Live vs. Online

Been playing both for awhile now. Online I play mostly SnG and the 4.40/180 on Stars.
Live I play 200nl and MTTs up to $250.
My OPR stats are -16% but if I am correct this site only tracks tournies over 36 players.
My online stack has gone from $100 to $380. Obviously from SnGs.
Live roll is $4200 after starting at $500 and a few MTT cashes.
My issue is that I feel I am a decent player, a little above average but have problems online. I simply feel much more at ease on the actual felt.
There is so much more money online I want to get in on it!!!

Since joining CC my online game has gotten a bit better as I have taken a good look at my game and am attempting steps to improve. I bought PT3 and just purchased Moshmans SnG go and Leatherass' book.

Any tips on how to sharpen my online game? Anyone in a similar situation?
I'm not looking to go pro, live poker winnings has become a nice additional income but online hasnt quite got there.
Thanks everyone.

live poker and online poker are two total different games.
Online poker is a lot harder than live......what I mean is your average online player is better than your average live player......so if you are a winner live you may be a loser online because your skill margin is much smaller online....just keep working at it and you will improve....and it will help you live as well

I'll have to disagree with "mypokergrind" because I don't believe online player are all that much better than live players(maybe durr and a few others, but thats it ). I do believe their two completely different games tho because on live games you can see your opponents and read them on their reactions, and way they bet. And online you can't see your opponents but you can normally tell if their donks/fishes or descent player. I'm yet to play on any live events but i'm sure live is easier than online but not by much, well I hope you online game improves and get to an equal level with both live and online games. Best of luck

5TR8 FLUSH said:

I'll have to disagree with "mypokergrind" because I don't believe online player are all that much better than live players(maybe durr and a few others, but thats it ). I do believe their two completely different games tho because on live games you can see your opponents and read them on their reactions, and way they bet. And online you can't see your opponents but you can normally tell if their donks/fishes or descent player. I'm yet to play on any live events but i'm sure live is easier than online but not by much, well I hope you online game improves and get to an equal level with both live and online games. Best of luck

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One HUGE difference between live and online is this: In online, one player averaging three tables sees 270+ hands/hour. In live, one player sitting at one table might see 45. I know for a fact people are playing upwards of 8 tables on the regular, so let's just say 600 hands an hour. Compared to somebody who at a live game sees 45, high-end.

While I don't know the exact statistic, a large portion of online players are behind (let's say 80%, for the example's sake). They don't practice BRM, play out of their limits, don't have the proper tools, and end up going busto. What happens when they go busto? They go to work.

Now, look at the other 20%. These guys have HUDs, databases, macros, and a bankroll. They see thousands of hands a day, and are happy to make 5 BBs/100 hands (or 30 BBs every hour, if we use the supposed 8 tables at 600 hands an hour).

These are the people you sit down and play against. And here's WHY:

The 80% of the people who are losers... Well, guess what, they're broke. They don't have money in their online accounts, so they can't play. Eventually they'll make a big tournament cash or a deposit and they can play with you some more, but overall you have to run good and play right to keep playing online. (Or use BRM, which is a concept a lot of people don't know about, and those that do know about it, don't all use it.)

Now, let's compare to live. In live, we have a bunch of people who got made the conscious decision to drive to the casino and play some cards. Most of these people watch poker on TV, are home-game players just playing for the thrill, or just plain amateurs with nothing better to do on a Friday night (booze?). So say you have the same 80% of people who go into a casino to play poker and lose money, and the same 20% of people who know what they're doing.

What tools do the 20% have? Do you see them writing down notes, plugging away at their calculator and using stickies to get approximate stats for each players PFR %? No, you sure don't. (Okay, occaisonally). All they have is their experience, their tells, and what the see and hear.

So why aren't the 80% of the people that suck home if they suck? Well, it's a hell of a lot easier to go to the ATM conveniently located nearby and draw out another $500. And if you're over your deposit limit, for a higher fee you can go draw out another $3000.

They HAVE money, and they HAVE money available to them. And they don't mind losing, as long as they have the dollar signs in their eyes and a hope and a prayer left, they're going to go back to the table and play, believing they can learn something fatal about an opponent that's going to net them tons of money (and sometimes they run good, and turn their 5.5 BBs into 300+ BBs, because they're not terrible, they're just not that good).

But live, if you are at the top of your game you can easily fit into the top three skill-wise of a table, and if you're careful who you mix it up with (not the players with better hands than you), you can make a lot of money.

And yes, people are going to be surprised when you open a pot from MP with KJo with a raise when you haven't played a hand in four or five orbits, and you flop jacks full, and check/call all the way to the river. That doesn't mean you should tell them why you did it. Just revel in the fact that the people asking you the question know nothing about table image, position, your opponents in the hand, or feigning weakness. And take all their chips.

Weregoat,
Thanks for the reply, kinda scattered, but I think I get it. I need to spend some time learning the online game and commit to multitabling.
Thanks

After success at playing live PLHE rebuy tournaments up to the £100 level I thought internet poker would be a piece of cake. It's been about four years since I started online, and about four months since I started to do better than break-even. I think I was stuck in old habits.

My biggest boost has been learning new games, and Stud-8 is my favourite. There's also Triple Draw, which is easy to learn, and PL Omaha, at which you get a lot of bad players. You can definitely get more of a read at Stud-8, but not if you multi-table, and if prepared to do the work it can be very rewarding.

Also 8-Game at poker stars and 7-Game at Full Tilt can be fun and profitable, and a studious type could do very well in these mixed games.

I play mainly $1 - $5 MTTs and SnGs.

To be a better online player:
- Read. Use the search button here and find books recommended by players for the level and game type you're searching for. Also take the time to peruse and make use of the CC forums, especially hand analysis.

- Play. Nothing beats experience, I can understand the frustration about not being able to reap the huge benefits many players get from dedicating their lives to playing poker. If you really want to make the big bucks you have to put a lot of time in, no one knows how to play overnight. (The fact that you already seem competent will help)

- Discuss. The forums here are a great place to talk strategy and (lightly!) argue about poker, talking about your take on hands or strategy can help you patch up holes in your own game. There is also the benefits that come with the CC freerolls.

play online just like you would play live, its the same deal you dont wanna change your style just because noone can see you play, imagine a room full of people watching you playing and you will better your game naturally