You're a Bunch of Factors

I seriously think that the name of the league should be reconsidered. I think a more appropriate name might be: 888bl - that is the 888 Bingo League because most players have no idea how to play poker.

I think that there are great prizes and promotions but you might as well hold a raffle or some sort of lotto, because there is no skill involved in these games unless you consider dealing with bingo players a skill.

Here's two hands from the foundation and challenge games today that proves the point:

Start Cards
Me: Ac Kd
Danshan: 7d 8d
BigMick110: Kh 10d

BigMick UTG calls BB 600
I raise 3X BB
DanShan calls in SB.
BigMick calls.

Flop: 5h 8c Js

BigMick checks
I push All In
Danshan who has me covered calls (With a pair of 8s!!!!!!)
BigMick calls. (With nothing!!!!!!)

Turn: 7s

Danshan pushes All In (BINGO! two pair)
BigMick Calls. (With nothing! Perhaps he thought he might hit a King on the river...?)

So that was just the start. Here's what really got me going:

Start cards:
Me: As Ad
Mummalucky: Kh 2c

UTG+1 and Mummalucky calls BB. I raise to 1650 (5.5BB), everyone folds but of course Mummalucky with her powerhouse hand Kh 2c calls.

Flop: Jd 7c Ks

I raise all in (3750) and of course Mummalucky with top pair and a 2 kicker calls. So I am about 80% from here.

Turn: 9d

I am about 92% from here.

River: 2s

BINGO!

We should put up a BBV style section. Oh wait, we already have that in Hand Discussion.

What's quite hilarious is, it's no different to playing in the venues!

This isn't really about hand discussion. It's about whether people should take the league seriously.

I was recently playing at the Melbourne Poker Champs at Crown and I met one of the young players who had qualified through the 888pl and I thought maybe, just maybe, with the regular events that are held I might be able to improve my game through the 888PL.

So I started playing more often and from my experiences so far it has probably done more damage to my game than good because of all the stupid players. Don't get me wrong, there are some decent players, but they are not in majority.

frustrated wrote:This isn't really about hand discussion. It's about whether people should take the league seriously.

I was recently playing at the Melbourne Poker Champs at Crown and I met one of the young players who had qualified through the 888pl and I thought maybe, just maybe, with the regular events that are held I might be able to improve my game through the 888PL.

So I started playing more often and from my experiences so far it has probably done more damage to my game than good because of all the stupid players. Don't get me wrong, there are some decent players, but they are not in majority.

This is nothing new. The play here is absolutely horrible.

Its pub poker, dude.

BigPete33 wrote:What's quite hilarious is, it's no different to playing in the venues!

Well I think perhaps I should try joining the APL and see if I experience the same thing.

I see that when you type in the name of the 888PL's competitors you get this:
"An inferior organisation run by inferior staff and frequented by less than avarage players."

I can't see the quality of players getting any worse than the 888PL.

frustrated wrote:I see that when you type in the name of the 888PL's competitors you get this:
"An inferior organisation run by inferior staff and frequented by less than avarage players."

I can't see the quality of players getting any worse than the 888PL.

Fact of the matter is: You're going to find bad poker players everywhere.

But moreso in the pub poker leagues. Its not exclusive to 888pl, the mentality of the average pub poker player is that they can go down to their local, have a few drinks and play some cards. They go for the social side, not to fold QJs preflop to raise, reraise because its the right move. Its all about having fun for them, most players don't put in any effort to improving their play/don't care how they play. And that's totally fine.

Mummalucky with call with anything and min-bet with nothing.

Troll post?

Serious response though.

Stop trying to push people off pots, try and get the most value out of them with small bets, AK hits 1 in 3 flops, if you don't hit don't try and chase, it costs you more in the long run, and damages the effectiveness of your stack in later hands. If you were always going to push all in on the flop, do it preflop, make it expensive and you are getting your money in slightly ahead as a 60% favourite

As for the AA being cracked, you got the call you wanted, Obviously if it was all in preflop, you should be happy you get your money in good as a 75% favourite.

It might be pub poker, and it does happen with the other leagues as well, people get married to hands because they have cleaned up with them in games. E.g. j 8, 6 10 hitting straights and taking down in multiway pots.

Have to adjust and develop your game so that you can deal with a wide variety of players in tournaments.

Gus Hansen, plays a lot of raggy hands, because he is a good post flop player and can put pressure on other players quite well. A lot of people emulate him, so you just have to work out a way that can minimise your losses but maximise your gains.