Need help understanding variance at Global Poker

[TheBigZazoo]

I am in need of help better understanding the idea of variance in Texas Hold’em particularly as it applies to the games on Global Poker.

I have read just about every post (that I could find here that is) pertaining to idea of “rigged” on-line poker and the many replies explaining that the losses experienced are just “variance “ in poker and that everyone goes through it, but those claiming rigged sites may not be playing correctly and need to look at their game to improve and stop blaming the RNG rigging for their bad beats. These comments I generally agree with. These comments, however, do not cover the issues I have experienced on this poker site.

As I explained, the concept of variance is something I understand. What I don’t get is how it comes about and why it seems so specific to me and my play. For example: When I first started playing on Global I could take a $10 deposit and run it up to between $100 - $200, but I would always lose it back down to $10 and below before building it back up again. This was mostly due (I believe) to my inexperience and lack of control over emotion. This caused me to get excited about winning and then my play would get sloppier, looser, and riskier. So of course I would lose it all back until quitting for the night and playing another day rested and ready and the cycle would continue. All the while I was learning and improving, my play became more solid, my reads of others was honing in and I began impressing friends with my predictions of others cards and actions at the table. I am still learning and improving and don’t consider myself to be “good poker player” yet...... but I am markedly better than I was to a noticeable degree.

So, when I started noticing that I could no longer get $10 deposit much above $50 and when I did the losses started.... These losses came by way of constantly being sucked out on Flop Thru River in every possible combination that it can be done.... Now this was not due to a change in play... I specifically looked for that and took precautions like logging out , getting sleep, coming back next day clear headed and ready....but the losses came the same way, every time until I was down below $10 and usually all the way down under $1.... then all of a sudden I could win again.... Over last several months, I have tried every idea I could think of to change this cycle. Quitting while ahead, stopping after a few losses and returning another day, changing game type from various buy-in amounts of SNGs ($0.5 + .05 to $20 + $1) to tournaments of different buy-ins and sizes..... But there is no change..... my stats on sharkscope look like a Rictor (sp?) Scale read out of an earthquake ... vertical up and down marks never really showing improvement over time.

To give you an idea of what I mean by suck outs tailored specifically to me (which I realize is not really the case, but algorithms maybe? not sure I believe that either) .... let me give an example of the countless many of these I have been through over last several months :

In one particular $3 tournament I was rarely dealt playable cards, but when I did get the few dealt me I was whittled down like this.... 1st) AA was cracked by both 4s and Ks in same hand....2nd) QQ was cracked by 76... flop 76x and turn 6 for boat.... 3rd and bust out) 88 was cracked by Ax in this manner... flop A8A (I have boat) , turn 10 and river A giving villain quads and rest of my chips..... Next game was a SNG for $5 that similarly only dealt me three playable hands all of which I got in with the best of it to get busted on river or turn and river each time until no chips left..... Next game was a cheaper SNG with exactly the same results.....Last Game and last of deposit money was a $0.50 SNG and you guessed it... exactly the same results......

It doesn’t matter what the hand is that I have or my opponent has, during these periods I am not allowed to win a game or finish in the money .... that is not until my balance is sufficiently low requiring a new deposit of $10 or so at which time I can miraculously win again and my AA’s actually hold up, as do my queens or any other cards I determine (usually correctly especially during the losing streaks) are better than my opponents..... I rarely bet an All-In or call one that I am not dominating the opponents holdings ..... which makes the losing even stranger.... at Global you can lose with the best statistical odds in your favor every time....so much so that the statistics of your hands potential are useless (because you will 100% lose until it’s your turn to win again)

I apologize for the rambling nature of this... I literally started typing after losing the last money I deposited after running it up to around $65 before the losing started..... so I am frustrated as well.

If this is just variance and I am some fool who doesn’t understand what’s going on and my game just needs improving for all this to change so I can finally withdraw a profit from poker.... please help me understand what this is and why it seems so “on purpose” instead of a natural process of ups and downs in the poker world.... As of now, it truly seems that Global wants everyone to win sometimes....just enough so they keep depositing but not enough to make a profit from it.... so sometimes it’s ok for you to win and the cards are in your favor and you deliver the bad beats and other times your skills have no purpose because you will be losing no matter how you play..... until it’s your turn to win again..... that is exactly what it feels like, looks like, and acts like...

