Are players getting worse?

[MishkaZL]

or is it just my imagination?

Each of us has a different understanding of ‘worse’ or ‘better’. But in general, I think that in general, poker players are becoming more like bingo players, and now I think luck is more important than skill or experience.

 

[ironduke11]

The majority of players have always been technically bad but I think now with everyone trying to sell poker advice there is a proliferation of bad poker knowledge out there.

 

[dreamer13]

If you are unable to piece together every little piece of what is happening in a hand, it will be impossible to make serious money playing poker. The ideal game is when you play against your opponent's open cards. Even if you have them open in your head.Assumptions about an opponent's cards depend on the player's ability to think on different levels.

 

[Sschafell]

I believe there are many beginner players and that's why you have that impression!

 

[besttest11]

Overall, players are improving due to access to training resources, solvers, and strategy content.

 

[andron205]

depending on what games

 

[R.Melnyk77]

or is it just my imagination?

I think that yes, the players are getting worse in general. People used to play poker, but now it's more like some kind of crazy lottery where everyone tries to play any hand.

 

[Alex Houngan]

It might feel like players are getting worse, but in reality, the overall skill level is just evolving. Many newer players rely too much on solvers and charts without fully understanding the game, which makes their play more predictable. At the same time, the average recreational player might still be making the same mistakes as always. So, it’s not necessarily that players are worse—just that the skill gap is shifting in different ways.

 

[Sparta77]

This is because there are a lot of loose players.The odds are given with 6-7 or more solid cards.They just don't play poker and they spoil the game at the table

 

[steve01991]

AS more players are starting up playing poker for the first time, you will run into them and sit back and try to figure out if they know what they are doing.

 

[JuiceB0x]

I would say that not, media might just make it seem like it

 

[thedarkman]

There is certainly a lot more of them so they could be getting worse AND better.

 

[oriole]

Nah, the fish still swim—just gotta find the right tables. 🎣

 

[Edu1]

a lot of information nowadays and many are trying to play different, and when things don't work, seems like they are bad, but maybe they are not.

 

[SpanRmonka]

I certainly hope so, butI don't believe it is the case

 

[gloria_marga]

Yes, lately, players play long tournaments as if they were quick games. It doesn't make much sense to go all-in so often with normal cards. The worst thing is that they never make money, but you may have the bad luck of being eliminated with a bad bet.

 

[eletor2020]

Maybe you're the one who's getting better...

 

[Lena M]

or is it just my imagination?

I don't think it's your imagination. I also believe that players have started to play more on luck than on skill or experience. Bingo trends are overtaking the classic game of poker. Unfortunately, this is true. There are more and more idiots among humanity, and the recent elections in America are another proof of this.

 

[Cbabycee]

I think the huge rise in marketing and celebrity sponsorship has drawn a lot of beginners to the game - it started with pokerstars getting people like tennis player Nadal and Neymar etc advertising more and with the introduction of phone Apps and micro stakes and loyalty programs there was a huge influx of novice players that just needed to know the basics and have a bit of luck. As my hubby says even a blind squirrel will find a nut in the woods once in a while 🤣.

Then you’ve got youngsters with disposable income playing aggressively after watching a few twitch streams or YouTube films that now and then will hit big and think they are masters. After all when they don’t they’re behind a screen so they can forget it and think it was a bad beat ( not them playing badly) and continue playing their crazy range hitting miracles that compound to them they are playing well - when really they aren’t.

On the flip side you have people that are hard to fathom who make some really ridiculously bad plays but then make some brilliant plays. And you have to wonder if they are just reacting to other bad players or seriously don’t have a clue.

I think poker is more accessible to more people of all levels than it ever has been. online poker is a lot more affordable than live and I think people play looser because of that, the speed and anonymity (and in reaction to other bad play)

 

[Cbabycee]

100

I don't think it's your imagination. I also believe that players have started to play more on luck than on skill or experience. Bingo trends are overtaking the classic game of poker. Unfortunately, this is true. There are more and more idiots among humanity, and the recent elections in America are another proof of this.

I wholeheartedly agree with you here - GG is the worst culprit for this bingo/pressure play trend. The all in or folds, the timed games that you have to be in the top 7 or it goes to all in shootout, even down to this dramatic all in music all forcing a impulse pressure decision and encouraging bingo play. I seriously dislike this about GG it fosters more risk play and with more risk there is more loss. I’ve been in a situation on GG on the bounty battle before they changed it in round 2 I’m chip leader my opponent drags the time bank so it goes to sudden death all in shootout and lost because they’ve got lucky.

I really dislike the type of play encouraged on Gg.

 

[rufininha14]

I don't think the problem is that players don't seek knowledge, poker is a game that in my opinion requires studying to learn more, and logical practice to gain more experience.

 

[enno]

With all the information available today, the players who take the time to study the game are improving.
In the old days the majority of information was contained in books and a few forums such as CardsChat and 4Kingpoker (anyone remember this forum - I know of one in particular lol).
For those who do not take the time, these players are not necessarily getting worse but there are a lot more of them due to growth in numbers which makes it seem so, especially on weekends.

 

[EarnDAStack]

Until you're making hundreds of thousands of dollars capitalising on the mistakes of your opponents like the high stakes crushers in each game type do I'm going to have to say say no the game is not getting easier.

But if you have the evidence to prove players today are missing more range C-Bets or defending against Turn Probes more poorly than they did in 2023 I'd love to see it, however Poker tends to be a game where the level of skill continually increases. Money at stake and all that tends to make a game competitive.

GL

EDS

 

[TeUnit]

With all the free resources available today, its hard to believe that players are not better.

 

[stank12345]

I would say the best players are getting better while the rest are just muddling along