What have you learned playing poker on-line?

bullishwwd said:

"One thing I have learned the "hard way" is that your "mind" needs to be on poker when you do decide to play, not preoccupied with other things and your "attitude" needs to be focused and positive.

Otherwise, you will LOSE and not enjoy playing poker...these two things are linked....if you are not enjoying the poker game, you will lose and if you lose, you won't be enjoying the game!

Take breaks away from poker when you cannot do these 2 simple things.

Wally

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thats true when i did make a good run from 10 to 1300 i was playing on the desktop downstairs in my basement but when i started playing on my laptop ive been really inconsistant because im usually watching television while playing.

bullishwwd said:

"One thing I have learned the "hard way" is that your "mind" needs to be on poker when you do decide to play, not preoccupied with other things and your "attitude" needs to be focused and positive.

Otherwise, you will LOSE and not enjoy playing poker...these two things are linked....if you are not enjoying the poker game, you will lose and if you lose, you won't be enjoying the game!

Take breaks away from poker when you cannot do these 2 simple things.

Wally

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Wally, This applies to live games too. You have to watch the game even if you have folded your card, try to put other players on hands and watch for significant raise/check-raise/all-in/behavirour on dry/wet boards etc. Game is very interesting if I try to read hands and study betting pattern.

I have learned that the poker world (Cardschat people excepted) is full of loud mouths who cry constantly when they suffer a bad beat. They always seem to be at my table. I wonder why?

I've learned that a hand is never safe, even if there is one or two outs against it.

blott said:

I have learned that the poker world (Cardschat people excepted) is full of loud mouths who cry constantly when they suffer a bad beat. They always seem to be at my table. I wonder why?

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Nothing but ^%@(*#$^@*)&^$*&@^*$(%^(^$%@(&(@^%$(@^$@*&$%@*&$@******

Yes, I agree that you need to be disciplined at home. Can't be watching tv, making food, checking email, etc., all of which I've done, but I do notice that when I've done that, I haven't won much.

Another thing I've learned playing online is players are much more aggresive online vs. live.

blott said:

I have learned that the poker world (Cardschat people excepted) is full of loud mouths who cry constantly when they suffer a bad beat. They always seem to be at my table. I wonder why?

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We must be at the same tables. I've started keeping chat off.

Pbland said:

Yes, I agree that you need to be disciplined at home. Can't be watching tv, making food, checking email, etc., all of which I've done, but I do notice that when I've done that, I haven't won much.

Another thing I've learned playing online is players are much more aggresive online vs. live.

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I actually need background distractions. Otherwise I over think and don't play nearly as well.

MrFold said:

What have you learned playing poker online?

Not to play poker online.

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MrFold, I only play live game, but thinking of entering the online world. Do you have any specific reasons to not play online? Is this due to personal reasons (Lack of time, possible issues of spending too much time at the expense of work/personal life) or poker reasons (more fish in live games, you have better skills)?

Thanks.

The temptation to play multiple games is great but makes it tough to keep track of what the other players are like

I have learnt that there are dickheads that play and call with any 2 cards all the way to the river and then hit some miracle card to complete a 4 card flush or some straight after I have flopped a set or trips.

Poker is all about focus. Attitude is a big part of that. Discipline to not let a bad run or a river beat effect your game. All of these things are a work in progress.

yourguynow said:

The temptation to play multiple games is great but makes it tough to keep track of what the other players are like

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I personally agree with yourguynow.
Most players on this forum will tell you that Multi tabling is a natural progression in the learning curve. I have tried but failed misserably.



1 Exercise before you start a possible marathon session

2. Take your phone off the hook, switch off mobile.

3. Do not play with children or grandchildren running around.

4. Make sure your wife/spouses natural needs have been seen to.

5. If you are a Tournament player, don’t play cash games after bad beats.

6. Never play for more than 2% of your bank roll

7. If you hit pocket Aces early in $1 - $5 multi table tournament, then bet at least 10 x BB, because 3 x BB seems to be a magnet for all to call.

8. Never berate bad plays using the chat box; it would be nice if the villain continued to make bad plays.

9. You take on the table bully and hit a great flop, let him hang himself, they generally do at $1 - $5 tournaments. If he hits runner, runner, so what, damned annoying, but these things can happen.

10. Check reraising is a good way for you to cheaply chase a flush or straight in future hands.

11. Beware an Ace on the flop versus your pocket Ks Qs Js or Ts, the many donks that play online will not give up their Ace Rag.

