Practicing on play money tables.

dudemanstan

dudemanstan

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I have been practicing on play money tables, and have realized, the competition is very unrealistic, even more so then freerolls.
So i got to thinking..Could playing against these players actually hurt my game instead of improving it?
I appreciate any insight you guys have on this theory of mine. Thank you.
 
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banshee1975

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The only good play tablea do you if show if the software sucks on a new site.
 
psychotie

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If i m broke , I usu to play freerolls, but as in playmoney games most of the tournament and ring games are donkfest. U better stay away from it ,cause it will change ur gameplay in a bad way
 
arahel_jazz

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I have been practicing on play money tables, and have realized, the competition is very unrealistic, even more so then freerolls.
So i got to thinking..Could playing against these players actually hurt my game instead of improving it?
I appreciate any insight you guys have on this theory of mine. Thank you.

Play tables are bad... really bad. I know I'm not that good of an Omaha H/L player, yet I crush the play tables every time.
 
Propane Goat

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I quit screwing around with play money when I realized that it was hurting my attitude and confidence. I tried to play conventional ABC poker for practice and having people suck out time and again against AA, KK with complete garbage because it costs them nothing to call or shove was frustrating me to the point that I knew I had to either abandon trying to use any kind of realistic strategy and donk it up with the rest, move up to real money, or forget it. Probably the worst I've seen for play money are the no limit Omaha tables on FTP, it's just half the table all in every single round. I don't think you'll be able to make any improvement on your skills for reading opponents in play money because people are probably just as likely to raise with 52o as they are with AA.
 
Abedin120

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It's not good to play on play money, because there all players are joking, go all in with everything. It's better playing on freerolls.
 
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DunningKruger

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Once you learn how to crush play money games without tilting because you're playing against bad players (something every poker player should hopefully be able to do), then there's not much use for play money.
 
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BomTombadil

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One of the most important things in poker is being able to adjust to the table your playing at. I don't think playing at play money tables should hurt your play, you just need to realize that it's not how most players will play and be aware that the strategy will be different vs competent players. While your at the play tables don't play roboticly, instead think of how you'd be playing the hands differently vs different players.
 
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RamdeeBen

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For the sake of a few dollars; just play real money..I mean, treat even something as little as $10 as an investment in getting better.

Play money is a waste of time, it certainly doesn't improve your game. The only time I'd say it's ok playing with play money is if you're a complete NEW player and don't know the rules and just want to learn the basic hand rankings etc..

All you pick up at play money is bad habbits and even if you did pick something up to learn from play money, it certainly wouldn't be an use when playing real money games.
 
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AvaloNNN

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Quit that, don't waste your time.
Playmoney tables are designed to allow novice players to experience and learn some poker basics, or if you are new to the site and just want to try the software out, before you invest any money...
 
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aRoseIsaRose

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How can you out guess somebody who doesn't even know what they are doing? Play money table players are worse than the tournament club sites. UTG 49 offsuit betting 10 000 preflop on a 10/20 table is normal. How can you guess that UTG bet that much with 30 chips on the table with a 49 offsuit and the like almost every hand. What makes it worse is that 4 or 5 other players will call or raise with the same kind of hands. What are you supposed to do with cards like AKs in your hand when you know about everytime you will have 5 players preflop. How would playing these types of games imporve anything is beyond me. The most stoopidest thing I have ever seen is the sites that have play money tables and they want you to buy chips if you run out. 800 000 chips for $100 and people will actually buy them thinking "oh what a great deal. I can buy 800 000 chips for a $100 and they will throw in another 200 000 for free to make it an even MILLION!" (ps i know stoopidest is not a word but it makes more sense than buying chips that are worthless when you buy them and worthless if you turn them into a 100 MILLION. They sure won't buy em back from you thats for sure)
 
fletchdad

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A couple of months ago I played some play money just to see how it was. It has been a few years since I had even looked at a play money table.

3-4-5-6- way all ins were constant, people shoving into you with ATC, ... just insanely bad and ridiculous play. I tried to play proper and it was call shoves or fold a lot. Or I would 3 bet and get many calls and c/r on any flop.

I dont see how this can be anything but bad for trying to get better. You just get in with anything.

Play money good to get to know software of a new room, or good to get the feel for the game if you are totally new to poker.

Otherwise, it is not a tool to improvement. People disagree with me, but IMO do NOT play at play money tables if your goal is to get better at reading players and learning about stuff like flop textures, floating, ...... just anything really.
 
muckaveli

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Great thread....I have to agree...play money tables should only be used for recreational purposes only...as in learning how the game is played or for testing software.. after reading this thread I will not play another play money table again....everything said here is true and your pretty much wasting your time...

Time is money and I need both on my side...



Sent from my SCH-R530U using Tapatalk 2
 
imafish

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I agree with the above posters. Stop wasting your time on play money.
 
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marcumx

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here's my opinion..if you're looking to improve your game, stay away from both play and free rolls. If you just want to play for the heck of it to pass time by or because you just love to play, then keep playing. Both play and free rolls are big donk fests and nobody plays serious, which is kind of the point. i don't agree with the theory that it will hurt your game. I can clearly seperate the two. i play different in freerolls and play than i do if i'm on real money cash or tourneys...it's the same logic as in you don't play the same in cash games as you do tourneys, so if you are having fun on the play money tables even if you get sucked out on, then enjoy it seeing as it's costing you no real money to play
 
Enzo1089

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This thread perfectly sums up the reason that I no longer play on pokerstars, as I am a US player. As such, I am only allowed to play on play money tables. I've noticed that at Bovada, Carbon, BCP, and PokerStars, these are all the same. Nobody folds, and anytime the average joe gets an ace in their hand it's an All-In donk-festival.

In short -- and this is honest opinion -- play money is a waste of time. I would just go for the free-rolls...and I do. In my opinion, they are the best way to improve your poker game. Sure, they are occasionally a donk-festival, but if they want to go all-in on every half decent hand, let em'. If you don't have a call-able hand, then fold. Eventually someone WILL call them, they will burn them, and they'll be out sight and out of mind in no time. That's how I come in the top 10 in BCP freerolls ALL THE TIME. Let the donks kill each other first. That will eliminate a good amount of competition.
 
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Flsnookman

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The only decent play money games are when a group of good players are playing a home game type set up.
 
fletchdad

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The only decent play money games are when a group of good players are playing a home game type set up.


Which will often have a prize pool.... no play money table, real prize outcome.
 
Aleksei

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Play money is ridiculous. Preflop play goes something like:

-everyone limps.
-everyone calls a raise.
-everyone calls a 3bet.
-everyone calls a 4bet.
-half the table calls a 5bet jam.

Just... silliness.
 
fletchdad

fletchdad

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Play money is ridiculous. Preflop play goes something like:

-everyone limps.
-everyone calls a raise.
-everyone calls a 3bet.
-everyone calls a 4bet.
-everyone calls a 5bet jam.

Just... silliness.
FYP
 
dudemanstan

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Thanks guys. I stopped with the play money.Yeah I realized the play money games were ridonkculous :)
 
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suckoutartist

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download wsop's software. its all play money... but i think thats why some players are better on it... or at least try to. when you pklay freerolls nobody really cares... but when you play on a playmoney specific site...people are on there just to play poker... they way its meant to be played.... not waste peoples time trying to get lucky on a freeroll... i spend hours a day on it just playing heads up cause the players are better there than anywhere else ive ever player without getting into real stakes
 
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