Let’s talk poker

[aaron1867]

I'm probably going to go off tangent here, but I am also interested in peoples opinions on this or if they feel the same.

I've never been one to play online, but used to be a now and then regular face at the local for the weekly £8k/£10k game. I haven't played for that long now, probably been 2 years ish and I think the bigger game is actually on a Thursday, not a Friday now.

I kinda lost interest in the game for so many reasons. But not for the game itself. Instead got highly frustrated with the type of people who I was sharing the table with. You would sit down on a table and you'd be guaranteed to end up on the table with someone you really didn't like. These wasn't reasons of having a general dislike for someone because of something trivial, but just because of their morals as a human being. It probably sounds really really sad and after all, you're here to play the game.......

But every other week when I turned up I'd be sat next to some really questionable people. Guys that owe you money from recently or far back, but still can't be arsed to pay you back. Guys that owe everyone else money. Sat next to guys with drug, grooming, fraud and rape charges. Then you're next to that guy who is forever sharing hateful posts about muslims. I just got fed up of the sharing a room, table and off course sitting next to them. There was even a time I had to exit the tournament early as there was a guy who I am not supposed to have contact with (he doesn't know me) because of work, so had to exit in case we both final tabled & my name would show on that list and it would probably trigger him.

But I don't play that much - Mainly because of the people & the card room I used to frequent seems to attract people I don't want to be seen with. I'd just rather not play, than to sit next to the kid who conned his nan out £20k, etc.

That's not to mention the absolute turnips that take forever to make a decision as they're happy not taking notice o the game, tank folding every day or playing online at the same time. I don't think there's much of a market for live poker no more anyway. 

Maybe its just me - but wouldn't be surprised if others did the same too

[tonytats]

All of the above really
Esp Glens get comfy by 630 pm
I may play a couple of $100 buy ins in Vegas next week /12 days
Really cba with cash - too many knobheads
Still watch most live streams though
Miss the monthly Dtd deepstack updates from rich - they were v good
I enjoy the odd trip away - talinn done and got Malta to look forward to this year
I used to be out 5/7 nights somewhere years ago
Online in daytime and the other 2 nights

Happy with a glass of wine 🍷 n feet up now

[nirvana]

I'm probably going to go off tangent here, but I am also interested in peoples opinions on this or if they feel the same.

I've never been one to play online, but used to be a now and then regular face at the local for the weekly £8k/£10k game. I haven't played for that long now, probably been 2 years ish and I think the bigger game is actually on a Thursday, not a Friday now.

I kinda lost interest in the game for so many reasons. But not for the game itself. Instead got highly frustrated with the type of people who I was sharing the table with. You would sit down on a table and you'd be guaranteed to end up on the table with someone you really didn't like. These wasn't reasons of having a general dislike for someone because of something trivial, but just because of their morals as a human being. It probably sounds really really sad and after all, you're here to play the game.......

But every other week when I turned up I'd be sat next to some really questionable people. Guys that owe you money from recently or far back, but still can't be arsed to pay you back. Guys that owe everyone else money. Sat next to guys with drug, grooming, fraud and rape charges. Then you're next to that guy who is forever sharing hateful posts about muslims. I just got fed up of the sharing a room, table and off course sitting next to them. There was even a time I had to exit the tournament early as there was a guy who I am not supposed to have contact with (he doesn't know me) because of work, so had to exit in case we both final tabled & my name would show on that list and it would probably trigger him.

But I don't play that much - Mainly because of the people & the card room I used to frequent seems to attract people I don't want to be seen with. I'd just rather not play, than to sit next to the kid who conned his nan out £20k, etc.

That's not to mention the absolute turnips that take forever to make a decision as they're happy not taking notice o the game, tank folding every day or playing online at the same time. I don't think there's much of a market for live poker no more anyway. 

Maybe its just me - but wouldn't be surprised if others did the same too

Actually this and 4ks post resonate with me - I played a ton when I was separated as I could walk into the poker room and feel a bit like Norm in Cheers which was very helpful at the time and, fancifully, I thought I was a bit of a contender too.

Now I walk into the poker room and I feel a bit like Aaron does - with many, many honourable exceptions of course.

[AdamM]

I tried to pick it back up again. That's why I came back here. Unfortunately there's just not the time in my life to do more than dip my toes in.

Combination of much more demanding/stressful job, bigger house/garden with more effort needed, and I'm gigging a lot at the minute, playing guitar for three different singers, so I'm out most weekends with that. When I have free time separate from all of that, I'm spending it with MrsM.

I'd love to get to DTD once or twice a month for a tournament, but I struggle to find the time.

[Pokerpops]

I have some sympathy for Aaron’s position. But the day I let the dregs stop me doing something I enjoy is a long way off.
There are still enough people around the game that  are good to chat with and have some banter to make avoiding the others possible.

I am part of a group that holds an annual charity game in Teesside. It attracts people from Essex and beyond and involves a significant amount of alcohol consumption.  With the only prizes being donated we raised c£2,000 this year. Modesty forbids that I mention who this year’s winner was.
Most of the players are APAT members and their social spirit reflects well on the longevity of APAT brand.

