Posted Tue Sep 20, 2005 8:05 pm GMT by SinSuey
I would like to hear the pros and cons of playing play money tables if you plan to eventually play with real money.
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Posted Tue Sep 20, 2005 9:09 pm GMT by DougisRad
Play money is only useful to get a feel for the site's software and speed of the games. As for strategy, I saw a sig once where it said playing play money poker to learn real money is like going bowling to learn soccer.
People in play money games typically play almost any hand and will call down with 3rd and 4th pairs. It WILL teach you bad habits. I played it some when I began and realized this. If you're interested in a site, use the play money tables to see if you like the software.
Posted Wed Sep 21, 2005 11:19 am GMT by golddog
The other value of starting with play money is exactly that virtually every hand will be played to the river.
Forget about the betting, you're not going to learn that without real money.
However, when you're really starting out, trying to figure out the hands that are worth a call, which ones turn into something, et cetera, you get a huge amount of input.
Keep in mind that you need to do some mental homework, though; when your suited connectors end up being the best hand, you need to review the hand and think about why that is.
How would you have played it had the betting been different? What amount would've forced you to fold them (in a real money game)?
In reality, I think you pick that up quite quickly, and any use play money tables have wanes quite rapidly.
Posted Wed Sep 21, 2005 1:38 pm GMT by SinSuey
Currently looking through the real money options of each website now, thanks. 8)
Posted Sun Oct 16, 2005 1:15 am GMT by jaf625
I think the value of playing with play money depends on what game you play. If you sit down at a ring table with 9 other players, forget about actually playing poker because it won't happen. However I find when I play 10 or 20 person SNG's players take it a lot more seriously, and if there are players who are playing every hand and generally being idiots, they will be out after a few hands anyways. And this makes for a better playing experience.
Posted Tue Oct 25, 2005 3:43 am GMT by Peter Piper
You will be astonished as to how often people ask this question and how frequently it is discussed 
Anyways, doing the play money will certainly help you practice and learn the software. Playing experience is a nice thing, especially when you get it for free. Imagine how bad it could be if you start playing real money and don't even know the basics of online poker.. I wouldn't envy you.
If you want my opinion, it is worthwhile starting with play money, but you won't get too far with it. Try to start at least the micro limits when you feel ready for it. That's the only way to really learn how to play poker.
Here's a nice article on the topic that I personally like:
http://www.launchpoker.com/texas-holdem/tips/-playing-with-play-money-/
Hope it could be of some help, too.
Posted Tue Oct 25, 2005 6:12 am GMT by weirpougs
one thing you can take from play money is reading the board. That is not putting poeple on hands - as that is impossible with play money, but knowing what the "nut" (unbeatable) hand is at any given time. If you can learn this quickly it allows you more thought time at the table.
Posted Tue Oct 25, 2005 10:17 am GMT by tame_deuces
I'll go out on a limb here and say that if anyone want to play for play for play money then try out the poki software, from what I understand those poki-bots play a fairly good limit poker game. I also think you can try it out for free.
I won't post any links, but some searching should yield results. Any other input is appreciated, I haven't actually tested playing against poki bots myself and I may be dead wrong. Maybe even some limit players from here could try out poki and post a review so we can settle the truth once and for all. 
I don't think you can get any good no limit or pot limit experience from playing anything but real money versus real people, and reading up on the game and understanding what it is all about,
Posted Tue Oct 25, 2005 10:57 am GMT by Muck
| tame_deuces wrote: |
I won't post any links, but some searching should yield results. Any other input is appreciated, I haven't actually tested playing against poki bots myself and I may be dead wrong. Maybe even some limit players from here could try out poki and post a review so we can settle the truth once and for all.
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I played against the Poki engine a couple of years ago when I was researching my dissertation. It was good, although back then I wasn’t much of a limit player (not that I am now either ) but I’d assume they’ve improved it too.
Posted Tue Oct 25, 2005 11:17 am GMT by tame_deuces
Sounds like a fun dissertation!
Hmm, I guess I will have to download and test it now, I got curious. Not much limit experience myself either though, so if I win I'll have to write it off as variance.
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