The hazards of play money
I’ve posted about this before, but I actually believe that play money can harm your real game. As loose/weak as the low-limit Party tables are, they make any given play money table look like a rock garden/TAG fest. Beating play tables can lead to false sense of confidence, reinforce bad habits, and the like. Becoming a good poker player is in part about making the right decisions in the right circumstances, and it is hard to learn that if there is nothing on the line.
That said, they can be good for getting used to a new site’s interface, understanding a new game (I flirt w/ Omaha sometimes, but am not yet ready to put any cash on the line), or as an alternative to donkeying off your role when you are drunk/on tilt/ etc.
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