[SpeakEasy]

Anyone have this problem?

I’ve been studying and playing a lot in the last 12-18 months, like a lot of you posting on these boards. More online practice in the evening after the kids are in bed, and a few more visits (about monthly) to the local poker room at the 15-30 and no-limit games.

I’m kickin’ ass at the live games with consistent and very profitable sessions, but I suddenly SUCK at online play. Online, I suddenly can’t money in a SNG to save my life, and I completely flounder along in online cash games. I need to see the players and read their tells to get an idea of hand strength. Online, it feels like I’m betting in a complete void -- I have no idea who these people are, how they play, if they're nervous, what they do when they bluff, and I can’t see them to get any clue about their play. I’ve suddenly realized that I need to SEE the people I’m playing with to play effectively. Just a quick look at a person gives me a lot of potential clues to how they might play (old or young, neat or messy, quiet or talkative, drunk or sober, nervous or calm, eye contact -- these simple characteristics give me LOTS of information).

Its as if live play is crippling my ability to play online. This is probably a good thing in the long run, because (in my view) poker is made for people sitting at a table, not at a computer. Maybe this is a signal that a player is ready for the "next step" in live games. This make practice on the computer very frustrating. But you can get in so many hands in a short time online, its such a valuable practice tool. Unfortunately, I can't get to the poker room all that often, with a job, family, etc.