blonde poker forum

I've often wonderd why players play online. I have lived from onlione for almost six years now, and I must admit I do not enjoy it at all. So how is it that the vast majority, which are losing players; still play?

Do they find poker fun?

Why do you play? Is it simply as a way of making a profit/living?

Would you like to see a less stressful way to play online poker - a more fun way of playing poker?

Do you find poker frustrating?

Do you play because you feel you have an edge?

Would you still play if the edge was less (for example, no bluffing), but you had complete control on how much you commited to each and every hand?

Any thoughts anyone?

Cheers!

Why do you play? Is it simply as a way of making a profit/living?

Yeah, but I can't stand it most of the time. I like it because the hours are flexible and the money is better than other part time jobs I could have while going through Uni.

What I don't like about it is the isolation. I prefer to work with people as part of a team, I've done menial jobs in my time and they are all more enjoyable than sitting on your arse playing poker so long as the people are good. You get a nice buzz when you've all been working hard together towards a goal.

When I'm done Uni and get a real job I'd like to do something that is useful to society like becoming a teacher and maybe on my deathbed I could kid myself into thinking I might have inspired someone who is going to help solve whatever problems the world will be facing in the future.
If I played online poker for the rest of my life, the best I could hope for on my deathbed is to kid myself into thinking that the people I've been taking money offa to make rent all these years were not degenearate gamblers pissing away their children's college fund but recreational players who were only playing with their disposable income and having a good time.




Would you like to see a less stressful way to play online poker - a more fun way of playing poker?

Not really, it's all about the dollars and cents. The gimmicky PKR doesn't interest me at all, I never bothered downloading the client to take a look.
I play on Full Tilt where I leave the other players to play around with the chat box and the changing expressions on the avatars. I ignore all chat and hide the avatars.

The poker world in general doesn't interest me too much. Don't ever watch poker on the telly and haven't done for years. I keep up to date with things that might affect me such as new AHK scripts and the like by staying wired to this forum and 2+2 but I really couldn't give too much of a toss about who wins a WPT event unless I know them personally.






Do you find poker frustrating?

It can be a source of frustration although I don't usually get frustrated at the way the cards run unless I'm in a sizable downswing for more than a week or so, and even then not to a great degree.

I feel that how I handle the bad times is part of what makes me better than the other guy. Anyone can read a book or whatever and work out how to play. Mastering the mental side of things and keeping it all together during the bad times is the most important thing though, and you no-one can tell you how to do this it has to be worked out for yourself. If this was easier, too many people would be +EV players and this might bugger up the sustainability of the online poker economy.






Would you still play if the edge was less (for example, no bluffing), but you had complete control on how much you commited to each and every hand?

Anything that makes you better able to win every session is a bad bad bad idea. The fish need to win sometimes. Don't fuck with the plumbing if it isn't broken.

I've often wonderd why players play online. I have lived from onlione for almost six years now, and I must admit I do not enjoy it at all. So how is it that the vast majority, which are losing players; still play?


Because allthough they are losing players, it doesnt mean they dont have moments where they win. Everyone gets moments of glory in poker which they wouldn't in other competitive pursuits, we can all beat Phil Ivey if the cards fall our way, which is the appeal.


Do they find poker fun?

Yes

Why do you play? Is it simply as a way of making a profit/living?

I play live poker for fun, I play online poker for money. I also enjoy the competitive aspect and most of all, the smug feeling of making a great call/bluff/valoooo bet

Would you like to see a less stressful way to play online poker - a more fun way of playing poker?

Even though I could one day throw my PC out of the window, no. Without the pain, there is no fun. The reason why we pump our first furiously in celebration is partially because of all those times it doesnt go our way. I've had a pretty bad year as a player compared to my previous years, but it would all be worth it and then some if one day I could take down a big tournament (of course I should stop grinding online cash and sngs to do that).

Also, the pain and the tough times reveal a lot about ourselves, tilt shows us who we really are and what we really know at the tables. A bad 2009 for me poker wise has shown me that I am not as good a player as I thought I was, which has been humbling and also shown me what I need to do to get better.

Do you find poker frustrating?

Hells yeah

Do you play because you feel you have an edge?

Yes. Not because I'm a great player but because I can count, I make sure I am in soft games full of silly chuffs.

Would you still play if the edge was less (for example, no bluffing), but you had complete control on how much you commited to each and every hand?

