Is there a poker forum for grownups?
January 17, 2011 3:25 AM Subscribe
Is there an active poker forum out there that isn't full of a.) maladjusted teenagers with gambling addictions or b.) sales pitches for overpriced coaching and training services or c.) a dinosaur from the 2000s poker bubble?
I'm looking for a place to talk about poker that isn't the 2+2 forums. It has become a bad 4chan clone and is utterly useless. The main competitor PokerStrategy, is inaccessible to me in the USA.
A few years ago, the 2+2 people decided that giving away poker strategy information for free was bad for their book publishing business. So they slowly transitioned their Web forums into a clubhouse for maladjusted adolescents. Weeding through all the malevolence and trolling for useful information is a huge irritant.
On the other hand, most of the forums spawned by the poker boomof 5-10 years ago seem to be dying out. The alternative I can find is the forums sponsored by training sites, which I do not trust. I'm not interested in watching badly-produced videos where some kid mumbles into a headset. Nor do I want to pay this same kid $250/hour to "coach" me at my game.
Is there an archipelago out there, free of childish drivel and not run by somebody who wants me to pay hundred, if not thousands, of dollars? Maybe a private one somewhere?
I'm looking for a place to talk about poker that isn't the 2+2 forums. It has become a bad 4chan clone and is utterly useless. The main competitor PokerStrategy, is inaccessible to me in the USA.
A few years ago, the 2+2 people decided that giving away poker strategy information for free was bad for their book publishing business. So they slowly transitioned their Web forums into a clubhouse for maladjusted adolescents. Weeding through all the malevolence and trolling for useful information is a huge irritant.
On the other hand, most of the forums spawned by the poker boomof 5-10 years ago seem to be dying out. The alternative I can find is the forums sponsored by training sites, which I do not trust. I'm not interested in watching badly-produced videos where some kid mumbles into a headset. Nor do I want to pay this same kid $250/hour to "coach" me at my game.
Is there an archipelago out there, free of childish drivel and not run by somebody who wants me to pay hundred, if not thousands, of dollars? Maybe a private one somewhere?
Weeding through all the malevolence and trolling for useful information is a huge irritant.
It's kind of idiotic to complain about trolls on the forum if you actively go and seek them out.
Or, rephrased: if you're looking for strategy advice and posts, load the strategy forums, not BBV. Mason's little personal opinion didn't stop people from posting, and there is still a ton of good information in the forums.
Also, your idea that training sites cost "hundreds, if not thousand of dollars" is a dinosaur from the year 2000. DeucesCracked is $30 a month without a signup fee. If you can't afford $30 a month for a training site, then you sure as hell aren't playing for enough money to make good use of training anyway.
posted by splice at 7:40 AM on January 17, 2011
It's kind of idiotic to complain about trolls on the forum if you actively go and seek them out.
Or, rephrased: if you're looking for strategy advice and posts, load the strategy forums, not BBV. Mason's little personal opinion didn't stop people from posting, and there is still a ton of good information in the forums.
Also, your idea that training sites cost "hundreds, if not thousand of dollars" is a dinosaur from the year 2000. DeucesCracked is $30 a month without a signup fee. If you can't afford $30 a month for a training site, then you sure as hell aren't playing for enough money to make good use of training anyway.
posted by splice at 7:40 AM on January 17, 2011
Response by poster: Or, rephrased: if you're looking for strategy advice and posts, load the strategy forums, not BBV.
'Sup, bro?"
Many of the so-called experts spouting advice on strategy forums are from the same pool of pimply-faced grinders. They give suggestions and toss around terminology that they really can't explain.
As for the atmosphere of assholism of 2p2, see previously.
Also, your idea that training sites cost "hundreds, if not thousand of dollars" is a dinosaur from the year 2000.
The "thousands of dollars" remark refers to those wonderful value-added coaching services. As for the training sites, a lot of those "teachers" are breakeven and losing players, often very young, and typically inarticulate. Then there's the story of a site called Stoxpoker, which had a few, uh, ethical problems.
Besides, I've been getting Cardrunners (and, previously, Stoxpoker) comped for months. I scarely use it. At any rate, I'm looking for a forum.
posted by Yakuman at 9:59 AM on January 17, 2011
'Sup, bro?"
Many of the so-called experts spouting advice on strategy forums are from the same pool of pimply-faced grinders. They give suggestions and toss around terminology that they really can't explain.
As for the atmosphere of assholism of 2p2, see previously.
Also, your idea that training sites cost "hundreds, if not thousand of dollars" is a dinosaur from the year 2000.
The "thousands of dollars" remark refers to those wonderful value-added coaching services. As for the training sites, a lot of those "teachers" are breakeven and losing players, often very young, and typically inarticulate. Then there's the story of a site called Stoxpoker, which had a few, uh, ethical problems.
Besides, I've been getting Cardrunners (and, previously, Stoxpoker) comped for months. I scarely use it. At any rate, I'm looking for a forum.
posted by Yakuman at 9:59 AM on January 17, 2011
Every time I see this question asked, people point to the Cardrunners forums. So if there's a better one out there, it's a well-kept secret at this point.
I'd be interested in joining a better one, too. I agree that 2+2 isn't that good for strategy anymore -- it's not just BBV.
posted by callmejay at 12:04 PM on January 17, 2011
I'd be interested in joining a better one, too. I agree that 2+2 isn't that good for strategy anymore -- it's not just BBV.
posted by callmejay at 12:04 PM on January 17, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
The strat forums on 2p2 are still really great free resources for advice from professionals. The trolly funtimes of BBV and it's cousins don't spill over there.
Of course, I quit 2p2 years ago because they weren't trolly enough so i guess we've widely different perspectives. Most other forums, sadly are either tiny and populated with mediocre players who give bad advice or are full of even worse teenagers (pocket5s) and douches (neverwin).
I don't know what your problem is with video training...I've never paid for it, but I used a friends cardrunners account for a few months and learned a ton. Some of it is crap certainly, but many of those mumbly dudes are geniuses.
Meanwhile--fundamentally, the landscape has changed since the start of the poker boom. Because of the online games drying up, the best players at any level are less eager to share their strat secrets, at least for free.
posted by Potomac Avenue at 5:54 AM on January 17, 2011