thedarkman
Legend
Platinum Level
It's certainly a money saving tool! I believe on party poker you used to get actual cash prizes for play money tournaments or a league. Very small but real money. Not sure though.
G
green_ruckus
Enthusiast
Silver Level
I think I remember that at partypoker too. I think you could also trade in play money for real cash, but then it kinda turned into a black market and that's why they stopped. There were even a few tourneys in playmoney mode that gave $$ too.
Z
zerosalex
Visionary
Bronze Level
I use play money chips to see statistics over time and got an idea that way also hot seats and when to fold aces and how to play big hands, sometimes you have to fold. but when you are playing with free chips its very hard since everyone is going all in and also calling with anything and chasing everywhere. so it gets better and more real once people have build massive stacks then people start playing better because they want to take care of their stacks and bankrolls even though they are free play chips, and if you go to higher stakes it becomes a better poker game. I always see poker like this in live cash games: the lower the stakes the harder it will be so I play high stakes because it's easier to read people and people actually fold and don't just call with anything so the game becomes easier for me at higher stakes because people care about money and when there is large money at stakes it is easier to read people and what they have so I take advantage of that.
Kenzie 96
Legend
Loyaler
If wishes were horses we would all have a ride. It provides a free way for a beginner to see how a particular site works. It also can be used to get a basic understanding of the rules of card games with which one is unfamiliar. Omaha variations, razz, go fish, 52 card pick up & such. If you have the self discipline to take play money poker seriously, you probably should seek professional help.
abgvedr
Legend
Silver Level
Are you saying you don't play any games with your friends for fun whatsoever? You must be having very sad sad life sirIf wishes were horses we would all have a ride. It provides a free way for a beginner to see how a particular site works. It also can be used to get a basic understanding of the rules of card games with which one is unfamiliar. Omaha variations, razz, go fish, 52 card pick up & such. If you have the self discipline to take play money poker seriously, you probably should seek professional help.
I gather with friends very often we play billiard we play cumputer games we play tennis, and no money involved. But we still care for the results.
Chief talking bull
Visionary
Bronze Level
Chances are that if you play with play money enough you will pick up bad habits. People just don't take it seriously nor should they. It's a waste of time. If it doesn't make dollars then it doesn't make sense.
JeffSBrito
Rock Star
Silver Level
I agree that if to learn the ranking of hands. Concepts like position and stack count are valid to play.
Now to become a profitable player you have to play for real money. Start at SNG and migrate to MTT later.
After all besides the fun I think that making money playing poker is more fun
Now to become a profitable player you have to play for real money. Start at SNG and migrate to MTT later.
After all besides the fun I think that making money playing poker is more fun
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V
vittopio
Visionary
Silver Level
I don't agree with you! See what kind of game people create not only at medium, but even at high limits!!! If a player knows how to play, he will win and learn even at the micro limits!I know some people play "play money" poker like on full tilt. However I am not sure how good that is as a learning tool beyond it just looking like poker. Maybe learning the basic rules but anything beyond that is useless.
It looks like poker, plays like poker but it is not poker. There a lot of problems that come from trying to learn poker on play money:
1. Too many people are involved in too many hands:
Just the mere fact that literally nothing is at stake is a problem in of itself. You are removing an important psychological tool when you take real money out of the equation. People are a lot more likely to play trash hands like:
This is great when you are in real money poker when you have like AK suited but when everyone and their brother at the table play these kinds of hands you got a problem. Lets say you are playing a full ring of 9 people. You have to play SUPER tight because you will see 70-80% of the people at the table see the flop and are very likely to follow you to the river. Bluffing is impossible to do on here which leads to my next point.
2. Bluffing is non-existent on play money
Sadly one of the most important and fun aspects of poker doesn't really exist in play money. With nothing being at stake who cares if they are trying to bluff? A lot of people who play "play money" poker are gamblers. You are dealing with those same people who are not afraid to go all in with hands like
3. Multi-table tournaments are a nightmare
What do you get when you have 80% of players playing every hand and non-existent bluffing? A luck feast. Now I don't really like to use the term luck while talking about Texas Hold Em but for play money I have to use it. You have to play tight and not bluff against those kinds of players but that is problematic in a multi-table tournament setting. Stealing blinds is so important to stay alive in a multi-table torny setting but it is VERY difficult to steal blinds on those tables.
You cannot absolutely scare most people off a hand; so you just have to pray they don't hit something ridiculous.
If you are going to practice I would personally just go with micro stakes at the very least. I am just so done with that scene and I wouldn't recommend it to new people.
eberetta1
Legend
Loyaler
AjR3ckless
Rock Star
Silver Level
I dont think its s good too to use for real money games, for the tool of learning yes no prob one can learn the rules how basically read the board and hands that they may have made or hand, but not for real games cause they would lose a lot a funds but who am I to say...lol
but who am I to say...lol
D
DomDoctor01
Enthusiast
Silver Level
Absolutely NOT .It's play money .You can never incorporate strategy with play money or try to play GTO because as long as people don't have anything to lose they wont view it as real money and will not even try to play as the people play with real money .Maybe you can find players taking play money seriously but even so...don't expect to actually learn ,just have fun .Depends on what you want to do .
Luvepoker
Lost in the twilight zone
Community Guide
You can use play money games as a tool to start learning poker and I would recommend it to a player just starting out. The problem is one you know the basics of the game then play money games loose a lot of the advantage as a learning tool.
Zorba
27
Platinum Level
He needs to have friends first.Are you saying you don't play any games with your friends for fun whatsoever? You must be having very sad sad life sir
I gather with friends very often we play billiard we play cumputer games we play tennis, and no money involved. But we still care for the results.
He also doesn't play tennis, he may throw a hip out.
Sansam
Rock Star
Silver Level
For a novice player, play money is a good tool for learning the rules of poker and practicing the techniques of the game. But when a player goes to play for real money, he behaves differently and sees a big difference in the game.