Erm, off the top of my head, that model doesnt appeal, but I certainly am interested to see what you have in mind.


Any thoughts anyone?

Who would win a fight between a great dane and a st Bernard?

Me.

(The kennel club have selectively bred the other two until they are virtually useless)

"I've often wondered why players play online. I have lived from online for almost six years now, and I must admit I do not enjoy it at all"

What a remarkable statement.

Why the hell do you do something you don't enjoy? If you are smart enough to be a winning player in today's tougher games, there must be a zillion other things you could do to make a living that you would enjoy.

I came to the same conclusion myself, that I was not enjoying it at all, so I stopped playing online. There were several other reasons - not getting rakeback, doubts about collusion and who exactly I was playing etc, but the bottom line was that I just wasn't enjoying staring at a screen all day.

So now I play exclusively live. I enjoy it immensely, the challenge is still there, but now I get social interaction, more time to make decisions, I feel the chances of being cheated are much less, and I get to decide who to play against.

Ok, my win rate per hour must be less because I'm seeing less hands but I am winning well and I'm enjoying it. I don't miss online poker at all.

everyone who is clever is able to make a good living doing something they enjoy? everyone in this country? everyone in the world? why do so many people hate their jobs? why are so many people unemployed?


plz name 10 jobs that you can get after playing poker for a living for 6 years that are fun and earn good money

not having a go, just been thinking about this for a while now and haven't come up with much, becoming more of a live player is certainly one option as you have mentioned

I think my post didn't come across as intended. I wasn't having a go at any one or being overly critical.

It is difficult to find work that we enjoy, that is true. The point I was making was that why would someone do something they don't enjoy at all when there must be better options out there. I don't have the answers unfortunately.

For me the solution was to play exclusively live and it seems to be working so far.

I suppose I just recognised myself in Peter's post. I was just saying that you can do something about it if you want to.

I think it's different playing for fun, or playing for a living - either live or online.

Poker can be a pastime or a job.
People who play it as a pastime usually do so because they enjoy it.

Same people cannot rationalise why someone would play without enjoying it particularly.
£50K - £100k + per year is a good reason IMO - given that the alternatives are not necessarily any more enjoyable (and probably financially less fruitful).

Even a little less than £50k is ok considering poker players don't pay tax.

pretty sure there are hundreds of millions of people around the world who would be delighted to play internet poker for a living for £20K a year

pretty subjective to come up with figures that you must earn to be worth people's while.

lol - never mind the world - most people in Britain take home less than £20k a year

What's wrong with being subjective?

It's just wrong

imo

Do they find poker fun?

Why do you play?

fun hobby, competitive challenge.

Is it simply as a way of making a profit/living?

No, they the profit is nice

Would you like to see a less stressful way to play online poker - a more fun way of playing poker?

no, i enjoy it as it is

Do you find poker frustrating?

don't we all - its like golf that way

Do you play because you feel you have an edge?

Yes, I wouldn't play if I was a fish - though if I was a fish I probably wouldn't know I was one!

Would you still play if the edge was less (for example, no bluffing), but you had complete control on how much you commited to each and every hand?

Bluffing is surely the main fun of poker.

Any thoughts anyone?

I've often wonderd why players play online. I have lived from onlione for almost six years now, and I must admit I do not enjoy it at all. So how is it that the vast majority, which are losing players; still play? Do they find poker fun?

Yes it is a fun hobby to the majority, it is also an extremely addictive game with the right of amount of luck to convince people that they are good when it is not necessarily the case.


Why do you play? Is it simply as a way of making a profit/living?

It is my job, I go through phases of hating, loving and indifference towards poker. It certainly is not as much as fun as the first 18 months i played as a hobby.

Would you like to see a less stressful way to play online poker - a more fun way of playing poker?

If you guarentee me an hourly rate with virtually no varience, it would initially be quite attractive but in the long term it would be boring. Plus as previously mentioned we need the variance to keep the fish in the games.

Do you find poker frustrating?

Like nothing else in life and this is coming from someone who has a talent for supporting extremely infuriating sports teams. I never thought anything would have me screaming down the house and throwing random objects round the room like poker does.

Do you play because you feel you have an edge?

Of course I have engaged in various forms of +ev gambling, unlike a lot of poker players i am extremely risk adversive and have virtually no "gamble" in me. I would never play poker if I wasn't a winner in the long term.

