Anybody play at PartyPoker (or any other online poker)?

Cafe Society
1

Watching the World Poker Tour, they advertise PartyPoker.com. I went there and downloaded the client but didn’t play. They have “Real Money” games and “Play Money” games. I’m not up for Real Money (Credit Card) play, just wondering how the Play Money games work out. All the rooms looked full and I didn’t want to just jump in without a clue (as if that will change :rolleyes: )

I hate the online card games like Hearts where you get ganged up on or you are winning so the other guy just quits. Just wondering how this online poker would be any different??

There must be SOME difference. I see where some of the players on TV got in to those tournaments by winning online tournaments…If it was like Yahoo Hearts (I think that was where I played) I can’t see how it would be possible to win fair and square. FWIW I was never a big-time Hearts master…I just helped my dad get set up to play online…he related the stories of foul play to me, and since then I have read posts of woe here.

2

I kind of got bit by the same bug as you. So far I have played at http://www.pokerstars.com, http://www.ultimatebet.com, http://www.partypoker.com, and http://www.paradisepoker.com. (I also was advised to try empirepoker, which I have not yet done.) Each has its good points and bad points, which I will discuss if you are interested.

As to your main point - whether there is collusion - I don’t know. I will say that it’s frustrating to see a pair or trips win hands, and then full houses beat your straight later in the same game. What the hell, you get all the play money you want…

Post again if you care to discuss further.

p.s. also see http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=180100&highlight=online+poker

3

I don’t know, emolson…I mean, you’re not really reading the people you’re playing with. It’s harder to win, unless you’re on quite a bit and learn the way the other players usually play.

I’ve read (Poker Player Mag) that quite a few pros are complaining because of the way the amateurs are playing and winning. They play hands they have no business being in, they bet over the top, go low with a king in the hand, etc. I don’t know about collusion, I think it has a lot more to do with the fact that the new “online amateurs” just don’t play the way professional players have been playing for years. I think a lot of old etiquette is being unknowingly ignored.

4

I’d be interested to hear your observations, emolson.

To answer the OP, I’ve been trying out the 5-10 play-money tables at PartyPoker and I’m up about $4500, but I know this bears absolutely no relation to reality. People play looser than in the wildest California cardrooms, and $400+ pots are commonplace. I’ve watched some of the real-money games, and they seem incredibly tight by comparison. I’d have to re-read Hold 'em Poker For Advanced Players a few times before I’d be willing to venture in there.

They’ve also had some sporadic server problems lately. A few nights have been impossibly slow, and there have been a couple of outright crashes. I’m not sure how they handle that on a real-money table. I’m sure they’re working on it, but I’d be reluctant to buy in for real until all the problems are ironed out.

5

Yeah I suppose I’d be upset too if I were a professional and I were getting beaten by amateurs too.

6

I live in Las Vegas, so I don’t really feel the need to do any on-line gaming.
However, I am curious as to how reputable these sites are. Do they really pay up? Any reports, or first hand experience, as to how fair the games are?

Also, if anyone knows of a good Double Double triple video poker game that can be downloaded, I would love to have it.

BTW, I recently saw a woman get a Royal Flush at a locals casino here. They came and paid her out and she still had about 10 bucks in credits. Two hands later, she got ANOTHER Royal Flush on the same machine. Not a normal occurence, trust me. Just shows you you don’t have to leave a machine that just paid out.

7

Could you? I’m looking for a good online poker site, so advice would be cool.

8

Yeah, I had honestly forgotten this post so I’d be interested in hearing any first-hand info from somebody who has BTDT.

As for the server load…I imagine it’s a bunch of newbies like me who signed up after seeing the WPT on TV, just a guess.

The looser play with play money/not being able to read your opponent are the two major reasons I am having doubts about the validity of online poker as a true yardstick to measure skills by…and I don’t have enough sac/experience to play for real money.

So please share any experiences, I might take the plunge yet!

FWIW I am Duke of Rat on PartyPoker.

9

I am trying out True Poker. They have real or play money games, of which I stick solely with the play money. The games are pretty good, but obviously way looser than people would normally play. Good graphics, and the speed is not a problem but I am on DSL. No clue how dial up would affect it.

10

I think online poker may have some advantages… at least… since you can’t read the other guy, you can use it as a practice tool to hone your observations of skills/strategies without having it ‘clouded’ with physical reads.

