Giving up on some poker sites.

[fundiver199]

And how do they know which site they like the most if they're not playing on them?

OP has already played on multible sites and is now considering to give up on some of them. Which I think is a good idea, when they have not really been able to move up even after playing for 5+ years.

You're attempting to give advice while having little experience with playing on multiple sites yourself & the reasons a player might want to be doing this. You know really? Like you know.. really??

Yes I made a choise, that for me it does not add any value to play on several sites. I currently play on ACR and pokerstars but not in the same session. I have tried that and dont like it. I find it easier to arrange multible tables, if they are from the same site. Other people might have different experiences or opinions, and this is fine

For starters
different sites are busy at different times of the day
ie. WPTGLobal has 4x as much traffic at 11pm (my time zone) vs. daytime hours (10am to 4pm)
SportsBetting is busiest (& softest) at 5pm > 9pm
Partypoker is busiest (& softest) from 1:00pm til 4pm (and after that, it's pretty quiet but gets a bit of an increase from Brazil, S.A. players)

Sure. But does that really matter, when OP is trying to build up a small bankroll playing $1 tournaments? Of course if he pick small sites, that dont have good 24 hour activity, it might be nessesary to play on 2, if he want flexibility in, when he can play. For instance its not possible to play SnGs on ACR 24 hours a day, and even MTT offerings are limited, when americans are sleeping or working.

OR maybe they wants to play 5 or 6 MTT at the same time. I don't think there's any sites these days where they could play 6x $2 mtt in the same hour.

But then they can play 2 x $1, 2 x $2 and 2 x $3 tournaments on the same site. On PokerStars this is pretty easy at any time of day. Plus they can add in some MTT SnGs, if they still lack volume. MTT SnGs also go on the hourly brakes.

Pretty much every single site online these days has their tables size identically with other sites AND of course all tournament breaks are at the same time.

Its true, that the brakes are not an issue, since all sites have agreed on similar brake times.

Maybe there's some sort of bonus/promo

Sure. But then OP can withdraw his $100 bankroll, or whatever it is, and deposit it on the site, which has a promo. Focusing on one site at a time does not mean, it has to be a choise for the rest of his life

 

[Matt_Burns88]

That being said its not a bad idea to pick one site and only play there, until you have build a bankroll. Playing here and there and everywhere means, you constantly have to adjust to different software and different games, which is an unnessesary distraction, when you are playing ultra low stakes of less than $1 on average.

This is precisely what I did. A couple of years ago I had a "reset" when it came to poker. It has taken a long time and a lot of patience, but after starting with $0, I now have a BR of more than $900 across 5 sites.
I started just with PokerStars, added 888 and then IPoker, then just this year I added Part Poker and GG.
Some will say that my bankroll management was overly strict, which slowed my progression, especially at the beginning, but I don't care as my only goal was to build a bankroll and never have to deposit on a site again.

Time and patience really is the key here. I started this in January 2022 and you can expect something similar if you play a similar amount and follow a similar BRM strategy. Note; I'm not saying this is the correct way, but just as an example, this was my strategy:

Obviously start with CC freerolls to start the BR off.
Get to $10 and then start to add $0.25 SnG's.
Get to $25 and add $0.50 SnG's.
Get to $60 and add $1.00 SnG's.
Get to $150 and add $2.00 SnG's and $1 MTT's
Get to $400 and add $5.00 SnG's and $2 MTT's
Reach $1,000 and prove myself right!

You can obviously start playing penny games the moment you cash in a freeroll, but for me, once I was off the ground, I didn't want to go back to zero. Perhaps a bit of a ego thing, but meh, who cares?

Good Luck!

 

[luckyfish98]

Ever since I started playing, five years ago, I tried every way I could to raise a BR to play.
In some periods I did well in some, but now I recognize that in certain sites, I don't do well, I don't know if it's just my lack of talent or if it's the more difficult field.
I would like to know if others here have this same feeling?

It's a bit of a mystery really, because the more I play and gain experience, the more I slip into a hole and don't progress

 

[Suns of Beaches]

This is precisely what I did. A couple of years ago I had a "reset" when it came to poker. It has taken a long time and a lot of patience, but after starting with $0, I now have a BR of more than $900 across 5 sites.
I started just with PokerStars, added 888 and then IPoker, then just this year I added Part Poker and GG.
Some will say that my bankroll management was overly strict, which slowed my progression, especially at the beginning, but I don't care as my only goal was to build a bankroll and never have to deposit on a site again.

