Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Was This an Online Hand in Live Poker?

I’ve been thinking more and more about online poker lately.  I haven’t played much in quite awhile.  In fact, you can find a couple of posts about my most recent online adventures here and here.  But now that online poker is fully sanctioned in both Nevada and New Jersey, maybe it’s time to give it another try.

One site that is sanctioned in New Jersey that I find intriguing is 888Poker.  I note that PokerAtlas (who I work for, of course) is offering a sign up bonus for them.

I know I started blogging after the heyday of online poker, but many of the bloggers I link to were or are very much into online poker.   Lightning used to play a lot of online poker, and Little Acorn, located in Scotland, still does.

Back in the day, I was mostly using online poker as a learning tool.  First I had to learn poker etiquette, and then I learned strategy (I’m still working on that one!).  I never got to the point of multi-tabling.  At the time I was playing, I never considered it. It was all I could do to keep track of one table.  But I stopped playing online before I became comfortable.

Perhaps if I was still playing regularly I’d be multi-tabling six or eight tables by now?  I definitely want to give that a try if I get back to it.  I know online plays wilder, more aggressive, and has a lot more action than live poker.  So perhaps the EV you lose by having to concentrate on so many tables is offset by the plus EV from all that wild play?  All you have to do is play just a bit sane and you’ll do alright, no?

I know when I played before I never played NL cash games (except maybe for penny stakes).  I learned limit hold’em from online.  So playing it again, playing a cash game for my normal live poker stakes, would be different for me. 

I’m sure the online game is a little different (or a lot different) than I remember it.  Poker live, or online, always seems to be evolving.

You know, just maybe the reason I saw the hand I’m about to describe (from live poker) was because the players involved were both online players?  I can’t say for sure, but I know at least one of them was European.  The other guy was an older gentleman who you’d have expected to be more of a nit.  Not at all the case.

I had just arrived at the table at BSC and was just settling in.  The Euro was in middle position, and after a limper or two, he made it $35!  Wow, I thought, is that the standard raise at this table?  The pot was $7 until then.  It folded to the older guy who called.  Ok, I wanted to see this.

I folded my garbage hand and it was just the two of them to see the flop.  The flop was King-King-10.  There was a bet from the Euro, a call from the other guy.  I think they both checked a blank turn.  Another 10 on the river, the Euro checked, the other guy bet and the Euro reluctantly called.  I don’t remember the bet sizes after the flop but they were reasonable for the size of the pot.  I do know that no flush was possible.

The older gentleman showed King-Jack offsuit.  Huh?  You call a preflop raise for $35 with that hand?  Seriously?


I guess he knew there was gonna be two Kings on the flop.

The other guy showed his hand even though he didn’t have to.  He had Ace-Queen offsuit.  So he did flop a gutshot, then missed.  I understand the c-bet on the flop, but I sure don’t understand his call on the river.  I guess he thought his Ace might be good.  Damn, I made a call like that recently myself (see here).   

I don’t get it.  But perhaps if I started playing online, I’d see that more often?

11 comments:

  1. Rob,
    I think you will find that on-line poker is much more difficult than live poker. With the restrictions put in place to be able to deposit money on-line, the majority of the players are regulars that are break-even or winning players. The losers go broke and then have difficulty having monies deposited back into their account.

    I think the blind level on-line is about 10 times tougher than live. For example, on-line .25/50 NL is to 2/5 NL for live. You will see a lot more 3 betting and players that barrell 2 or 3 streets.

    ohcowboy12go

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    1. Very interesting and useful info, cowboy. Thanks!

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  2. Yes, online poker today is nothing like it was when the big poker rush hit. Back then the players were so terrible that even a rookie hack like me could make money. Once online poker started to be more about HEMs and an increasing number of pros or semi-pros on the virtual felt, the game got increasingly more difficult.

    I have been playing some Omaha on Bovada recently. There is quite a mixture of players and tables there, and the anonymity of the site at least gives the recreational player a fighting chance.

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    1. Thanks, Lightning.

      Both live and online, what poker needs is more bad players. :)

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    2. So we need more of you Rob? lol

      Well, I wouldn't mind more sessions against you anyhow. Especially if I can get KK and AA as often as before.

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    3. Smart-ass!

      Actually your comment baffled me a bit. When I get comments for approval, I don't know that is in response to a specific previous comment, as opposed to the post itself. So I didn't really get it until I saw it on the blog and realized you were commenting on my comment and giving me a shot.

      Let's see if you can run so good against me with KK next time!

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  3. i prefer online poker anymore.i like the fact i can play multitables,no tip,no travel x amount of miles to go to a poker room then wait x amount of minutes or hours to play.jamm out on some TOOL or SLAYER,smoke some herb,drink some fat tire or mountian dew and just play

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    1. Good point anger.

      However, there's no Slut Parade in front of you when you are playing online.

      At least at my house.

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    2. Except for the LMAO your comment is like a spam comment I would reject.

      There is something to be said for LIVE, whether it's poker or hot looking ladies.

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    3. i will agree with u about the ladies part but small watered down drinks,slow players,etc,etc.any more i like my poker online

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