Live Play vs Online Play

[TheReaper 0]

Just curious as to how many of you play online Texas Hold'em, limit or No Limit?I play both and find there are a ton more of bad beats and lucky draws as compared to live games. Is this just my imagination or a legitamate excuse for losing as much as I do online as compared to live games?I play pretty agressive with lots of raises and re rasies (top ten hands only)before and after the flop but still tend to get drawn on with weaker hands all the way to the river.And unbelievable alot do connect and this can be a real chip bleeder!!I play the majority play hands as well but not as agressively.any thoughts?P.s,...I play many different limits as well.

[Jordan 1]

I used to play online quite a bit, mixed with live play, but I recently decided to just drop online poker for the most part.I dunno about the outdraws. That just seem to happen. It may seem like more cause online you play more hands, but the thing I dislike the most about online play is not being able to look at your opponent. For me, online play has taken a big part out of the game, so I'm pretty much finished with it for the most part. I may put down little deposits here and there from time to time if I want to play in some tournaments or qualifiers some, but other than that I think live is the best bet at being a better poker player.However, playing multi tables online is a great way to make a solid hourly rate...or negative hourly rate. - Jordan

[wrto4556 0]

Here's something that will help you with online bad beats. I live in texas so its a 4 hour drive to the nearest casinoe (louisianna). This means I play alot more online than live games. First, online you see alot more hands per hour than in a live game, ultimately, you see more bad beats as well. I read a dilbert article once that indirectly relates to online play, it may help you with your thinking of online being "fixed".Dilbert's boss is showing him around the new accounting office. He shows him his cubicle and continues on the tour.Boss: "This is our random number generator."Generator: "NINE...NINE....NINE.....NINE....NINE....NINE.....NINE....NINE..Dilbert: "Are you sure that's random?"Boss: "That's the thing with randomness, you can never be sure."lol; it's dumb, I know, but it makes alot of sense to online play.

[tekn0wledg 0]

Like wrto4556, I live nowhere near legal card rooms, so I have to deal with online play on an everyday basis, side for home games and trips to casinos etc. I think the point about the number of hands you see per hour is a very valid statement. That and you have people with different bankrolls and from all walks of life so you are never really sure what types of hands people will be playing. This mixes it up even more.I love playing online, but obviously not as much as live games. Nothing beats a game in a nice card room. However, since I don't have that luxury everyday, I take my online play and run with it.I generally play 6-8 tables at once on multiple sites. I maximize the number of hands I can play effectively and see as many hands as possible. I will admit it does get confusing once or twice per day when I have to act on 3-5 tables all within like 10 seconds, but it doesn't happen often enough for me to make a case for distraction. I also have a nice setup with multiple monitors so I can space things out and see everything on every table. It works for me, so I keep coming back.

[Jordan 1]

See, if I played online, that would be the way to do it. Play as much tables as possible, staying within your bankroll, and watch your hourly rate sky rocket.Of course your brain has to able to compute many different sets of information, which with this style probably is better for a person with a good IQ...or whatever goes along with being able to handle a lot of information at one time. A lot being 3-4 tables or more.- Jordan

[tekn0wledg 0]

The only thing that sux about the multi-table approach is that it's not a true reflection of how much money you would be making in a single day if you were to play one table at that limit for 5-8 hours. I mean if I'm doing good on all my tables I could easily be up a good amount, whereas I know I'll be up within my standard deviation in a live game since it's only one table.

[Greentvdinner 0]

In addition to increased amount of hands per hour in online play, I think its players feel they aren't really playing with money. Although, on some level, they know it without a doubt. Generally, they are just playing a game for fun and all thoughts of money don't really enter into it. This would be more so for lower limit games rather than the higher limits because in order to reach those higher limits you have to play well. Or be a millionaire to start with.

[Sidrat 0]

Never played live poker.I play the 1 cent tables at UB, and even though the pots are extremely miniscule in comparision to NL or even dollar games, the percentage increase/loss is still the same.Winning is winning, lossing is the same. I personaly play because I enjoy the game. I know what I can afford to lose and as it is gambling with real money (no matter how small), it's something I will budget for as and when. There's always the free poker to keep my hand in.So far I haven't spent more than 2 dollars in the last five days, playing for about 90 minutes at a time.Great entertainment and great value.

[bdluss 0]

Two things, first as many have said the number of hands are increased at least 3-4x as compared to live play. The other thing is this, in nl if you are only raising big with top 10 hands you become easy to read. If i was up against you I would be looking to call in position with mediocre hands like 4 6 suited or any suited connector for that matter looking to catch the right flop and break you. The reason is this, it seems you are unwilling to fold big hands after the flop which leads to the 'bad beats'. Not easy to muck an overpair which is why I suggest mixing up your game so when you raise your opponents don't immediatly put you on a big hand.

