Patterns on NLOP

Many months ago I recognized the pattern on NLOP where there was a certain player that simply could not lose. Much to their annoyance, I combatted it with my beloved fold my way into second place strategy. I took second place 4 times without even CALLING a single hand until it was a two player game.

Now that NLOP has graciously let me take second in the last two nights on 1000 point games, I'm still up for the big weekly game. For several months after the folding my way into second place thing the pattern was that the winner of a string of hands bounced around the table for several hands. Now the (lack of a )pattern is a more normal three different players win three consecutive hands. Just like what would be more common in real poker.

Except that they haven't paid attention to the new pattern. As always...there's almost never such a thing as winning a hand within the first three or four. If you're not willing to play short stacked, don't even bother here. So, as the AI makes sure that there are more players in the money than you, they've developed the newest pattern of what I call the "King Jester" of the table.

KJ starts off as the chip leader after hand one. Usually wins two or three more before the first deal around the table is complete. Now, as King of the table, and totally in control of the game it's time to cacth up some of the feeders into healthy chip stacks so that there are more players in the money than I am. (Because naturally I'm folding my crappy losers. Tonight it was like hand sixteen before I had a sniff of a winner with one folded where the winning hand was mucked - every single other fold was the right choice for sure.)

Now the chip leader goes into Jester mode and calls and raises on virtually every hand, pisses away the stack and finishes out of the money. I can't remember the last time the early chip leader placed in the money on this site.

And tonight I knew I was for in a world of trouble as the insane chat included two players whining about their cards over the last three days. Naturally they broke out of their slump at the table I'm at.