At what level does online become real poker?

[Absolution]

I'm sick of freerolls and play money because it's basically luck no matter how you play it, and there is no chance to use real strategy. I'm weary of stepping up to real money games though online because I hear low limit is the same deal. At what level do you think it becomes less gambling and more skill?

[umdpoker]

a winning player uses skill at every level. the only thing that changes are the skills needed to beat that level. to beat low level, all you really need to know is how to use pot and implied odds, and some hand reading. bet when you got it, fold when you don't. believe it or not, that is a skill most do not have.

[Webster]

Well - I've played LIVE games at 5/10 that are WAY WAY worse then .5/1 online.

Unless you live in LV I think online players may be better then LIVE players

[Hiding]

Real or online,against a bad player whats the difference? You are going to have to showdown the best hand.

[1800GAMBLER]

Fake money is skill to beat. I'm serious. It's the easiest game to beat also. If you can't beat that you aren't going to beat real money and if you can't put up with swings in fake money you aren't fit for real money poker.

[The Dude]

[ QUOTE ]
and there is no chance to use real strategy

[/ QUOTE ]
Hand selection, patience, discipline, reading the board, guaging hand strength vs. possible hands, etc. These are all REAL skills you must develop before you will succeed at ANY level.

Play money games are the easiest to beat in terms of BB/ hr. If you don't have the discipline and basic knowledge to beat these tables, you won't beat other games. I don't understand how you think playing vs. better opponents for real money is going to make your win rate go up!

[James282]

Play money games and even the 1/2 penny games are considerably different. I saw the 5/10 tables on party with average pots of 950. That is 95 big bets, on average. Even the loosest .5/1 games won't have pots over 15 big bets as an average very often.
-James

[The Dude]

[ QUOTE ]
I saw the 5/10 tables on party with average pots of 950. That is 95 big bets, on average.

[/ QUOTE ]
You are mistaken. No PartyPoker table at any level averages 95 BB/ hand. You would need 8 players at each street for 4 bets to get to 95 BB/ hand. No table on any site at any time has averaged anywhere close to that.

Check again.

[umdpoker]

i think he was referring to play money, and i could see a table full of tilters with nothing real to lose just goin nuts for enough hands to bring the avg that high.

[aas]

Skill is involved at any level when real money is involved.

aas.