How are you Americans doing since the ban?

[pokernut]

My winrate has increased drastically since the ban, actually since 2-3 months ago. I was a winning player at around the time of the ban but it was miniscule. I found some pretty big leaks in my game and plugged them and have been winning much more since.

I think if anything the ban weened out some of those soccer mom social player types. There are always going to be people at all levels that have little regard for money, no matter where they are from.

 

[joosebuck]

pokernut lets hit up harrahs

 

[pokernut]

you want to tomorrow? I guess that's today considering it's 3 a.m.

The wife is working.

 

[pokernut]

^^^^

My play was to try and sattie into the FTOPS main event all day but that can be changed. If I do end up doing that I wouldn't mind playing in the cards chat PLO event too, if anyone would like to transfer me the entry fee and i'll send it to them on FT?

I put my whole roll on FT because of rakeback purposes. I thought it was more beneficial for me to consolidate to one site but am now regretting that some because of all the CC events on PS.

I'm going to have to get some money on PS for the WSOOF events anyway.

 

[Egon Towst]

it will take alot more then a dumb ban to get "us" americans to stop playing the game "we" invented.

Actually, I think the French invented it, to be strictly accurate.

You know the French :- smell of garlic, surrender at the first sign of trouble (as long as we are doing dubious national stereotypes).

But I am willing to overlook that, if you are, mon ami.

 

[Gesshoo]

Actually, I think the French invented it, to be strictly accurate.

You know the French :- smell of garlic, surrender at the first sign of trouble (as long as we are doing dubious national stereotypes).

But I am willing to overlook that, if you are, mon ami.

Non! You conveniently forget, mon ami, that it was the froggies who kicked Engleesh ass in good old 1066 - probably while Harald was off playing poker somewhere!

Perhaps you are confusing us weeth the Italians?

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

LOL, okay thanks. Obviously I didn't miss anything at all in the OP. It truly was nothing more than personal beliefs based on flawed theory and psuedo-stereotypes. Glad we got that cleared up.

While I agree that the 'conspiracy' theory is a load of nonsense, why can't poker players from one area be stronger than those from others?

African countries produce a huge proportion of great distance runners because of the lifestyle in many of the countries (more limited transport means more walking/running from place to place etc).

Who's to say Americans aren't generally worse at poker because of the simple fact that it's increased presence (on TV/radio/general advertising) means that more weaker 'recreational' players pick up the game? Sure, some of them might eventually study the game, but most of them would be shocked to hear that poker forums and poker books exist.

In general, the less poker is force-fed to people, the more out of their way they will have to go to 'discover' it, and the more interested they will be in actually learning the game in-depth.

 

[Gesshoo]

Who's to say Americans aren't generally worse at poker because of the simple fact that it's increased presence (on TV/radio/general advertising) means that more weaker 'recreational' players pick up the game? Sure, some of them might eventually study the game, but most of them would be shocked to hear that poker forums and poker books exist.

In general, the less poker is force-fed to people, the more out of their way they will have to go to 'discover' it, and the more interested they will be in actually learning the game in-depth.

A few years ago, before the dawn of internet poker, I read a "fact" that over 50 million Americans played poker on a regular basis. God knows what that number is now. So, while there are many new players, there are also many many experienced players. They may have not read any poker books, and they may not belong to a forum such as this, and there is no doubt that such things can and do benefit peoples' games, but there are still many decent players who deserve respect.

I know that poker is shown on TV in Europe, but unless it has changed, this is often in the early hours of the morning? Over here, it is BIG. It is shown on 3 or more channels every day, at prime time, and it isn't unusual to have poker on 3 stations at once. Watching top players can only be good experience, can't it?

Finally, these top live tournaments now attract many internet players. Initially, when this started 3 or 4 years ago, some of the top pros looked down on these players, but no longer. They are very aggressive and are succesful - and there are thousands and thousands of them. Theory is great, but the fact is that 2-7 off can and does sometimes beat pocket aces. This happens more often with more people in the hand. That is the reality of internet poker. More people stay in hands that the book says shouldn't, and that affects the odds for the people who play by the book.

That is what the pros found when they initally looked down on internet players - "why were you even in that hand" they'd ask/complain when they lost. Theory is great, and knowledge is power, but players like Doyle Brunson didn't read poker books - they wrote them.

 

[Gesshoo]

Personally my play did not change at all for fear of losing my bankroll. Though it is not as easy to put money in we still can. (And I always have my husband's debit card from AIB as a back-up - I don't use it because of the exchange rate.)

What the..........????

So that's where my money went!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dorkus Malorkus]

I know that poker is shown on TV in Europe, but unless it has changed, this is often in the early hours of the morning? Over here, it is BIG. It is shown on 3 or more channels every day, at prime time, and it isn't unusual to have poker on 3 stations at once. Watching top players can only be good experience, can't it?

The problem is that TV poker is a bastardized version of 'actual' poker. If someone raises allin on a flop with 9 high and very little fold equity, Mike and Vince wouldn't be berating the play if the player's opponent folded - they'd be creaming themselves with the usual "WHAT A DARING bluff VINCE" and "YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE HEART TO WIN AT POKER MIKE".

Not that I blame the TV networks greatly - people en masse are stupid and want to see 'exciting' allins - they don't want a half-hour debate on whether such-and-such a call was +$EV.

Some more recent programs have bucked the trend a little, but even on something like HSP you're seeing professional players who know each others games inside out playing - therefore they will make plays that someone playing $25NL against a table of unknowns should blatantly not be making.

I'd purport that watching TV poker actually does a player more harm than good unless it's supplemented by 'proper' study.

 

[Vhyre]

In America...theres always a poker game

 

[Debi]

What the..........????

So that's where my money went!!!!!!!!!!

Haven't needed it yet lol.

 

[ChasersWanted]

I am an american player and have to say that it's not that hard to find sites that except us. Absolute, UB, Fulltilt, bodog, Poker.com, Century Poker just to name a few....and yes i am an ADDICT!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Egon Towst]

So that's where my money went !

Haven't needed it yet lol.

Good value, in any case, I`d say.

 

[Jack Daniels]

Good value, in any case, I`d say.

I'd agree. Playing with someone else's money is +EV.

 

[Tammy]

For Robbie

:aetsch:

 

[daxter70]

US player here.... no change same win rate. Not counting the past 2 weeks
of unbelievable suck outs.

AMEN...flop Aces up...A 10..and A 6 pushes me...running 6s...so suckouts have went up...lol:deal:

 

[Dashir]

I always used to think non-Americans tended to do a bit better (at low levels) than Americans - there isn't the same cultural or social attachment to poker outside the US, if you're not American and are playing, you have made a conscious decision to learn and play the game (I don't think there are a lot of Non-American housewifes, retired people and kids, playing for the social interaction).
o )

This is thing with prejudice of any kind. It works like this: you have a belief and then come up with "facts" and other "reasons" to support that belief. Once the "rule" is established, it only takes a small percentage of reinforcements to keep the prejudice going, while counter-examples are barely noticed.

How many of the world's top players are Americians? European? Asian? Do you think learning the game at 6 years old, like my brothers and I did, is a handicap to taking poker seriously at an older age? Or might it actually be an advantage? That can be twisted either way and the conclusion you come to says more about you then about the world.

I think Americans who are still playing at sites that in theory aren't allowing Americans to play are those that a) haven't lost their stake yet and therefore better than those that have b) care enough to circumvent the rules and therefore are more serious than those that simply switched to other sites. How's that for a theory to support the conclusion I want to make? In case it isn't obvious: That the original post is hogwash.