I'm Worried About Online Poker

I haven't played too much poker lately. It wasn't for lack of looking for good games. All I've really played were the bonus freerolls I was awarded.

What concerns me are the lack of good cash games available to US players. I'm a split-pot and mixed games player. I'm assuming that things aren't any better for HE players.

I really only feel comfortable putting money on Stars and Full Tilt. Any other site doesn't even have the traffic necessary to sustain the games I play. Since FTP offers rakeback, they get most of my play.

The O8 games on Tilt have gone to shit. Last night I tried to get in a ring game while watching the Sox. Wait lists were 4 or 5 deep, but flops seen were low 30% for full ring. Too tight for micro-low stakes. Mid-low Stud 8 games were seeing 40% of flops (4th street). Too tight as well.

The HORSE games are ridiculous too. I actually sat down at a table where 4 of the 8 players sat out completely through the Stud (RSE) rounds. Paying one ante not to get booted off the table. WTF? Why not just play the HA version (HE and Omaha only)? Those players aren't generating rake for me or Full Tilt.

Now I play micro stakes up to $1/2 (occasionally $2/4). Good luck finding a full Stud 8 table above $3/6 online. All of the O8 games above $2/4 are dominated by players who used to play $10/20 and higher back in the day. They have their own little shark tank circle jerk on the 2+2 O8 board. Whenever you see a wait for a mid-high O8 game there is fresh meat sitting down.

The games have just dried up. These games are my forte, I used to reap the benefits of HE players donking off some chips waiting for a table. Now they are just rock gardens.

I'm saying this now and I was 3-tabling $.5/1 PLO8 less than 90 days ago. Things change quickly.

I'm not thrilled with the prospect of playing only tournaments, because of the variance.

Until the masses can trust online poker and deposit easily, it's going to remain a virtual wasteland (for me, anyway). I may become a Turning Stone or Seneca-Niagara regular.

Football picks coming soon.