11

I’ve been a member of Paradise Poker for about 6 months. They have a variety of poker games, including no-limit hold 'em, which I play. You can play with “play” money or real money. You can also choose to play 1 on 1, at .50/1, 1/2, 3/6, etc. tables, or join a real-money (limit or no-limit) tournament. I have only played tournaments. The Limit and NL Hold 'em tourney tables are $5 + 1, $10 + 1, $20 + 2, $30 + 3, $50 + 5 and $100 + 9. The extra dollars are rake for the house. All tourney tables seat 10 and pay out the top 3 finishers (50%, 30%, 20%).

Although you can’t “read” another player, you can gain insight into their style of play. If/when you do, you can take notes on that player that are saved until next time you play them.

You can use credit card or several other payment options (I use FirePay) to join. Minimum of $50 initial buy-in.

I recently cashed out for $200. They moved the money (instantly) to FirePay. Then, from FirePay I moved the money back into my back acct, which took several days. Its all legit, AFAIK.

Just my 2 chips… :slight_smile:

12

I’ve played online poker on and off since they became available. And while I play mostly 10-20 to 20-40 in live games, I’ve stayed away from anything bigger than 5-10 online, on the theory that any real professional colluders will probably be in the bigger limit games.

I can tell you a couple of things about online poker - first, my win rate is nowhere NEAR what it is in live games. I don’t think I’ve made more than $1000 or so, over probably 300 hours of play.

Second, for whatever reason the swings I see online poker are far, far greater than what I see in real life. In talking with a number of other pros, they see the same thing, and a couple of very good winning players I know have given up on online poker out of frustration with the wild swings.

For example, the first time I played Paradise poker, I made over $1500 in two days playing 2-4 limit poker. Then I went absolutely cold, and trickled it all back over a week. When I was down to my last $100, it suddenly turned around, and I went on a huge rush and ran it back up to over $1000 in the space of two days again.

I’m a pretty tight, conservative player. Those kinds of numbers are outrageous. In ten years of full and part-time poker, I never had a run of cards like that. And yet, that pattern seems to repeat itself, over and over again. Huge winning streaks, marked by periods of weeks on end where I can’t hit a hand.

In real life poker, you usually see small wins, somewhat smaller losses, with a steady trend upwards. Punctuated by the occasional 30 to 50 big bet win or loss.

In online poker, my results are all over the map.

I don’t have an explanation for this. It could be a combination of wilder play, more hands per hour, and the lack of visible clues. It could be that the quality of play is both better and more aggressive. It could be non-random shuffles, either online or in the casino. It could be collusion. Or it could be more sinister, and the house is mucking about with hand frequencies to keep people playing, but I think this is a remote possibility.

In short, I think the games are honest, at least from the house’s standpoint. But there’s something different about online poker I can’t put my finger on, and the risk of collusion is always present. If you want to play, start by playing for small limits, with the notion that it’s entertainment money that you don’t care about losing. Move up in limits slowly and carefully.

13

I should add that I’ve cashed out money on Paradise and Planet Poker numerous times, and they’ve always paid promptly. They credit your credit card back up to the amount of your original buy-in, and if you win more than that, they mail you a cheque.

I’ve always had the cheque within 10-15 days.

14

Just to clear that up, is there any way to play no limit or tournaments with play money?

That’s something I want to work on. Limit is boring compared to the nl stuff, especially the tournaments. I’d like to practice on those. But as far as I can tell it’s just 3/6 tables for play money.

15

Hey Sam Stone, would you maybe look over a short hand history of mine sometime? If you don’t have time, I understand entirely - you just sound knowledgable and I’m trying to learn.

I’d just like someone experienced to look over my play and tell me what I’m doing wrong.

16

I’m sorta like you guys in that watching the World Series on TV got me itching to play, but I must say that I’m in the dark on alot of the stuff that goes on.

What do you guys mean by a 3/6 table?

17

In limit hold 'em, there’s a small bet and a large bet. The small bet is used for all bets and raises up until the river. Afterwards the large bet is used for bets and raises. A 3/6 table is a $3 small bet and $6 large bet.

18

SenorBeef:

Why don’t you post the hands here, and we’ll talk about them in the forum so others can pitch in.

19

UltimateBet run cash prize tournaments where the buy-in is Ultimate Points (you get one UP per hour of play). They also have no-limit Hold’Em tables in the play money section.

20

Not that I recall. Initially you’re given 1,000 play chips. You can get additional 1,000 for free each time you run out. This, of course, skews the style of play at the practice tables. Everyone can stay in no matter their hand.

However, sometimes you’ll find a table of folks who are really trying to learn the game and bet realistically.

I saw a guy a couple days ago with 27K play chips.

Either way, its a good way to learn the software.