Finally learned the reality about poker after playing for a few months. The only way to make $ at these games is to play as a NIT. Whatever theory and all that stuff doesn't work. I read the theory books and played TAG exactly and still lost in the last few sessions, so TAG is no good at least for my games. It's sad to win at poker you have to fold 99% of the time (this is after flop btw, so you prob have to fold 85% of hands preflop, and the final 14% on the flop). This guy who has by far the highest profit at our games has never lost a session in thousands of hands, folds every hand, and won maybe 1-2 hands the whole nite. That is how to make money. Theory and all that stuff is BS lol. My friend who plays higher stakes thinks this guy is a fish cuz he posted his online stats (49/6) in our chat, but I believe in results, and this guy has never lost.

People also tell me all the top pros have good theory/fundamentals whatever. These pros make crazy plays... I watched enough LATB, and those guys bluff thousands and thousands. Like for example, Andy who is supposedly the best at LATB went all in with A6o as a bluff. And the Art vs Gal Yifrach hand, both of these "pros" are both just trying to go broke lol. I tried thinking and playing like this and playing balanced, and it doesn't work at my games. Overall it just becomes an unpredictable gambling game, and it's unclear who actually makes money on LATB. The guy mentioned above who beasts our games explains this pretty well in his blog: https://geo1211fun.wordpress.com/201...tter-at-poker/. Also on LATB I see everybody playing very loose preflop range, makes no sense to me. From the hands that Garrett and Andy play, it isn't clear to me who is really the whale tbh. I don't really believe a guy like Garrett would do well in my games. The commentators on LATB are also ridiculous. THey are always tryign to praise these risky plays by these "pros". I also don't believe in those so called "tougher" higher stakes games. At those games, you are just guessing, I could go to latb for 1 session and make a killing since nobody would know my ranges. These games are very unpredictable and just seems like a crapshoot. At first I thought unpredictable was good, but I played perfectly and am still losing.

My higher stakes friend tells me I am prob not as GTO as I think, but I read the books closely and was playing exactly like that. He also said that you will make money exploiting weak players at softer games will make money than GTO. My games were not soft man, they were correctly calling my bluffs and folding to my value bets last session. They also played bluffed well and didn't seem to make any wrong plays the whole night. They were also difficult to put on ranges. Doesn't matter if Doyle Brunson was at out table,e he wouldn't know what cards they have. My higher stakes friend thinks my 5/5 games are soft since there is a lot of limping and multiway pots, but I disagree cuz they limp for deception with hands good for multiway pots and trick people post flop. Even if my games were "soft", it makes no sense how to win vs "bad" players you have to play totally diff than against "good" players; a "good" player has to forget all they know to make $ at "soft" games. And I tried GTO for a few sessions now. It clearly doesn't work. The whole explotation thing is also overrated. You can only exploit someone if you have played thousands of hands with them, and if you don't play NIT poker during those initial hands you can go broke. With NIT poker it's very very unlikely to go broke.

Only way to win $ at my games is to play very very tight, nothing like what you see at TV. None of the plays I see those "great" players making on TV and youtube would work at all in my games. It is just disheartening that there is only one way to play poker and make $. Pretty sad, in other things you have more freedom and can have a style. Playing well in poker is not even about trying to outplay ppl... I don't even think poker is really a thinking game tbh. It's actually very simple just have to wait for good cards, a mindless activity really. Using your head in poker just loses $.

For the future, I think I will go and play very tight and mindless, and leave as soon as I make $50/hour since I have been up and lost it. The only players who win big at my games is the guy mentioned above and one other guy. They just play mindless poker and only bet when they have it. That is what I have to do.

Sounds like you are on to something. So you are saying, you play sensible and you do better? Every move you try to make goes bust? Looks like you have figured out poker, what is next?

Yes, play smart and tight and you will get better results. There, said it in a lot less words, lol.

It is obvious you're talking cash games here. Try tournaments - these are completely different kind of thing

Poker is not chess, there is an element of luck -probably more so with MTT's than with cash. But yes, luck always plays a large part, unless you play a version of poker where everyone waits till after the river before betting.

But good players frequently, but not always, make there own luck.

one day, I hope I will be a good player.

ya think?

ive played since 1986 b4 they had no limit games. they were all structured 5/10 ,10/20 ,20/40 n 25/50 . they were harder games couldnt go all in. in 1hand n being tite was rite cause you had to win multiple pots to win. now days is u can be loosing all nite but win 1good hand and win. so u can play reckless n just get lucky 1good hand n win. ive seen people play match stack by in multiple times then last by in they match the biggest stack get lucky 1hand n get even or ahead.

You are talking about micro stakes? Look high stakes players and say that poker isnt a thinking game

I’m forced to disappoint you, in order to earn you need to work. and play poker primarily for pleasure, and chatting with people

Think long think wrong. Dummy poker works. I've seen with my own eyes player who are quite on the level, and watching them win with a hand they didn't know they even had. Funny how abc poke works. No skills all luck. That's what I say& gl GG and as always have fun.

I think you just need to take a break. Obviously you are tired of the game and you do not have enough patience. I am convinced that only a patient player can succeed.

Highest stake and players more think and take care.

It sounds like you wish to remove the element of luck. Might I suggest chess?

Lmao blackjesus is the man. "Thou shall not steal bb" any other cammandments?

Excellent read, I agree. My local Casino is the same. All in mindless poker which really pissed me off after reading everything I could on poker. Then I realized poker is about adjusting to your opponents. So now I am fairly successful because I adjusted to there play. I just make the occasional bet to keep them off guard and wait for trips or the nuts knowing they will go all in with a pair of two's.

Well, you've played for a couple of months, so it's easy to see how you'd have figured it all out.

I'm marking this page as one of the funnier reads about online poker I've had in a long time. Ty!

Originally Posted by kristersb123

You are talking about micro stakes? Look high stakes players and say that poker isnt a thinking game

As I said, I don’t believe these high stakes players are all that “tough”. I tried playing like that and played a perfectly balanced/GTO style and so far have been losing at my games. It’s clear this way of playing balanced and GTO or whatever is just for show for TV and doesn’t work in real life. I doubt a guy like Garrett or Andy from LATb can win at my home games.