Does anyone actually enjoy online poker?

DapperGent

I've been playing on Ladbrokes for a bit and quite honestly I'm sick and tired of it. I've made a bit of cash sure but it's just not in any way as much fun as the Fitz.

I was playing last night and someone put in a hefty preflop raise, every folded to be and I looked down at KQs. I knew the guy had pocket bullets, just knew. I called anyway. The flop came Kxx rainbow. He bet big again. I knew he had bullets, I knew he knew that I had just hit a king.

He was trying to get rid of me on the slim chance that I might hit another king and fuck his shit up. I knew I should fold. I called anyway and called again on the turn and hit a king on the river. I went all in for fuck all he called and flashed AA as he folded, presumeably in extreme irritation. I called because I was so grinded down by the numbing boredom of it. It's just pants.

I left the table and cashed in all my money onto my credit card and vowed never to play online again. I just don't have the patience to play appropriately when it's not a tournament.

How do the rest of you find it? How do you cope with the boredom of ultra-tight aggresive in cyberspace?

Davey Devil

No - I agree it's rubbish, stick to the Fitz.

DeVore

I havent played much online. Very little in fact but from what I've seen/heard any half decent player can find a table and take money from it. A decent player can make a living from it and a very good player can make quite a bit. Is this true?? I'd say its boring as f*ck alright and I play poker cos i love the crack around the table. I would say its a LOT harder to take money away from a table at the Fitz... how many players can you say you remember who are novices in the Fitz? Not too many... its reasonably shark infested on anything but Monday (FBL) and Thursday nights!

I dont think I'd enjoy online play but I've thought about it for money alright. Ultra-tight aggressive can be combatted you know! In the main though I'd agree with you, sounds pretty boring.

DeV.

DapperGent

Because it's cash based and not elimination there appears little point in playing any way except by the book, ie tight-aggressive and if you do play that way you will make money, but it's more like work than anything else and I already have a job.

Semi-bluff wise if a flop comes down k-x-x you can go ahead and represent the king but if you get called or raised you have actually lost money rather than just chips in a competiton. You can get your chips back but in the long run you have to wonder if representing that king is longterm money maker on not. It probably isn't except if you're only in the flop against the small and big blinds.

You'll probably need half an hour or more at the table to get a read on whether the players you're up against will fold in the face of that raise or not. Probably half the players will have changed at that point rendering much of what you think you know irrelevant.

Playing any way except ultra-tight aggressive against a constantly shifting table is pointless really imo. Unless you're prepared to raise $10-$15 to steal $0.75 in blinds. I know I'm not that just has negative expectation written all over it.

Krusty_Clown

The money tournaments are a fair bit looser than the money games..
But I must confess to finding it a little less stimulating than when I first started playing...

Still, not a bad way to spend an hour or two for €5. I could think of worse...

Lafortezza

I've only personally played play-money on Ladbrokes, and while its a nice way to spend an hour, its not enjoyable poker.
I'd just be worried that in some of the money games, especially the higher levels, that there would be collusion between players at the table.
Both players would join the same table and have some messanging client open on their desktop to let their buddy know what their holdcards are.

At the same time, I find it alot easier to 'read' people and play good poker at a real life table. Its much easier to get a feel for the table.
But I can see how online poker can be a good moneymaking exercise, but it just doesn't have the buzz of live poker.

mewso

The example given was a cash game. I never play cash games online now but I still enjoy a good tourney. Particularly a single table tourney where with good play you can make money regularly (in theory
Anyway I do prefer the Fitz now. The buzz is far better but before you give up on online play try the tourneys for crying out loud.

gerire

Not so much in recent times. I too have been getting exceedingly bored with online poker. I did use it to good advantage when starting to play hold em but as soon as you start to visit the casinos and play real games you see that online is nothing but a good gronding, plus you pick up lots more watching others play in the likes of the Fitz and Merrion Tournaments. Especially the 250 I learnt so much that night that Im still sorting it all out in my head.

But as I said I just now play online if Im really bored and just wanna get my fix in the middle of the day lol

TwoShedsJackson

Well I just won $500 on pokerroom.com for getting a royal straight flush in diamonds so I'm enjoying it.

Krusty_Clown

Congrats! Don't expect to see another one for another 649,740 hands!

cormie

you can get terrible players calling stupid raises with stupid outs and beating you badly, or you can get a nice game. Tournaments are a good challenge. And No Limit heads up Blinds 1+2c is even good. Nothing too stressfull. My friend plays on EMPIRE as a full time job basically. Most he has won in a day was over $850. He plays tournaments.

DapperGent

Originally posted by TwoShedsJackson
Well I just won $500 on pokerroom.com for getting a royal straight flush in diamonds so I'm enjoying it.

Sweet. What was the other guy holding?

TwoShedsJackson

Originally posted by DapperGent
Sweet. What was the other guy holding?

A pair of Jacks I think for three of a kind in total - mind you everyone at the table gets $50 as well for the diamond flush on that site so he didn't mind. Once I twigged I had the straight flush I zoned out a bit on thinking about what the other players had

There's definitely money to be made on there and on partypoker.com, especially the latter - I've been playing hold 'em for a month and can make about $30 in an hour there - you get guys calling all the way to the river on 72o, with a 9 and 3, all sorts of crap

Krusty_Clown

Was playing a $5, 5-player tournie last night, and went out in third, after a bad beat, losing to the guy with the small stack (big stack had 10k+ chips, myself and the other player had about 1.5k chips each). Tournie pays first and second places..

