This is going to be a long post... Hope my experience matches up with some others, and that at least a few people will have some thoughts on the topic.
The debate:
While my live results playing online MTTs have improved dramatically during the pandemic, I am kind of concerned that the online habits and the specific game in which I have been playing may actually be making me a worse player overall. Even though my results are on a yearlong upswing, when it comes time to resume live poker I may have to shed a lot of these online tactics and habits. How does one best learn from this rather extensive, yet also narrow, online playing experience?
The background:
Like some others, I played almost exclusively live poker before the pandemic. I live in a state with no legal online games. And I tend to prefer live play anyway.
But the pandemic changed all that. I suspended my own home game, and stopped attending others’ games (and eventually virtually all private games in my area stopped). The two casinos nearest me also shut down their poker rooms. So, no more live poker for a long time.
After trying out various options online, I eventually settled into a private, nightly MTT hosted on a “free” poker platform. The app only tracks your play money results. The host handles actual cash offline, taking in deposits and paying out upon request. I carry a balance of about 15 buy-ins, cashing out excess whenever I get above that.
The main reason I chose this group was that it was hosted by someone whose live tourney I’ve played in twice a month for about six years. I never have had any doubts that he would handle the money responsibly and professionally.
Even better, the player pool almost entirely consists of people I have played with live, most of them for years. So I already have extensive profiles on the villains. I can literally picture them as they face a big decision.
There are about two dozen regulars, with about 10-15 of them joining in on typical night. There are unlimited rebuys for the first two hours, usually resulting in 15-30 buyins. Occasionally there are as many as three tables, but more usually it is either one full-ring game, or two tables of 6-8. The stakes vary depending on the night, from $30 to $100, with one night of the week running as a 6-max. (People play much tighter on the $100 night, and much looser on the $30 night. Most games are $50.)
More to come shortly on my progress, player profiles, game dynamics, and other considerations in the threads...
The debate:
While my live results playing online MTTs have improved dramatically during the pandemic, I am kind of concerned that the online habits and the specific game in which I have been playing may actually be making me a worse player overall. Even though my results are on a yearlong upswing, when it comes time to resume live poker I may have to shed a lot of these online tactics and habits. How does one best learn from this rather extensive, yet also narrow, online playing experience?
The background:
Like some others, I played almost exclusively live poker before the pandemic. I live in a state with no legal online games. And I tend to prefer live play anyway.
But the pandemic changed all that. I suspended my own home game, and stopped attending others’ games (and eventually virtually all private games in my area stopped). The two casinos nearest me also shut down their poker rooms. So, no more live poker for a long time.
After trying out various options online, I eventually settled into a private, nightly MTT hosted on a “free” poker platform. The app only tracks your play money results. The host handles actual cash offline, taking in deposits and paying out upon request. I carry a balance of about 15 buy-ins, cashing out excess whenever I get above that.
The main reason I chose this group was that it was hosted by someone whose live tourney I’ve played in twice a month for about six years. I never have had any doubts that he would handle the money responsibly and professionally.
Even better, the player pool almost entirely consists of people I have played with live, most of them for years. So I already have extensive profiles on the villains. I can literally picture them as they face a big decision.
There are about two dozen regulars, with about 10-15 of them joining in on typical night. There are unlimited rebuys for the first two hours, usually resulting in 15-30 buyins. Occasionally there are as many as three tables, but more usually it is either one full-ring game, or two tables of 6-8. The stakes vary depending on the night, from $30 to $100, with one night of the week running as a 6-max. (People play much tighter on the $100 night, and much looser on the $30 night. Most games are $50.)
More to come shortly on my progress, player profiles, game dynamics, and other considerations in the threads...