Do you think this will help or hurt my poker game?

VoraciousReader · #1 06-10-2005, 08:21 PM

This post is homeless, if you think it would be more appropriate for another forum, please advise.

My college roommate has moved back to town after 4 years away. We're very close. I discovered poker very recently... I think I played for the first time (freeplay) in December, and fell completely, hopelessly in love with the game. ANYWAY, she absolutely will not go to a casino where she would be playing with real money, but thinks it would be a fun thing for us to do together to join a local amateur poker league where you play for points.

I am torn. I play about twice a week at the riverboat casinos and often clear about $2-400 in profit playing 3/6.
Online, I play .50/1 and STTs and, while I've cashed out twice and tripled my original bankroll, I have no illusions about the fact that I am a barely mediocre poker player at this point. Maybe not even mediocre. That's okay, because I enjoy it and have dedicated myself to becoming better at it, and I see progress in my game.

On the one hand, it would be nice to have a friend to share my interest in poker. (My boyfriend really wishes I would go on a huge losing streak, and not be able to continue.) On the other hand, I'm a little concerned that people freeplaying for points and essentially meaningless "standings" might play differently enough from people playing for money that it might encourage me in bad habits that I'm actively working on eliminating. Or, it could just be practice in adapting my game to the table I'm sitting at. I can't decide which. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

The bottom line is I'm not that good, and I want to be plugging leaks in my game, not drilling new ones. Plus, I'm not wild about the idea of possibly giving up one of my $250+ evenings at the casino to go play somewhere that I win no money and have to pay for food and drink. Essentially, the only reason I would do this is to spend time with my friend. (Spending time with her is very much +EV.)

Any thoughts as to whether this could hurt me? Or is even being concerned about that an indicator that I should give up now and go back to playing Crazy Eights?

Jimmy The Fish · #2 06-10-2005, 08:52 PM

There are a lot of people who do really silly things in free poker tournaments. Expect to play correctly and get busted by someone who goes all in preflop with 8-4o. If you can handle that, and not let it infect your game, then it shouldn't hurt you to play for points.

I have the feeling that you're going to get a lot of propositions in this thread from single guys who would love to help you "chip up" in the boyfriend department. [img]/images/graemlins/cool.gif[/img]

cha59 · #3 06-10-2005, 08:54 PM

Regarding the possibility of playing against people who don't care much about their play because it isn't real money:

I think it can only help your game to learn how to beat all kinds of players, including this type. I don't think it will create holes in your game as long as you realize you need to play different in different situations.

The way I see it, it can plug holes in your game if you use it as a learning experience.

other1 · #4 06-10-2005, 08:58 PM

Hmm.. A girl who likes to play poker and wins. My advice would be to keep playing for money, and marry me. [img]/images/graemlins/shocked.gif[/img]

Ok, seriously.. I think playing online for fun is a total waste.. It doesnt even resemble real poker. I would imagine people in the league are more serious, but its still not the same. Probably more useful for learnng, and sounds like you would enjoy it, but.. You have to make sure you don't play for money like you do for fun. If you play for fun like you do for money I think you'll be ok. Hope that made sense..

The4Aces · #5 06-10-2005, 08:59 PM

amature poker leauge orginanated in my town. People here are pretty serious about it. Most people are horrible but some are pretty good.

VoraciousReader · #6 06-11-2005, 02:36 AM

Thanks everybody. I think I can handle the beats like 84o...I see those on Stars all the time [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] Just got knocked out by 62o that called a preflop raise and reraise.

I like the point about playing for points like I'm playing for cash, not the other way around. When I first got into poker it was at the play money tables...and I carried some of that over into real $...not good. That experience contributed to my concern. But, speaking objectively, I'm a much better player than I was 4 months ago. (I'm still lousy...I'm just really good at finding people more lousy than me and taking their money.)

I really appreciate all your responses (I almost deleted the thread right after I posted it because it seemed too fluffy.)

For now I'm keeping my boyfriend, other1, but tell you what...if my friend turns out to be any good I'll tell her to give you a holla. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

xniNja · #7 06-11-2005, 04:11 AM

I think it's more likely to hurt your game than help it. I only play for play-money or equivalent if it's a new game that I'm learning. I'm sure some will say any and all experience must help your game, but the fact that you have doubts and realize that it could negatively impact your game, should suggest otherwise. That's just my opinion.