Time and patience really is the key here. I started this in January 2022 and you can expect something similar if you play a similar amount and follow a similar BRM strategy. Note; I'm not saying this is the correct way, but just as an example, this was my strategy:

Obviously start with CC Freerolls to start the BR off.
Get to $10 and then start to add $0.25 SnG's.
Get to $25 and add $0.50 SnG's.
Get to $60 and add $1.00 SnG's.
Get to $150 and add $2.00 SnG's and $1 MTT's
Get to $400 and add $5.00 SnG's and $2 MTT's
Reach $1,000 and prove myself right!

You can obviously start playing penny games the moment you cash in a freeroll, but for me, once I was off the ground, I didn't want to go back to zero. Perhaps a bit of a ego thing, but meh, who cares?

Good Luck!

Congratulations to u for building from scratch but i have to tell u taking more than 2 years to build a bankroll of 900 while living somewhere in a western country isn't quite the accomplishment that u think it is.

In all this time u probably spent a lot more on living expenses while playing then u actually earned from playing.

I know that because i did similar stuff like this in the past too and in the end its just not worth it. If u are a winning player on higher limits u can just deposit and start winning there without wasting ur time first on super micros.

Not get me wrong i like the idea of challenges and never having to deposit again but imo it has to be in relation with time/money spent. If u were playing only very rarely and u reached 1k in 2 years then ok but if u were playing a lot and many many hours during those 2 years then u accomplished nothing and actually lost money indirectly during that time.

 

[luckyfish98]

Congratulations to u for building from scratch but i have to tell u taking more than 2 years to build a bankroll of 900 while living somewhere in a western country isn't quite the accomplishment that u think it is.

In all this time u probably spent a lot more on living expenses while playing then u actually earned from playing.

I know that because i did similar stuff like this in the past too and in the end its just not worth it. If u are a winning player on higher limits u can just deposit and start winning there without wasting ur time first on super micros.

Not get me wrong i like the idea of challenges and never having to deposit again but imo it has to be in relation with time/money spent. If u were playing only very rarely and u reached 1k in 2 years then ok but if u were playing a lot and many many hours during those 2 years then u accomplished nothing and actually lost money indirectly during that time.

I don't understand what you mean by that!can you please explain more?(when you will get your silver....)

 

[yuriko oyama]

Pretty sure i am not the only (stupid) one who has "given up" on sites who dont have cardchat freerolls etc anymore ...

I agree with you, we just go where we are welcome now.

 

[yuriko oyama]

Hello. The only site where I have deposited with hope, because I am familiar with it, is PokerStars, but because of the ecstasy in many successful situations I always end up depositing something more (like for fun). On other sites I only play what's free, which doesn't stop me from going all in at the 2-5-10c table, with $15-20🤣. I think the truth is to enjoy and stop a little, especially when we have xn profit, and try again from below to be aware of the need for ascent....
I wonder when we want to play the true value, do we know it? but maybe I try harder?🤔

I think your view is fair, you apparently play for fun and don't feel the need for a commitment or a restricted schedule.

 

[yuriko oyama]

Each player can choose their best place to play poker, not all of them are the same, and as you say it is like that, there are some places that we are much better at than others and that is true, the most important thing is to always give our best In every place we play, the results will always come.

I respect your opinion, but several factors may be necessary to be successful everywhere, I personally have a lot of difficulty, I'm already 44 years old and I think that among these factors would be youth itself, which is not my case, as it is something irreparable.

 

[yuriko oyama]

I rarely play in CC games but occasionally do play the Partypoker game. I noticed you on the table the other day and the first thing I 'noted' on you was that you were playing well (I take A LOT of notes on players in all games I play in).

Honestly I disagree with some of the other posts in this thread. I think it's more than fine to be playing on multiple sites & in fact I'd recommend it (why limit ourselves to the games on just one site?? Makes no sense to me).
I think it's important to be playing 'similar' games though... especially if you are fairly new to the game (first year or two playing poker). You want to focus on one game type to get accustomed to the structure and how to play it & of course watching how others (the better players) are playing it too.

