18 replies to this topic

[Danny]

This has probably already been addressed, but I have been playing on play money tables for a while now. I am realitively new to poker (less than a year). I'm thinking that I am not learning a thing playing with fake money. I usually play pot limit and it seems like every hand every player will raise to the max!! I am assuming it is because their are no cosequences if you loose your a**.Correct me if I am wrong and for sure let me know if there are any "learning points" I should be picking up on while playing with play money.thanks for being patient with my novice question.Danny

[bigkg]

There aren't any learning points in play money, sorry but if you were trying to learn something by playing in play money then you need to really reconsider. The majority of the people that are on play money suck and play almost every hand, which you should not do by the way. If you are really trying to learn something read a poker book or play in a live game whether it be at a home game or a casino(if you are old enough), and they have to be for money.

[accolades]

Play money tables are really only worthwhile to learn the rules and flow of the game, in my opinion. You are exactly right to think that with nothing to lose, poker loses it's very essence... If you've been playing for almost a year, you're probably ready to move up to the $0.50/$1.00 or even the $1/$2 or $2/$4 tables. $10+$1 Single Table Sit and Go might suit you well too... I've only been playing for a couple months and I'm starting to turn a profit playing at these levels.If you're still too scared to lose your money, you might try www.pokerschoolonline.com I've been playing there too. For $15 a month you get access to a complete course in poker, including video and audio, lesson plans and forums put together by professionals such as Jennifer Harmon, Mike Caro, and even our own Daniel Negraneu. They're poker software uses a "play money" system, and you earn points for outstanding play (therefore people play more seriously) earn enough points and you can get into invitational tournaments where the school gives away $100,000 in "scholorships" to major tournaments across America.Hope this helps.- Tim

[Danny]

Thanks everyone for the replies. Yes I am WAY old enough to play in a casino but I live in Cali and although we have a plethera of nice indian casinos, they are slow to offer poker tables.I do play in the home games and that seems to help, just hard to find a home game often enough.Thanks againDanny

[shamhawks]

i used to think free money tables are worthless too, but in my opinion if you don't get caught up on the tilt thing and play your own good poker, it's a good way to stay fresh, and know what to do in very loose games, see betting styles, do reads on hands based on play...

[Smasharoo]

'm thinking that I am not learning a thing playing with fake money.You're right.Howevevr, if you can't beat the play money tables there's a problem. If you can it basically means you can pay attention to the actual cards on the screen and not just slam the raise button.

[ahosang]

You'll have to blood yourself in the money games. Choose a low limit like $0.50/$1. If you play pot-limit, that can be a little more costly, but my best advice is to learn to win first. Play conservatively and rockishly. Then you won't fluctuate so much. You'll miss out on other profits, but at the low level, this kind of play can be winning poker - if not exactly great poker. You must watch and learn betting patterns and manoevres while you're not involved in hands(and if you're playing rockish, this'll be often). Try to figure out what the players hold as they bet against each other. Then when you're reading abilities and so on improve, you can expand your play, so you know who can be bluffed, who can't, who often bluffs, who never does, all this helps to maximise profits and minimise losses.You can also incorporate the advanced concepts into your game. But learn to be a winner first.

[Eskimo]

A while ago, i tried out every online poker site to see which one i liked best. I used play money for most of them. On pokerstars, I accidentally turned my 1,000 play money chips in to 20,000. I did a tournament and won it, which gave me 120,000 in play money. I turned that into 200,000. I started doing the "high stakes" play money games. And, believe it or not, it was kind of similar to real money. Of course it wasn't the same, but it was close.You really can't learn anything from play money; its just not the same as real money. But, if you're going to use play money, you might as well play the high stakes.

[Spidurman]

play money is great if you are learning a new game (branching out from holdem) - just gets the reps in at zero cost. It is not that different in the lowest limit games, but as you advance in the limits, the skill level of the average player is greater.

[Danny]

Thanks again everyone, even you Smash (by the way....welcome back).Great discussion, I appreciate all the input.

[BPV]

danny.. where in california are you?

[ddudley]

Danny said:

Thanks everyone for the replies. Yes I am WAY old enough to play in a casino but I live in Cali and although we have a plethera of nice indian casinos, they are slow to offer poker tables.I do play in the home games and that seems to help, just hard to find a home game often enough.Thanks againDanny

mmmmkay, Dude, there are about 250 Poker Rooms in California. It's one of the few states where Poker is legal. It seems like if you lived here you would know that...And, to answer your question, playing in "play" money games was the worst thing I ever did for my game. If you spend more than 2 week using play money you are hurting your game not helping it. Get to PokerSchoolOnline if you can't afford to play for real money.

[dreed]

I have the same exact problem. I can't find a game here in cincinnati, im too young for casinos, no credit card, getting a home game going is like pulling teeth, and playing for "play money" is a waste of time and talent. I become a worse player when i sit in with "play money" by playing too many hands, often times winning with high cards, etc. It is terrible, i hate play money and i wish they had a points system for good play like someone mentioned about pokerschoolonline. Goodluck, and if you know of a better alternative PLEASE clue me in!

[Markmadness]

I personally think play money is very good in terms of practice. Specially for home games with your buds. I play .play money sit an go's on pokerstars and just stay tight till around 5 players left. Thats when people do play reletavily "decent" I play real money on party poker. i find playing play money is kind of like my wild home games. Where everyone plays ace rag , king rag. By practicing real tight play on play money. you will clean up at home games, but in terms of real casino or online real money you will have to loosen your play a bit. But at least practicing play will teach you the fundamentals.

[Coocoo]

I personally play fake money as I am underage, and it is certainely better than not playing at all. Its fun though frustrating at times. You can pratice restraint and discipline, and learn what to do against maniacs. Also in tournaments and sit and gos it is more realistic> I know for me personally I HAVE learned from playing it and at no cost! But if your not underage real money is better> And its not really any different than a home game

[Danny]

BPV said:

danny.. where in california are you?

BPV,I am in Madera. Just north of Fresno, Central California. Know the place??????

[Stewy]

If you must play play money make certain you use the oppurtunity to develop your odds and outs calculation skills to where they become second nature. If you can take one thing out of it that may be the most important.

[DrTongue]

Had some time to kill and didn't feel like thinking much so I jumped in a single table play money limit hold'em tournament and saw the worst poker ever. Me and four others limp to the flop which comes up KKK. I got nothing special but I'm first to go and figure I'll try for the cheap thrill, so I bet and hope to scare the rest out. No way. Next three call and the fourth guy raises. That's it for me. Somebody's got the king. I fold. But the other three call!!Turn comes with nothing special ... three checks then the fourth guy bets again ... and they all call again!! At this point I'm typing at them, that they all are a bunch of dopes ... he's got the king. They ignore me.Process repeats on the river. Three checks, a bet and everybody calls. And then the fourth guy shows his King. Surprise!!Even for fake money, it was too stupid for me. Had to leave the table in mid-tournament. Maybe Party Poker has programmed some calling station StupidBots to fill out their play money tables. Might be a diversion but that ain't poker.If you want a pretty good play money poker game, try the Poki-Bots. Your game will get better there or your rear end will get kicked. Nasty bots.http://www.cs.ualber...a/~games/poker/

[Danny]

I know what y0u mean on the whole raise, raise, raise issue. I was playing PL before I started to get into NL and a full table of nine would raise to the max pre-flop! It would drive me crazy. Even before I knew a whol lot about poker, I could still tell that was not realistic.