Edit: Also, you'll find that in each level you move up, you have to re-learn many aspects of the game. For example, a 3-6 game is so much different than a 10-20 game that it really requires adaptation and almost relearning of the game as a whole. I think this could be seen as a digression.

lemonPeel · #8 06-11-2005, 07:41 AM

[ QUOTE ]
This post is homeless, if you think it would be more appropriate for another forum, please advise.

My college roommate has moved back to town after 4 years away. We're very close. I discovered poker very recently... I think I played for the first time (freeplay) in December, and fell completely, hopelessly in love with the game. ANYWAY, she absolutely will not go to a casino where she would be playing with real money, but thinks it would be a fun thing for us to do together to join a local amateur poker league where you play for points.

I am torn. I play about twice a week at the riverboat casinos and often clear about $2-400 in profit playing 3/6.
Online, I play .50/1 and STTs and, while I've cashed out twice and tripled my original bankroll, I have no illusions about the fact that I am a barely mediocre poker player at this point. Maybe not even mediocre. That's okay, because I enjoy it and have dedicated myself to becoming better at it, and I see progress in my game.

On the one hand, it would be nice to have a friend to share my interest in poker. (My boyfriend really wishes I would go on a huge losing streak, and not be able to continue.) On the other hand, I'm a little concerned that people freeplaying for points and essentially meaningless "standings" might play differently enough from people playing for money that it might encourage me in bad habits that I'm actively working on eliminating. Or, it could just be practice in adapting my game to the table I'm sitting at. I can't decide which. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

The bottom line is I'm not that good, and I want to be plugging leaks in my game, not drilling new ones. Plus, I'm not wild about the idea of possibly giving up one of my $250+ evenings at the casino to go play somewhere that I win no money and have to pay for food and drink. Essentially, the only reason I would do this is to spend time with my friend. (Spending time with her is very much +EV.)

Any thoughts as to whether this could hurt me? Or is even being concerned about that an indicator that I should give up now and go back to playing Crazy Eights?

[/ QUOTE ]

Are you worrying that playing with bad players is going to make you a worse player? Is that the point of this post? If that is in fact the case, I would be one of the worst players ever! I always choose the game with absolutely the most horrid players and I mop it up, sure it might take a while, but in the end the chips all come my way. The only thing that can make you a worse player is yourself, not other players bad judgement!

AAquadsAA · #9 06-11-2005, 09:10 AM

[/ QUOTE ]Are you worrying that playing with bad players is going to make you a worse player? Is that the point of this post? If that is in fact the case, I would be one of the worst players ever! I always choose the game with absolutely the most horrid players and I mop it up, sure it might take a while, but in the end the chips all come my way. The only thing that can make you a worse player is yourself, not other players bad judgement!

[/ QUOTE ]

this is tru to an extent. if you are concerned with plugging leaks then the only way to get better is to play against good players period.(with a few fish thrown in of course) dont be content with beating the $3/6 for $300 a week, if feel you can move up you should do so.(when your bankroll can afford it) there will be bad players at all levels of the game. if there werent, people would not consistantly make money at all levels. remeber you cant perform more advanced "moves" against bad players. so if these are your leaks then you must play against good players.

lemonPeel · #10 06-11-2005, 10:15 AM

[ QUOTE ]

[/ QUOTE ]Are you worrying that playing with bad players is going to make you a worse player? Is that the point of this post? If that is in fact the case, I would be one of the worst players ever! I always choose the game with absolutely the most horrid players and I mop it up, sure it might take a while, but in the end the chips all come my way. The only thing that can make you a worse player is yourself, not other players bad judgement!

[/ QUOTE ]

this is tru to an extent. if you are concerned with plugging leaks then the only way to get better is to play against good players period.(with a few fish thrown in of course) dont be content with beating the $3/6 for $300 a week, if feel you can move up you should do so.(when your bankroll can afford it) there will be bad players at all levels of the game. if there werent, people would not consistantly make money at all levels. remeber you cant perform more advanced "moves" against bad players. so if these are your leaks then you must play against good players.

[/ QUOTE ]

That is probably true, but I don't think she's going to get any worse staying at the same limit or playing vs inexperienced or just bad opponents.