A trend I have been noticing

[smartalecc5]

When I started playing poker online abut a year ago, it was right after the WSOP and I'm not gonna lie, there were some really bad players playing. However, with the big boom poker has received - there are now lots of poker players who are competitive and are in it for the money (and fun also). People are no longer watching the WPT and signing up to play poker online anymore. Now, I beleive, players are researching the best way to play this game.

I was playing Cryptologic 1/2 and after this guy lost his K high flush to anothers A high flush I heard chat like this.
Player 1: "Bummer he lost his 2nd Nut flush"
Player 2: Thats what he deserves for playing K6s Under the Gun.
Player 3: Seriously, what is he thinking.
Player 2: It was not even right for him to call that down because of the reverse implied odds b/c the board paired the turn and the agressive betting there was.

Also, I have seen tons of conversations where guys are bragging about how their opponent stupidly called down their gutshot draw with 5-1 odds when they needed a 10.5-1 to call. It's not one guy either berating this noviced-player but much more than one guy all chiming in on the conversation.

Also, since when are Party Poker's .5/1 tables a rockfest. Everyone just folds the specualtive hands and makes it hard the pot to have dead money in it.

Basically, I think Poker is becoming and will become alot tougher to beat in the future - especially when we have community forums like this where we help out our opponents. Don't get me wrong, I love recieveing help from my hands - but have you ever wondered if you're losing money because you helped out your opponent?

Well, I thought I would just throw this idea out to you guys. What your stance on this?

[DrewOnTilt]

[ QUOTE ]
When I started playing poker online abut a year ago, it was right after the WSOP and I'm not gonna lie, there were some really bad players playing. However, with the big boom poker has received - there are now lots of poker players who are competitive and are in it for the money (and fun also). People are no longer watching the WPT and signing up to play poker online anymore. Now, I beleive, players are researching the best way to play this game.

I was playing Cryptologic 1/2 and after this guy lost his K high flush to anothers A high flush I heard chat like this.
Player 1: "Bummer he lost his 2nd Nut flush"
Player 2: Thats what he deserves for playing K6s Under the Gun.
Player 3: Seriously, what is he thinking.
Player 2: It was not even right for him to call that down because of the reverse implied odds b/c the board paired the turn and the agressive betting there was.

Also, I have seen tons of conversations where guys are bragging about how their opponent stupidly called down their gutshot draw with 5-1 odds when they needed a 10.5-1 to call. It's not one guy either berating this noviced-player but much more than one guy all chiming in on the conversation.

Also, since when are Party Poker's .5/1 tables a rockfest. Everyone just folds the specualtive hands and makes it hard the pot to have dead money in it.

Basically, I think Poker is becoming and will become alot tougher to beat in the future - especially when we have community forums like this where we help out our opponents. Don't get me wrong, I love recieveing help from my hands - but have you ever wondered if you're losing money because you helped out your opponent?

Well, I thought I would just throw this idea out to you guys. What your stance on this?

[/ QUOTE ]

All this means is that you will have to adjust your playing style. Players who talk about pot odds, etc. at the table usually know just enough to be dangerous to themselves. Use that information to beat them.

There will always be fish. The lake may not stay as well stocked as it is now, but there will always be poor players. The face of the game will change as time goes by, but in the long run there will always be weakies.

[MicroBob]

[ QUOTE ]

Player 2: It was not even right for him to call that down because of the reverse implied odds b/c the board paired the turn and the agressive betting there was.

[/ QUOTE ]


Without having seen the hand I doubt this was an accurate assessment.


I'm not a big fan of Kxs in EP....but it's not completely awful (it's bad....but it's not cap-with-72o bad). But once he has the flush-draw I doubt that the betting was so strong that it wasn't worth pursuing to the end.


Agreed that most people who speak in such a manner can often be dangerous to themselves and just aren't very good.
If other players get better all you have to do is study a bit more and get better than them.

Regardless of how tight and rockish (sometimes known as 'passive) my opponents become I have enough confidence in myself to know that I'm generally smarter than the average bear.
If I'm smarter than enough of my opponents then I should still be able to find ways to win.

This isn't even addressing other aspects like the many players with discipline problems and those who play drunk.... as well as the variety of games that are out there (from NL to SNG's to MTT's to Omaha, etc etc).

[joker122]

i've noticed the typical online game has become tougher in the last 12 months or so, but not to the point where they aren't beatable for alot of money.

[Tailgunner]

I tend to think that the more exposure and popularity the game gets the more likely it is to draw new crops year after year.. as the "Moneymaker syndrome" is repeated, and it will be again and again in time, it's only going to encourage all types of players (and most of them won't be world class) to think that it's not just a fluke, but there really is a chance they can win the big one.

Sure, the the competition will probably drift away from the abundance of fish (so juicy sweet), but I think that will just leave a larger population of mediocre players from which a true pro can maintain a lucrative lifestyle.

In my experience those who tend to be really vocal in criticizing another, especially if they rattle off technical terms, are lacking in wisdom or self-esteem. Why begin, or perpetuate, a conversation about a poor players' mistakes when I can be analyzing the reason why (s)he made the choices (s)he did and figuring out how to use that to my advantage? I bet half my stack and player folds.. I show my bluff.. "WHAT A MORON"... Hmm, I won. Guess it wasn't that stupid after all. Instead of berating me, he should have been thinking about all the other possible reasons I might have made such a move (could it be that you showed a pattern in your betting and I smelled second pair on a draw that I could probably scare off with my carefully crafted tight image? Nah..).

Rockfests are fun. Ever kick a rock? When was the last time it kicked back? Slaughter them with a couple nut hands and they'll fold to you all night. Get caught bluffing and draw them out where they're not comfortable playing. I could go on, but I won't (see next point.)

I don't mind helping others improve, because a tougher field only challenges me to improve my game. I know that others will be there to help me improve myself if I'm genuine and honest in my advice. I never reveal *all* my strategy... and when I suggest solid tactics, it strengthens that way of thinking and gives me a firm foundation on which to build the next level, keeping me one step ahead. At worst, I finally hear how stupid I am.

But that's just me.

[Zetack]

I've been venturin down to .5/1.00 fairly regularly recently when I need hands to clear bonus's and I don't feel like playing serious poker (or its a skin I don't have rakeback on). To call it a rockfest is to say that you don't excersize table selection.

There's no particular need to ever be on a table with a VPIP less than 35 and a pot size less than 8 BB's. And if you want to stay on even better tables than that its not that hard.

--Zetack