I think I could make a DECENT LIVING playing online tournaments IF the sites...

1) Quit paying out so many places.  Only pay the top 10%.

2) Don't make the cash prizes so top heavy towards the final table, much less the top spot.  If you come in the top 3-5%, you should make a nice chunk of change, but doubling or tripling your money seems unfair.

I know it helps to be more aggressive in the tourneys due to the payout structure, but it is still VERY difficult to even crack the top 3% to 5%.  And I think MOST people like the CURRENT structure for two reasons:  making the bubble gives someone a sense of accomplishment since they did not lose any money.  And people like seeing the big first place prize, even though the odds of hitting it are miniscule, regardless of how well you play.

I don't have an ideal formula figured out, but, for example, the payout difference between first and ninth at the final table should not be very big.  People would not be inclined to make deals if everyone was fairly compensated for their finishing position.  However, it seems like the sites are trying to make more people happy by paying too many spots, and being too greedy by overpaying the winner. 

Instead of the current format, I would rather they pay out like a satellite structure where the top 10% all basically make the same money. 

Any thoughts, disagreements, etc. are welcome.

The way it is set up now, I know I am basically just wasting away my life and have little, if any shot of making any serious money playing poker.  It is just too time consuming and unproductive to consistently eat up 5 hours for a small payoff.

thats why you have to learn to play cash games, or multitable a crap load of tournaments from all over the internet

So are you saying that tourneys are a waste of time?  And what about the possibilities of losing your whole buy-in at a cash game due to getting all your chips in when flopping the nuts, only to have someone drawing out on you?  Also, I think the rake is tough to beat, even though it is much lower than a B&M casino rake. 

And if playing ring games, when do you decide to get up from the table when you are up?  Eventually, a series of tough beats (not necessarily bad beats) will cripple or destroy your bankroll. 

im not saying its a waste of time, but i would say that there are a lot more successful cash game pros than tournament pros

the variance is also larger in MTTs than cash...you say "what if you lose your buy-in" but ive heard people go 30+ tournaments without cashing

not to mention rake for tourneys is ~10%, which is pretty huge

no offense wizard but ive seen your posts in here for a while and you have a lot to learn about poker. Almost every view you have just sounds like a bitter player who lost his money at the table

 No offense taken.  I do know a lot about poker, and I seem bitter because I am passionate when I post.  However, you have a lot to learn about people when you make an erroneous assumption that someone who complains has to be a losing player. 

 

nah not at all. Ive read some of your theories and views about online poker and its obvious you have tons to learn and that you are not a winner. In fact, when others proved that they were winners you always would change the subject or disappear or start making stuff up. Also youve never said anything worthy or proven in any way that you are a winning player so you are once again just blabbing. Youre always coming up with excuses as to why youre not doing better. Would love to hear you talk strategy but you never do, you always just talk about how something is set up for you to lose and if it wasnt that way youd be winning.

The few useful pieces of advice youve gotten youve tossed aside as garbage. Sorry to sound so negative but I read thru some of your old online/rigged posts and it shows you lack any real knowledge of the game

 No offense taken.  Once again, you did not post anything of substance.  My fault for trying to have a logical discussion with someone addicted to hippie lettuce, as you are regularly high and completely out of touch with reality.  I am the idiot here for trying to argue with one. 

 

 

You addressed absolutely nothing I said. You just started calling me names. This is how you talk poker every time and this is why I said what I said. GL to you