[314HxC 0]

Whenever I first started playing online poker, I had a blast. I played for about 3-4 months at least 5 hours a day. Eventually though, I started to lose interest. I feel more comfortable in live games. I feel like my instincts kick in better when I'm actually sitting with my opponents.

[jayistheman 0]

Two things, first as many have said the number of hands are increased at least 3-4x as compared to live play.  The other thing is this, in nl if you are only raising big with top 10 hands you become easy to read.  If i was up against you I would be looking to call in position with mediocre hands like 4 6 suited or any suited connector for that matter looking to catch the right flop and break you.  The reason is this, it seems you are unwilling to fold big hands after the flop which leads to the 'bad beats'.  Not easy to muck an overpair which is why I suggest mixing up your game so when you raise your opponents don't immediatly put you on a big hand.

i agree somewhat. i, however, raise 3 hands online.. AA, KK, QQ... and there is always a fish who calls with J 4, flops a 4 and thinks that since there are no high cards that it is safe to call any raise. He will pay my hand most of the time, and i understand that i am risking an outdraw. Now when i am at a table with the same people for a while, and start to sense that they have at least half a brain, i simple leave. I also take notes accordingly.

[iveyfan30 0]

i prefer live play by far...online is not "real" poker..when you cant look in the eyes of the guy that came back over the top of your raise then at that point its pretty much a guessing game..live play you can look at him and maybe pick something up ..not so online...lot of bad beats online , and yes i agree that you see more hands so you get more bad beats, but i also feel that ppl never fold online..i say that meaning in tourney situations with low buy ins<under $100.00> its basically river poker...i play online ,but its rare for real money...i do play with play money, for the sake of trying to see situations,not really caring if i win so much as if i play the hand right,,which we all know isnt always the same thing..when i wanna play "real"poker.,,,i drive the 50 minutes to the taj....

[Mumeister 0]

I am basically done with online for several reasons. One, you play against gamblers who will call anything. The last hand I played for money I was on Ac,10c and the flop came out Kh,6c,Jc. I went all in on a semi bluff and some idiot called me with having paired his 6. I failed to draw out the A or the flush and I was done because I was barely covered.Who in their right mind would go all in for nearly their entire stack with just a pair of 6's up against two overcards and 2 suited cards on the flop?The pure gambler's is reason # 1. Reason # 2 is the number of times I have seen pocket K,K against other high pocket pairs. Last week I was doing play money on a fairly new poker site (many pro's on this one) and I counted 2 hands (out of 40) wheremy J,J went up against K,K, my 10,10 up against K,K, my 8,8 up against J,J and Q,Q and another showdown where I saw another guy have J,J, all in against K,K.It was rediculous. I decided right then and there I was done

[Jordan 1]

.Reason # 2 is the number of times I have seen pocket K,K against other high pocket pairs.  Last week I was doing play money on a fairly new poker site (many pro's on this one) and I counted 2 hands (out of 40) wheremy  J,J went up against K,K, my 10,10 up against K,K, my 8,8 up against J,J and Q,Q and another showdown where I saw another guy have J,J, all in against K,K.It was rediculous.  I decided right then and there I was done

That stuff happens live...I just RE-Deposited @ UB 2 tak eadvantage of the big reload bonus. I prefer Live play 10-Fold but some of the online promos are t ogood to pass on.

[Ramocita 0]

I can tell you that I am not playing on line poker anymore.I can't tell you how many times that I have flopped a Straight on the flop .. thinking I have the Nuts only to be beat by a flush ON THE RIVER.It seems the cards to not fall online like they do in live situations.I can't say that it's fixed.. but I have taken so many bad beats on the river it is insane... I have had my AA killed almost 8 out of 10 times.Do yourself a favor ... stay away from online.....Thanks!

[JasonJ22 0]

