Just because I don't play for real money doesn't mean I can't investigate it. I've been planning this bit of detective work for awhile, and I saw EXACTLY what I expected. Tonight was the perfect night to start this - Friday night, lots of real players knowing they don't have to get up and work tomorrow. The staff is going to concentrate on making the big money games look for real and dealing with someone like me playing on the free money tables.
I logged in at 7:30 pm and didn't play a single hand until exiting at 8:43 pm. Since I normally investigate free money tables and have to fold like crazy I went to the real money tables and just watched. For my investigation I picked the ultra low money tables. Fixed limit Hold'em with 2 and 4 cent raises.
What they will defend themselves with is that these are supposedly "turbo tables" and you have to make your decision quicker than normal. I've seen the time clock is faster, but you still get plenty of time. And they will probably defend themselves that they have multiple tables going and that they can't spend too much time on 1 out of 3.
But the reality is that it's still not for real.
One hour and 13 minutes, and not a single person chatted anything. 20 different "personalities" on two different tables. Not a peep. Poker etiquette has estalished that occasionally you acknowledge defeat with a "nh." The winner acknowledges with a "ty." Even on a turbo table, nobody takes two seconds of their life to do that??????
They get away with filling up tables with AI because what sane person would log in and do nothing but observe real money fixed limit Hold'em for .02/,04 limits? No sane person would. I am not sane and I have the patience to watch and observe. Human nature is login, I need immediate gratification, let's get to a table and play.
The other thing that bothers me is the buy=ins of the new players. They are universally 40 cents. I clicked on open seats and found that the minimum buy in is 20 cents. There might not be a maximum. I'll never know.
The gameplay is much slower than play money games. The crazy raises and rerarises arem't there. Even if you have one bet you call and there are no reraises for the four rounds of bettingit is .02+.02+.04+.04=.12. You can call four four hands without anyone raising. It's a heckuva lot more likely that AI is set to buy in at a new table with 40 cents than to think that rational human players constantly choose this, or that the site has a 20 cent minimum and a 40 cent maximum.
I am going to dance with the devil now and play some free money stud or Hold'em. I paid my dues by watching what I did and need some cards.
Now if you are going to get on a site and play for real money, are you going to jump into it or take a page from my book and look at what you are getting into? I'm kind of surprised that Absolute hasn't blocked me like NLOP has.
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