Ways to improve your game without real money?

[El_Hombre_Grande]

Play money against humans is worse than worthless, don't do it; especially in NL. It gives you a false impression of the game.

I would deposit again, and play the lowest limits possible. Read NLTAP, Phil Gordon's Little Green Book, and everything stickied in microlimits. Use PT and PAHUD. Review hand histories all the time. Play one table. At those limits, ABC poker will work. I bet your sin is tilt ot being in love with TP. When the money goes in, have 2 pr or better most of the time.

[RustedCorpse]

I actually did the play money thing for like a month during some financial crisis, I wouldn't recommend it.

One of two things happens
a)The losses don't scare you
b)you start to get inappropriately LAG'ish and that's hard to rein in.

I agree with the posters who say play even .01/.02 something where it's a material loss.

[smbruin22]

i agree that free money games are worse than NOT playing at all. will make you a losing player, whereas if you don't play you're sort of break-even...... free-rolls are a little better...

poker academy is somewhat realistic although i haven't used it for awhile.... but most of the computer profiles are trying to win..

[johnnydrama]

Thanks all. Concensus is play money is not worth the time unless using it to learn and new game.

Good advice by all and I thank you.

[batair]

I'm going to have to disagree somewhat with the idea that play money can't help with your game.

It all depends on your play, if you go in not trying or playing crazy lag type play then it wont help.But if you play a disciplined tag type of game i think it can help with the general feel of the game, hand reading and bet sizing.Also it helps if you find rooms with low avg flop and the smallest pots.You can find tighter and tougher play money games then some micro real money games it all depends of table selection.

When i first started playing online poker i played play money for about 2 months and if it wasn't for that i don't think i could of started out as a winning player off my first deposit so it helped me.

[Pvnuts]

As mentioned already by some, Poker Academy is a great tool to have... When I hit a loosing streak, I go on PA and simulate some plays that I've been making... Example... force it to deal you A7s and play it pre-flop no matter what and see if you make money after 500 hands. Do the same thing with limping in with 22 from early position vs late position with at least 4 players in the pot... I could go on and on...

What better time to do this when you're account is going down. I find that after a week of simulating plays, I usually get back on track and my accounts goes back up...