and many calling stations? The games are so good, a friend of mine this summer asked me to take some shifts on his prop account because he was getting sick of the totally awesome games he was working. He's a wonderful friend, always with my best interests in mind. I have no idea why I declined.

But if you want to test your skills, and pride is a major issue, give Party a try. You'll never beat the rake. The flop percentage is in the low 20's and average pot sizes are often around 5 big bets. If you can beat the Party game for more than 1/2 a big bet per hour, you are destined to be a future WSOP champion. It is a great training ground for wanna be professionals, but your pride might be bruised along the way by the toughest players in the world. Did I mention no marketing efforts, unbeatable rakes, and a very small pool of regulars that are tough players? They are so cheap in fact, that instead of investing in quality anit-collusion software like Paradise, they simply made it impossible for two people to play at the same table if they are connect from the same network or have ever played from the same computer. In fairness, they did invest heavily in a sophisticated email server that even replies to your emails, letting you know that support did not receive your email.

Oh yeah! As you come back to check on replies to your post, you should expect about 2.567 x 10^4456937539 PM's in your 2+2 mailbox from genuinely concerned individuals seeking to ensure you are properly affiliated and set up to enjoy and benefit from your poker play time - for the life of your account no less. If you were kind enough to include your email address in your personal profile, expect your ISP to begin charging you extra for handling excessive spam.

Don't do anything silly like click on the banners on this site to support the wonderful people that brought you these forums or published the books that taught you how to begin beating the toughest games on the toughest site, Party. Instead, become involved with one of these genuinely concerned individuals that have your best interests in mind, having nothing to gain personally, and that pay a premium for forum hosting, search engine optimization, and spend countless hours research cutting edge poker theory, in order to deliver the most for the least to you, personally.

Welcome to 2+2. And just ignore everything above. /images/graemlins/smile.gif