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Gambit123
Rock Star
Silver Level
Misaki
Visionary
Silver Level
playing for play money is just a bad idea if you want to play poker for money in the future. Learning bad habits on play money is worst thing you can already do. Also on play money most of the time you can't make people to fold their hands because they don't feel any risk. Money factor is important in poker. Without money it's not a poker.
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braveslice
Pull-ups!
Silver Level
Bullshit answers. Yes play money players are much worse than money players given relative limit, but players making profit are relatively as good than the field in both. Saying play money players don't know poker is like profitable nl5 player saying 2nl players don't know poker. Same difference.
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kristersb123
Visionary
Bronze Level
When you play on play money you are more relaxed, you don't really care if you win or lose. When you play on real money, you are thinking more what are you doing, not playing every hand how are you doing on play money
Misaki
Visionary
Silver Level
Lol sorry but actually your answer is a bullshit. Sometime ago I played play money with my gf, just for fun. Difference there was huge. I could make there very deeeeeeep stack in really short time. People there don't respect anything and pay you with 6th pair. Regs on play money are as good as regs on micros? No. They are just 'fish regs" who probably can't win any money playing normal cash games because they are bad. I can't imagine that winning cash game player even on nl2 would play regulary play money and waste his time.
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braveslice
Pull-ups!
Silver Level
@Misaki given your own description I assume you don’t even have the play money to try it out in higher levels.
Also big part totally new players on poker you sometimes find in 2NL regular tables will also pay you with 6th pair. The whales of 2NL are quite much the same than you find from play money. Just also consider that most 2NL player have quite the experience of poker, while in play money first steps you get those who don’t know anything about poker.
Also you are seasoned player, of course the play feels ridiculous. Try 2NL regular tables if you don’t remember anymore how some people play there. Also if you read the comments in cardchat the number one complain is that micros are madhouse where nobody respects your raises, and then this person is instructed never to bluff. This is totally the same than people say about play money tables but somehow connecting the dots is harder than it should be.
Also I don't like that you invent stuff about what I said, that is just rude and adds nothing to the table.
Also big part totally new players on poker you sometimes find in 2NL regular tables will also pay you with 6th pair. The whales of 2NL are quite much the same than you find from play money. Just also consider that most 2NL player have quite the experience of poker, while in play money first steps you get those who don’t know anything about poker.
Also you are seasoned player, of course the play feels ridiculous. Try 2NL regular tables if you don’t remember anymore how some people play there. Also if you read the comments in cardchat the number one complain is that micros are madhouse where nobody respects your raises, and then this person is instructed never to bluff. This is totally the same than people say about play money tables but somehow connecting the dots is harder than it should be.
Also I don't like that you invent stuff about what I said, that is just rude and adds nothing to the table.
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Misaki
Visionary
Silver Level
I don't need to play play money on higher stakes to know that players are bad there. They play there for a reason.
Come on. I opened one table of play money on higher stakes to see how people play and that was funny. Sorry but nl2 is just on higher level than this. Especially nowadays.
Come on. I opened one table of play money on higher stakes to see how people play and that was funny. Sorry but nl2 is just on higher level than this. Especially nowadays.
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braveslice
Pull-ups!
Silver Level
I know they suck, and I also know I suck in cash too. Anyways, I played zynka poker play money, close of top level put not top. My skill level was ok, but the better players on my stakes were much better. Then I decided to try real money in partypoker. I selected regular 2NL. The figure is my run there. Mind you I had no idea about poker and didn’t even know what ‘no-limit’ means or is set higher than straight when I started the playmoney. From the figure it should be obvious that reasonable play money player can beat 2NL and good ones probably 5NL or maybe even 10NL regular tables. This was 5 years ago, so maybe things have changed. But relative skill level should raise similarly in play money too. Also party is easier than pokerstars for example. (The dip in graph is because after moving to 5NL I went there only to play when drunk or when trying new stuff).Not 6max though, that is different beast. Most fish-hunting tricks are plain wrong in 6max given increased level of aggression.
Also to note that playmoney in zynka is much more fun than real poker as a hobby. I still have few friends from there, it wasn't serious fight but more like homegames where people are friendly and chatting (but try take your money). The admins were really bad thoug, they did everything to gain more money.
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braveslice
Pull-ups!
Silver Level
Oh and the reason I play cash now, is that zynga decided that I lost on purpose and took my roll away. They promised to give half back if I would beg them to give it. Not my cup of tea and kinda of showcases that it wasn't really my roll.
Also I honestly believe that one can not be winning player if he thinks money as a money in the table. People saying having cash is somewhat different than having play money are just not ready to be winning players. It can be play money or million dollars, it should not make any difference (obviously it does, but probably not for Gus Hansen).
Also I honestly believe that one can not be winning player if he thinks money as a money in the table. People saying having cash is somewhat different than having play money are just not ready to be winning players. It can be play money or million dollars, it should not make any difference (obviously it does, but probably not for Gus Hansen).
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MemphisGrind
Think Bink
Bronze Level
This has been an interesting read.. I'm baffled by all the negative comments toward free poker. If you can't formulate a strategy to win against bad players you're wasting your time long term in poker. I saw a comment stating that you can't get players in free poker to fold their hands. (for one don't try and bluff a station) Well... this teaches you how to play against players that won't lay a hand down. Against any and every type of player there is a strategy to combat against them. Even players betting over pot constantly, against players over limping, shoving blind, input any and all other annoying tendencies "bad" players have that you see in both free poker and micro stakes, there is a strategy to combat against it, and is important towards learning how to play against different types of players.
