Is Poker Becoming More or Less Profitable

I'm just wondering what people's opinions on this might be.

Are money making opportunities becoming better or worse?

I am relatively new to poker so I do not have a great idea of what it was like to sit down at tables (such as 1/2 cash) 4 + years ago. However, it seems when I sit down at a table there are an increasing amount of people that have a decent grasp of the game, which just seems to add to the difficulty.

I realize that there are still lots of fish, but the knowledgeable players seem to be increasing as well, almost like the skill in players is becoming more polarized.

What are your guys opinions on the future of the game?

I agree with most of your observations, but I honestly don't know the widespread effect it will have on the game.

I'm losing more than ever LOL, if that's indicative of anything!

For, I would say, 99 in 100 players it is becoming less profitable. But for that 1 in 100, it is be coming more profitable because their is now a lot more players to choose from the 99%.

Definitely players are getting better, because there are more resources than ever to study the game, build upon concepts other players have developed. A few decades ago I don't think there were many poker books at all, and most of the theory was developed from experience, and especially in a game where being results-oriented can be a problem, this won't work out too well. So players are getting better, but on that same token there are more resources for you to get better. And the best part is that on a whole, people:

1. are lazy
2. think they're good at poker


The majority of people aren't going to work very hard to learn poker, when especially if they can crush their home games, they think they're good. They're also lazy, so they most likely don't keep track of profits (or lack thereof).

The problem is, the players who work hard are the ones who win. Even the laziest losing player doesn't have an infinite amount of money, so eventually will stop playing, either because they're honest with themselves and realize they suck but don't want to work to get better, or because they make excuses about not being able to beat all the donks online. But there are always new fish who think they're good and have money to donate. You just have to be willing to work harder than everyone else. Joining CC is a good first step but continually reviewing your game, reading books, and just talking about the game on the forum here will only get you better. Simply because of the fact that not everyone does this means you have that edge.

So I believe poker players as a whole are getting better, but also the resources available for you to get better are much more widely available. So if you're willing to work, poker is definitely still profitable. Can't comment on how it was 10 years ago, haven't been playing the game that long.

Im just waiting for the glory days when that stupid act in the U.S changes, and a plethora of fish wanting to try poker pour in.

It will be so good.

As of now, its not getting easier but not really getting harder either.

Hmmm... I've been at it some 4 years now, people were less knowledgeable then but are more so now, I think... but I hang around poker forums, read the books etc., so maybe I am swimming in a slightly more elite school than the average weekend warrior.

I think there will be increasingly more schooled players as time goes by, so if you don't stay ahead of them or with them, well... go fish!

Fish, muppets, donkeys and soft games are still everywhere tho. Prob is 5 years ago when nobody knew what they were doing, I didn't either, so missed that gravy train.

I think most people would say play has gotten better overall as the online poker boom continues... and info sites like this one are fuelling that...

The better I become.....and these forums help a lot.......the more profitable.

I used to deposit every other month or so......now this past couple years cannot remember when my last deposit was and have taken money out instead.
Really it helps to find your nitch......which sng games you like or tournaments your most comfortable in and usually bring you profit.
Computer games though online here are a bit tougher than sitting at a table and being able to get a good read.
Then there are computers shuffle and dealing which I'm no sure is the best.
I go through times where theres a whole week of bad bad beats...almost seems unreal sometimes that it should even happen. This makes me wonder about the online playing games but then I remember that i seems like it happen more online cause you see so many more hands because it is so much faster play.
Soooo.......back to playing a live game this weekend and get A8 in the big blind.......flop is 8 8 3 pretty good right? I large bet 400 when blinds are 50/100 and I have 1200 left. Everyone folded but one guy who put me all in. Of course I call.... hoping he doesn't have 8 3.
Guy has J 10 thinking I'm good right?....... until the turn and river are Q 9.
I really wasn't even mad like I would usually be but it struck me as very very funny for some reason.
Online and Live the bad beats happen.....the only thing that really is frustrating in this great game and I have had my share of them.

Something I wanted to add why I called when he could of even had a 3 3 to beat me after the flop. I have played this guy before and know he doesnt always call or raise with the best hand......Just defending my initial play I guess which is really not needed since its over and he knocked me out anyway. sorry for the rambling....

Just to add a little to this thread.. I believe that depending on the time of day you play, you'll find more or less talented players on various sites. In fact I'll start a new thread to try to get some insight into this.

I'm more profitable now than I ever was... but then I've changed my mental attitude towards things, continued to study poker strategies, and continued to analyse my play, and switched from full ring to 6-max, so there's plenty of changes that could account for it.
However, I did notice a particular change when the US banned online poker, because all of a sudden it was harder to find a soft game of Omaha. I'm also still hoping they'll be forced to repeal that law by the World Trade Organisation, because I'm sure the games would get softer again then.

In the meantime, I think they've got a bit looser than they had been immediately after that change. It's still easy enough to find loose games, especially if you have money in a few sites to be able to choose between them.

Indeed, going over to 6-handed games is more profitable for the good players. You can play more hands in an hour and use more tactics.

Everyone hopes and waits for the players out of the USA!
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I think that less profitability would be true if any of us had a winning strategy that we nailed in place four years ago. Chances are that the strategy that worked so well then would now cost us a fortune.

Poker is a game of adjustment. In tournaments you adjust to the size of the buyin, number of players, time of day, day of week, and your state of mind at the time. In ring games, there are similar adjustments.

Poker is not a game of "Always" and "Never". As long as we continue to adjust to the changing environment, I think we will do OK.

But you can play more tables at FR. I currently 16-table FR but when I tried to 9-table 6max I got behind. Probably because I suck at 6max, but if at one table there are less hands/hour, more tables are thus possible.