FanatsLV
Visionary
Silver Level
Well there are to big player traffic to say pokerstars are doing it to some particular peoples they earning they money from antes so they like big pots 
N
neptun1914
Legend
Silver Level
I have not seen anything suspicious in pokerstars. They are the biggest player and have too much to loose in my opinion if they risk their reputation for few dollars more. Moreover they get their rake no matter who wins or looses so i do not see logical reason to rig anything in such situation.
D
dark IPA
Rock Star
Silver Level
sometimes i have this strange feeling, but i think that garbling is just fiction. we have not and never will have the evidences
frank174
Legend
Bronze Level
I think the problem with online poker is the forced random shuffle unlike live poker when big hands happen less often online there is a big hand vs big hand every minute that just isnt realistic. You shouldnt always flop a monster and another player have a monster hand you play live and you can play for hours and at lot of hands and hardly ever come up against what you get online forced action is not real poker that is the problem with online poker thats why when you play online there is always that distrust that your being set up.When I play live at the casino at least you know your getting a fair shake or shuffle that cant be said online and never will with forced random shuffle.How one can be random and forced has always confused me
Transcendence
Visionary
Silver Level
I'll buy a poker stars
C
Canwai
Visionary
Silver Level
Today things have improved, bad beats blind us the good times.
I think there are many things involved, bankroll management, variation and volume of games, certainly some of them. I kept my volume and the way I play.
Anyway, we are all apprentices and we seek the knowledge to become better players.
I think there are many things involved, bankroll management, variation and volume of games, certainly some of them. I kept my volume and the way I play.
Anyway, we are all apprentices and we seek the knowledge to become better players.
F
fundiver199
Legend
Loyaler
Probably not
This is difficult to say, since players using bot software against the rules will of course not reveal this to other players. However there would be patterns, that were recognizable for people like me, who play a large numbers of hands and use a HUD.
And so far I have met very few if any suspicious accounts on PokerStars. The most active players each have their own slightly different playing style, which certainly indicate, that they are human and not part of some bot ring.
Also PokerStars is the largest site in the world, which mean, they can put more ressources into policing the tables to maintain the integrety of their games. They will obviously not reveal exactly how, they do it, because this might give someone ideas, how to surcumvent the systems.
This is difficult to say, since players using bot software against the rules will of course not reveal this to other players. However there would be patterns, that were recognizable for people like me, who play a large numbers of hands and use a HUD.
And so far I have met very few if any suspicious accounts on PokerStars. The most active players each have their own slightly different playing style, which certainly indicate, that they are human and not part of some bot ring.
Also PokerStars is the largest site in the world, which mean, they can put more ressources into policing the tables to maintain the integrety of their games. They will obviously not reveal exactly how, they do it, because this might give someone ideas, how to surcumvent the systems.
F
fundiver199
Legend
Loyaler
Its really not complicated to program a random number generator, and the dealing of cards in all major online poker rooms is just as random, as it is in a casino. poker sites have no incentive to cheat their customers with a rigged card generator and risk their entire business.
If it appear like, coolers and bad beats are more common online, then its simply because, way more hands are played per hour. I had the same feeling when playing Zoom games relative to normal online games, but again its simply because the Zoom games are faster. Its simple human psycology. If 3 hours has passed since the last cooler or bad beat, we are not still emotionally affected by it, but if it happened 5 minutes ago, we often are.
nera75
Rock Star
Silver Level
complaining about PokerStars is nonsense, it is better to analyze your game more often, analyze the base, I am sure that most of the lost hands, could simply be avoided, training, hand analysis and the result will always be
F
fundiver199
Legend
Loyaler
It really depend on, which games you want to play. For 2NL-5NL cash games Stars has a lower rake than any other poker site, even if you take rewards into account. Stars is also great for 45-180 man SnGs at buyins like 25c to 1,5$. These run at a high frequenzy most of the time, so they are a great place to build up experience with MTT strategy and a bankrool.
However when you want to move up from 5NL cash games or 1$ 45-180 man SnGs, then Stars become a bit problematic. The 10NL and higher cash games are heavily infested by grinders, as is their new 4,5$ 36-180 man SnG with late registration. The time scheduled MTTs are a bit softer, but the rake for these was increased 20% back in 2017, and many of them have huge fields making them a bit like a lottery ticket.
These are some of the reasons, why I recently opened an account at 888 poker, and so far I did not regret it.
