Why is online poker declining

[paulyd]

Its not advertised like on tv like back then with the wpt. WPT was so nice to watch years ago,

 

[Queenlimp]

I agree poker is not advertised as years ago.
There was a craze several years ago and so many new players.
There was nothing keeping someone from just signing up and throwing a few dollars on a site.
With regulation and limited options, I assume a hefty amount of serious players just go to the casino.

 

[prizzy711]

Starting to see news on closures of offices for poker stars and articles that online poker is declining. Most sites have declined in free rolls. All but ACR, THEY SEEM TO BE STEPPING IT UP and pokerstars. Not really sure of party poker. How are you going to entice without freebees?

To suggest the decline is only happening online is false. Live play is dropping too. But at a much slower rate. Online is taking a hit and would love to hear why you think it might be?:thumpdown

pokerstars wound are self inflicted. I hope the whole industry isn't/doesn't decline.

 

[n1ckoftime]

Probably because its not as easy as it used to be. The average player is a lot better than 10 years ago, even 5 years ago. IMO

 

[rachelle2291]

I know with pokerstars they are no longer offering any incentives for the micro player. Most of their promotions involve opening chests and they put expiry dates on them. I havent opened one in months.

 

[quartz]

There definitely needs to be another huge boom (perhaps india or another emerging market can make huge inroads) but for now live games are the only decent place to play higher than the micros where skill edges are still fairly wide and you can consistently find good tables to play at.

 

[bakang]

It's due to the complete lack of transparency, in an era where we have to give our personal info just to buy groceries. What incentive do the online sites, like WpT and BOL have to give a proper deal? They don't have any statistics WSD results for the site, overall. I know I don't get fair deals, when the suck outs occur more the half of the time. Variance is just and excuse to rob whoever is ahead whenever they want.

 

[antonis32123]

You know , I started playing freerolls some years ago to be able to play more games and get way much more experience , than if I just played only with my own bankroll few games , and ofcourse to have more winning chances and play better/more expensive games .

I have deposited again and again since then . Really sad that some pokerrooms don't like them and have been decreasing the amount of freerolls or freebuyes being offered . In the past it used to be much better , no comparison at all nowadays , at PokerStars at least

 

[Criplgamer]

Starting to see news on closures of offices for poker stars and articles that online poker is declining. Most sites have declined in free rolls. All but ACR, THEY SEEM TO BE STEPPING IT UP and pokerstars. Not really sure of party poker. How are you going to entice without freebees?

To suggest the decline is only happening online is false. Live play is dropping too. But at a much slower rate. Online is taking a hit and would love to hear why you think it might be?:thumpdown

I agree with you but I don't think it's for the same reasons. I'm gonna use Global as an example. I have championed the site since I started playing there. I've played since very early this year and in 12 months the site has taken a nose dive.

Your criteria is freeroll mine is far more expansive and I'll get right into it.

1. Greed - This is the number one problem with online poker. ACR shows it with their red or black option where they take advantage of gamblers with a problem .
It's disgusting and it needs to go.
Global has done this as they have grown. Argue the point or not but something has changed since the last update or two and the RNG is well let's just say it's funny. That's not all. I've played for months and I have noticed the change and I don't play anymore but freerolls. Also, payouts are slower, $10 deposit but get $9 in your account?! $5 but get 4? This is a perfect example of greed. It's horrid

2. No Oversight Organization-
Online poker other than legal online rooms have no financial incentive to be audited , have their RNG audited nor give any access to any gaming authority to make sure that since the site has been in operation no of these things has happened.

A:Change to RNG algorithm
B:Employees allowed to play using superuser settings.
C: The sites are actually financially solvent and they are actually able to make payouts for the gaurantees they offer and that any of the winners of any of these large events are not Employees, sponsored by the site in any way, or have access to others hole card.

