Play money vs real money

SillentHunterZ

SillentHunterZ

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Is it possible to improve your game by playing with play money?
I still need to improve my game before starting to play with real money. I deposited 45 bucks on tree dif platforms ( with bonuses it's around 70 bucks) but with no return in the investment. I learned a lot but not enough, should i stick to freerolls and play money before depositing again. I also started studying with blogs, guide's, forum's etc.
 
MattRyder

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I think there is a lot of learning benefit from playing with play money, but many will disagree. The only thing that you won't learn is how to play against aggressive, smart players. For that you'll have to invest the bucks. BUT, until you get to that point, yes, play with play money.
 
SillentHunterZ

SillentHunterZ

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I think there is a lot of learning benefit from playing with play money, but many will disagree. The only thing that you won't learn is how to play against aggressive, smart players. For that you'll have to invest the bucks. BUT, until you get to that point, yes, play with play money.
Well, i still need to learn to better read ranges, with what when to bet etc.
 
cardartist85

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I think it can help you in terms of getting a good feel for the game and the deeper you go in a play money tourney the more it becomes like a real money game, but obviously in the real money games you run into superior players with aggressive styles and are usually more knowledgable about exploiting the passive players. Still even in the real money games picking your spots is essential Play money can help with that
 
franken222

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I think there is a lot of learning benefit from playing with play money, but many will disagree. The only thing that you won't learn is how to play against aggressive, smart players. For that you'll have to invest the bucks. BUT, until you get to that point, yes, play with play money.


I also have a comment about Freerolls vs regular cash/tourney play:

Have you ever noticed, that Freeroll players are incredibly loose, and right from the start, you get an "All-in Fest"?

I find that if you have money invested in the game, that you are much more serious about what hands you play, and your attentiveness to the other players in the game.

Just for that alone, I think that you benefit much more from real money play, from a learning prospective, than a play money strategy.

When you switch from play money, to real money, it's like stepping out of a plane when it's still in the air. A real shocker.

You can always start low with real money, so as not to hurt yourself, and get disenchanted with the game, and learn lots at the same time.
 
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Drake2

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The person really only feels the weight of the stock when he is playing for his hard-earned money. It is a natural tendency to play looser when you are in a freeroll.
 
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Cooking

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I think it doesn't worth it to play with play money, because the few times I've played I saw that the level of the players is the same or worse to what you will find in freerolls tournaments. I would only play freerolls for a while, win some money and play real money with the freerolls winnings.
 
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wheresmybitcoin

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Is it possible to improve your game by playing with play money?
I still need to improve my game before starting to play with real money. I deposited 45 bucks on tree dif platforms ( with bonuses it's around 70 bucks) but with no return in the investment. I learned a lot but not enough, should i stick to freerolls and play money before depositing again. I also started studying with blogs, guide's, forum's etc.



I will say big no. The play money pool is fill of people that doesn't care if the win or they lose(I'm not talking about you here).

Emotions comes to play when you are using your own money. You´ll discover who you really are, trust me. You will start to understand patterns and behaviours of other people, since we do the same things over and over again.

I'm in the process of creating a discord study group, but I'm looking for players that likes exploitative strategy. If you are one of them PM me.
 
SillentHunterZ

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I think it doesn't worth it to play with play money, because the few times I've played I saw that the level of the players is the same or worse to what you will find in freerolls tournaments. I would only play freerolls for a while, win some money and play real money with the freerolls winnings.
True that, when i join play money it feels too easy compared to even freerolls ( after the frist 5 min and all-in kamikazes :D ).
 
vinnie

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Play money players are not good. But, that doesn't mean you won't get any benefit from playing against them. If you can't beat players who don't care and will just give you their chips, you're going to have a real hard time beating those who are really trying.

You will learn a little, about value betting and playing against wide ranges. You'll learn how to take a suckout, it will happen a lot but you'll make more from the hands where they don't suckout and you win.

I've played a LOT of play money recently. I'm not at my computer, but in the next day or two I'll probably post about it. I was trying to meet a personal goal and prove a point to a friend. I can assure you that the play barely improves no matter how high up you go, at least on Stars. So, I wouldn't bother trying to move up too high in the stakes (maybe get out of the lowest games and above the games where people can reload and sit in them easily). But, you're not going to be playing against tough competition.

The only concern would be picking up bad habits, like limping. Just don't play like the rest of the table. None of them are good. If they're doing something, you should never try and copy them.
 
