Pokerroom(s) revisited

[6471849653]

After some years I went again to try Pokerroom (this time Europoker and Betsson). Years ago the story was 1-2 full ring that I started to win overly for a start, and then at one point it reversed. It had bots at those times that did not in any way adjust to short situations, and I exploited it with success. Then I played their new 0.5-1 tables that they got, that I can't say for sure had bots - they played much better this time though the typical passive fish style and I couldn't stop winning. I also tried 5-max 1-2 and it was aggressive because of that 5-max from one part. I didn't like the software and what I faced so I stopped playing there.

My visit at Europoker was short as I had no rakeback deal there. I played limit 1-2 head up and started to win as Pokerrooms usual (overly so).

Then I tried Betsson (about 10K hands total). Started from 1-2 heads up and got those lucky cards and runs again, but I dropped to 0.5-1 to continue as the fluctuations were more than I was used to, then kept winning as I am used to at that level in the past, but it was only up to 3K hands after I got stuck for the next 3K hands (after that I didn't lose, just beating the rake) and also faced many (bad) overplays from my so many opponents (they did better than I did but that's fine as I don't do well against semi-maniacs as they always seems to win no matter what they and I have - like the person who starts to tilt and play bad always wins with like 2 outs).

Getting stuck in a Pokerroms way is nothing unusual at Pokerrooms; I strongly believe so. It's likely that's because of the new players that one faces who get those lucky runs, and then there's something to my perhaps personal problem with luck (at least at some places) that I just can't beat a person on a semi-tilt (could be a more or less irrational hypo too).

So I made some change again and I started to play shorthanded; first NL Holdem (25c-50c blinds is their lowest) and dropped first seriously as the style was more aggressive than I was used to. Then I won it all back and little profits, but it's pretty bad considering that I was usually on the top in the bigger pots.

Then I played limit (shorthanded as one can't easily play full ring there as it's just too slow - and it's not the game to get good value from hands) by picking some good games, and there are those (at 1-2 though the 0.5-1 is the lowest limit), and started to get those lucky hands again, won three of my first hands in multiway pots and was up $40, and I kept getting preflop hands and flops but I made no more money with them (getting cards and hits does not quarantee a win).

Then I took another table and won first some but ended it down a little when a semi-maniac (plays solid most of the time but makes something retarded at times - there are lots over-players like that in Pokerrooms, always on a semi-tilt and not understanding when to make a move and with what hands; it being often 100% irrational, only faced at some places vs. fish on tilt).

The rake is huge at Pokerrooms (30-35% rakeback helps some), and the software was not something that I would prefer, it being much better at FTP and Stars, multitabling, and the opponents are generally normal and not those Pokerroom players, and I trust Stars (and so do so many other players), still new at FTP.

Pokerroms' sounds are also not to my liking and may just be one reason (the other could be the rake) why people tilt there so much though I figure it's generally more agro style (solid play with insanity moments) from one part of the players has been there from the beginning.

The hand of the day at Betsson (just one of the many often crap moves from one typical pokerroom player; during that session and all other days especially after my 3K hands):

Texas Hold'em $1-$2, 5 handed.

1st player limps (J6o), 2nd player limps, 3rd player (the Button; that's me) raises with KQo, SB folds, BB folds, the limpers call.

The flop: AQ5 with a two flush and it's checked to the raiser who bets (I often check this hand heads up). The first limper check-raises (with J6o) and the second limper folds. I make it three bets (normally I would likely just call but I had been getting rather fed up lately at Betsson). The semi-maniac makes it four bets. I of course lost that hand when he made a straight with that jack.

One just wonders; I have raised preflop two limpers and the flop comes as AQx. And there's no reason to suspect I have nothing. He goes there for a check-raise, and there's still that another limper. That's nothing so unusual at Pokerrooms at heads up games (where I wasn't raising all that much when I didn't have to, but they still started to tilt at some point if they already were not on tilt. I just grind them down when we play solidly and then they beat me when they start tilting).

If I just could win my fare share when ever players at some places start to tilt and I am having them beaten, but no, they usually win. That together with hypers was the reason I stopped playing heads up though it was up to very profitable for a long time (in many places, especially when not paying all if any rake), but unfortunately heads up I can beat only rational players and not some strange mixtures and strange plays and being beaten by cards too. One gets enough at short handed games, both limit and nl, and one can play more than one table, while heads up places are still rare (with decent rake) and one often needs to wait a lot. If one wants to play at Pokerroms at mentioned levels at least, I recommend the shorthanded ones, that should be good if one uses a tracker and pays attention, and at least in the long run gets a fair deal. But one will have to think about the rake and the comfort of playing and one often is able to play more tables elsewhere. I tried to see if I could for tax reasons play at EU-sites, but at the moment I don't think it's worth it as I can make more money elsewere even after taxes and will enjoy my time more.

[otnemem]

At the outset, one must wonder: What the [censored] is the point of this post?

[TheProdigy]

I got to something about bots and stopped reading..

tl;(mostly)dr