It is clear by now that club poker applications are no longer an underground novelty for many poker players. A lot of players on club poker apps have either personally experienced them, heard about other players’ experiences, or know at least one player who uses mobile poker apps exclusively.
Despite this, year after year, the same myths continue to cost club poker players money. This is not due to the inability to play poker, but rather due to the fact that most players approach club poker with a mental framework based upon live poker or well-established online poker rooms.
There exists an ecosystem for club poker that most new players on club poker apps do not recognize. Those players who do not acknowledge this ecosystem tend to lose money in the long term or even endanger themselves to being scammed. Here are 8 common mistakes which newcomers to mobile poker apps, tend to make :
1. Stakes Translate Equally to Live Poker or Regulated Online Poker
A common assumption among players on club poker apps is that stakes translate equally to live poker or regulated online poker. When stakes rise on those types of platforms, it generally means that you are playing against a tighter group of players (i.e. players who will only see your hand if it is strong), a larger percent of your opponents have spent significant time studying the game (and therefore may be playing better), and there is a more defined distinction between skill and luck.
This is not the case for mobile poker apps.
Many players on club poker apps are shocked when a $1/$2 table is tougher than a $5/$10 table; or when a table at a higher stake level is softer because of a single player with a large bankroll or a player who continually enters the table with reckless abandon and is seated at the table on a regular basis.
Experienced players of club poker applications do not judge a game by the blinds; they judge a game by the line-up of players, player tendencies, the stack sizes, and which players continue to rebuy without hesitation.
2. Assessing a Game with Blind Skepticism
A repeating pattern seen in players on club poker apps is going in with blind skepticism , just because the application does not have a large public corporation behind It.
A large percentage of newcomers enter the game with preconceived notions that something is wrong just because the application is not associated with a large corporation.
These notions frequently turn into destructive behavior.
Instead of evaluating the way a specific club conducts itself, players of club poker applications evaluate a club based on the notion that dishonesty is present before anything has taken place. Incredibly, this mental attitude often leads players to seek out larger clubs or poorly run agents under the assumption that size represents security.
Truthfully, there exist club operations that are conducted in a cleaner manner and with greater transparency than some “regulated” platforms. The difference between the two is that players of club poker applications must research the individuals involved with managing the club and not the brand name.
3. Blaming Down Swings on Rigged RNG’s or Super Users
Blaming down swings on rigged RNGs or Super Users, is something which majority of the new players on club poker apps tend to do as soon, as they are delivered their first big loss.
This mentality rarely goes away.
A surprisingly large number of players of club poker applications will instantly accuse down swings on rigged random number generators (RNG’s), super users, “secret insiders”, “the app stole my action”, etc.
Sorry to disappoint you, but none of that is true. The Illuminati did not swoop down from their empire throne to take your 20$.
More likely than not, what is actually happening is that the player(s) are experiencing typical variance in extremely volatile and explosive games where the error is amplified quickly and the pots inflate rapidly. Many players on club poker apps are not accustomed to experiencing this much variance and thus begin to look for external reasons for their losses rather than analyzing their own play internally.
Long-term successful players of club poker applications review their hand histories, track their results and change the clubs if needed. Strong players realize that soft games can appear brutal for short periods of time.
4. Selecting a Random Agent or Relying On a “Friend of a Friend”
Selecting a random non-professional poker agent or relying on that friend you saw 3 years ago in a shady motel, or maybe “friend of a friend” – whatever the case is, it is a costly mistake that newcomers to club poker apps can make.
This single mistake has likely resulted in more money lost by players of club poker applications than all bad beats combined.
Agents are not simply middle men. Agents facilitate:
- Deposit/withdrawal transactions
- Access to games
- Conflict resolution
Yet, many players on club poker apps select agents lightly because someone is offering a too-good-to-be-true bonus. Or maybe because you saw your new handler face twice in the supermarket, talking to your uncle and now he is suddenly your most reliable choice.
Experienced players view agents as financial infrastructure. People who got burned know that choosing a legit agent is the number 1 priority when playing on apps. It is your main protection against being scammed.
Without a reputable agent in your corner, who is doing this full-time, is like running towards a group of archers without a shield. Or on difficult trial without a lawyer.
5. Only Seeking the Largest Clubs and Busy Rooms
A common misconception among players on club poker apps is that bigger equals better. While this may be true in male genetics, when it comes to poker rooms, this is not always the case.
The largest clubs often do NOT offer the best games.
The truth is that large clubs generally attract:
- Regulars (frequent visitors to the club)
- Bumhunters (regularly entering tables seeking to steal chips)
- Poker Bots and colluders trying to infiltrate the games
Small clubs, however, are where most players of club poker applications quietly earn the most money because weak players are not constantly being pursued and whales are not constantly being encircled.
Successful players of club poker applications do not chase volume. Successful players of club poker applications pursue opportunities.
6. Avoiding Smaller Clubs With Whales Because the Rake is Higher
High rake sucks. It ends the games quicker, eats away the bankroll, and is winnings suffer because of it. However, to operate, smaller clubs have to charge more rake, so that the owners have some incentive to run this. After all, they are running poker clubs, not a charity event.
Many players on club poker apps focus on rake percentages while ignoring the quality of the game. These players will pass up games with weak players simply because the rake appears to be disadvantageous on paper.
In reality, continuously beating one loose player for large amounts of money will always outweigh any small disadvantage in rake.
7. Perceiving All Clubs, Unions and Agents As Essentially Interchangeable
Many of the inexperienced players on club poker apps, view everyone in this industry as one interconnected system, which is essentially the same thing.
It is no different, than saying that all cars are the same. Equally reliable, equal in cost, equal in feeling and everything else.
Considering all poker agents, clubs, and unions as the same thing, could not be more wrong.
Clubs differ.
Unions differ.
Agents differ.
There are countless differences some of which include :
- Payments safety
- Bonuses offered
- Methods of resolving disputes
- Quality of the games
- Whether the room is working with security team
- Amount of clubs/rooms being at your disposal. For example, our team offers a large online poker club list, with filterable categories, with which you can find suitable games for your preferences in seconds.
And many , many more.
Successful players of club poker applications assess how each layer operates and assesses the operating efficiency of the layers versus assuming that it is the same system with a different label.
8. Ignoring Weekly Leaderboard Opportunities Which Provide Large Value and Minimal Competition
An overlooked edge for players on club poker apps. Ignoring weekly leaderboard opportunities, which provide large value and minimal competition, is like leaving money on the table, which a more informed person will be quick to grab.
Most of the players on club poker apps miss these valuable races, with big rewards, as it is hard for them to keep track where these leaderboards run. The Poker Agent team has noticed this leak a long time ago and we created a weekly updated page for leaderboards and bonuses.
Most leaderboards:
- Provide very little competition
- Reward simple volume
- Guarantee large payout
Successful players on club poker apps schedule sessions based on leaderboard structures and utilize the leaderboard as part of their overall win rate. From regular browser-based sites, QQPoker often runs promotions, which are not comparable to the poker apps competition vs reward ratio, but are still very beneficial.
Final Thoughts for Players on Club Poker Apps
The biggest leaks for players of club poker applications are not technical poker mistakes. The biggest leaks are mindset mistakes.
For success in club poker, players must:
- Evaluate a situation before forming opinions
- Adjust to the environment rather than make assumptions
- Take the ecosystem seriously
Players of club poker applications who correct these blind spots do not only win more money, they also avoid the pitfalls that quietly eliminate a large portion of players from the pool.
And in club poker, survival is an edge.
