How do you guys do in online poker?

[tpaine07]

I was curious to see what peoples thoughts are reguarding online poker. I have played on pokerstars, paradise poker and titan poker. I think im going to end up closing out all 3 of those accounts (none really have much left in them). What usually happens when I open a new account is I do well for the first week or so then it all just crashes down. My most recent opened account was on Titan Poker, they had nice bonuses, ect so I decided I would join. I did well the first few days on Sit N Go's, then lost about 50% of my total account in cash games and decided I'd have no more of that. My AA/KK, ect kept getting cracked by lower pocket pairs at an incredible right. So I started playing SNG's again and brought my account up nicely in 2 days, almost doubling what I originally bought in for. Ever since then, Ive lost every SNG the same way. People backdooring flushes... 2 of a suit on flop and someone runner runnering 2 more of that suit after calling my all in with me way ahead in the hand.

Now I know this may sound like im just venting/complaining and maybe I am, but I honestly can't take this anymore and I was wondering if anyone else has had the same experiences with me with online poker. It's like I go into a tournament knowing im going to lose via bad beat everytime.


I dont feel like I am a great player by any means, but in normal live games I can usually come out ahead. I just feel like no matter how good I play online, I always end up getting screwed. For those of you who can consistently make money, I applaud you.



Im eager to hear what you all have to say about this topic.

 

[SpursDynasty]

I try to tell myself online poker is not rigged, and keep remembering the notion "theres a lot more hands which means more bad beats"... but after my experience of long time playing online, somethigns fishy.

While some people can make a living off online poker, it is not for all people. And just like for internet players, when they go out at the casino, they suck. They are easy to read, and they don't have the in-person experience, which is a factor in hold'em.


For me, it seems online that most of the time bad players are getting rewarded much more often than do people with the best hand. I never can make a steady income with No limit poker on the internet. In real life casinos, I can. Reason for this may be I am more disclipline in person, no distractions, I play higher limits thus making me concentrate more, can read people, and have more fun in real person poker. Online for me, is just not my thing. I play way to loose and not my game. And the more and more you see outrageous flops, runner-runners, and bogus things it just makes you want to throw out the laptop on the street.

I only play online poker with good deposit bonuses and withdrawing requirements. I stick to real life poker, as it is more profitable for me. Don't have to worry about someones 4 of a kind 8's beating your trip A's.

 

[dawgball]

I have found where I need to play. I don't play this to make money, so I don't mind playing in the smaller SNGs. I cash in about 75% of the 1 table $5 sit n gos, but obviously that still doesn't equate to much. But when I venture out to multi-tables SNGs or higher buy-ins, my cash rate is dramatically lower.

So it makes more sense for me to stay where it is profitable even though the profits are small. I play mainly at Poker Stars.

Cards have been coming pretty well lately cashing in my last 7 one table tourneys and winning 4 of them. That could make a reversal any day, though. I only play 1-2 tourneys a week as well.

 

[jcjrbowl]

well I for one have to believe its not fixed but very unusual I have lost my last 8 SNGs with all in bets preflop with AA or KK and been called by players without a pair or suited cards and lost I will never deposit money but the free roll cash I win I just play with and I have done ok but in the long run I will stick to live games

 

[Blazer]

I agree with Dawgball.

I play online for fun, not for profit. I am up overall, but not very profitable if my time were considered.

I like the pokerstars $10 sng's best. I play bigger tourneys for fun, but I usually languish around the bubble or the small cashers.

I think online poker has to be judged differently than live poker. Much like the comparison between NL and limit, the differences between online and live make them two completely different tasks.

I have found three facts in online poker that make it different:
1.) the A/rag is very popular online. Much more popular than in the live game. If I get a TT/JJ/QQ/KK I always play with a greater concern towards the A.
2.) "All-in" is overused in the online game. From fishing for flushes or gut shot straights, the smaller investment and the lack of a "walk of shame" (getting up and walking away form the table when you are out of chips) makes online players more likely to attempt to scare you off a hand by going all-in.
3.) What can you really tell? The only information you have on a player is a location, avatar, chip stack, table position, bet (frequency and amount) and maybe chat.
The best judge of those is the chat. I think an entire book could be written on deciphering a persons chat on a site. Just think of the prejudging done here about people based on their posts. Am I the only one surprised to see how old Scott-Atlanta was? But I digress, if there is no chat to view....the best tell is table position.

After three rotations, one can tell who is playing position and who isn't. If an online player uses position, they are usually sharper than average.

Ok, back to work.....:fit01:

 

[tpaine07]

And the more and more you see outrageous flops, runner-runners, and bogus things it just makes you want to throw out the laptop on the street.

trust me, I know this feeling.

 

[Penguinfan]

On-line poker is not rigged, nobody has ever been cheated and collusion only exists in the very highest games so you shouldn't worry about it.