Any help or ideas on this would be much appreciated....

 

[puzzlefish]

It's similar in party poker, poker stars, and 888. You deposit, you suddenly enjoy "easier" poker with straight-forward decisions and favourable boards. You hit some kind of ceiling and all of a sudden the boards just aren't in your favour anymore and you're weathering a winter of card death until your next deposit. I think it is to get you used to winning and to develop an expectation for that type of game play where things go in your favour, so that you get frustrated and make more riskier plays when the "luck" changes. It is the process of turning you into a deposit whore. To counter this, do not deposit anymore and build your bank roll up from freerolls - that is if you still even want to play online poker.

 

[TheBigZazoo]

Thanks for the input Puzzlefish..... I am still interested in playing poker on-line, but if all sites have this experience and many players go thru it, isn’t that a round about way of saying all sites are “rigged” or “rigging the RNG” to essentially deal out an experience that will subtly addict someone to on-line poker play complete with an almost exciting feeling when depositing....... Subliminal programming much like theme parks use to get you to not mind paying exorbitant prices for everything.....(well you do whether you mind or not, which is the point)

I just went back to BOL, where I have an account that has been unused for a very long times ..... seems they have updated the client software and browser client, it seems to run smoother and less glitchy.....
Anyway, I immediately noticed the differences in play and dealing of hands..... I still received a few bad beats, but I also delivered some as well..... the major difference is I never felt like my fate was preordained by an algorithm..... I finished out of the money at first as I got accustomed to the differences in play and player style, but it wasn’t but three games before I settled down and used my head to play my game.... I finished 2nd in a $3 tournament for $45 and won a couple $7 SNGs for $25 each...... and yes I noticed at times I would dealt crap for what felt inordinately long periods, but those were used for some well timed bluffs to keep my chips up......which frustrated the villains to no end so they would as they usually do start calling me down for a bit , which inevitably falls into the time where I am getting great cards again.... so it seems to them like I always have it and “how I is that possible” and they start folding as soon as I put in my pre-flop bet (even if it a call !) .... 8) always makes me smile..... until I get sucked out on and then it’s all rigged again.....haha...

Anyway, I will be monitoring the experience to see if things turn into a Global like experience over time......sure hope not, but if it’s as you say that most sites have that scenario built in, then I guess my good feelings today are just part one of the BOL indoctrination........

Still would like an explanation of variance which helps me understand how it follows you from game to game and site to site..... if you know something on that please respond.....

Thanks again....

 

[playinggameswithu]

I do not think online poker room will go through the PITB to rigg micro low stakes poker when they have hundred million dollar plus rooms at stake.

 

[TheBigZazoo]

I 100% agree with that opinion, Playinggameswithu.....

I hope it is clear to all reading my way too long and over-explained entries that I am NOT saying that in my opinion the sites mentioned (or any poker for that ) is rigged. They are simply over-worded questions about the idea of RNGs being rigged as opposed to the idea of variance in poker. Also, the concept of variance (being that many people say it is the true culprit along with bad play/decision making from the person complaining) , I am confused a bit as to what it truly is and this variance seems to follow me around from table to table and even site to site.

I personally do not think I’m “Stoopid” or have an ego that will not allow me to believe that the problems I’m encountering have their origin between my ears. (Quick aside, Do stupid people know that they are ? This could be a factor I’m not aware of 8) )

Please believe that my questions come after many many hands of a variety entry fee amounts and/ or big blind amounts from a few, not every, sites .... I will acknowledge that the entire time has been during the process of being a non-poker player thru the fish stage and up to now the “ok” poker player stage. I am now and will continue to learn and improve and in the light these questions have appeared. I have read many questions and responses from this forum, other forums and many articles on-line about this topic. Most responses to the questions (usually from tilted players) are very sarcastic and insulting but contain little to no information outside the “variance “, which I find funny because, in my opinion , they are criticizing and “putting down” the obviously upset victim while showing their lack of knowledge on the subject.

