Play chips vs real money cash games - big difference?

[Kenzie 96]

I'm an almost entirely new player to the game - I've come as far as knowing which hands beat others, but know little to nothing about genuine strategy.

Surely playing with real money at this point serves no purpose? Even if the experience is substantially more valuable with real money in contrast to play money, would it not be better for a player like myself to continue playing play money until I have a much greater understanding?


Just wondering if anyone could provide insight into this matter, I feel as if I should hold off until I have more experience with play money first.

Free rolls are a better learning tool than play money, hard to cash, but not a total waste of time. At least there is a potential reward.

 

[Ruminate]

The only value I see in play money games is to learn the basic game functions, hand rankings, flow, etc....and just know that it's not really poker until you have skin in the game. That's why even freerolls are so crazy, there's something to win but nothing to lose and people play like they're at the bingo table.

 

[odnicholas25]

Thanks for everyone's replies, very helpful.

I suppose I was right to plan to stick to climbing play money ladders for a while longer until I understand some more advanced strategies in due time. I will definitely consider moving to low stakes online poker when I feel confident enough to consistently break even or profit over time.

 

[quick]

lol it was Rational Madman, who I actually liked talking to before he was banned...

Ah yeah I remember him. Interesting for the forums for sure.

 

[dj11]

Poker Orifice disses me? Absolutely no surprise there. I have never said any play money poker was better than real games. I still won't do that.

What I have come to understand is that the ONLY thing you can't learn about poker via play money, is how to deal with 'Scared Money'. Only real money games can teach that. I still haven't quite figured out that 'Scared Money' thing, but I haven't gone broke anywhere except bodog. Never liked that software.

I still play play money games. Only at Stars, which is the only place I can find the non HE games I love so much. I do OK at ZOOM, tho it hasn't help me much at BOOST.

Occasionally, I will use the PM games to work on concepts I am just now learning to deal with. Like 4 betting lite........

And FWIW, I'got about 9 million play chips at Stars. All earned, not bought.

 

[fhruhrhit]

playmoney players often use overpot-bet.
realmoney players do not.

 

[JordieChloe]

Night and day. Even lowest stakes are a lot better than play money. But I do believe play money can be useful if treated like preseason. Look at board, how mnay outs, pot odds correct?, what hands can beat me?, what hands to play in what position, against a raise?, things of that nature. All play money not created equal, some worse than others. I pay a lot more attention when I play real. And so does everyone else I think.

 

[Sil3ntness]

Play Money there is not much risk when making really bad decisions. Most play money sites they allow you to instantly refill on chips. Real money obviously doesn't grow on trees so people at the micro stakes actually try for the most part. You also have people that are being responsible and are playing within their bankroll so there are some micro stake grinders that you will be playing up against as well.

 

[Poker Orifice]

Poker Orifice disses me? Absolutely no surprise there. I have never said any play money poker was better than real games. I still won't do that.

What I have come to understand is that the ONLY thing you can't learn about poker via play money, is how to deal with 'Scared Money'. Only real money games can teach that. I still haven't quite figured out that 'Scared Money' thing, but I haven't gone broke anywhere except BODOG. Never liked that software.

I still play play money games. Only at Stars, which is the only place I can find the non HE games I love so much. I do OK at ZOOM, tho it hasn't help me much at BOOST.

Occasionally, I will use the PM games to work on concepts I am just now learning to deal with. Like 4 betting lite........

And FWIW, I'got about 9 million play chips at Stars. All earned, not bought.

how can 4-betting lite have any value as far as working on a concept goes? (while on a playchip table). Don't you see the absurdity of that?

 

[Nightfury214]

My opinon

Well in "Play Money" people usually are more frequent to go all-in or bet with non-betting hands.

(Ex. 7/2, 10/3, J/4, etc. Basically non-connectors, non strong suits, non high cards)

These hands 9/10 people will never bet on in "Real Money" unless they intend to bluff, which is a lot I've notice in "Play Money".

"Real Money" depends on the player, there are players with high bank rolls and somewhat still play like a player from "Play Money" or you get the players that chase their money away to try and get that premium hand. Also, cash games are a lot more tighter than tournaments due to the fact that in a tournament you buy in for one amount and play with more chips than you would cash. So that usually could give you more opportunities to chase or have more big blinds for longer lasting.

