They realized a couple of things:
1. Most players will not count perfectly.
2. Most players will not play perfect stragedty.
3. Most players will not have the proper bankroll to survive the swings.

To beat blackjack, a player must do the above three things perfectly. Casinos, relying on human nature know that most people will not meet all three requirements.

Asides looking out for websites with weaker opponents. You should also be on the look out for websites with favorable bonuses, deals and promotions. Signing up with websites that give you signup bonuses and/or loyalty bonuses should be foremost on your agenda. A very good way for you to quickly access these websites in other to determine which is most favorably to you, you should use one of the many poker rating websites available. Use a search engine to find the url’s of these websites and to avoid being a victim of favoritism on the part of the rating sites, make sure to consult with more than one website so as to get the best possible ratings.

The software to be used by the poker room is also an issue to be looked at. Software used by poker rooms differ from one room to another. Having good background information on the playability and speed of the software to be used would be to your advantage. In addition, some software gives you the capability of playing at more than one table at the same time. If you are going to be spending hours staring at your computer screen, you have to be sure that the software to be used is very comfortable and has good graphics.

rasta – Turning passive since your KK gets beat is not the way to go. My KK got beat so much that I started tracking AA-TT live. 135 of the last PP won AA-70%,KK-37%,QQ-52%,JJ-42%,TT-25%.

So, I raise with AA-QQ everytime and JJ-TT most of the time and take my chances. Since my KK win 1/3 of the time I think I am ahead since I will lose 2-6 BB 63% and win 8-12 BB 37%. Know when to dump them.

For my $.02, besides tv, one of the main reasons a multitude of players went to nl is because they were losing at limit. This was often detected at the limit tables when I heard such idio-logic as (when their A’s or K’s were cracked) ” That’s why I hate limit, that doesn’t happen at no limit where I can protect my hand !”

But at least now when i’m at the nl table with the same players and they “get ‘em cracked” they can rant for an hour how the idiot wasn’t getting the odds. Or complain when they overbet the pot about how they can’t get action on their good hands…..Don’t ya just love it !

I would follow these guys to 3-card monty if that’s what tv fires up next. ( I have no idea about this game, so I will be expecting a book from Ed )

That is an excellent point. I think I jumped in that thread (and hopefully gave better advice than mucking AK because it can’t win multiway) so your sample isn’t representative.

People oddly forget that big preflop hands are allowed to make big postflop hands. They can explain why 33 is great seven ways, but but are somehow unable to apply that thinking to QQ! I’m endebted to SSHE for really understanding this concept, even though I hardly play limit ever now.

Wow, a post with both the old open-source “free beer” saw and an apt crypto comparison. Given Ed’s IT background that shouldn’t be surprising, i suppose. Do you give career advice for jaded ex-techies, Ed?

I don’t cringe when I read stuff like that. Honestly, it just tells me that I’m still somewhat useful and relevant.

Really, if there’s one thing I’ve learned without question about poker, it’s that poker screws with people’s brains and drives them batshit. There’s this unholy mix of ego, hubris, insecurity, and almost total lack of control that festers in lots of people’s brains and turns otherwise lucid thinkers into paranoids.

“OMFG my kings just lost AGAIN! Let’s toss everything I know out because it’s obviously total bullshit. I know. I’ll never raise again. That way when the fuckers draw out, they’ll have less to win. That’ll show em. Better yet, that $200-$400 2-7/Badugi game looks juicy. I’ve never played either game before, but those five Vietnamese dudes look like total donkeys. Daddy’s gonna have a new roll by the end of the night!”

It’s pokerthink. I think beating pokerthink (or at least getting some semblance of control over it) is maybe the most important step any semi-serious poker player can make.

And if you learn nothing from this blog, learn this. If you are in a game, and it’s five Vietnamese dudes and you, get the fuck up immediately. Even if you’re Vietnamese too.

I think most “fishes” play whatever they please and don’t think too much about where their chances will be best. They play whatever game they played at home or saw on TV or whatever. Anything they’re familiar with. Not to say they don’t think. They certainly do. I just doubt most of them compare one game to another and determine which game carries less risk.

I think the pendulum may swing back a bit to limit after the TV craze dies a bit. Or it could stay swung on NL. I don’t see NL losing much market share any time soon. Or hold ‘em may go the way of the dodo and some other game might become the hot game. That’s a long way off, though, if that happens.