12. Trips are always a possibility; never assume your top pair Ace kicker is definitely winning.

13. Steal, Steal, and Steal from the Small stacks near the bubble especially the ones that take an age for every decision.

14. If you have an ave stack near the bubble reraise the stealer (he is playing like I would) allin with any 2 cards, 9/10 times you will take the pot down. Even the Big Stacks don’t want to give half their chips away.

15. Most important of all, don't become obsessed and forget to spend quality time with your family and friends.

I have probably learned 1,000 other things, quite honestly the list is endless.

Ive learned to get a decent internet connection... i reached a final table twice and was DC both times...

jacksprat, Thanks for the impressive list. Keep them coming.

It's tough not getting distracted, I have my 2 son's and the wife, daughter and grandson. Unless my son's are at school I get no peace to play my hobby.

Sean Pilgrim said:

Nothing but ^%@(*#$^@*)&^$*&@^*$(%^(^$%@(&(@^%$(@^$@*&$%@*&$@******

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LOL.....

Your AA and KK are not safe when someone has QQ or JJ.....

jacksprat said:

I personally agree with yourguynow.
Most players on this forum will tell you that Multi tabling is a natural progression in the learning curve. I have tried but failed misserably.



1 Exercise before you start a possible marathon session

2. Take your phone off the hook, switch off mobile.

3. Do not play with children or grandchildren running around.

4. Make sure your wife/spouses natural needs have been seen to.

5. If you are a Tournament player, don’t play cash games after bad beats.

6. Never play for more than 2% of your bank roll

7. If you hit pocket Aces early in $1 - $5 multi table tournament, then bet at least 10 x BB, because 3 x BB seems to be a magnet for all to call.

8. Never berate bad plays using the chat box; it would be nice if the villain continued to make bad plays.

9. You take on the table bully and hit a great flop, let him hang himself, they generally do at $1 - $5 tournaments. If he hits runner, runner, so what, damned annoying, but these things can happen.

10. Check reraising is a good way for you to cheaply chase a flush or straight in future hands.

11. Beware an Ace on the flop versus your pocket Ks Qs Js or Ts, the many donks that play online will not give up their Ace Rag.

12. Trips are always a possibility; never assume your top pair Ace kicker is definitely winning.

13. Steal, Steal, and Steal from the Small stacks near the bubble especially the ones that take an age for every decision.

14. If you have an ave stack near the bubble reraise the stealer (he is playing like I would) allin with any 2 cards, 9/10 times you will take the pot down. Even the Big Stacks don’t want to give half their chips away.

15. Most important of all, don't become obsessed and forget to spend quality time with your family and friends.

I have probably learned 1,000 other things, quite honestly the list is endless.

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All your points are true - just one added thought:

I'm playing multitables to get more volume (and to prevent getting bored in a MTT)

but when I switch back to one table (for CC-games and other important ones)

I can see that the thousands of hands I played before and the now focused approach on the single game almost give me x-ray vision.

One thing I've learned is that playing NL Hold 'Em, Stud 8, Stud, Razz, and Omaha 8 all at the same time is a bad idea.

blott said:

I have learned that the poker world (Cardschat people excepted) is full of loud mouths who cry constantly when they suffer a bad beat. They always seem to be at my table. I wonder why?

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perhaps you're getting it in bad?

What have I learned??.... you can play at micro levels for as long as you choose to, & know that you'll rarely be able to use anything much beyond level1 thinking on the tables because the vast majority of the players aren't capable of going beyond that. Most won't put you on a range of hands & most will use their own play/thinking for a benchmark to evaluate what you're doing (ie. you check-raise the turn... they're thinking.. "oh.. he's making a move... I callzzz with my gutter").
Online micro players play for a variety of reasons.... the majority don't seem to be playing to win.
In Micro limits you can play uber tight in mutlitable SNG play, showing down only the nuts or near nuts, or big pairs like AA KK & QQ and still have a guy flat call your 4bet cuz he's got a suited facecard out of position.
.... the list goes on but am pretty sure you're getting the general idea of what I've learned in micro levels.. Oh yah, another thing I've learned is, playing micro levels for extended periods of time is an extended waste of time (if your goal is to become a better player).

I learned that if I throw one of my slippers as hard as I can, it won't go through the screen door.

I learned that if I throw my hat as hard as I can, my shoulder will hurt afterwards.

How to lay down big hands.

That I suck at online poker! No, seriously, I am terrible.

I've learned that I should not play with distractions. I have distractions 99.9% of the time when I play; I still do it. Sigh...

I've gained important experience much faster than I would have in live play and I believe that experience has made me a much better live player though!