Can you perfect your game without playing online in 2016?

L

lukeellul92

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 26, 2015
Total posts
362
Chips
0
Title says it all! How far do you think you can take your game in 2016, without playing online?

We all know its advantageous because of the large sample size of hands you can see in a short period of time, but is it NECESSARY to play online to perfect your game?

The pro's and the live grinders in America are testament in my eyes that you infact don't need to play online poker in order to show consistent and profitable results as well as large wins for life changing money.

However when you watch the wsop and the EPT, you can see clear differences in play styles in countries where people do play online in comparison to those who dont.

Thoughts?
 
anonimalit

anonimalit

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Mar 19, 2015
Total posts
124
Chips
0
I prefer to play live, but online to study the strategies faster, because online you fall on a screen and already enters another and live have to wait a 1 or 2 days.
 
detroitjunkie

detroitjunkie

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Oct 11, 2009
Total posts
826
Awards
4
Chips
0
I prefer live too, much more fun and better reads on players - which too many claim doesn't matter - but oooohhhhh it does.

Fact is they are two different games, and should be played a bit differently. What works live may not work online and visa-versa.

In Michigan you can craft a good game live because we have a ton of poker rooms, cant really do that in too many states in the USA.

So my answer is if you live in an area with lots of live poker, or the means to travel to such areas, then yes.
 
HenriqueMed1

HenriqueMed1

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Oct 6, 2015
Total posts
523
Chips
0
I particularly just online game. But, I really want to play live someday I watch on TV and the game mode is very different compared live and online
 
Ljuk358

Ljuk358

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Sep 15, 2015
Total posts
391
Chips
0
Is there someone who thinks he know read his live opponents in poker? Because when I play live poker, I don't know how to read opponents. Is it some rule or something that what doing people in some situation? Or reading (face,hands,moves) is only on our feelings?
 
detroitjunkie

detroitjunkie

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Oct 11, 2009
Total posts
826
Awards
4
Chips
0
Is there someone who thinks he know read his live opponents in poker? Because when I play live poker, I don't know how to read opponents. Is it some rule or something that what doing people in some situation? Or reading (face,hands,moves) is only on our feelings?

There are books on tells that you can buy, or study micro-expressions and psychology. If you want an easy way to learn a little, watch a tv show called "LIE TO ME", its on Netflix
 
L

lukeellul92

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 26, 2015
Total posts
362
Chips
0
I prefer live too, much more fun and better reads on players - which too many claim doesn't matter - but oooohhhhh it does.

Fact is they are two different games, and should be played a bit differently. What works live may not work online and visa-versa.

In Michigan you can craft a good game live because we have a ton of poker rooms, cant really do that in too many states in the USA.

So my answer is if you live in an area with lots of live poker, or the means to travel to such areas, then yes.

Your claim on reads is dead set! I feel like alot of online players who sit in a live situation don't quite understand how powerful reads are!

I personally know someone who is a +EV player, he doesn't play the math side of things too deeply, just on a basic level (pot odds for draws etc), but he makes his play based on reads, and at a level of $1/$2 in my city, people don't realise how obvious their own tells are!



Thanks for the responses guys! seem's to be a misunderstanding though, not asking what oyu prefer, I'm asking if you think that in 2016 you can be a master at your game without online poker.
 
B

bmccree

Rising Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Jan 12, 2016
Total posts
2
Chips
0
Of course you can become a great poker player without playing online. There are other avenues such as reading books, looking at a statiatics, and playing small house games if you know of any.

But this is the question, are you brand new to poker? If so, play on sites that don't require money. The more hands you play, the better you should get.

Playing online helped me tremendously though. You see so many hands. Especially playing zone poker or multi table. You see more outcomes. You find what you like to play, etc etc
 
Kanat

Kanat

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Dec 20, 2015
Total posts
240
Chips
0
I'm playing only online poker. I don't played to live...
 
kissapig

kissapig

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 7, 2011
Total posts
422
Awards
1
Chips
0
Playing live is playing without hud's, playing a single table in a mtt, and having the opportunity to actually read your opponent. Playing online as a preparation to playing live you would have to only play one table, without a hud, and make some sort of note on every player you play against during the mtt. Anyone who is playing multiple tables online at once is playing a different game compared to playing one table, live, during a mtt tournament.
 
MrPink514

MrPink514

Visionary
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 10, 2016
Total posts
644
Chips
0
I don't believe that you can ever have a "perfect game". But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't continue to try. The more you play, read, watch videos, chat, post on forums, the more you can improve your game. But I think playing online definitely helps in the pursuit of perfection.
 
teepack

teepack

Legend
Bronze Level
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Total posts
2,317
Awards
1
Chips
14
You can get better without playing online, but if you are only going to be playing in casinos, you will need a much larger bankroll. See if you area has a Pub Poker League. You can get some experience live for a lot less than playing at a casino, and you will see the entire spectrum of players - novices who have no clue to experienced players who've played lots of poker in casinos.
 
