How much does playing online help

Goms27

Hey Dave,

How much does playing on line help when it comes to playing on regular tables face to face. I have been playing on line and have had some success in the past 4 months. I have taken up the game seriously about a year ago. Because of kids I don't get much of a chance to get to the casino. As for home games - my buddies are not that good and they have gotten to the point that they will not play hold'em with me. Is the Casino my only way out to becoming better.

Thanks for your help

Dave Scharf

You will frequently see "internet players" belittled. I think that is odd. At the basic level, poker is poker. Live play offers certain advantages to reading your opponents. On the other hand, live play also offers certain distractions (men will, generally, find the Orleans cocktail staff to be distracting for instance).

You can become a world class player and NEVER set foot in a casino.

You will improve provided you focus on improving. The mantra I use is: "Study, practice, and repeat." Study means reading, thinking, memorizing, posting to this newsgroup, and whatever else you can think of.

Unknown

men will, generally, find the Orleans cocktail staff to be distracting for instance

Yup. :redface:

ScottyZ

men will, generally, find the Orleans cocktail staff to be distracting for instance

Thank goodness there's nothing on the internet that men would be distracted by.

How much does playing on line help when it comes to playing on regular tables face to face.

Immensely. I strongly agree with Dave's sentiment that generally, poker is poker. Personally, I've found that my poker training has taken place very much using computers (particularly, playing online), and reading (books, and otherwise). Quite definitely not necessarily in that order.

I have the general feeling that reading and online play were (and are) my homework, wheras casino play is more like the final exam. Not that I don't learn from casino play, just not nearly in the same volume and depth. And sometimes it's different subject matter. :cool:

ScottyZ

Dave Scharf

Thank goodness there's nothing on the internet that men would be distracted by.

Is there some part of the internet that I am not familiar with?

ScottyZ

Dave Scharf wrote:

Is there some part of the internet that I am not familiar with?

Oh, only about 99.99% of it it seems.

For example:

http://crazymonkey.4t.com/photo.html

"It's a monkey in bananas!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

ScottyZ

DJP

I like those answers. lol Gives us all hope. Personally I now prefer online to live. Too many reasons for me to count why. (comfort being high on the list) I'd also like to think my game has improved in the last year or so too, so playing online (often) must have had some positive impact. In addition to the above mentioned reasons that is. ie: study practice reading posting etc.

tpfelt

I don't know that you could really reach WCP status solely based on online play. It will certainly take you most of the way there, but my feeling is that a certain amount of live play, and appropriate stakes live play, would be required to not only take advantage of reading opponents, but to reach the comfort level at the table so you are not as easily read yourself.

tp.

ScottyZ

tpfelt wrote:

I don't know that you could really reach WCP status solely based on online play. It will certainly take you most of the way there, but my feeling is that a certain amount of live play, and appropriate stakes live play, would be required to not only take advantage of reading opponents, but to reach the comfort level at the table so you are not as easily read yourself.

tp.

Who says you ever have to play live poker to be a world class poker player?

I agree with your point that purely online poker players will have to somehow practice reading physical tells and not giving off physical tells *if* they ever want to play B&M poker. However, an online WCP will probably not have too much difficulty picking these sorts of things up quickly. Also, there are lots of ways of working on your own physical poker presence without being in a live game.

Also, Dave carefully left himself a lot of outs by saying you never have to set foot *in a casino* to become a WCP. There are plenty of opportunities to play non-casino live poker.

I'd personally go a little bit beyond what Dave technically said. I think you can become a WCP playing exclusively online.

ScottyZ

Goms27

Thanks everyonme - lots of help.

Dave Scharf

I didn't mean to "leave myself and out." I agree with ScottyZ -- WCP playing ONLY online. It would take a special talent I think, but it's possible.