 

[dj11]

how can 4-betting lite have any value as far as working on a concept goes? (while on a playchip table). Don't you see the absurdity of that?

I put it that way cause it was the quickest absurd concept I could think of...

But then I have no humor......

 

[AlexStar1981]

The difference is that those who play for fake money, are not afraid to lose and do not follow any strategy. Playing for fake money is a waste of time.

 

[dj11]

The difference is that those who play for fake money, are not afraid to lose and do not follow any strategy. Playing for fake money is a waste of time.

At some point in very high buy-in games, you have to have that devil may care attitude. In which case I could argue that having no real stake in the game because it's Play Money, is good practice to get to that state of mind one needs in the very high buy in moments.

As for the waste of time part. Way less that 50% of players are winners. (google 'estimated % of winning poker players'). That suggests to me that real money poker is a losing waste of time! Are we all playing for pipe dreams? Are more that half of us totally delusional ?

I've been defending play money poker for a long time, and I can counter your arguments all day long.

Keep in mind that the only Play Money games I play these days are the Non HE games at stars. I'm playing real money games, both tourney and ring.

 

[georgi krastev]

Is there anyone here who has played a lot of play money cash games and a lot of real money cash games? How do they compare? Is play money comparable to the lowest micro stakes real money tables or is it worse? Are there any good players?

I play with play money and real money in cash games !The only difference between these two levels is that, i can get the real money (if i win, of course),everything else is the same, example: (...bluffs, fish, sharks, bingo ...donkeys...)...

I have participated in many good games with play money, such micro games can hardly be obtained.I do not like micro stakеs!

Not all good players play for real money!

 

[Nikolay Nakhaev]

The first acquaintance with poker I had in the games on conditional chips, but then I started playing for real money small levels and realized that this did not compare with what I had played before. excitement and adrenaline of the feeling of the game others.
in the cash game I became at low levels, not a bad player judging by my performance.
now I will not play for conditional chips for anything. not the effect that in this poker)

 

[AlexStar1981]

I won't argue with you. If you have earned a lot of game money, you obviously took it seriously. Although they can simply add and add after some time. That's not the question. I believe that playing for play money can't be compared to playing for real money. That's all she wrote. And for me. And that's just my opinion!

 

[braveslice]

Although they can simply add and add after some time. That's not the question.

This argument is flawed. (And annoying because it is repeated so often and by vocal people who show their ignorance and god like know-how)

At pokerstars one can add 15k play chips every 4 hours, that is 1.5BI for FIRST level of 6max. You can’t advance to even second level without winning your money first. After first there is 5 steps to go more. 15k buy you one and half big blind for fourth level.

Zynga poker, that is play money, made 45million during year 2017 from play money poker. Tell those poker donators that they can just add play money as they please.

 

[Nikolay Nakhaev]

one of my friends said - I can play poker. I'm a god in poker. He turned out to be playing conditional chips.
I gave him the opportunity to play cash for real money 1 time from my account.
friend realized that he does not know how to play poker yet and does not want to play anymore.

 

[Alex330]

Reading hands is the most important skill in poker

 

[Mepper95]

I feel like players in the play money games play very different to real money cash games. Play money is pretty much unlimited, as you can always get more for free. I wouldn't consider playing play money cash games a viable way to practice for real money games. You'd be better off watching free coaching sessions on youtube (Raise Your Edge) or watch twitch streams.

 

[demibar]

Like freerolls people shove more frequently and they dont pay attention on the game but even worse with "play money".When you deposit or prizes are good then the game start
ing to be serious

 

[Ranish625]

The difference is just huge, a completely different game and completely different principles

 

[xx02pl]

The difference is huge because in play money many players not really concentrate on playing

 

[Nikolay Nakhaev]

when the game is not serious, many players have no responsibility at all.
these are recreational players and not a poker game, but a coin

 

[Gambit123]

I would say play both if starting off, 6 max ring games. Don't play play money for too long. Get a good feel in play money then take it too cash.

When you get good feel in play money,when to raise and the right amount of aggressiveness then cash will be easier, instead of scared money in real cash games