Reguards,
The Rake

 

[countinguy]

Tpaine if you are better at playing sit n go's than cash. I would stick just w/that. Cash can destroy u in 2 secs. Hear is something I have been doing on sit n go's and multi, never risk more than 5 percent of your bankroll in the account on any tourneys, that way u won't go broke. Your bankroll won't go up as fast, but it will not break u either. I have been trying to stick w/that concept when I am playing, even anymore when I play cash I won't buy in for more than 5 percent of bankroll.

GL TO U!!

There is alot of money to made on the internet, but I have found live cash games much more profitable for me. But to each his own.

 

[smurphy]

You have to be a tremendous player to make money over the long haul. Not because the competetion is necessarily very good, but the rake taken in really adds up. I'm slightly above average (or was anyway), but that means losing in the long run. Bad beats are part of the game - and they can be overcome as long as your not throwing all that extra juice every game.

A friend of mine makes a living a t online poker and live tournaments. He devotes his life to it, however. He has software that constantly monitors games and tracks habits of every player registered. He can pick and choose what tables to play based on a quick popup letting him know what kind of players are there. Of course he's playing 6 tables simultaneously as well in order to keep as constant of a % going as possible.

I think it's pretty similar to sports wagering. You get out of it what you put in. In order to really be profitable, you have to treat it like an important job.

 

[AU2001]

I do really well online. Up over $10,000 in the past year or so. But hands are definitely fishy, especially on party poker. I hate that site. America's card room is where I play now, and I have found it much more profitable.

Patience and the ability to lay down a high pocket pair is the key. Online sites will crush AA or KK or QQ if you try to slow play.

 

[blgstocks]

You have to be a tremendous player to make money over the long haul. Not because the competetion is necessarily very good, but the rake taken in really adds up. I'm slightly above average (or was anyway), but that means losing in the long run. Bad beats are part of the game - and they can be overcome as long as your not throwing all that extra juice every game.

A friend of mine makes a living a t online poker and live tournaments. He devotes his life to it, however. He has software that constantly monitors games and tracks habits of every player registered. He can pick and choose what tables to play based on a quick popup letting him know what kind of players are there. Of course he's playing 6 tables simultaneously as well in order to keep as constant of a % going as possible.

I think it's pretty similar to sports wagering. You get out of it what you put in. In order to really be profitable, you have to treat it like an important job.

Excellent realistic post. Love the avatar too.
Me personally I can play poker in casinos and do well enough at it. Online poker though is only for the most discipline of discipline. I played twice. I was up after the first time for about 30 minutes. Next time i played i found myself looking at movies on netflix and talking to freinds and not even paying attention. Got a bad beat and just chased it. Like it was all play money.

Heres the deal, anybody can be very good at online poker and make prolly 10-15k a year. BUT you have to be devoted hardcorejust like murphys freind to make anymore. You cant expect to consistently beat players that are playing in the bigger 50-100 limits because how many of those are scrubs? VERY FEW. So your grinding out a little bit of living doing nothing but living your life watching animated hands and a lady with big tits and a grandma and that texas guy and the business guy, you guys have seen the different generic folks.

Like the other posters say, do it for fun not profit. If you are the man to do it for profit, trust me you would know, cause there aint many that can sit at there computer month after month all day long. For me at least that aint a way to live. I already spend way to much time on this forum as it is!
Best of luck though

 

[saint]

I have to admit it but I'm a lowly bonus whore at poker sites. With that said, I'm up over 7g since starting at the end of Sept with a 300$ bankroll. Have an acct for me and my fiance, and a friend...all w/distinct netellers. Will bounce from site to site, etc. Party is a bunch of idiots, believe it or not. Many times they will have reload bonuses that aren't accoutn specific and have 5-7 codes, so I can get 500 per account and just grind out the hands at 1/2 or whatever. Yes, I know most will say I screw the regular player, etc. But if those sites are going to leave themselves open to it there are plenty like myself that take advantage. I'm on track to cash in at about 15g in a years time so it's worth it to me.

 

[NySportsfan]

good thread, I agree with you tpaine, it seems to always go well at first, and then it goes bad, Ive run up 300 into 1k in 1/2 NL, then lost it all back, ring games are real streaky, and you get people buying in for the min $40 and betting it all on one hand, flop was once 2,6,7 I had pocket 6s bet big got pushed I called, he had you guessed it pocket 7s, but I digress
...SNG's I like, but I dont like the setups, I mean turbos go so fast it becomes an all in contest once 6 people are left, and the regulars everyone folds once it gets to 5 people left and they try to limp into the $.......as far as the bad beats, I will heed the advice someone from this forum wholl remain nameless told me, that it is a lot more hands/hr so it looks like more bad beats, I find it easy to get into the last 5 or so and from there you need to get lucky a little bit....MTTs I dont like, I just think too much luck involved because invetiably theres gonna be several 'coin tosses' as the tourny progresses and youll need to win most of them to stay on, or double up early and milk that stack, but online poker IS ADDICTING imo at least, but its good that it passes to much time, I'll probably take a break now after losing and play again eventually.....on an aside, what do you guys like better, stars or partypoker, ive heard mixed things about both, i like stars' interface but was wondering where others played