Fivefor

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Is it possible to improve your game by playing with play money?
I still need to improve my game before starting to play with real money. I deposited 45 bucks on tree dif platforms ( with bonuses it's around 70 bucks) but with no return in the investment. I learned a lot but not enough, should i stick to freerolls and play money before depositing again. I also started studying with blogs, guide's, forum's etc.


It is possible yes, but it will only take you so far.
I'd play for real money but at the lowest stakes until I was a winning ROI player before moving up in stakes. Something too many people just don't understand and make the mistake of playing at stakes much higher than their skill level when just starting out - which is great for all the players that take their money I guess...lol
 
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mollymaggie

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You feel a lot better when your loss is play money. Still play those games you can play hands you'd normally wouldn't in a cash game. Do some bluffing and shoving. It can be a confidence builder plus it allows you to try different strategies. You can still learn things from play money that you can use when you want to put your cash at risk
 
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bigrog70

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One way I to build up a bankroll, in addition to no-deposit bankrolls/bonuses and freerolls is by selling PS chips online. A bit more than 10 yrs ago, one site paid $10/1M pokerstars chips and $3/1M Full Tilt chips. Then a year later, due to supply and demand, he was paying $5/1M PS chips. These days, I see one site offering $3/1M PS chips. Not sure if it's legit or not. The website of the guy I used to use in no longer up.
 
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capo1014

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Play money vs. Real money

Play money I think is just as fun as real money. There is a lot to be learned in play money especially when you start making the final tables. I have won the Sunday Million and the Platinum Elite invitational in play money. This was no easy challenge. I have always gone further into play money games vs. cash money. I think when one has a limitless cash flow they take more chances then the rest of us. It is still a rewarding challenge when you place or win a real money game. I love both and will continue to play both play and real money. So with that said enjoy playing and practice practice,practice. Capo1014
 
frost234

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I do not recommend playing poker with play money. Nobody plays it seriously, because the money is conditional and the players do not care whether they win or lose.
 
Sergei 9417

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Hello! You can stick to freerolls, but why did you put on a deposit? Try your hand at micro limits. Best regards, Sergey.
 
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Lina1020

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Of course, you can improve your game by playing with play money, perfect for practicing and improving your game. There's so much wrong with playing with money that they play more cards than real money tables, saying they have nothing to lose.
 
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CornY7Y

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i think no

I don’t know for sure, but the play for play money is completely different, people go to Allin much more often, because they do not risk anything. When you play for real money, the game is more professional, and you really learn and avoid mistakes, as you can lose money. :)
 
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bigrog70

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If you don't want to stake real money, you can gain SOME experience playing money multi-table tournaments (MTT) at Pokerstars at 100k entry fee. At least at later stages of the tournament (e.g., final table), the play becomes slightly realistic. At 50k entry fee, the play is much less realistic, especially at the start of the tournament.
 
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Mahdi

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Is it possible to improve your game by playing with play money?
I still need to improve my game before starting to play with real money. I deposited 45 bucks on tree dif platforms ( with bonuses it's around 70 bucks) but with no return in the investment. I learned a lot but not enough, should i stick to freerolls and play money before depositing again. I also started studying with blogs, guide's, forum's etc.


It`s impossible, you will learn wrong poker from playing for play money, and then it much harder to re-learn playing poker for real money, so don`t even try
 
pcgnome

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You can learn the basics by using play money, but when you start using real money you will never want to go back. It's just not rewarding enough anymore. Another thing about the play money games is that they much softer than the real money games, You might also try playing the freerolls instead, since they don't cost anything to register.
 
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Mariadelaluz

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Real money is more instresting than Play money.
Because, it makes profits of real money.
 
rion85

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I was wondering the same question. In the past I played a lot of real money games, but for a while I haven't played poker (in the last 5years)
Now, I'd like just refresh my "skills" and I try to play with play money.
I think, the freeroll and play money players can't feel the point of the poker. They decisons are very irresponsible and often incomprehensible. So I'm thinking about that I'll have to play again with real money to play enjoyable parties :))
If you can lose money you'lL think twice before you react :)
 
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How much skill is really needed when there is a "alogrythim" picking the cards "for you". I used to play on BetOnline and they changed their format.

Suddenly, it was extremely hard to win and they had less free rolls, (no more nooner for $300), and I lost like $100 of their money I had made on that site prior to the site change.

I've played for years but you could "tell" something changed and the game automatically "took you OUT" even though my game play remained basically the same (or even better!).

I think every poker site (that's not a skin on a bot motor) has to based on a software ALOGRYTHIM. And they make sure it's very very hard to beat. You know like a kids video game.....
 
rion85

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But you play agains the other human players not against the algorithm.
So I don't understand your point. The conditions are the same for all of us.
 
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