Freeroll Burnout, busto or bored?

I think many are going broke or getting bored with online poker. What do you think? We are signing up tons of new players (freerollers) but very few deposit. Do you think many are freeroll players that never win any cash (or very little), get tired of never being in the money and never deposit? That might be a huge number of players. I would end up hating poker if that happened to me. I started at ring limit .05/.010, won. Went to .25/.50 won, and so on. I never even played freerolls when I started out. Between deposit bonus money and profits I had a lot of fun when I first started. I won 3 out 4 nights. What if I started out playing 800 man freerolls? Would I have had one successful tourney a month and 20 non-cashes?

After some success at ring I started playing sit n gos and real tourneys. I was never fighting 500 or 900 man fields. I would sign up for a $5 buyin with 200 players. I had a little success. I could always go back to ring if tourneys were killin me.

I have no doubt that our many skilled Sharks would have pummeled me if I started playing in Shark Freerolls as a beginner. I then would have become tired of never seeing any success and probably quit. Why deposit? I suck. I'll just lose again, right?

Fighting your way thru about 100 skilled Freeroll Tourney players (and a field of 900) as a new Poker player? Good luck. What if I finally make a final table and are up against NRG, Clayshooter and ChipTrix? I'm done.

Even if you have acquired some skills you can get bad beats and crap cards for 2 months and get nuttin but a bad "tude" for 2 months also.

I think many Freeroll players are not getting that great feeling of a winning session or a final table. Then they get bored (no one wants to lose every night) and find a new hobby or only play once in a while. This player won't deposit. Will this player be happy with winning play chips? God, I hope not.

So now they play only play chips or a few freerolls. We all know play chips ruin any chance you had of becoming a good, profitable player. Bad habits set in, you are done. You can try to sell your 3 million play chips on ebay but I think they only bring about $1 per million now.

Is Poker losing a large amount of players to this "Freeroll" mentality? If players tried ring games, studied strategy, improved and only moved up in levels when they were clubbing that level they wouldnt quit right? Anyone can beat .01/.02 right? Do ya smell what the Shark is cookin'?

I'd love to hear others take on this problem I see for the Poker business. If you agree with me, what can I do to keep these players from missing out on a great hobby and good side income? If you think i'm off base please post. I really would like feedback on this.

Feedback Appreciated Here!

Correction For Ladies Night

Very Sorry, Shark error!

Correct Password for Ladies Night is sharkz88

LADIES ONLY!

No Limit Strategy Session

Shark Animal Josh, NY "me_Josh"

This is a repost from December. We received a ton of good ideas from this scenario. Do you have a scenario for our next post? If yours is selected you will receive a Shark Logo Hat!


Shark Wrote:

You have a good friend and fellow Shark Army soldier that won a seat in the 06 WSOP (World Series of Poker).

You are at the RIO with them and sweatin hard.

They are a lttle nervous (ha!) and you have 2 minutes to give them much needed advice before the the first break ends.

He/She sits with T11,500 (Tourney chips, 11,500) just above the starting stack of T10,000. You noticed they are nervous (duh) and playing super tight (to be expected).

Hyper aggressive John Phan is running over the table and plays about 60% of the flops. No other known killers, mostly internet guys looking to survive.

What do you say? You only have 2 minutes cause he/she had to go to da baffroom, and the lines are long.

Shark Tour Player zyzygy wrote:

A guy like John Phan is going to look closely at table image and how a player plays. Use this to your advantage. You have a tight image right now, so do the others who are playing conservative. Now you have to loosen up a bit and use that image. That said, don't go crazy, and make bad raises and reckless calls. Play position and play strong from that position. Eventually someone has to re-raise the pro who is using his image to run amok, why not you? Pick a solid playable hand in position, and be aggressive.

Phan is going to look to knock folks out pre-flop, or outplay them after. Don't let him do either when you have position. Phan is aggressive but not interested in getting his money in with a bad hand. This also lets the rest of the donks at the table know that you have some game, and may not be the one to pick on among the less experienced players. The best cure for an aggressive player is being aggressive back, it tends to knock them off their game a bit, especially since the only information they have about you is the play they have seen.

Simple advise, but it often works. In the end playing scared means your sure to loose.