If people think C. can't happen think about this. Site X signs a huge poker star. This star has to play X hours for X dollars a year . ECT. What's the easiest way to get them paid? Make sure the RNG is rigged in the Sponsored Pros favor as well as make sure that when the going gets tough the pro gets access to hole cards. Call it an easy mode a la Ultimate Bet.


I want the following before I take it seriously again.

1. Oversight.
2. Monthly Audits
3. The removal of the blatant preying on problem gamblers. Minigames like Red/Black for double or nothing after a player has spent ungodly amount of hours playing to win a tourney has to go. the player isn't in the right state of mind . Nor are they assured both cards aren't the same color. Just cause the flip over on screen doesn't mean that those cards are what they are when they turn over. It's a fast and disgusting way for sites to get back buy in money let's say in tournaments without enough players to cover buy ins.


Rant over.

 

[bakang]

After losing another hand after starting out with the better hand I think people want the sites to be transparent about their dealing stats. Good luck with that!

 

[teebahnoo]

A newb point of view

I don't know if the business is declining or not but I feel like I know why people might step back from it. In a nutshell, is really tough out there at micro where every single article or piece of info available online direct newbs like me to start from.

I play mostly the micro "Big" tournaments on PokerStars, though I saw a similar situation on other formats (specially sit and go). There's not a single table in any of this tourneys without at least 2 "green" people (color given by HUD when profitable on sharkscope). In the money, almost the entire table is full with them - in a $1.1 tourney for example! - except me ofc. Probably not many of you remember your freshman time but what do you think are the chances for me to be profitable in such a field? After almost 1000 tourney (mostly micro and low with a few shots at medium) I've lost $7000 of my own money and $2600 in cashes I made. And no matter what format or anything I try it's a similar situation.

To me, the entry levels is reg infested and has put a ridiculous barrier to new comers. I stick around because I'm fortunate with a lucrative day job. Why aren't these people moving up? Why are they playing 50k torneys for average stake of $2 and maybe 10k profit?

Yesterday, I had the curiosity to look up what is the thing that some of them display as an avatar. It has the text "standard backing" and other stuff like that. Well, if they have to play 600 MTT per month and be profitable and skillful then yes, I can understand why they stay so low.

Maybe the reason is not in freebies, taxes or socialism. Maybe the games is way too industrialized these days.

 

[jsh169]

It's not just online poker it's all of poker. Sure when you make insane events people will come out of the woodwork to show. My local casino on Fridays and Saturdays would get 8-12 tables, now we get 6-8, tables at one point were 10 handed as well. Poker is a dying fad, it will never die, but 2 things happen to the biggest losers, they get better or quit.

In terms of online, there is so much wrong, we can't fix, technology has advanced so far and if your not winning now, I don't advise starting to try now, if you intend on making a secondary income. I am not saying don't play it if enjoyment is your primary objection.

 

[fundiver199]

I don't know if the business is declining or not but I feel like I know why people might step back from it. In a nutshell, is really tough out there at micro where every single article or piece of info available online direct newbs like me to start from.

I play mostly the micro "Big" tournaments on PokerStars, though I saw a similar situation on other formats (specially sit and go). There's not a single table in any of this tourneys without at least 2 "green" people (color given by HUD when profitable on sharkscope). In the money, almost the entire table is full with them - in a $1.1 tourney for example! - except me ofc. Probably not many of you remember your freshman time but what do you think are the chances for me to be profitable in such a field? After almost 1000 tourney (mostly micro and low with a few shots at medium) I've lost $7000 of my own money and $2600 in cashes I made. And no matter what format or anything I try it's a similar situation.

To me, the entry levels is reg infested and has put a ridiculous barrier to new comers. I stick around because I'm fortunate with a lucrative day job. Why aren't these people moving up? Why are they playing 50k torneys for average stake of $2 and maybe 10k profit?

Yesterday, I had the curiosity to look up what is the thing that some of them display as an avatar. It has the text "standard backing" and other stuff like that. Well, if they have to play 600 MTT per month and be profitable and skillful then yes, I can understand why they stay so low.


