Online Poker - rigged or not?

[uebermann]

Anyone have an opinion on this? I never thought about Full Tilt Poker being rigged, though I saw way more "exciting" hands online than I ever saw in a casino. Ever. When I go to Shreveport or Vegas, most of the wins are something lame like a pair of aces with a 10 kicker or maybe 2 pair, 9s and 10s or some shit. Every now and again you see a full house, straight, or flush and its like hey wow cool. Then you play online and people see shit like 4 of a kind multiple times in the same tournament or several full houses several hands in a row. Things that are possible, by the numbers, but you'd never expect to actually see in your lifetime, let alone in multiple tournaments in a row.

It seems like the cards are set in a way so that the hands are more exciting. Or at least that has been my experience.

I didn't know it was of such huge debate until I stumbled across an article tonight talking about how the gambling companies have nothing to gain by cheating. And if I remember right, there was a movie out about this not too long ago (with Affleck?). I guess thats why people are up in arms about it.

Its nearly impossible for casinos to mess with cards like this to make hands more interesting, however online poker, you just add some code changes and if-checks and suddenly you have much more interesting hands popping up all the time. I can say that I've had many a night in Shreveport where I just flat out got shit for cards for hours on end. I remember one night I had one pocket pair in a total of 4 hours. I can say that I've never had that bad of luck online and actually get pocket pairs fairly often.

Anyways, I'm tired and its late and I'm probably rambling now.

[gla22]

There has been instances in the past where programmers for online poker clients have intentionally created loopholes that could allow them to see opponents hands. Also when playing online there are instances of collusion between players that can be hard to detect and stop. But in general I don't think the type of manipulation you are thinking of is occurring. Those operating the sites collect their rake and cash out, no point in rigging the game.

[Leviathan]

Not a chance. People just play like idiots online.

[The Dharma Bum]

of course it's rigged

[Professor]

Well, there's "rigged" and there's "rigged".

Do I think that the games are "rigged" to favor one player over another, or the house over the players? Probably not. That would be egregious in the extreme. If it were ever discovered, it'd mean lawsuits, bankruptcy, etc.

But, I find it highly probable that they are "rigged" so that everyone (house, included) gets better hands. Everyone would rather have a flush than 2 pair, so they rig it so that flushes are more commonplace for everyone.

However, that brings up another conundrum. Betting. If you are used to betting based upon the odds in a real card game (say, 5-card draw), and you get a full house, chances are really good that you're going to bet all/most of your money. But, if everyone's odds of getting a full house have been increased by the computer simulation (from the normal 1/500 to 1/100, or 5x more likely) and you bet it all, then you are 5x more likely to lose it all.

[Mr.Bill]

Anyone here ever play Solitaire with a real deck of cards? You almost never, ever win. It's quite boring actually.. But play it on-line, or on the computer and the players 'wins' or at least clears the deck quite often. That's more exciting..

Prof hit it on the head. I doubt the games are rigged, but they are probably programmed to deal out better, higher, more exciting hands to everyone..

[The Dharma Bum]

that's called "rigged"

[Leviathan]

I played a decent amount of online poker, and also play weekly with some school people. It's not rigged or adjusted online, it's just stupid aggressive players online. They fold way less than any same poker player and as a result in any given hand there is usually a dunce that gets lucky on the river who should have folded lobby ago. When I play with friends rarely are there more than 2-3 people still in by the end, online you regularly have 6 of 8 people at the table still in . Of course you are going to see better hands given the increased number.

Poker websites have ZERO reason to rig a game, especially if it's not making the house money. Any website caught would be finished and it wouldn't be doifficult for a pissed off guy to prove it mathematically. Online poker is just full of idiots and impatient people who don't bet enough to care.

[Bauce]

I agree with Saz. You also have a lot more people in at the end of a high stakes hand with a low pair or no pair at all, but you don't remember those guys, you remember the flushes and full houses you keep seeing. It's cause there's so much less folding.

[Leviathan]

A lot of it has to do with the nature of tournaments. You pretty much have to double up early, which requires extremely aggressive play. Once you double up though you can pretty much bully the table, and the only way for people to break you is by playing very aggressively. Everyone that regularly plays low buy in tournaments knows this, so every hand you have half the table who have a strongman interest in not folding and just hopping it plays out right. Plus, much harder to call a bluff online, so everyone tries it.

It's bullshit and not real poker I think but it's not hard to make money if you have the time to play enough