In the middle of a losing session at the Casino I made a remark about how much easier it was to play against monkeys and ninjas than against real people. I was just trying to loosen myself and the others up a bit, but this one guy turn to me with a very serious expression.
"Never play on-line poker," he admonished me. "It will ruin your live game."
I have given a lot of thought to that remark. There is something to it, but at the same time internet poker is a way to get a lot of experience in a relatively short period of time. Annette Obrestad, a twenty two year old Norwegian on-line phenom, claimed she played more hands of poker than Doyle Brunson. For anyone who has been playing for six years to say they have seen more hands than a professional with over sixty years experience seems ridiculous, but when you realize that on-line poker sees about four times as many hands per hour than live poker and then factor in that some players are able to play as many as ten tables simultaneously then it doesn't seem so far fetched.
The one big worry I have is that playing on-line I don't worry about physical tells. I let myself express happiness and anger without fear that others can get a read on me. This is the greatest danger in playing live after playing Card_Monkey69 and pokerninja1985. Pursed lips and furrowed brows can be deadly if your opponent can make a guess at the thoughts behind them.
The one big myth I'd like to explode is that live poker for money is much tighter than on-line poker for money. I disagree. I have played about the same amount of $1-$2 NLHE in both the real and virtual worlds, and in my opinion the on-line game is significantly tighter. I think this is because it easier to be patient on-line, where the next hand is one minute away, than in live poker where you have to wait much longer. I know a lot of people disagree with me, but that's the way I see it.
...but of course any kind of poker for money is tighter than play-money poker. Which, in a ring game, is usually stupid and counter-productive.
ReplyDeleteHilarious that you should post this right now. I was visiting the blog to see if you had a new post, and to suggest that you make a post about the differences between Zynga poker and "real" poker. I'm sure you'd have some interesting insights.
ReplyDeleteI'm somewhat worried that online poker has ruined me for live games; I can't seem to win a hand, much less a game, with the guys I'm playing with from work - and it's not because they're Helmuths and Negreanus, either. I just can't get the rhythm of the thing right. Then I go back to my room, felted again, and take down table after table of sit-n-gos (play money, though), so it's not like I'm some kind of total donk.
I think it's because (like you said) in a live game I can't brandish my fist menacingly at the screen and chant "FOLD TO ME. FOLD TO MEEEEEE." in my best Darth Vader voice.