I have been a member of Spade Club for almost a year now. I am happy to report that I have won back my annual fee plus a year's subscription to Card Player magazine. That said, I am going to let my subscription lapse. Why? It is ruining my game. Because it is a subscription site, all the games are essentially freerolls. With entry based on points, you are under constant pressure to enter "point builder" tournaments or "blue or red token" tournaments to enter the cash award tourneys. Despite having lots of points (48,000), with maximum entry "cost" of 5,000 points, but lots of 10, 25, or 100 point enries, you still must accumulate points. They used to be much easier to get. My easiest strategy was entering late night tourneys and since I am on the West coast, there would be few entries....then just go to bed and sit out, coasting into some point increase. They closed that loophole by kicking you out after 42 hands of sitting out. So, now like the proverbial hamster on the wheel, I must enter tournament after tournament to get points to play in the bigger payout ones. But here is the rub. Because of the huge fields, the tournaments usually start out as donkfests with 3 or 4 people going all-in first hand on multiple tables. So, with a big hand you join the donks and get busted by the inspired 7/5 offsuit donk who triples up and keeps donking his way to the final tables.
Now, the way SC is ruining my game is by multi-tabling too many tournaments. I am just not able to play all of them well, and rely too much upon waiting for big hands, not just good opportunities. Plus, with a high "donk factor" I find that I am getting very frustrated. The temptation to join them is overwhelming at times and just can't be good for my game.
New example, guy raises with crap, I reraise with QQ and get 4 callers...unbelievable. I flop set of queens, but two spades on flop. All-in by AQ, everyone calls....two flush draws with the big stack having KJ of spades. Naturally, a spade comes on turn and the board fails to pair.
1 comment:
Gross (the hand where you flopped a set)! I think it's a good idea to let your membership lapse. This does not sound like a good place to play. I'm glad I do not play online. I just hear too many stories like this.
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