[KarmaDope]

I barely play these days. Don't have the time for tournaments and forays into online cash have been met with MMT nits on Stars (although I hear rules have changed to stop this) and a general lack of skill.

Play a once a month live tourney with some locals (BCPC) now I've moved to the Midlands which is always fun.

Would love to pick the game back up properly. If I do it will probably be live cash as that seems to be the way to go.

[KarmaDope]

Most of the players are APAT members and their social spirit reflects well on the longevity of APAT brand.

Agreed. It's a pity though that APAT appears to have fallen by the wayside, albeit through no fault of their own. Apart from the Team Championships/Worlds, it's just another tournament these days in a packed schedule.

[Pokerpops]

Most of the players are APAT members and their social spirit reflects well on the longevity of APAT brand.

Agreed. It's a pity though that APAT appears to have fallen by the wayside, albeit through no fault of their own. Apart from the Team Championships/Worlds, it's just another tournament these days in a packed schedule.

I disagree. APAT still offers a better tournament at the price point than anything else out there.
Plus, where else is there that will run the multitude of games that APAT offers at their Workd Championship?

Irrespective of the above there are still some great people out there that tend only to be met at an APAT event.

[KarmaDope]

Most of the players are APAT members and their social spirit reflects well on the longevity of APAT brand.

Agreed. It's a pity though that APAT appears to have fallen by the wayside, albeit through no fault of their own. Apart from the Team Championships/Worlds, it's just another tournament these days in a packed schedule.

I disagree. APAT still offers a better tournament at the price point than anything else out there.
Plus, where else is there that will run the multitude of games that APAT offers at their Workd Championship?

Irrespective of the above there are still some great people out there that tend only to be met at an APAT event.

I did say apart from the Worlds

I was looking forward to getting back into APATs this year now I finally have the opportunity to, but there hasn't been any events in the UK to do so. I noticed that they recently announced an event in Brighton, but seems like it was very last minute. I'm assuming this is related to their previous tie-in with Grosvenor.

And yes, some of the best people I ever met in poker has been through APAT. Bring on the team champs next year.

[peejaytwo]

http://blondepoker.com/forum/index.php?topic=62388.0

[vegaslover]

Haven't played live for probs 2 years. Not been to Vegas in 4 years, Son's at an age where we go to Florida instead.
Really cant be arsed to spend time travelling in UK to attend events that are usually poorly run and are expensive in terms of buyins drinks etc.
Not played online in years, games are mostly dead and sites like party go down so often it's not worth my time. In addition, anyone who thinks games online are straight are, at best, naive

[Rexas]

Game is in a right mess. Greedy casinos doing whatever they can to squeeze short term profit out of a market that's shrinking is never going to end well. G have laid off a bunch of staff, resorts is going strong but there have been other Gentings closed to cover it, DTD is now closed Monday/Tuesday. Reg fees are getting higher, some places are attempting to force people to play higher stakes, overall standards especially on food have dropped humongously since I started playing seriously around eight years ago. Online is a state, stars are as greedy as ever, party have given up any chance of challenging their monopoly, every other week there seems to be some new scandal. Everywhere else I've looked at pools seem to be shrinking and I can't think of the last time I heard properly good news from any site. Maybe I'm just turning into a cynical old man, and I think live poker will go cycle back round after a while longer of decline. But I can't see online poker recovering. I can't see America coming back to the global market, increasingly the good games are moving to more and more dodgy sites.

I still play, I still do ok, I still love the game, but as far as online goes I'm not optimistic for the future.

[TightEnd]

party is definitely not giving up the challenge Matt. $500k promotion every month, $20M GTD MILLIONS Online in December, global live tour leader, huge investments in software etc. Masses and masses of value for players.

Grew 15% last resultd in a static to falling market, was growing 40% in the early stages of the recovery.

Enlightened spam, over.

[teddybloat]

party is one place to avoid.

the HU lobbies are widely known to be locked down by bots -  players that after having to submit live videos of them playing on stars could only one-two table regs on stars are playing multiple tables on party against anyone whose solver is good enough to hang with them.

they also plan to /  have already removed the option of downloading HH's from players. pretty much every cheating / collusion scandal detected by players has been by players analysing databases and weeding out the rotten players. self policing by people with the means and incentive to discover cheating is the biggest weapon against that behavior.

party, a bot ridden site that has infamously poor detection methods, now removes the ability of players to detect cheating.

also scrapers for party will be available for those that want to go against the rules[ and we know they fail to detect cheating] so anyone playing a fair game will be doubly punished by groups of players who will still have access to HH's, but absolutely no incentive to use them in any other way than against other players.

avoid.

[TightEnd]

Bot detection resources have been beefed up substantially and many accounts closed and funds returned to those they played against. I can give you contact details of the team involved if you would like to speak to them for more details

The fair play initiative to ban HUDs and level the playing field for recreational players is connected