ConnAir wrote:

I'd pat him on the back (maybe even share a man hug)
and tell him he's doing fine... and to "keep it up"

positive reinforcement of his gameplay
will give him more self confidence

Shark:

Doing fine? I didnt mention hes shakin like a leaf and just wet himself on Phans last 6X BB raise in the cutoff? haha

I say hes a theif and you need to get sum stones and use yer tight image to make him lay down his 84o that he keeps scarin the whole table with. Sure you may have to fire hard at the flop and turn cause he won't back down. Sounds good, bigger pot and I still have him slaughtered with most of my pockets. He'll look for a new whippin boy or he can try you on again if he wants. You are gonna meet these guys for 5 days (hopefully) might as well grab yer privates now (military term, sorry ladies) and start practicing being a playa. All the aggressive players with chips are lookin for marks. Not this one toofed, mr T starter kit wearin shark.

I think ya got him beat 80% of the time and you need chips just like he does. I'm not gonna be short stacked. I need chips

Shark NL animal tajmahal420 writes:

ZYZY's point about position is dead on. Phan is the type of guy who will play a mediocre hand out of position, especially early on. He's trying to build a stack, so if he thinks he can take advantage of a lesser experienced table, he will. Wait till you have position on him. With the blinds being relatively small (50/100), it's a great opportunity to make a stand without risking a big chunk of your stack. Hole cards don't make a lot of difference here, you're just trying to let him know you came to play poker. In position, re-raise. Just calling makes him lick his chops. And, you don't want three way action. He may come back at you, but unless he's holding a monster, this new aggression exhibited by you is gonna make him think twice. Use your tight image to get him thinkin.
Take down one sizeable pot from Mr. Phan, and you not only earn his respect, but the entire table's, even the dealer.

Point is, calm down! Go dry your pants, smoke 'em if ya got 'em, sit yer ass back at that table. You're just as good as anyone here. And you're at a bit of an advantage over John. You've seen him play on TV with those little pocket cams. He just met you, and is having trouble remembering your name. But not for long.

ConnAirJurer

IMO: The early levels of a tourney should be played tight/conservative
(I'm echoing the comments of 1/2 dozen authors/authorities on the subject)

I'm not worried about a phan/type stealing my blinds when my they're are almost meaningless... (1% of my stack aint worth fighting over... unless I got something to fight with... and if I got something to fight with... fight I will.)

In 2-3 levels (say once blinds are 2-3 hundred) then it would be worth 'moving/pushing' at the dragon... (and in one hand, taking back any/all blinds he may have stolen from you up to that point.)

Of course... the 'right' answer to any hypothetical question is:
"it depends." there are too many variables (and too many right answers) for any one approach to be correct.

fun to discuss it though...

who's next?

Shark:


Hes making the whole table play his game. When the table breaks me tight/weak buds gonna have 7000. the other 8 are gonna have 7000 and Phans gonna have 37,000. Now i'm not saying you need to be an over agg animal like him (hes got that down, your bud don't) but you should be able to get to 16,000 with this table of weak playas. Its not always gonna be just blinds yer grabbin either.

This is a total IMO deal but heres my read on this. Doug (connair) is a master at going deep in tourneys. He really has a great knack for it and cashes a very high % of his starts. He also is short stacked alot, especially late. He is great at laying down borderline hands or even big pairs preflop to survive. Nothing wrong with this and it certainly works for him. Similar to a Dewey Tomko or James Van Alstyne. Rock solid, go deep but often fighting for chips to survive. This has been pretty much my style till recently I started taking more "shots" at pots and pushing players instead of playing conservative. I have found myself in money less but enjoying my big stack more and feeling like I can play more agg because I can survive a bad beat (or 3) and also can take on smaller stacks on coin flips or worse.

I don't have this style down but I enjoy it more and fits my personality better I believe. I also like the fact that I can fire up 2 more tourneys in a half hour if I get knocked it. What did I do wrong? How can I improve? Hey another event in 25 min. i'm in!

Heads up on NBC

I TIVO'ed the HU on NBC. I wasn't surprised to see the first match featured Jenny Tillys mammories (and Paul Phillips). I think the director had plans to show other matches but since Jenn kept pushing them against the table bumper they had to drop plans to show other matches.

We missed several good matches including Mike Matusow and Allen Cunningham getting launched. Of course, we did get to see Philly boy act the fool against consumate pro Chip Reese. This show was horrible, but watch it just for Phils commentary on how good he is and Chip saying "yes, Phil you are a great player".