PapaC

PapaC

Legend
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 30, 2010
Total posts
2,798
Chips
0
I just don't have a casino to play at, so I can't test that out. But if I did, and had the money to do so, I would quit playing online, because I'm disabled, and I
could spend all the hours I play online at the casino. Then I could start to perfect my live game as I am working on my online games now. Anyway, GL to you
 
B

butterstoch

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 3, 2015
Total posts
75
Chips
0
playing online certainly gives you the option of multi-tabling , which in turn presents the option of reading people with their bet sizes and betting habits. sometimes in live poker these come in handy as well
 
BigJamo

BigJamo

Aussie Elite
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 9, 2010
Total posts
2,088
Chips
0
I recon on-line play dulls the senses.
I you were to take a read on a player multi-tabling, you would seriously see 10 different facial expressions every minute.
 
J

Jalapano

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Aug 6, 2015
Total posts
32
Chips
0
You just see so many more hands playing online but you can without a doubt perfect your poker playing exclusively live. Like anything, study and practice.
 
L

lukeellul92

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 26, 2015
Total posts
362
Chips
0
Thanks for the replies guys! interesting to see what people think. I play both online and live but I agree with some peoples thoughts that playing Online numbs the senses a bit when it comes to playing live.

It's an interesting thought though. If someone was given the option to move to vegas to play poker for a living, but they'd have to give up online, I'd say %90 of the online players would probably do this.

Just a thought.
 
B

Benman120

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jul 23, 2015
Total posts
208
Chips
0
Live is more real poker, with time limits to act online you are making quick decisions based on odds and not reads on people or time to analyze actions.
 
leandrette

leandrette

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jun 4, 2014
Total posts
135
Chips
0
I hope to improve my game this year,it is difficult to play live in the area where I live , so I lack experience live game .
I think this year , I will continue improving online. :)
 
Dorugremon

Dorugremon

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 23, 2013
Total posts
456
Awards
1
Chips
19
Title says it all! How far do you think you can take your game in 2016, without playing online?

How far do you want to take it, and what are you willing to do to achieve that? These are the questions you need to ask yourself. What do you think players did before there was on-line Poker?

We all know its advantageous because of the large sample size of hands you can see in a short period of time, but is it NECESSARY to play online to perfect your game?
Makes no difference. I've seen regs on-line and live who haven't learned one GD'ed thing in months, or even years of play. I keep seeing posts about this site pays quicker than that site, but for the vast majority of players, it'll never be a problem because they're always depositing, never withdrawing.

The pro's and the live grinders in America are testament in my eyes that you infact don't need to play online poker in order to show consistent and profitable results as well as large wins for life changing money.
You don't, however, there is one thing on-line can do for you. It makes you really observe your opponents. How to get a line on their play by what they are doing, both in the pots you're playing and those you sit out. This'll pay dividends when playing live. There are also fewer distractions, like those TV's playing the Big Game, etc.

However when you watch the WSOP and the EPT, you can see clear differences in play styles in countries where people do play online in comparison to those who dont.

Thoughts?
You have to adjust to how the opposition plays regardless. On-line is convenient since you don't have to go to the cardroom: it comes to you. It can help you stay sharp between live sessions. Of course, it cuts both ways. Become overly dependent on HUDs and stats, and you're completely lost in a live game. After Black Friday, the local venue was full of these young hot shots. They haven't been around in years now, having either gotten broke, or discouraged.

Other adjustments you'll have to make is keep track of what's in the pot. There is no oh so convenient pot counter at a live table. You will need to make your own "HUD" by keeping notes on the regs you'll encounter. You can either do this discretely during restroom breaks, or at the table. The advantage of doing that is it can be a bit intimidating if they see you taking notes.

If you want to use on-line to sharpen live skills, then don't multi-table. Some in-line grinders will open a bazillion tables and nit it up. These players become very exploitable. If you're playing 24 tables at once, how much time do you suppose they spend analyzing your bet or raise? Maybe a couple of seconds: they can be bluffed.

Good old fashioned observation still pays off while on-line. One reg used to pay off like an ATM -- a real mega-fish. Lately, his game has been improving. He still open limps too much, but nowhere with the frequency of a couple of months ago. He's still FoF-ie, but not as much these days, and his biggest leak is over playing TPTK/big overpairs without regard to SPR. I expect he'll improve in this area as well as he got stacked twice by the same opponent overplaying overpairs in high SPR pots.

Another thinking reg seems to be letting a wife/girlfriend/SO play his account. Within a few hands, I can tell who's who.

Another two would be decent players, but they are the epitome of FoF: I bluff them every chance I get even if I have absolutely nothing.

These are the kinds of things you can learn only through paying attention, observing, and taking notes. A HUD can only tell you how a player played in the past, not how he's playing right now, and that's what you need to know.
 
F

fordman427

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 18, 2012
Total posts
492
Chips
0
I would have to try to perfect mine online because I'm not old enough to play live lol I'm only 19
 
J

Josh1978

Rising Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Sep 9, 2015
Total posts
10
Chips
0
I've only played live a few times. But been playing online for years. I think you can better reads on people playing live, but as for practice goes you can play online at any time. So better practice online.
 
Sakolik029

Sakolik029

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 18, 2016
Total posts
381
Chips
0
To be honest in live I have never played poker,only online,I want to try but so far this is not possible
 
V

velhasil

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 4, 2016
Total posts
70
Chips
0
yes of course but to gain experience you have to play poker and live poker is expensive then online poker.
 
onecardsteve

onecardsteve

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Mar 5, 2011
Total posts
52
Awards
1
Chips
0
I prefer to play live. There are too many factors online that playing to improve doesn't work
 
Top 10 Games
Top