It seems many responses to this topic are trying to persuade that online poker is not random because more bad beats take place. That is simply ridiculous. The designers of the software know precisely what they are doing in order to make it simulate an actual deck. I can guarentee that is is more random then a live game where you can only rely on the dealer's shuffle.Furthermore, more "bad beats" seem to happen because you see an outrageously more number of hands online then you do live. This is what attracts most of you to online games anyway, that you can play multiple tables and come across more situations. So ofcourse, with more situations, you will see more "bad beats."My only advice is that a lot of people are playing poker with the wrong style. I mean that the recurring theme in online play is for people to just play their own hand and when that gets beat, then its bad luck. Poker is more than just the cards and the odds, but when you play multiple tables, that's all you get. You can never say with certainty that when you have A K and you get a K on the flop that you should move in or reraise a bet. It is a game that is always dependent on the situation. You can never generalize your competition no matter if your table is made of fish because some fish are weak/tight and some are very aggressive. What I'm getting at is this: in order to maximize your profits and your win rate at the table, you have to factor in everything ranging from your opponent's styles, your position, how they have bet in the past, and so much more that I think it is absurd to ever believe playing multiple tables is the right way to play poker and it is also absurd to believe in bad beats online when you are only really concentrating on just your hand.By the way, I play live because I am doing my best to improve my game and gain experience in every aspect of this great game. However, I do think online is a great medium for trying out new strategies and recognizing recurring scenarios. I just have problems with people complaining about so called bad beats and also discussing how playing multiple tables is a good way to play poker.One final comment, Mike Caro wrote this great article for Cardplayer magazine and I think his statement fits in well here..."As I’ve said many times, there’s nothing wrong with a wagering game involving pairs, straights, flushes, and full houses that is played in silence. Just don’t call it 'poker.' That name is already taken." -Mike Caro

[TomEnny 0]

When you're going good online it's like shooting fish in a barrel, but go through a bad streak and it seems every idiot is outdrawing you. I was killing Party Poker and then I hit such a bad streak. Ace's getting cracked by people drawing to flushes. People love a flush draw and will not let go of it no matter how much you bet. Lately everyone is hitting their flush against me. I prefer playing live and being close to Atlantic City and having many friends who host games I am always playing live. But you can't beat being able to play in your underwear in front of the TV at night sometimes.

[Dane 0]

I love playing live Poker, joined a private club where we play tours followed by cashgames, it beats sitting in front of the computer, granted you can make more money online, but the feeling you get when you sit at the real table and have the cool chips is just so much better, to me its worth the money.

[Jubba 0]

I've recently decided to drop online play. I always go up against people that will call anything and then out-draw me. I have also recently noticed that my live play has gotten much better and online play doesn't really give me the opportunity to read my opponents. I like to play the person. You don't get that chance online, you have to play the cards (for the most part).

[hoof31 0]

You see this so much more often because you see exponential mor hands per hour online. By the way, you see the same gamblers that will call anything in live games.

I am basically done with online for several reasons.   One, you play against gamblers who will call anything.  The last hand I played for money I was on Ac,10c and the flop came out Kh,6c,Jc.  I went all in on a semi bluff and some idiot called me with having paired his 6.  I failed to draw out the A or the flush and I was done because I was barely covered.Who in their right mind would go all in for nearly their entire stack with just a pair of 6's up against two overcards and 2 suited cards on the flop?The pure gambler's is reason # 1.  Reason # 2 is the number of times I have seen pocket K,K against other high pocket pairs.  Last week I was doing play money on a fairly new poker site (many pro's on this one) and I counted 2 hands (out of 40) wheremy  J,J went up against K,K, my 10,10 up against K,K, my 8,8 up against J,J and Q,Q and another showdown where I saw another guy have J,J, all in against K,K.It was rediculous.  I decided right then and there I was done

[SwedishPro 0]

Blaim canada :wink: I have a supported teory and its old. Online the shuffling is perfect, as it shuld be, live it is not. Thats why you feel like the sites are rigged becuz it never happends live, in fact online poker is more correct.

[Suited_Up 2]

It's been said many times, and it's true.... You see more hands online, so for the more you win... the more bad beats you're going to get. ALSO.... it's a LOT easier to click that little button with a twitch of your finger instead of having to really think about what you're doing. Usually players in live games have to look at who they're playing with, and won't make those retarded calls simply because they know how bad they are... but online, they don't care... they don't have to answer to anyone, so they'll make it, and get lucky their fair share of the time. It sucks... and i'm still working on a way to get through it... but all you can do is hope the numbers work your way in the end. And when you get a chance to play live, take advantage of it... it's the best!

[Jubba 0]

It just seems that people make bad decisions online and they get paid-off. I mean, I flop a boat and I bet high, trying to get everyone out of there. And someone stays in with some strange hand, shouldn't even be in there and catches running cards to make a bigger boat.I hold k-5 and the flop is 5-5-k w/ 2 diamonds.I bet about 400.All fold but one who calls.Turn and river bring 10d and 10c.I figure he caught a flush on the turn because he goes all-in.I call and he turns over 10-9 spades.What was he doing in there after the flop!? I bet 1/3 of his stack on that flop and he didn't get anywhere near it?Its stupid moves like that that completely confuse me. He won, but there were only 3 cards in the deck that could have helped him and two of them hit.

[pocketburn 0]

Is it just me or is this thread taking on a RGP feel all of the sudden? :shock:

[Jubba 0]

Another problem with online play: I was just in a tournament and I was going to fold if this guy bet into me, and I accidently clicked the 'call' button! Lost everything!