Check out more Philly boi craziness here:

Bill vs. Phil

Several requests for the Bill Fillmaff site

This show is a few hands and a bunch of interviews with players. We want to see HU action! With Phil/Jenn gone now we may see more hands next week.

More on Phils attempts to convince Chip how good he is here:
Chip Reese Interview

Okay, enough bad TV. High Stakes Poker is great! They don't explain the rules of Hold'em and Gabe Kaplan calls it like he sees it. I heard Danny N. gets pummeled in season 2. Hopefully more Phil bashing in the upcoming series of shows. Most of the pros tortured Phil. He is well known as a cash game donkey and he didnt disappoint in season 1. If you have not seen his insta push on Barry G. you have to see it. I think most episodes are available on torrents. Search for torrents+high stakespoker and you should find them.

************************************************

Not much Poker for me lately. I dropped about $400 in limit 3/6 and 4/8 in the last week online. Runnin bad online and uninterested in Poker even when i'm rollin'. I'm bored and ready to go back to a real job. I'll play more next month, probably live more then online. I gotta get outta the house.

I think I will be playing much more when we move to Vegas (14 months). Locally I can't get a game higher then 4/8 w/kill. Muckleshoot has bigger games but I hate driving to Auburn. I'm running great live, just need bigger games. VEGAS baybee...

Hopefully I can play live for a living when we move. Many of you probably think i'm goofy for being bored with online Poker but i'm getting close to 1.5 million hands in the 3 years since I started. Most of that 4 tabling. My wrist has been sore for the last 2 years. I also have a herniated disc in my lower right back that hates it when I sit. I can't go to the store without an ice pack, lol. The best thing for my back is to be upright and active.

Way more fun to write about live action also!

Have a great week all!

Freeroll $200 added!

SHARK FREEROLL, Tuesday 4/18 9PM EST.

$200 added! ABSOLUTE POKER

Password is apshark6

New to Absolute clik here

Welcome Poker Bloggers!

Freeroll at Poker.com hosted by OnlineShark.com! All Poker bloggers are invited. For all details click here Poker.com Blog Roll Home

New to Poker.com?

1. Click here to Download the Poker.com software and sign up for an account.

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3. Play with other Bloggers for a chance of a FREE WPT seat and other cash & prizes.


Release from Poker.com:

Event #3 - OnlineShark's BPT Pool Party

Shark Hathaway is hosting the third Blogger Poker Tour event on his Poker Road Warrior blog at http://pokerroadwarrior.blogspot.com.

The tournament is this Saturday, April 15th at 15:30 GMT-5. We'll get Shark to post the password later this week, so keep an eye on his blog for further details.

We'll issue the entry coupons to eligible bloggers from today onwards. If you sign up less than 24 hours before the event, or if you have a brand new blog then you will not be eligible to play this time around.

We're still deciding who should be the host of event #4 too, so get your applications in if you think your blog deserves some recognition.

See you Saturday by the Poker.com pool. And watch out for Sharks!

________________________

I'm looking forward to a huge turnout! My screen name at Poker.com is steamrayz Say howdy if you see me with any chippies left.

The Blogger poker tour is a series of $500 freerolls, each hosted by a different blog & blogger. The top 4 players from each freeroll gain entry to the end of season grand final event, where the main prizes are decided.

The top referring blogs also gain entry to the final event and a chance at a FREE $12,500 WSOP package!

Funny Clips and Movie Reviews

Funny Kid Video

Pulp Fiction Fan? Hollywood Jack Video (click photo)



Having fun with illegal aliens, The Amazing Racist (don't watch if racist goofiness bothers you)

Watched a bunch of movies this week. My favorite was "A History of Violence" which is available at the rental stores. It had Viggo Mortenson, William Hurt, Ed Harris. Viggo was great in the lead character. Hurt and Harris made excellent bad guys.

Great action and body count was over 10 (lost count). Check it out. 3 1/2 stars (outa 4)

King Kong (hated it) 2 stars. I got bored with all the animated monsters. I hated Jurassic Park also. I couldn't finish Kong and didn't get 20 min. into Jurassic before I shut er down.