 

[tpaine07]

I have to admit it but I'm a lowly bonus whore at poker sites. With that said, I'm up over 7g since starting at the end of Sept with a 300$ bankroll. Have an acct for me and my fiance, and a friend...all w/distinct netellers. Will bounce from site to site, etc. Party is a bunch of idiots, believe it or not. Many times they will have reload bonuses that aren't accoutn specific and have 5-7 codes, so I can get 500 per account and just grind out the hands at 1/2 or whatever. Yes, I know most will say I screw the regular player, etc. But if those sites are going to leave themselves open to it there are plenty like myself that take advantage. I'm on track to cash in at about 15g in a years time so it's worth it to me.

saint, can you explain what you mean by getting $500 per account or so... im kind of confused... so basically your saying you just get the bonus $ play tons of hands and hover around your initial deposit then cash out?

 

[tpaine07]

good thread, I agree with you tpaine, it seems to always go well at first, and then it goes bad, Ive run up 300 into 1k in 1/2 NL, then lost it all back, ring games are real streaky, and you get people buying in for the min $40 and betting it all on one hand, flop was once 2,6,7 I had pocket 6s bet big got pushed I called, he had you guessed it pocket 7s, but I digress
...SNG's I like, but I dont like the setups, I mean turbos go so fast it becomes an all in contest once 6 people are left, and the regulars everyone folds once it gets to 5 people left and they try to limp into the $.......as far as the bad beats, I will heed the advice someone from this forum wholl remain nameless told me, that it is a lot more hands/hr so it looks like more bad beats, I find it easy to get into the last 5 or so and from there you need to get lucky a little bit....MTTs I dont like, I just think too much luck involved because invetiably theres gonna be several 'coin tosses' as the tourny progresses and youll need to win most of them to stay on, or double up early and milk that stack, but online poker IS ADDICTING imo at least, but its good that it passes to much time, I'll probably take a break now after losing and play again eventually.....on an aside, what do you guys like better, stars or partypoker, ive heard mixed things about both, i like stars' interface but was wondering where others played

I totally agree about getting into the last 5 of a SNG... It is very easy to do this, then it really is alot of luck to get into the money. I find myself always short stacked going into the final 4 or so, just from playing super tight and not taking unnecessary risks like the people who will go all in preflop with AJ offsuit and 9/10 people remaining.

Personally I prefer pokerstars I think as the best interface, but they are all pretty even. I playe Poker Titan the most right now, and theres isnt all bad.

 

[saint]

I totally agree about getting into the last 5 of a SNG... It is very easy to do this, then it really is alot of luck to get into the money. I find myself always short stacked going into the final 4 or so, just from playing super tight and not taking unnecessary risks like the people who will go all in preflop with AJ offsuit and 9/10 people remaining.

.

Same happens to me. I find that in any SNG or tournament I can make it far but it's by playing pretty tight. By then I'm usually one of the smaller stacks and it's easy to get bullied around by the big stacks.

 

[tpaine07]

Same happens to me. I find that in any SNG or tournament I can make it far but it's by playing pretty tight. By then I'm usually one of the smaller stacks and it's easy to get bullied around by the big stacks.

Saint, could you explain in more detail what you mean about the bonuses and being able to use like 5-7 codes at a time...then grind out and cashout?

 

[2muchchalk]

On-line poker is not rigged, nobody has ever been cheated and collusion only exists in the very highest games so you shouldn't worry about it.

Reguards,
The Rake

i dont' think these sites are going to risk being accusted of having "fixed" tournaments or hands when the stakes are low. High stakes games, i could see might have a higher probablity(of course you can't stop 100% of collusion), but most sites would not risk their rep. with so many other competing sites.

 

[saint]

Saint, could you explain in more detail what you mean about the bonuses and being able to use like 5-7 codes at a time...then grind out and cashout?

Sometimes sites like party poker have reload bonuses, so say they offer 20% reload bonus up to 100$. So you need to deposit 500$, if it's 10x raked hands to release it, play 1000 hands and the bonus is released. Sometimes party will send out 5 or so of those reloads at a time that aren't specific to one account. I check another messageboard...if they aren't acct specific people post them. You need a big bankroll to get them all cause you might have to deposit 2500 for 5 bonuses. I do it for 3 separate accounts, so it's just a matter of if I can play 10k-15k hands in 10 days. It's a grind but for someone in school like myself it's not bad. The 3 party accounts are valid...me, fiance's and friends.

 

[dawgball]

Would you mind posting those codes on this board when you come across them? I don't believe this would be against the rules.