Question for the online elves

[SA125]

Lots of posters here swear by online play. Where's there's smoke there's usually fire, so I figure the masses must be right.

I'd like to hear the opinion of what you think these stats and results say. I think they're contradictory, but I haven't played 20,000 hands like most of you. Only 3000.

I wanted to ease my way in, started with $300 and played a total of 8 sessions.
3-6 won $150
5-10 won $300
5-10 lost $350
5-10 lost $400

In B&M I get on the layup line at 5-10 and go to 10-20 when the horn sounds. I can't remember the last time I was taken down to the felt twice in such a short time, let alone back to back. Lost yeah. Lost every buy-in? Got to get used to online.

5-10 lost $300
5-10 lost $300
3-6 lost $300
3-6 lost $300

No, I don't have trust fund.

I e-mail them and say I stopped going broke at 5-10 a long time ago, let alone 3-6. You've screwed me for the last time.

They respond with these stats. Over the last 2000 hands I saw the flop 265 from the blind and 288 other for 553 flops seen out of 2000. That's 27%. I won 89 out of 197 showdowns, 45%, and 95 without one.

That's 184 pots won out of 553 flops seen for 33%. It looks like I'm seeing less than 1/3 of the flops, inlcuding the blinds, and winning 1/3 of the flops I see. Where is the recipe in there for going broke?

For the elves, here's the best part and believe me it's true. After corresponding with their guy twice, but before getting the stats, I knew I couldn't quit on a loss and played again last night and this morning.

Last night won $150 in 2 hours at 3-6.
This morning won $65 in 1 hour at 5-10.

God's honest truth. God's..honest..truth. Pass the tin foil.

BTW - Here's a sampling of my play from this morning, 5-10. Maybe 1 or 2 loops so far, no real read and I open raise UTG+1 with AKo. MP 3 bets and SB calls.
Flop A99 two tone
ch, ch (I know, looking to c/r may be bad, etc) MP bets and SB c/r!! HELLO. My thought process in a nutshell is some good can probably happen and maybe a lot more bad. I wither away meekly and FOLD.
MP calls. Turn and river xx. SB shows AQ and MP AK. So tight I missed a split. Big sh*t. It could'a been worse.

I was impressed with that SB move but didn't want to get caught in the cross fire with a paired board, draw out there and all cards in the zone. Shoot me.

[CrackerZack]

When you finally figure out that most online players are completely nuts, maybe you'll do better. Then again, maybe highly aggressive to stupidly aggressive games and players don't fit with your natural style and you can't win in those games. If so, play lower online or play elsewhere. I suggest True Poker. In highly aggressive games, going to the felt quickly isn't real hard if you're running bad. Especially when you take a beat and get that tilt twinge. Your sample size is waaaaaaay to small to tell anything. Astroglide probably has 9 million hands online, maybe he can give stats about how frequently he gets hand XX, flops sets, draws, etc.

[Ulysses]

Sounds like you're not very good at online poker.

[Rushmore]

1-800-GAMBLER.

"Couldn't quit on a loss," indeed.

[SoBeDude]

Hi SA,

Stats can't tell the whole picture, and they can be deceiving.

If you're losing huge pots and winning small ones, your stats could completely hide this fact.

There have been huge winning nights where I'm only winning 4-5% of my hands, and losing nights when I'm winning 12% of my hands (although this is not the norm).

Are you ramming and jamming with the second best hand frequently? are you paying off too many turn check-raises and raises with just a pair?

You need to evaluate your actual hands played and find your leaks.

Remember that due to the increased rate of play, leaks become more noticeable online in a hurry.

Best of luck!

-Scott

[Ulysses]

Upon further reflection, I've decided that you rule at poker and online poker is rigged.

[Duke]

A few thoughts.

1. Your results say nothing about your play, other than that you're playing far too many hands.

2. You're weak-loose.

3. Your swings aren't extreme either way given your sample size.

4. I think the main problem is that you're playing more hands than you're used to in casinos so your weaknesses are showing more quickly.

Advice? Tighten up. A lot. Don't dump AK because a guy raised on an A99 flop.

~D

[rory]

27% of your hands is too much for a full ring game. Get it down to at least 18%.

[wateronrock]

I'd start with seeing the flop 27% of the time. I probably see 14%-17% of the flops at 15$-30$. You better be a talented player if you plan on playing that many hands... not many are.

[turnipmonster]

[ QUOTE ]
27% of your hands is too much for a full ring game. Get it down to at least 18%.

[/ QUOTE ]

really? I'm generally always right around 20% or so, and I feel like I play pretty tight.

--turnipmonster