If You Play Online Poker You Need To Know This!

Here is an example that illustrates the difference between online and live play. It effects your play and your attitude.

No limit tournament
$55 buy-in
400 players

Hand 1:
Blinds: $5-$10
Position: SB
Hand: Ad-10d
Chips: $2,000

A late position player limps for $10. You raise to $60. The BB and limper call.
There is $180 in the pot.

The flop is As-7c-5h.

You bet $120. The BB moves all-in! The limper folds.

What should you do?

You call. The BB shows 5-4. The turn is a 5 and you get knocked out.

You can go on tilt or just realize that it is online poker.

In Online poker, unlike in live play, you need to know that players:

Will make crazy plays since another game will start in seconds.
There is no humiliation factor to making stupid plays like this one by the BB.
There is no long drive home if the play doesn't work for the BB.
Since there are more of these bizarre head-to-head face-offs online, there are more
bad beats online.

Conclusion
Overall, I believe that online poker must be regulated, licensed and taxed. While these type of bad beats will still happen online (and more often than in live play), I would feel a lot better if an independent source reviewed the RNG and outcomes. While the sites claim that they have independent firms do this work, they are NOT independent...they are paid by the poker sites.

I know many players disagree with me, but the fact is that the concept of "Trust, but verify" works. The ones who do the verifying should not have their financial compensation come from those they are auditing, IMO.