[Cransley69]

Spot on Buck22

I played at the Bicycle Casino for 5 years, and other than chatting up the cocktail waitresses (successfully - imagine the English guy in Love Actually, in the bar in Wisconsin scene ...[url]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIXHcOjJpxY[/url]) , and playing decent, profitable poker, the one thing I did after every session was to keep a very accurate spreadsheet, showing what was, in effect, a profit & loss account, including number of hours invested, level played, and notable hands.

After 5 years, playing probably 4 nights a week on average, I knew I was not fluking it. My plays were solid, and my edge came from aggressive play in position, winning a lot of hands with weaker holdings. In one six-month period, playing at the top of my game, I averaged $154 an hour playing $3 & $5 blinds...many attorneys would be happy with that rate. I averaged $35,000 each year I was there, then when I returned to the UK started playing on Full Tilt, and literally COULD NOT WIN.

What astonished me most was the difference in All-in situations. When I go all-in, I do so in the knowledge - correct most of the time - that I am ahead. I'm looking for calls, and when I get them, most times they pay out.

But at Full Tilt, when I went all-in, yes I was ahead most of the time, my reads were correct, but I just could not win. The magic suck-out-card would drop in on the river, virtually EVERY SINGLE TIME.

Looking back I feel stupid for believing the site was fair for so long. I felt I was just running bad, that this was natural variance, and that I would come good, but it never happened. Finally the penny dropped and I found this site and realised that my experiences are shared by many, who are probably good players too. Even VA Poker, who I was very rude to ( I called him a 100% complete arse), has lost all his money on FTP, and he supports the site! (sorry VA).

Keeping accurate records, over a long period of time, will tell you where you are with your game. In order to win money at poker, you just need to be better-than-average-plus-the-rake. I was at the Bike, but not at FTP. It was that knowledge; that certainty, derived from several years playing the same way, keeping those records, that made me realise that I wasn't doing anything different.

It was the game that had changed.

I am 100% certain that FTP is rigged. The cards are not dealt randomly and suck-outs happen far too often. I'm just disappointed that it took me so long to realise it.

Good luck all.

Crans