any poker players here?

[black booty lover]

I used to play lots of Texas Hold em and Omaha cash games. But with people getting smarter about the game I've found that it's harder to make a profit. The entire landscape has changed from players having a grasp of only the rules to current players who are much more in tune with strategy and thus elevating the level of play. So I don't play nearly as much as I used to. I will still play tournaments and games with my friends live but it's to have fun.

William Hill does Live Casino and I've switched to playing speed baccarat. I love having a casino in the comfort of my own home or anywhere else I choose.

For those interested

https://livecasino.williamhill.com/en-gb/blackjack

You are correct that it has gotten much tougher, but still lots of fish. The trick is to pick a particular game and try to specialize in it. Like I decided I was going to be a 6 max SNG guru.


The reason there's still lots of fish is because they don't realize 75% (if not more) of the literature out there is for 9 ring MTT's. The strategy for a 6 max single table is completely different. except when you get down to about 3 players. Even then it's different because the way the pay structure is in 6 max, it's much more important to finish in the money then to go for the win. You have to make sure you don't bubble out.

 

[rj2828]

Pokerstars is a bad site way too many bots. Play on GG poker it is better

 

[black booty lover]

Pokerstars is a bad site way too many bots. Play on GG poker it is better

That's quite the accusation and I'm not buying it because bots aren't usually hard to pic out and I haven't seen any.

 

[rj2828]

That's quite the accusation and I'm not buying it because bots aren't usually hard to pic out and I haven't seen any.

Well you do whatever suits you but I know from my time on pokerstars what I have seen

 

[ogibowt]

i miss the 125$ tourneys at Casino Brantford and the 2 or3 home games i played in....those home games will probably come back in the near future..not so sure about the Casino

 

[JuanGoodman]

I used to play on PokerStars and Full Tilt when I was younger. At best I was a break even player. Later on I switched to the "big game", the stock market and I never looked back. If you used the amount of time you have to spend to play poker, to learn and

practice stock trading, you will be much better off in my opinion.

 

[swFiend]

I play only on Sundays 6-10 tables. Use PokerTracker4 as a HUD. I've taken down some decent tourneys on 888 lately, soft fields of gamblers and generally smaller tourneys. The biggest sites you have to put in a lot of volume to account for variance.
Recently started on GG to prepare for WSOP on there. The only problem with that is an external HUD isn't allowed, so its hard to keep track of key states like 3B, 4B, ranges from certain positions, etc. Its a cool software though.

 

[ogibowt]

a question for you guys.....if your area is part of the stage 3 opening, is it allowed that a private home game can be played ,say, a sit and go for 7 or 8 players, all of whom you know?

 

[superstar_88]

a question for you guys.....if your area is part of the stage 3 opening, is it allowed that a private home game can be played ,say, a sit and go for 7 or 8 players, all of whom you know?

That's like asking if a prostitute can open up her home for paid sex as long as she keeps the client list at 7 or 8 bangers.

 

[ogibowt]

That's like asking if a prostitute can open up her home for paid sex as long as she keeps the client list at 7 or 8 bangers.

thank you for such a helpful and informative answer.....can anyone offer a more insightful answer?

 

[black booty lover]

I used to play on PokerStars and Full Tilt when I was younger. At best I was a break even player. Later on I switched to the "big game", the stock market and I never looked back. If you used the amount of time you have to spend to play poker, to learn and

practice stock trading, you will be much better off in my opinion.

I don't know man. You win big and lose big on the SM. I know more people that have taken a bath on the SM then come out on top.

 

[black booty lover]

a question for you guys.....if your area is part of the stage 3 opening, is it allowed that a private home game can be played ,say, a sit and go for 7 or 8 players, all of whom you know?

Whether you know them or not won't make a difference and don't over think this. If you want to have 8 friends over, have them over and just don't be to obvious about it as many people might rat you out.

 

[JuanGoodman]

I don't know man. You win big and lose big on the SM. I know more people that have taken a bath on the SM then come out on top.