Some sites are much softer than others. Currently the softest site I am playing on is WPTGlobal. Unfortunately it also has the worst software (lol) but if you can get it set up and get accustomed to it, it'll be well worth it. I actually don't even play on the site that often (a bit of cash games late at night) made a small deposit ($40) to qualify for a CC promotion on there and now have ~$900

I personally play mostly Cash games but a small amount of tournaments as well. (sites that have soft cash games also have softer tournaments).
The cash games play significantly different on differing sites.
in order of easiest to hardest:
WPTGlobal
SportsBetting/Betonline
888Poker
Partypoker
ACR/WPN network
GGPoker
Pokerstars

Another thing to consider is which days of the week are softer and what time of day is softer.
Generally speaking, I find Fridays to be the absolute best, followed by Saturday and then Sunday. (weekdays have fewer players and larger ratio of regulars vs recreationals).

gl on your poker journey!

Thank you for your opinion, but for me it appears more as guidance.
See you at the tables, and I hope to take all your chips.

 

[yuriko oyama]

Indeed, after playing in different rooms, you can see how the playing field and the RNG differ, as an example of 888 and ACR. Therefore, I try to play in one room so it is more understandable for me personally.

I'm also trying to follow this path, but it took me a while because I thought it was possible to stay well at all, today I think I wasted time and money.

 

[yuriko oyama]

I have the same feeling friend, I've already given up on 3 sites. I also don't know if it's my lack of talent, but EVERY time I played there, I just got angry

anger and frustration. Welcome to the world of poker.

 

[Poker Orifice]

I'm also trying to follow this path, but it took me a while because I thought it was possible to stay well at all, today I think I wasted time and money.

Think of it as 'time & money invested' into gaining a poker education
'or'
Think of it as a recreational activity that you enjoy doing. (fwiw, nobody gets good if they don't REALLY like the game).

 

[Poker Orifice]

Ever since I started playing, five years ago, I tried every way I could to raise a BR to play.
In some periods I did well in some, but now I recognize that in certain sites, I don't do well, I don't know if it's just my lack of talent or if it's the more difficult field.
I would like to know if others here have this same feeling?

Some sites are tougher than others (the players are better) but it also depends upon what stakes, what time of day, what day of the week, etc.
I would say it's a lack of talent.
Why not get better?

 

[fundiver199]

Some sites are tougher than others (the players are better) but it also depends upon what stakes, what time of day, what day of the week, etc.

And what games, since some are more popular with recreational players than others. On PokerStars I will definitely say, that MTTs labeled "Big" or "Deep" are significantly tougher than similar stakes turbo PKOs. But stakes is the main factor, which is kind of common sense. There are no sites, where $1 MTTs are full of the best players in the world, and there are also no sites, where $100 or even $10 MTTs are only played by huge fish. All sites have a mix of good and bad players, and for obvious reasons most of the best players are found in the more expensive tournaments. So if you cant beat $1 MTTs on all the sites, there is no chance, you can beat $10 MTTs on any site.

 

[Matt_Burns88]

Congratulations to u for building from scratch but i have to tell u taking more than 2 years to build a bankroll of 900 while living somewhere in a western country isn't quite the accomplishment that u think it is.

In all this time u probably spent a lot more on living expenses while playing then u actually earned from playing.

I know that because i did similar stuff like this in the past too and in the end its just not worth it. If u are a winning player on higher limits u can just deposit and start winning there without wasting ur time first on super micros.

Not get me wrong i like the idea of challenges and never having to deposit again but imo it has to be in relation with time/money spent. If u were playing only very rarely and u reached 1k in 2 years then ok but if u were playing a lot and many many hours during those 2 years then u accomplished nothing and actually lost money indirectly during that time.

I respectfully disagree. The accomplishment is exactly what I think it is, because it is personal to me.

What living expenses would I incur while playing poker online that I wouldn't have incurred watching TV or playing video games?

This wasn't a challenge designed to prove anything to myself or anyone else. It was a case of getting my first mortgage and needing every penny I earned from my day job to pay the mortgage and bills and get everything I needed for the house. Poker took a back seat in terms of whether I needed to put money into or not.

Poker is a hobby to me, much like playing golf or going to the gym, except in the last two years, I have something like $3,850 on those combined. I understand your point if I was trying to make a living from poker, but I'm so I really see no relevance in what you're saying.

 

[fundiver199]

I respectfully disagree. The accomplishment is exactly what I think it is, because it is personal to me.

What living expenses would I incur while playing poker online that I wouldn't have incurred watching TV or playing video games?

This wasn't a challenge designed to prove anything to myself or anyone else. It was a case of getting my first mortgage and needing every penny I earned from my day job to pay the mortgage and bills and get everything I needed for the house. Poker took a back seat in terms of whether I needed to put money into or not.

Poker is a hobby to me, much like playing golf or going to the gym, except in the last two years, I have something like $3,850 on those combined. I understand your point if I was trying to make a living from poker, but I'm so I really see no relevance in what you're saying.