Without trying to belittle anyone, I am just trying to learn about the concept of variance (and possibly “rigging” ) and what it truly is to a deeper degree than just getting the word and it’s definition repeated over and over in every way possible.

Well, I did it again, wrote a short novella in response to your well worded and succinct reply. Starting to think I’ve forgotten how to be succinct. Hmm, another thing to learn about and work on. 8)

 

[Polytarp]

If possible, purchase tracking software that records your games. Statistically, your answers will be cut and dried regarding your play and the play of others.

 

[SouthparkSith]

I 100% agree with that opinion, Playinggameswithu.....

I hope it is clear to all reading my way too long and over-explained entries that I am NOT saying that in my opinion the sites mentioned (or any poker for that ) is rigged. They are simply over-worded questions about the idea of RNGs being rigged as opposed to the idea of variance in poker. Also, the concept of variance (being that many people say it is the true culprit along with bad play/decision making from the person complaining) , I am confused a bit as to what it truly is and this variance seems to follow me around from table to table and even site to site.

I personally do not think I’m “Stoopid” or have an ego that will not allow me to believe that the problems I’m encountering have their origin between my ears. (Quick aside, Do stupid people know that they are ? This could be a factor I’m not aware of 8) )

Please believe that my questions come after many many hands of a variety entry fee amounts and/ or big blind amounts from a few, not every, sites .... I will acknowledge that the entire time has been during the process of being a non-poker player thru the fish stage and up to now the “ok” poker player stage. I am now and will continue to learn and improve and in the light these questions have appeared. I have read many questions and responses from this forum, other forums and many articles on-line about this topic. Most responses to the questions (usually from tilted players) are very sarcastic and insulting but contain little to no information outside the “variance “, which I find funny because, in my opinion , they are criticizing and “putting down” the obviously upset victim while showing their lack of knowledge on the subject.

Without trying to belittle anyone, I am just trying to learn about the concept of variance (and possibly “rigging” ) and what it truly is to a deeper degree than just getting the word and it’s definition repeated over and over in every way possible.

Well, I did it again, wrote a short novella in response to your well worded and succinct reply. Starting to think I’ve forgotten how to be succinct. Hmm, another thing to learn about and work on. 8)

The best thing you can do is stop playing at Global Poker. If there is a "rigged or Fixed game out there it's a top contender" I played there a long long time. Sometime go on a poker bender or binge there after about 6 hours you'll understand you'll start seeing the EXACT see hands play out over and over again. By exact I do mean exact like same board same whole cards same everything. It's the the only place I've ever seen quad aces beaten by a queen high club straight flush 6 times in 4 hours! All six times player with aces is holding ace of clubs ace of hearts and River card makes a 4 flush board and opponent hits the straight flush. What are the odds on that?

 

[Ricardo007]

The same thing happens to me, you win a hand and when you get another chance to win, you have already lost 100% and it seems that the other players see your cards many times had KK pair or any other pair above 10 10 I simply paid the BB in my only chance to take the by and all the players folded, this is unbelievable or is reason to suspect that axiste fraud.

 

[Snk]

Global Poker Variance

i had to do some searching and this post is exactly how I feel after playing for a couple of months of Global Poker. I’ve only played RGS 1/2 and 2/4.

My initial deposit of $500 quickly got to $1500. Then the loses came and badly. I mean things I couldn’t understand. I was even telling a friend at work how every time I get my bank roll up to $1500 it crashed down to $100 or less then I deposit again. I’ve spent way too much money I’d like to admit on Global.

My last section that made me start to look for a chat like this one, I had AA in 1/2 NL RG.
I raise to $25. Got one caller. Flop comes all under cards, rainbow. I lead out for $50. Villain raises to $100 basically putting me all in. I go all in. He calls with pocket 7. I’m way ahead. Turn is a 7!!! Broke!

I log out play again. Now I got pocket Kings. Same thing basically... I’m way ahead and know it on flop but getting bet into hard. I go all in with $400. Villain has $200 behind. He calls after flop with QJ spades.... not even a pair or flush draw. But you guessed it. Runner, runner spades to my death .

Something is horrifically wrong with this site.

My roll can never exceed $1500

Just my thoughts.