Just before I exited the table, I figured I'd hang on for a second and watch who came 1st and who came second..

The two remaining players were having a conversation, obviously unaware that there was still a spectator. Went a little like this:

Player x: Well,I put him out, I hope you honour your part of the deal.
Player y: I folded AA so you could get some more chips...
Me: ???
Player x: soz.

So the big stack, was giving freebie chips (by folding) to the small stack, so he could take second place.. Unfortunately, that's the last time I'll play for real money online.. I can't play, if I have a doubt that we're all starting with level pegging.. It was Ladbrokes by the way..

It's a real shame, as I had been enjoying (and doing quite well in) some of the multi-table tournaments..

Davey Devil

I hope you made a complaint - took screenshots etc.

Hyzepher

Everything that goes on at all the tables is logged by the site. All you have to do is lodge a complaint and those 2 will be banned and you will get your money back. Sites tend to be very heavy handed against people like this and you should get an immediate response.

Ladbrokes are especially vigilant against cheats.

Hyzepher

henbane

Originally posted by Krusty_Clown
The two remaining players were having a conversation, obviously unaware that there was still a spectator. Went a little like this:

Player x: Well,I put him out, I hope you honour your part of the deal.
Player y: I folded AA so you could get some more chips...
Me: ???
Player x: soz.

So the big stack, was giving freebie chips (by folding) to the small stack, so he could take second place.. Unfortunately, that's the last time I'll play for real money online.. I can't play, if I have a doubt that we're all starting with level pegging.. It was Ladbrokes by the way..

If ladbrokes rules is anything to go by they is already out and their accounts frozen. I trust you went to the effort of reporting them so ladbrokes would ban them quicker. Online cards is full of deals on IRC and collaboration. The reason to go to ladbrokes is that they have the resources to try and stop it. I've seen tables which seemed like players knew what others were holding. You will take a beating in that case and I just get out if there's a sniff of it and go to another table.

This weekend I was playing on a table and a message came up about a hand being saved. Can only think that was due to something dodgy at the table. I wasn't involved in the hand after the flop so it didn't bother me too much but two players disappeared fairly smartish after that.

I like playing online. It's a grind. You get morons outdrawing you or people buying every pot for a few hands with a ridiculous bet but you have to deal with. I've only ever played on thursdays in the fitz and reckon I've learned a helluva lot more grinding on ladbrokes than I have in the fitz. When I have a touch more disposable cash and a better belief in my abilities, I'll start playing in the €20 rebuy in the fitz but until then ladbrokes is easier and I don't need to get a taxi home.

Krusty_Clown

henbane: This weekend I was playing on a table and a message came up about a hand being saved.

It wasn't one of the $8 WSOP satellites, was it? I was playing one on Saturday afternoon, and I saw that happen on several occasions...

Yes, I mailed the security@ladbrokescasino.com address.. Unfortunately, I was so pissed off, that I closed the application, without taking a screen-shot, log, game number etc..

I couldn't give a damn about the $5, it's the cheating that pisses me off..

henbane

Originally posted by Krusty_Clown
It wasn't one of the $8 WSOP satellites, was it? I was playing one on Saturday afternoon, and I saw that happen on several occasions...

Twas a cash game. Never seen it before. Possibly nothing to do with cheating but it seemed a bit odd. Does anyone know what other reasons ladbrokes might have for saving a hand?

Gambler

I love the Poker stars sit and go tourneys.

$5 Game and you can usually place at least third if you play well and get the 5 back.. The only downside I find with online playing is there seems to be a lot more people who will call no matter what and then outdraw you which is a pain..

Hyzepher

I started to play on poker stars as well - 1 question to you Ganbler - how do you cash out your money?

Hyzepher

DMC

I play a bit on Ladbrokes, as its the only one I know that has decent hold 'em tourneys.

I wouldnt mind getting down to the Fitzwilliam with ye lot, but with shift work and other things, its not often practical.

DeVore

Originally posted by Gambler
The only downside I find with online playing is there seems to be a lot more people who will call no matter what and then outdraw you which is a pain..

I see this kinda comment a lot and I have to say it makes me wonder.... Personally I'm happy when this happens for 2 reasons...

1. I played well and was beaten only by the (bad) luck of the draw.

2. I'm going to take money off the moron in the very near future. I love getting paid, there's no feeling like it

I always congratulate them on "having the balls to stay in" and "hanging tough" etc. Sure I hate getting beat, ask anyone I play with, I'll whine for hours after a bad beat but only against players I know are good and who just got lucky (Huckleberry, you hearin' me?!)... guys who are bad and just lucked out, they are the reason you make money playing most of the time, you should be happy they are there, otherwise you become the prey on the food chain!

DeV.

Lafortezza

Originally posted by DeVore
but only against players I know are good and who just got lucky (Huckleberry, you hearin' me?!)... DeV.

Tekkit Murphy!