Would you still play if the edge was less (for example, no bluffing), but you had complete control on how much you commited to each and every hand?

I am not really sure what you mean, but no bluffing sounds like a bad idea.

Any thoughts anyone?

Cheers!

Thanks guys for the posts. Having thought about it, I think it may be a little unrealistic to ask these types of questions without disclosing what the alternative is. It's a bit like asking if you would like a different eating establishment to the one you usualy frequent; without knowing what's on the menu. Perhaps I will try an find a way around this.

But I guess what I am trying to find out is this.

Poker is a journey. I just looked at finding a different route. The overall aim is the same (to win), but I just think the the vast majority may prefer to take a more player-friendly path. One that is more fun and offers more control; a path that eradicates collusion and  decrease the impact of bad beats. Just as importantly, the skills of patiance, card-selection, position and bluffing; are replaced by the skill of how much a player commits to each and every hand. I know i'm being vague, that's what we have. I just hope players get a chance to least have the option of trying it out. We shall see.

Cheers!

i play poker for the reason its a sport/game inwhich i can compete at on an equal footing with those people around me, i also think i am good at it(with room to learn)

do i remember you saying that you're in partnership with hellhuth on this? is it so he can say "Ha! told ya if it weren't for luck i'd win all the time"?

but if you make it a pure skill game then why not just play chess or mario cart or something? i ain't gonna play anyone at chess for money cos i'm crap at it. why would fish play no luck poker?

Good comment - but I don't think the luck factor is an issue- it will always be part of poker. Therefore, fish will still be fish and winners still win - it would just be a different betting structure.

BTW - Phil loves it (obviously). Who knows, he may even start winning online for a chnage LOL

poker seems pretty good as it is, the variance is the main source of frustration but its what keeps -ev players playing. not sure about your betting structure idea... sounds like turning poker into a table game atm. how does it change outcomes? less edge possible?

i think that the only thing that would get people playing a new game would be having more fun than playing poker as it is. poker will naturally gravitate towards a balance in terms of min/max edge possible and variance - for example using NLH, the balance struck in terms of edge possible may occur from the prevailing 'standard' buyin (ie 100bbs online) amongst other things, for variance people will play different stakes to suit the variance that they seek/can tolerate. 'professionals' want to maximise the edge and minimise the variance, whereas losing players probably want the opposite (although some dont know it) - and the form of the game that prevails does so after these contrasting desires trade-off.

why a game would be more popular than poker in its current form, i have no idea, but i see the question like why people prefer blackjack to flipping a coin - just a matter of taste.

So what's your plan then Peter?

I'd guess something like - 2 players go all in pre flop.

One has AA other has KK so 80% - 20% approx. In order to continue the betting has to change. KK man has to put more in to the pot to even out the varience or AA man gets to take some out. Therefore when KK man binks it's not quite so frustrating for AA man?

Am I right?

I was thinking it might be something more along the lines of you make a hidden bet (or fold) based on your evaluation of the strength of your hand on every street.

You can do equity chops in some live cash games.

Taking the gamble and only fun aspect out of poker will make me want to kill myself.

Suicide is NOT an option as your hand will be also be dead. Seriously, you may still gamble and still play badly. But since you will see every flop, every turn and every river, it will be your patiance and betting skills that will determine your winnings. In other words, not much difference to the skills currently required

this sounds terrible :(

Yes it does. In fact, we expect that the mid-stakes and high-stakes NL players will probably hate it. In saying that, it can be attarctive to the limit players of all stakes. BTW, this will only apply for cash games.

For tournaments, we have developed a format that perhaps adds to the skill level while at the same time offer quick returns (such as in turbos and hypers). I think above all, we hope to change how tournaments are structured both in terms of play and payout. For example, cashing while at the same not making the money. BTW, this does not affect the prize pool payout for those who do make the money. Sorry if this failes to make sense, but not much does when one is being vague.

my guess is pots will be split according to the equilty a player has when chips go it

ie KK v AA and each player puts in 500 chips pre they get 200 and 800 back

then flop comes 4 k 4 and 10000 chips go in so AA gets 800 and KK 9200

so in total AA gets 1600 back and KK gets 9400

lol thread sounds com

I wanna put in 1BB every hand plz, get a bot to do it for me i will be on my yacht.

 rotflmfao

q1 answer;



because i hate money.



end thread