this might sound really stupid.....but help me out on this one.

Iplaypoker · #1 (**permalink**) 01-19-2007, 05:28 AM

i know their probably is no answer to this question....if it even is a question. so let me get some thoughts and opinions. Why does it seem like their are soooooooooooo many horrible beats when you play online? Ive played alot of poker. when i play in the casino i can make more than your average player. i even played as my job for about a year and a half but i have recently cut back a little to set some money aside (so i got a part time job), but when i play online it seems like its not possible. Ive played every type of SNG, tournament, cash game, you name it....but cant seem to be a winning player online. once in a while i'll make a good tourney cash online....but thats not much. Sorry if im rambling on (or just flat out bi%&*ing).

i do keep logs of my online and live play. I love playing online but its like a whole different world....i dunno. i guess im asking for some type of advice or pointers ahaha. sorry guys just dont understand online i guess.

99%evil · #2 (**permalink**) 01-19-2007, 06:45 AM

Online you log many more hands than a casino, and there are a lot more fish. Combine the two and that's what happens... I am much more patient in a casino, online I can easily find myself on tilt or playing hands I shouldn't. I made a small deposit the other day, played very patient and doubled it in a day at micro stakes NLHE tables. Then the next day I played like a donk...well there were a few bad beats that cost me a quarter of my bankroll. I was dealt KQ suited, flop came A,10,J rainbow, another guy goes all in for more than I had...well I called him, he showed A,3 ...of course the turn was an A and the river a 3. Oh well, if I lost $100 then I'd get a little bent, but it's poker and I've been beat worse. I've had my share of bad beats at live tables too, those hands just come slower so it may seem like they are fewer. But in reality they probably come at the same rate if you play the same game online and live.

Strange · #3 (**permalink**) 01-19-2007, 07:12 AM

Someone on here said recently that bad beats are a sign of good decisions by you.

If you keep getting your money in in 90%/10% situations, then 10% of the time you'll take a bad beat, but that is OK because 90% of the time you will win.

poislb · #4 (**permalink**) 01-19-2007, 07:56 AM

The big problem I have with online poker is you cant see anybody. I think being able to see the person will greatly affect the way you play and vise versa. You cant tell whos bluffing or not, hence the reason I only play for fun online. I leave the grinding for the casinos....just my 2 cents

Colquhoun · #5 (**permalink**) 01-19-2007, 10:25 AM

One thing that i have noticed, that ON AVERAGE, many home games have worse players than a typical low-limit online game. Your mileage may vary, and depending on your home-game, this may not apply. But from personal experience, online play can have players that are more informed of odds and more solid play.That doesn't mean all the players at each online table...some can be worse than at your home game. It is THOSE players you need to target, and POUND them when given the chance. It only takes one really loose player to make any table profittable. Hang in there.

hachkc · #6 (**permalink**) 01-19-2007, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Colquhoun

One thing that i have noticed, that ON AVERAGE, many home games have worse players than a typical low-limit online game. Your mileage may vary, and depending on your home-game, this may not apply. But from personal experience, online play can have players that are more informed of odds and more solid play.That doesn't mean all the players at each online table...some can be worse than at your home game. It is THOSE players you need to target, and POUND them when given the chance. It only takes one really loose player to make any table profittable. Hang in there.

Had one of those last night. Don't know whether he was but everyone pretty much thought he was drunk. I stacked him and then everyone else was sad he wasn't there to donate any more

As for the OP, I just don't see the bad beats online anymore. I'm sure I still get them, occassionally I give them but they don't really phase me anymore. I think there is this sort of hump you need to get over with regards to online play. Once you get past it, life is better. My advice, start with a good bankroll and play within it and focus on a certain game type (NL Tournies, NL cash, limit cash, etc); my preference is NL cash games. If I play 8 online tournies a month that's a lot and I'm counting the CT events.

If you wanna see really bad, loose play, go to your average 1/2 NL casino game on a busy night

Colquhoun · #7 (**permalink**) 01-19-2007, 12:30 PM

I would like to see some hand histories from your beats. It might be simply not defending your hands well enough, and giving the donks too many chances to catch up. Also, depending on the pot size, your opponent might even be getting the correct odds to chase after that gutshot....

Iplaypoker · #8 (**permalink**) 01-25-2007, 10:18 PM

well...ive been playin ALOT more. (almost 5 days non stop....too much time off work ahaha) i picked 1 game to focus on (which is Low Limit cash games). I seem to be doing alot better. a little bit of up and down but i seem to be just going up right now. wanted to say thanks for all your help cuz iwas about to give up playin online.....but im really injoying it now. so thanks alot

-derek

p.s. if you have any good info for low limit games id really appreciate it.
thanks

TheMightyJim2k · #9 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 11:32 AM

buy Small Stakes Hold'em by Sklanksy and Miller. Read it, read it again, read it a third time, then go back and make notes on the most important parts and read them again. Play a ton while reading, and then after 10,000 hands or so probably read it again.

The preflop hand chart in SSHE is too loose for low limit online games which are much tighter (and better) than live games, but the postflop play advice is invaluable because most low limit players have no idea how to play after the flop. You can also get a pretty good feel for how you should be playing preflop from the his "tight" version of the preflop hand table.

Not joking here you really *must* pick up this book and read it until the cover wears off if you want to crush low limit online games.

oh....and get pokertracker and PAhud so you can evaluate your play objectively and learn how to multitable.

gl and hope that helps.

Colquhoun · #10 (**permalink**) 01-26-2007, 12:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheMightyJim2k

buy Small Stakes Hold'em by Sklanksy and Miller. Read it, read it again, read it a third time, then go back and make notes on the most important parts and read them again. Play a ton while reading, and then after 10,000 hands or so probably read it again.

This is the best advise yet. This book is a MUST for low LIMIT play, but there is so much useful info that can be applied to no-limit as well. when I first started playing, so much of my play was dictated by thoughts of "do I have the winning hand?"...and after reading this book over and over, EVERYTHING I do is dictated by the size of the pot, and my position. SSHE is your bible for this.