Poker players, please explain this to me.

[21forme]

Question from someone who knows nothing about online poker:
Is there any poker software, telling you the best play (similar to computer chess) that people use on these sites? If so, how can the game be fair?

[Sharky]

Originally Posted by SleightOfHand

...I only have 4 figures in my online poker account on PokerStars,..

including decimals?

[Gamblor]

Hey live poker is the only game that pretty much a guarantee that you can win 100% of your sessions... if your playing against a table of fishes. Of course you'll hardly find that in casino poker rooms.

Before the the online and TV poker craze, I would estimate that 30-40% of live players at a casino were bad players, and the rest solid.

Nowadays I would estimate 10% of players are bad, and the rest solid.

[mjbballar23]

Originally Posted by Gamblor

Hey live poker is the only game that pretty much a guarantee that you can win 100% of your sessions... if your playing against a table of fishes. Of course you'll hardly find that in casino poker rooms.

Before the the online and TV poker craze, I would estimate that 30-40% of live players at a casino were bad players, and the rest solid.

Nowadays I would estimate 10% of players are bad, and the rest solid.

No way. When the poker craze first started, 99% of players were bad. Nowadays it varies greatly on what limits you are playing, where your playing, and what day/time of the day it is . The high stakes live games might have 1 or 2 fish at a table, or somedays there might be 4-6. It all just depends

[Gamblor]

Assume you play in Vegas where you get more tourists and this might be true.

I usually play casinos in the East, so full of locals. I feel fortunate to get 1 or 2 fish at the table.

When I say bad, I mean constantly chasing inside straights, chasing runner runner flush, calling stations, steamer, etc., bad.

Not rocks, calling all in JJ pre-flop with 2+ other all ins (ok this is bordering on really bad), calling 27 suited bad - these people are the equivalent of BJ players who don't hit 12 v 2, soft 18 v 10. Personally I think these are bad players, but not terrible.

Come on, there was never a time 99% of players were bad, maybe 30 years ago

[moo321]

Originally Posted by Gamblor

Come on, there was never a time 99% of players were bad, maybe 30 years ago

4 years ago almost every single game I played was 9 to the flop (I was the only one folding) 5-6 to the river.

[Midwestern]

Originally Posted by 21forme

Question from someone who knows nothing about online poker:
Is there any poker software, telling you the best play (similar to computer chess) that people use on these sites? If so, how can the game be fair?

in general, software like what you are asking about doesn't really exist.
bet sizing, raising, and bluffing introduce too many unknown variables to the game of poker for a software like this to accurately tell you how to play a hand.

(as an aside, people DO program "bots" to sit at virtual poker tables and play according to certain patterns. Some of these bots will win money, but a talented poker player can figure out how to take advantage of these bots. This is why you usually see bots at very micro limit tables playing against poor poker players)

some people DO use poker software that tracks the betting patterns of other players. The software will tell the user which players are "weak" vs "strong" bettors, and will give the poker player a better idea of how to play the hand.

[fubster]

Originally Posted by Gamblor

Hey live poker is the only game that pretty much a guarantee that you can win 100% of your sessions... if your playing against a table of fishes. Of course you'll hardly find that in casino poker rooms.

Before the the online and TV poker craze, I would estimate that 30-40% of live players at a casino were bad players, and the rest solid.

Nowadays I would estimate 10% of players are bad, and the rest solid.

these figures are not at all correct

[alwayssplitaces]

On the contrary, you can find fish in casino poker rooms in the nights and weekends. I met someone who said that he usually plays roulette and I saw him limp on the button (5 callers, no raisers before him) with pocket kings. He lost a lot of his chips to ace-rag when an ace appeared on the turn after betting the flop and getting everyone to call. People come to the casino to gamble, so you'll see people chasing 2 outers they shouldn't.

If you're beating the micro stakes online, your win rate will be higher beating 1/2 NL live. Had Black Friday not happened, it would then be better to deposit your live winnings to your online site and multi-table the low stakes.

[Gamblor]

Originally Posted by moo321

4 years ago almost every single game I played was 9 to the flop (I was the only one folding) 5-6 to the river.

Try to recall all the times you were bored to tears at a table because every other hand was a chop.

Sure, you'll still find tables today where 5-6 people go in consistently pre-flop. This is an indication of bad players, but not necessarily so. Come on 5-6 consistently going in on the river, hardly ever seen that happen consistently.