Playing "Play" money (bad for poker skills?)

[arahel_jazz]

Bad as most freerolls are, they are much better for your poker skills than the play tables.

True, but I usually don't have the 3-4 hours needed to go deep in them... Just takes too much free time. They are also scheduled at horrible times of the day for me.

 

[HoldemDyl]

good point kenzie

I agree that play money games are terrible in term of quality play, and while freerolls are NOT much better, they do increase the quality of play, BUT ONLY IN THE LATER GAME, i.e. the last %10 before you make the money. Otherwise they are very similar. Lots of all-in donks and bad hands played.

 

[Panamajoe]

Stay away from play money except if your basically a complete beginner, and even then, just play long enough to familiarize yourself with the software.

There's little productive purpose to staying there in order to learn to beat players whose comfort level is playing with nothing at stake. If you aren't comfortable bankrolling yourself for a few bucks, then hit the freerolls and work your roll up from there. It'll be very slow, averaging pennies per hour, but if not having any money from your pocket at risk is what it takes for you to feel comfortable, NP.

Actually I don't mind having my real money at risk, it's just that I can't get real money in to play right now, I need to set up a local bank account.... yadda yadda. So, what I was curious about is if you all think it could hurt my poker skills to play with play money while I await the time to play with my real money again. I understand the assumption since I didn't explain much in my OP, so thanks for the response!

 

[Panamajoe]

Ok, I might be slow but I'm not a complete moron , I hope. Anyway, the point is basically moot since the play money games are making my head hurt and it is just frigging bingo.

That said, thanks a lot for the great conversation all! I am going to get my danged bank account open here ASAP. i finally found out all I have to do is take my passport with me and they will let me open an account, then I change my accounts at poker stars and the other sites to my local address and bank account instead of my stateside stuff.

Should be good to go soon.

Once again you CC folks sure know how to get to the core of a question. I'll be more descriptive next time. I didn't intend to ask as if I had a choice of playing real or play, primarily i wanted your input as to whether playing play money could hurt me by developing crappy habits. I've been fairly succesful in the past playing as some here might agree (or not nyuk nyuk).

 

[theskillzdatklls]

if you win at play money then you can at least get a feel for what poker is like

 

[AllexDias]

Very Thank you for this post.

 

[neptun1914]

I have player with play money for some time but unfortunately most of the people play too loose because it is free. Even freerolls are better because there are at least some money involved albeit minimal and people play more seriously.

 

[pigpen02]

I can't play for real money at pokerstars because I live in the United States and we haven't paid the congress enough to treat us like adults. However, I have found that 100k single table tournaments with normal blind progression speed have enough people who treat playing seriously that it is both challenging and fun. Any lower or faster and the idiots win by sheer numbers.

 

[vov4ik]

I think that playing with play money will not harm your playing skills, but on the contrary will be able to give you additional skills in tournaments and cash games and then you will be able to play for money understanding the situation on the table, and then when you play for real money in tournaments and cash games you will have good skills and you will only have to try to win!

 

[nellorossi83]

I played many play money in 6+ in pokerstars. I did 9M this way.
Then i try play my 5 US$ earned ina a freroll and lose all.
Play money is a different game... you just need know this difference... i dont think it will bad you game

 

[SubZero111]

There is some skill to play money. In the beginning levels it is a shove fest, but once you run it up people start to try a little. Still bad play, but if you can win a lot at play money you can win at the micro stakes for real money. If you can't beat play money, you can't beat real money either.

I agree that if you can't beat play money, you can't beat real money. I also agree that play
money games get tougher as you get further along in a tournament. Nobody wants to spend an hour in a tournament(play or real money) and then get knocked out for going all in with Q4 .I believe there is some use to play money.

 

[successlaw]

I didnt play too much poker on virtual money but when i've played i saw that people play like crazy.

Didnt try high stakes for virtual money..hope there is a better game.

In final, i dont think you ll lpse your skill..

 

[ironduke11]

play money game is a waste of time for anyone taking poker seriously, the whole flow of the game feels different...people make decisions on a different basis....entirely different game

 

[pigpen02]

Look, playing poker with play/fake money isnt playing poker at all, in my opinion. how are you supposed to play and take poker seriously when you arnt even taking poker seriously?

The mindset of playing with play money is a lot like playing bridge with a group of friends. There is no money involved but still winning is its own reward. My play money bankroll is just a way of keeping score.

 

[Statsman1]

Play money won't make you learn many good habits, but you can certainly make some bad habits, and you'll see others with LOTS of them.

Anyone can be stupid when they have nothing to lose. Real lessons are only learned when they're NOT free.

 

[ozaloa]

You can play the play money games fearless and you wouldn't care much about playing every hand or going all in with any cards but you can not do the same in real money games.That would cause you lose much money.you have to be more careful when playing real money,because you can lose all your money or get eliminated from the real money tournament.And you can not bluff as many times as in play money games.so even if you are playing play money games you need to pretend like playing a real money game.that is the key of success i guess.

 

[agriggy]

Does playing exclusively with play money likely to hurt my poker skills?

Hoping this hasn't been asked too much previously.

I won't be able to fund my accounts for a while and getting an itchy seat , but geeze these people aren't really playing poker!!!

Thanks for any advice.

Play money the players are wild/loose and usually are fish. In order to play hands you will develop bad habits. Keep it to a minimum.

 

[Nano5722]

To be honest, i don,t understand those people, who usually advice people to play for playmoney, because on playmoney people are not playing the game serious, so, you will not learn anything new in those games.

 

[marcelo benavidez]

i think you have to play a lot in microbets, when you get skills, go for real money.

 

[Rob Hobson]

Does playing exclusively with play money likely to hurt my poker skills?

Hoping this hasn't been asked too much previously.

I won't be able to fund my accounts for a while and getting an itchy seat , but geeze these people aren't really playing poker!!!

Thanks for any advice.

In my opinion, play money is very good for beginners where they have the very first contact with the App, the bets structure, positions, time bank and so and so. Just take a look in your past and remember when you started. But keeping playing play money will not hurt your pokers skills but prevent you from develop the real poker.
One may keep playing fictitious for ever but the learning process will get stuck until jump to the real where this process resumes.
If I, for an instance, play money, I just go all-in all the time. Like Mick Jagger said, I can't get no satisfaction.

 

[ayahuasca]

Play money games are not bad when you're at the beginning but you can't play only them forever, it becomes boring very soon: opponents are not good at all, no any strong motivation to win etc.

 

[Rumengh]

Are you playing with play money poker hurt my skills?

Hoping that this was not set too much before.

I can not finance bills for awhile and I get itchy , but these people do not really play poker !!!

Thanks for the advice.

I do not think it would hurt your game on the contrary there may esperimentirate and learn to play multiple tables. And in large levels have good players.

 

[Vallet]

I think it's not a bad option. You need to start with this

 

[okeedokalee]

There is a huge gap between play chips and money games.Before you play for money learn how to play the game or you will just be wasting your hard earned cash.

 

[jrgum25]

It doesn't have to hurt you as long as you stick to playing poker and let them play like maniacs. I learn the art of patience playing in games like that and it helps me when I play for real money or in freerolls where I can win money.