If the discussion is whether or not there is a difference in the level of play between free poker and the lowest stakes in real money poker, the answer is yes. But, not as significant of a difference as everyone is stating. The fact of the matter is, that their are people that spend A LOT of money per month on these free sites. Think about it, how do you think these free sites stay up. Players buy these "chip packages" and that is their " free poker bankroll" the same way that people buy in to real money games for micro stakes and put it online as their "bankroll" There are many players just as invested into online free poker as they are in online micro stakes poker. Some actually much more invested into free poker.
I've seen MANY players in 2NL shoving every hand. I've seen absurd calling ranges, constant limping, atrocious play the same as I have seen these same bad plays, in free poker. It all comes down to what you value as a player. I have beaten low stakes and currently play mid stakes, but still play online and live free poker.
During my down time, such as on breaks at work and stuff. I enjoy playing wsop free poker, and when I'm waiting on a table or have downtime at the house I'll play Pokerstars play money. I'm from the USA so I play money is all I can play on pokerstars anyways. When I have off days, I play in leagues locally in my area that are free to play with hundreds of dollars in prizes each night, that I go too just to enjoy the social atmosphere of sharing some drinks with friends, and playing cards.
So for the comments that said there aren't any good players playing free poker, I would argue against that. Everyone values something different. There are people that enjoy the game but don't want to have that feeling of gambling their own money. That doesn't mean they don't take the free poker game seriously. A lot of people are competitive and want to win and whether something is on the line money wise or not they still want to win for pride or whatever reason.
If the discussion is whether or not there is a difference in the level of play between free poker and the lowest stakes in real money poker, the answer is yes. But, not as significant of a difference as everyone is stating. The fact of the matter is, that their are people that spend A LOT of money per month on these free sites. Think about it, how do you think these free sites stay up. Players buy these "chip packages" and that is their " free poker bankroll" the same way that people buy in to real money games for micro stakes and put it online as their "bankroll" There are many players just as invested into online free poker as they are in online micro stakes poker. Some actually much more invested into free poker.
I've seen MANY players in 2NL shoving every hand. I've seen absurd calling ranges, constant limping, atrocious play the same as I have seen these same bad plays, in free poker. It all comes down to what you value as a player. I have beaten low stakes and currently play mid stakes, but still play online and live free poker.
During my down time, such as on breaks at work and stuff. I enjoy playing wsop free poker, and when I'm waiting on a table or have downtime at the house I'll play Pokerstars play money. I'm from the USA so I play money is all I can play on pokerstars anyways. When I have off days, I play in leagues locally in my area that are free to play with hundreds of dollars in prizes each night, that I go too just to enjoy the social atmosphere of sharing some drinks with friends, and playing cards.
So for the comments that said there aren't any good players playing free poker, I would argue against that. Everyone values something different. There are people that enjoy the game but don't want to have that feeling of gambling their own money. That doesn't mean they don't take the free poker game seriously. A lot of people are competitive and want to win and whether something is on the line money wise or not they still want to win for pride or whatever reason.
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ChipCommander
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Actually he is right. The top tier play chip players can easily demolish the microstakes games. All these people talking about the play chips having no value and people playing completely like they don't care obviously haven't started with 1500 chips and converted that to 50 million and played 1 million chip buy ins. You don't amass that many chips by not caring about them and all the players at the top have done exactly that. (yes it varies by site how many they have and the stakes for the top of course but this is a good example). If you can stand to play play chips that long, you will get some good experience. Play chips are actually quite valuable.
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ChipCommander
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Great post, sounds like your live games are quite fun. Wish I could join ya.
I was just about to write something similar to your first paragraph.
I think it is quite common for players to have a strategy that they use that works at certain limits but not others and that is "their game". They don't really have advanced enough knowledge to adapt to every game. They have enough skills to beat a higher level but are missing the important skills required to adapt to the more wild games. Games change over time and if you can't handle a wild game and the game gets wild at higher stakes you will certainly be wishing you knew how to beat it. laughs. Maybe some players should go play some play chips instead of badmouthing it and actually learn something valuable. I'm guessing the top limit play chip players could beat most of the players who make fun of it. Not everyone wants to play for money.At the top of the play chip games on every site there are always regulars who play there quite often and then players from below that bounce up to that limit for a couple hours at most then get their rolls taken.
The skill difference between the very top and the next limit down is huge, same with the limit below that to the 2nd. If you haven't been to at least the 2nd limit from the top you should probably not post about play chip players skill levels imho as you have no clue what you are talking about and I would imagine even if you are super good, the top limit in play chips will occasionally give you a lesson you may not learn in the mid to low limit cash games.. It is great when that lesson is free. I have learned quite a few tactics from there that I have polished up quite nicely and it has really improved my play.
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jofieloviedo
Rock Star
Silver Level
Bigs differences
There are big differences. The main difference I guess it is the fact that it is play money so most people dont care what they do... All the time they are going all in with any hand and dont play to win tehy just play for having fun and spend time instead with real money people is prone to play more carefully and most of them want to win. There are to many differences and if you play both you can see it.
There are big differences. The main difference I guess it is the fact that it is play money so most people dont care what they do... All the time they are going all in with any hand and dont play to win tehy just play for having fun and spend time instead with real money people is prone to play more carefully and most of them want to win. There are to many differences and if you play both you can see it.
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goodsaint
Rock Star
Silver Level
Have just posted in two play money/real money game threads. Again, I'll say 'to each his own'. The play money games I played in '05-'06 laid the groundwork for my poker experience today. These threads have gotten me to think about putting in some work, on the play money cash games more seriously. I'm a low buy-in MTT player with poor cash game results. Let's see if I can make this play money work for me again.
