controversial opinion about uselessness of online poker

[McStinky]

I decided a couple months ago to play poker for a living, and soon after that I realized that I like live poker a million times more than online. So I decided I would try to become a really good live player and hopefully beat the biggest no limit games at Foxwoods and in Atlantic City. This should be sufficient to make a solid six figure salary with little work, which is all I want to do.

At first, I assumed that I would still have to play online when I am not at the casino for training purposes. I figured there is no substitute for seeing hundreds of hands an hour and experiencing all the different situations that can occur. Plus you can do all kinds of statistical analysis with online poker.

However, I am now seeing that online and live are truly two different worlds. I haven't played full ring online, but I know that with 6-max, as you move up you encounter more solid multitablers, and you have to get more sophisticated about using aggression and mixing up your play. Also, the stacks are always short relative to live games.

In live games, even the biggest ones like 10/25 NL, the players' skill levels range from mediocre to horrible, and people skills and just paying attention come into play in a huge way. When there is a rich doctor at the table and he states that he won't lie about his hand to young kids because he wants to save them money, you better notice this and take advantage of it. I can give a thousand more examples of big +EV situations that come up because you see people sitting there with you and talking. There must be some level where people get good enough not to give off huge tells, but I have yet to encounter it.

Now, I'm not saying you don't have to master the math of the game as well as the people skills. For every interesting hand I play, I intend to solve all the little mathematical puzzles it gives rise to. But I'm just not sure where logging lots of hours online comes into play. The big money situations that come up live just don't occur online because the games are too different. Online is great when you are first learning the game, but I have been playing for a few years now and am somewhat competent.

So I am wondering if people agree or disagree with what I'm saying. I know that online players tend to be much better than live players, but my question is whether I can become one of the best live players (at least at Foxwoods or in AC) without playing another hand of online poker. Is higher-stakes live no limit poker really mostly about preying on the rich donators and predictable old-timers, or is there something I am missing?

[chesspain]

I can't tell if you are a very clever leveler or a really droll troll.

[McStinky]

My post was entirely serious, and I know I am not saying much that people here don't already know. I am honestly curious what people think about the role of online poker in trying to beat live games. Please enlighten me as to why this is a stupid question or whatever.

[DumbHick]

Well, he did provide us with the following thread:
Link.

[soulvamp]

Online and live play, as you said, are two completely different worlds involving different skill sets. I would say in your situation, you could use online for a supplement. But I don't see how it would necessarily serve any training purpose.

[Gamblar2000]

Yeah, I agree. They are 2 completely different games.

[MiltonFriedman]

You think it would be "little work" ?

A grand delusion.

[McStinky]

I don't know, right now I go down to Foxwoods for a few days, sit at the table all day and people throw money at me. I do have to be focused and paying attention the whole time, but that suits my personality and I enjoy it. I hope I won't later find out that I was delusional. So far things do seem genuinely easy.

[WMB]

[ QUOTE ]
I don't know, right now I go down to Foxwoods for a few days, sit at the table all day and people throw money at me. I do have to be focused and paying attention the whole time, but that suits my personality and I enjoy it. I hope I won't later find out that I was delusional. So far things do seem genuinely easy.

[/ QUOTE ]

Your'e basically right. Why bother with tough online games when you've got easy money for the taking at live casino games. Its not hard to beat the 5-10 and 10-25 FW games, as long as you're properly bankrolled, play fairly well and are disciplined.

[rja87]

I don't think playing online would be nesc for being a winning live player since they are so different, but you'd def need to be able to beat the highest games in order to make more than you could 12 tabling online or whatever.