I think, his point is, that had you started with a bit more than zero, you might have made it to significantly more than $900 by now. And even with a tight budget, maybe some sort of deposit could have been afforded? Just ask yourself this question: If for some reason you decided to withdraw all your poker money to pay for some real life expenses (e.g. an emergency), and wanted to start playing again later, would you do it the same way over again? Or would you try to find at least some money for a new deposit later, so that you could avoid going back to freerolls or $0,25 games?

I did a challenge on PokerStars 2 years ago, where I started with $100, and I would not want to do this over again. So if I have to withdraw all my poker money due to some emergency, then I will try everything, I can, to find money for a new deposit, so that I dont need to go back to $1.1 MTTs or $2 SnGs. Because once you have established yourself as a winner at stakes higher than those, it really is kind of a waste of time to play there just to earn a few bucks for a new bankroll

 

[Matt_Burns88]

My first post was really to serve as motivation to OP that it is possible to build a bankroll from nothing with time and effort. Of course, if he can deposit and bypass the free roll and lowest stakes stage, it would make the process a lot quicker.
I would not want to go back to those days again for sure, but it proves that it is possible, even for someone who doesn't play a huge amount of volume, or put hours and hours of study in a week to build from zero.
Maybe I'm taking it a bit too personally, but I think it's a bit disrespectful to say it's a waste of time and I've accomplished nothing.

 

[Station_Master]

My first post was really to serve as motivation to OP that it is possible to build a bankroll from nothing with time and effort. Of course, if he can deposit and bypass the free roll and lowest stakes stage, it would make the process a lot quicker.
I would not want to go back to those days again for sure, but it proves that it is possible, even for someone who doesn't play a huge amount of volume, or put hours and hours of study in a week to build from zero.
Maybe I'm taking it a bit too personally, but I think it's a bit disrespectful to say it's a waste of time and I've accomplished nothing.

I think starting at the lowest stakes is perfectly reasonable. After all it is a learning experience and maybe if you deposit and jump in at higher stakes you can't beat the games.

Building a bankroll from zero is a good achievement, I wouldn't regard it as a waste of time! More important than the money is the poker skills you will have accumulated.

 

[steve01991]

stick to the sites you win more at, it only makes sense!

 

[fundiver199]

I think starting at the lowest stakes is perfectly reasonable. After all it is a learning experience and maybe if you deposit and jump in at higher stakes you can't beat the games.

It is more reasonable with cash games than tournaments though. With cash games you can not play any lower than 2NL, and yes it is reasonable to start there, if you are completely new to the game and dont want to risk to much. However with tournaments there are freerolls and penny games, and there is nothing wrong with skipping those and starting with something like $1 games instead.

Building a bankroll from zero is a good achievement, I wouldn't regard it as a waste of time! More important than the money is the poker skills you will have accumulated.

This is true. But the point is, when you have reached a 4-figure or 5-figure bankroll, nobody will care, if you started with $0, $100 or some other random number. So by starting to low you are just holding yourself back and extending the time, it takes. Matt_Burns88 was not completely new to the game, when he did this challenge. He has a thread about it in "Poker challenges, goals and wins". But his point here was to tell OP, it is possible to build up a bankroll even as someone, who only play casually in their spare time. And this message and encouragement I completely agree with

 

[Suns of Beaches]

Maybe I'm taking it a bit too personally, but I think it's a bit disrespectful to say it's a waste of time and I've accomplished nothing.

I said if u invested a lot of time and many many hours during those 2 years then it was a waste of time (imo!). I dont think my post contained anything disrespectful, thats just how u perceive it. I even congratulated u for building from scratch.

Anyway do whatever u want or what makes u happy. Sorry for my 2 cents 😉👍

 

[Gallarado777]

you only need to play on sites where you win more than others and then you will have much more prizes and victories. I always only play where I like to play and win, and I rarely go to other poker sites where I lose a lot

 

[Cooking]

I agree with you. Maybe the field is stronger, but I never had great results on PS. So, I never deposit there. I just dont quit to play on PS because there are still some free home games to my country. But when I deposit, I just choose other room.

 

[Iryna Stryzheuskaya]

It's more pleasant for me to play where I can win. For example, CardsChat freerolls

 

[Matt_Burns88]

It's more pleasant for me to play where I can win. For example, CardsChat freerolls

I think you mean impossible to lose.

Kind of defeats the object of poker...