However when you want to move up from 5NL cash games or 1$ 45-180 man SnGs, then Stars become a bit problematic. The 10NL and higher cash games are heavily infested by grinders, as is their new 4,5$ 36-180 man SnG with late registration. The time scheduled MTTs are a bit softer, but the rake for these was increased 20% back in 2017, and many of them have huge fields making them a bit like a lottery ticket.
These are some of the reasons, why I recently opened an account at 888 poker, and so far I did not regret it.
tauri103
Legend
Silver Level
I always play poker. I tryye several other platform but in the end I delete them all.I have always appreciated the graphics of PS and I get used to it now. it's true that bonuses and freolls are not great. but we can happily play on the CC club frerrolls.
Peppinotom
Legend
Silver Level
G
gustav197poker
Legend
Bronze Level
Really poor environment that they offer in PS. But this I see very well in the tournaments. Blinds that increase every 2 minutes, excessive amount of players. 12 blinds of initial stack, etc.
The most chilling case that touched me was the mega-satellite of the 200 billion hands.
The soft was always working. It was very difficult to play in those conditions.
In short, let's hope that the PS ecosystem improves.
Greeting!
The most chilling case that touched me was the mega-satellite of the 200 billion hands.
The soft was always working. It was very difficult to play in those conditions.
In short, let's hope that the PS ecosystem improves.
Greeting!
Ronaldo7
Visionary
Silver Level
Too many bad beats online?? How many hands in how much time people play online?? So it is logic that you see much more bad beats... Altough ace on river on ps is realy to often for me, especialy when bigger stack has it...
F
fundiver199
Legend
Loyaler
That must be a hyper turbo, you have played. PS have a lot of regular speed or turbo tournaments, where the starting stack is at least 75 BB and the interval between blind increases is 5-15 minutes. Basically PS have almost everything, so just pick the games, you like and avoid the once, you dont.
M
Millie232
Rock Star
Silver Level
I agree, to an extent. They don't offer many freerolls (at least, not ones with decent rates) and their satellites are often very biased against you because of the payout structure, and it's nearly impossible to get the bonuses. However, if these are the things that matter to you, then you are the reason they exist.
PokerStars is very explicit in catering to losing players (kindly referred to as "net depositors"), which is who freerolls, bonuses, and satellites (arguably) are for. If you are a winning player, then bonuses won't matter much to you because you'll be making most of your money from playing against losing players.
The reason winning players continue to play on PokerStars is because of the large amount of losing players to beat - making them money. If you are looking to maximise your rakeback, you should be playing somewhere like partypoker, where you can get up to 40-50% if you're a solid player with the right bankroll - but obviously players there are, on average, a lot better.
PokerStars is very explicit in catering to losing players (kindly referred to as "net depositors"), which is who freerolls, bonuses, and satellites (arguably) are for. If you are a winning player, then bonuses won't matter much to you because you'll be making most of your money from playing against losing players.
The reason winning players continue to play on PokerStars is because of the large amount of losing players to beat - making them money. If you are looking to maximise your rakeback, you should be playing somewhere like partypoker, where you can get up to 40-50% if you're a solid player with the right bankroll - but obviously players there are, on average, a lot better.
orchidra
Allan with two Owls
Loyaler
Players from USA cannot play for real money on PokerStars.
But Cardschat has private tournaments running from the PokerStars Homes Games. You play with play money and Cardschat supplies the prizes.
Check out this thread for the Cardschat Special Events. https://www.cardschat.com/forum/cardschat-special-events-buy-ins-39/
Currently the Decathlon Series is underway.
I also recommend the Cardschat League.
There are four leagues (summer, fall, winter and spring) per year. Each league runs for eleven weeks and members are divided into teams of five. Team members are allocated one day to play, per week. At signup time, members specify which day(s) they are available to play.
Monday - 6:00 p.m. ET
Tuesday - 3:00 p.m. ET
Wednesday - 2:00 p.m. ET
Thursday - 4:00 p.m. ET
Friday - 9:00 p.m. ET.
They are run, using play money, from the homes games on Pokerstars. That means, players from countries that are banned from playing real money games on Pokerstars, can play. Members from the top four teams, win cash prizes, paid by Cardschat.
The Cardschat leagues are friendly but very competitive. You will be on first name terms with most, if not all, of your team members and usually some will be railing as well. It’s a lot of fun.
See this thread for more information about the league. All About CardsChat League / FAQ
And these team threads for the current season (Spring 2019). https://www.cardschat.com/forum/cardschat-league-43/
Hope that helps and good luck.