Most people 90 or 95% loose money in stock market because they do not spent the time to learn how to do it properly. It's like any other profession, you have to put in the time to learn it first and than to practice a lot. You can practice for free without putting any money

down at first. Similar to playing free poker before you put your money down. But most people think that they can read a book and start trading. There is nothing easier than to push the buy or sell button. The hard thing to do is to know when to do it.

It takes a lot of hard work to learn the technical part and more important the money management side, so when you loose you don't loose big. It's not magic, trading is simple but it's not easy. The biggest obstacle is human psychology, fear and greed, especially when

you have your money on the line. Very similar to poker in that regard. I would say that an average person can become proficient in 2 to 3 years of really hard work and study. It certainly is not get rich quick way but ones you get the idea what you are doing, you can be

profitable for the rest of your life. Study very hard and it will be rewording!

 

[JuanGoodman]

Watch this whole video and if it gets your attention than maybe trading might be for you.

 

[fall]

I used to play Pokerstars long time ago (when US players were still allowed). My best result: 2nd place in huge $10 buy-in tournament that lasted LONG tome (I think, I won about $5,000 at that tournament). I do not play online anymore, prefer life games at casino and I kind of moved from tournaments to $1-$2 games. I like to come later at night when there are lots of people with large built-up stacks, at which time they start to play loose, so, you just need to wait for your time. On average, I think I am a bit in a positive territory.

My worst beat and shortest game was some time ago. I was staying at a casino hotel, it was about 1am, and I went to $2-$5 table with a maximum buy-in of $500. A guy who just won huge was on the button and was ready to leave, but decided to stay for one more hand and bet $200 blind. I was under the gun and had KK, so, naturally, I went all-in which the table see as my desire to buy that $200 blind bet. A guy two sit after me thought for along time and called (that put him all-in as well). A guy who bet $200 blind called as well. We opened: the guy who called me had JJ, the guy with blind bet had 88. On the river, 8 came. As I set $500 loss limit for myself, I went back to my room

 

[superstar_88]

and your point is? since when does KK win each and every single time you play them?

 

[fall]

My point is: my first hand at the table and the guy bet $200 blind. It was my most memorable and shortest trip to the poker room

 

[superstar_88]

You give yourself 1 buy in? That's it? If a guy is willing to bet $200 blind then your mistake was leaving a good game too early. Not only that but he has more chips now to give away.

 

[fall]

You give yourself 1 buy in? That's it? If a guy is willing to bet $200 blind then your mistake was leaving a good game too early. Not only that but he has more chips now to give away.

He was leaving - it was his last hand. I try to limit my losses by $800 (1 and a half buy-it at $2/$5 or 3 buy-ins at $1/$2), but that single hand was too discouraging + it was already past midnight (I was staying at casino hotel), so, I decided to fight my battles another day . But you are right, I should have stayed at that loose table. My personal record was $4,000 at $1/$2 table where I bough in only once for $200. Second-best was only half as much .

 

[Mencken]

I don't play online, the number of real vs fake players and algorithms has an effect on the outcome vs real life playing and deck shuffling. Also when you play without stakes vs playing using your own $$ online the algorithm is different and the house has the clear advantage in the long run.

When I play I don't always know my opponent and if I do I'm not sure their mindset. I consider myself above average given my years of play and knowledge but I don't let my opponents know this until I have to. But many times when I play with friends they already know so it's already on the table but sometimes people don't like to lose.

VBB

I assume you're talking about play money games vs real money games. I know a lot of people think somehow the play money games are rigged. But it's not really possible...the other players are all people, and some lose, some win, some are probably better players, others not. The game seems very different because people chase everything like crazy...but it does show what can happen if no one ever folds. And to try to drive out the chasers or make them pay can be fun. But very different from real money - not because it is rigged, but because the players tend to be pretty poor. The majority.

I do it for fun, and have won a lot of money from stupid...but it does not necessarily make you a better real poker player...you can get really gun-shy after you have your ace high flushes beat by straight flushes, or your full houses beat by four of a kinds, the best hand you have ever seen beat by a royal. I have had all of those things happen. On the other hand I have had a couple of royals myself...all for play money.