Inside Man. Denzel is always good and its a fun heist to watch. Visually its a great movie but I thought the ending was weak. 3 stars. I'd wait for the DVD on this one.

Seven Samurai, Director, Kirosawa 1954. I have always wanted to watch this film and finally got around to it this week. Highly recommended. I was riveted for the entire 3+ hours. 4 stars

The story revolves around a village that has become a group of bandits' common looting and pillaging ground. The villagers cannot take this any longer and go to town to hire warriors to defend the village from the bandits. A wandering ronin, Kambei (Takashi Shimura) agrees to help them and with his help, they recruit six others that agree to take the job. The seven samurai teach the villagers how to stand up to the bandits and defend themselves. Finally, when the time comes, they engage in a fierce battle with the attacking bandits.

Quick Report

"To be that man, you've got to beat the man. Woooooooooooo!"

"You may not like it, babe, but you better learn to LOVE it, Woooooooooooo!"

Flair

Qoute of the Day.....

From Floating on Water Blogger, Matt (Pro Player)

Poker, specifically online is crazy. When you are losing and can not win a pot, you think the software is rigged, everyone plays better than you, and no river card is safe. But when you are winning everything changes, you wonder how you could have ever lost at this game. Its soooo simple, you are dealt AK three bet someone, flop a K get paid the whole way by his JJ, man that guy is such a fish.

_________________


I played 3 hrs at UB last night. Had a nice run in the first 2 hours then got out drawn in every conceivable way in the last hour. I must have typed "nc" 20 times. -$150 and really frustrating after finally getting in the mood to play a little. I'm gonna spare ya all the bad beats but I won't be playing UB for a long while.

I cashed out completely at UB. Played about 400 hands and I didn't have 1 flush. Didn't even have many flush or str8 draws.

Heres a good strategy article written by Huck Seed:

Deception is a vital tactic in poker. Usually, when a player talks about a deceptive play, he's referring to a bluff - a time when he represented a hand of greater value than the one he held. But this isn't the only deception available in poker - not by a long shot. If you study your opportunities thoroughly, you can use the threat of a bluff to engage in another type of deception, one in which you're trying to convince an opponent that you are bluffing when, in fact, you have a great hand.

Say you're playing in a No-Limit cash game and things are going well. You've been playing actively and aggressively. You've been firing at a lot of pots, using a combination of good cards and well-timed small bluffs to pick up a number of them. To your tablemates, it seems as if you're trying to capture every chip on the table. They're starting to grow suspicious and feel you're getting greedy.

With the table in this mindset, you call a middle position raise from the big blind. You're holding modest cards - 6d-8d. The flop comes 7c-4h-Qs. You now have a gutshot straight draw and check. Your opponent bets half the pot and you call, feeling that if you hit, you can win a big pot. The turn is the Tc. Now you have a double gutshot draw - any 5 or 9 will make a straight.

At this point, put out a large bet. If your opponent holds Jacks or Ace-King, he'll likely fold. If he's got Aces or Kings, he'll probably call. And, if so, you'll know he holds a good hand that he's willing to defend.

The river brings a 9, completing your straight. Now you can use your aggressive image to your advantage. Move all-in, even if the bet is two, three or four times the size of the pot. To your opponent, it's bound to look like a bluff. Your bet will seem ridiculously large and impulsive. If you had the nuts, he'd reason, you'd bet smaller, trying to get some value. He'll look at his big pocket pair, feeling that he needs to make a stand against your relentless play. This deceptive play where you're actually representing a bluff will give you a chance to win a huge pot.

If your opponent folds, you'll want to make a note. You'll know he folded a big hand and might be willing to make other lay downs in the future. But, you don't want to push this guy too hard. If you force him to make two or three big lay downs, he's sure to call you down later. When he's reached that state of mind, make sure you have a big hand the next time you play a pot together.

No-Limit poker offers some great opportunities for deception. As you develop your game, look for spots where bluffs and the threat of bluffs can win you big pots.

_______________________

Here is a fun clip of Howie Stern ticklin a perty girl:

Tickle me Howie

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_______________________

The next FREEROLL is at Titan Poker this Saturday at 5PM EST. The password is forum747 Everyone is invited!

_______________________


If you are going to meet Patti and I in Vegas in May check here for more details:

Vegas Forum

I hope you are running better at the tables then yer ole buddy Shark. Good skill!