Maybe the reason is not in freebies, taxes or socialism. Maybe the games is way too industrialized these days.

For sure online micro stakes games are reg infested, but there are also still plenty of rec. players, and not all the regs are good. Maybe try another poker site? I am doing pretty well in the tournaments on 888 Poker.

 

[teebahnoo]

Thanks for the suggestion, fundiver199, I haven't played 888 in a while. There's only one tourney I could roll in the evening (the 5.5 big fish) and is slower (2 and half hours till reg close vs. 1:45 on pokerstars). I still have some money in there so I might take a few shots see how it goes.

 

[teebahnoo]

Yes, so here's why I actually stopped playing on 888 and why this is the last time I ever play there again. I gave a shot at their seasonal tournament (cause I have nothing better to do) and here's the history of the 15 minutes on that tourney:
1. The very first hand I'm in UTG I open with 89 suited get stacked for 1/5 of my stack by KK
2. 8 hands later, I get KK and lose everything to quads 9999.

Thank you very much, won't happen again.

 

[vittopio]

It seems to me that this happens for 2 reasons! 1 is permissiveness poker rooms !! Ruma can unilaterally and without explanation importantly ban any player, and confiscate his money! This is unlikely to contribute to the popularity of online poker! 2 And the reason fierce lobby casino online!

 

[COMIRRR]

I don't think online poker is down. The poker rooms boast of an increase in the number of players who have accounts, as well as the casinos. I think it increases the number of players who discover the pleasure of playing poker. I only play online because in my city, in casinos, there is still no live poker, if I play live I would go there but I would not give up online poker.

 

[bakang]

Users down, sites rigging deal for fish, way up
WP cheat is disgusting. Just lost AK vs AT, then AA vs J9
after I complained on the chat. Not quite sure how they sleep at night
but we're the suckers at 20 bucks/mo, right?

 

[bakang]

For sure online micro stakes games are reg infested, but there are also still plenty of rec. players, and not all the regs are good. Maybe try another poker site? I am doing pretty well in the tournaments on 888 Poker.

WPT is a cheat site that advertises to people who have played other sites
They have a subscription scam going, where the math of true poker is pretty much
"every hand, 50/50" imo. they do a #metoo type thing to players, imo

 

[fundiver199]

Yes, so here's why I actually stopped playing on 888 and why this is the last time I ever play there again. I gave a shot at their seasonal tournament (cause I have nothing better to do) and here's the history of the 15 minutes on that tourney:
1. The very first hand I'm in UTG I open with 89 suited get stacked for 1/5 of my stack by KK
2. 8 hands later, I get KK and lose everything to quads 9999.


Thank you very much, won't happen again.

As so many other people you are blaiming your losses on factors outside your control. Reg infested games. Bad luck. But its not mandatory to play 98s from UTG, and its also not mandatory to stack off an overpair on a paired board. So you could have taken some different lines of action, that might have extended your lifetime in that 5,5$ tournament. And for sure if you look over all the hands, you played in those 1.000 tournaments on Stars, you will find many similar spots.

So if you want to continue playing poker and not lose money doing so, you need to work more on your game. You also need to stop depositing money and use bankroll management. For small field tournaments 100 buyins is enough, and really those are the best ones to focus on, when you are new to the game.

Stars is actually a brilliant place to begin a tournament career, but you should focus on their SnGs especially the multitable variety. The 45, 90 and 180 mans. Playing the "big" tournaments for an average buyin, which considering your losses must be 10$ or more, is like trying to run a marathon without first having learned how to walk.

 

[ronn6583]

Why is online poker declining?
Any drop is primarily associated with a decrease in interest.
Interest decreases for various reasons that can be investigated.
How do they usually destroy a business?
First, the task is to increase profitability!
And how to increase profitability if the external environment has a negative impact?
The easiest way then is to reduce costs!
But there is a caveat: in order for business to thrive in the long term, you need to make investments!
And what happens when reformers classify investments as expenses ....
Many companies went bankrupt under this scheme.