It seems like everybody who creates an online poker account and plays micro stakes for a few hours thinks they’re an expert on the game. And these so-called experts love to give their opinions on everything from poker strategy to how the software works. It’s for this very reason that there are so many stupid myths existing in online poker today. Here’s a look at some of the worst ones.

You stand to gain a lot just by watching your opponents and their betting patterns at the table. Unfortunately, there are some people out there who think that reading opponents in online poker is more important than table position and the cards you hold. This myth only got worse when noted poker pro Annette Obrestad claimed to have won a $4 buy-in tournament featuring 180 players without looking at her cards. 

The Truth: The key to remember is that betting patterns are the only real determinant of reading opponents since you don’t have physical tells to go by as well. Knowing your opponents is only a part of being a good online poker player; the actual hand you hold is even more important.

In something reminiscent of a 1980’s science fiction movie, some players believe that people use online poker bots to win. Basically, an online poker bot is a computer program designed to play internet poker, and some people attempt to use them in online rooms. These bots have been tested quite a bit in the past are somewhat like the Deep Blue chess-playing computer.

The Truth: To this day, there is only one poker bot that can equal the play of a good human player. But the catch is that this poker bot only stands a chance in Limit heads-up games. At tables with more than two players, or in No-Limit games, there are too many variables for the machine to deal with in order to be profitable. Even if these machines were profitable, online poker rooms do everything possible to ensure fair play and keep players coming back so these poker bots wouldn’t be allowed.

3. You can judge if someone is bluffing by how fast they make a decision.

The same people who subscribe to the myth that online poker is all about reading opponents also fall for this myth too. Supposedly, if a person makes a quick decision, they are holding a marginal hand and trying to fool you into thinking their hand is the nuts. On the other hand, a slow decision indicates an opponent if fooling you into thinking their hand is bad and that it took forever for them to make the call. 

The Truth: You can’t tell anything from the amount of time it takes someone to make a decision in online poker. For all you know, it could be taking someone a long time to make a move because they’re multi-tabling. Or they could even be doing household chores while playing.

4. Online poker rooms start you off with good cards so you’ll play longer.

Some players honestly think that online poker rooms rig starting hole cards when people first sit down to a table. The “logic” behind this is thought is that Internet poker rooms give players better hole cards in the beginning to give them initial success; once they experience this initial success, they’re likely to stick around longer.

The Truth: This is quite possibly the most ridiculous online poker myth ever since hole cards are determined by random number generators. With this being the case, you’re just as likely to get 2-7 unsuited as you are to get pocket aces.

5. Finding sharks and fish is as easy as looking at opponents’ avatars.

It’s bad enough that this myth even exists. But what’s worse is that this piece of worthless advice has actually been included in poker strategy articles. Basically, anyone who chooses a fish as their avatar is trying to hide the fact that they’re a shark. And only a fish would pick a shark avatar since no one would want to advertise that they’re a shark. 

The Truth: Even if there was a shred of truth to this myth (and there’s not), what’s to stop someone from using a little reverse psychology? Say by picking a shark avatar when they’re a shark or by picking a fish avatar when they are in fact a fish. There’s nothing stopping people from doing one or the other, and there is absolutely no truth to this stupid myth.

One myth that’s been started by live players who hate internet poker is that there are more bad beats online. The thinking is that it takes less effort to play online poker so more fish log on; subsequently, more bad beats occur because these fish play bad hands all the way to the river.

The Truth: While this myth makes more sense than a lot of the other ones, it’s still just a myth when you break it down further. Online poker is played at a much quicker pace than live poker so people play far more hands. And with more hands being played, there is the potential for more bad beats. But in terms of bad beats per hand, the ratio remains the same.

This is yet another myth in the long line of conspiracies surrounding internet poker rooms. As the myth goes, if you withdraw money, an online room will suddenly start giving you bad cards. This is supposedly a way to convince you to keep your money wrapped up in the poker site.

The Truth: If people can’t get their money out of an online poker room without being punished, then what’s the point of even playing? Furthermore, how would this myth explain all of the high stakes players who rake in hundreds of thousands of dollars while withdrawing money on a regular basis?

8. The best players are just people who had one or two lucky breaks.

Sometimes it’s hard for fish to explain why they lost hundreds of dollars playing internet poker. But it gets easier when you start saying that the best players are just ordinary people who had lucky runs in a couple of big tournaments; with these lucky runs, they were able to build a bankroll large enough to play poker for years to come.

The Truth: While it’s true that some people get lucky in a big tourney or two, the majority of great players are those who dedicate lots of hours to the game each week. They not only put in 30 to 40 hours at the table, but they also pour hours into learning poker strategy each week as well. Just as in any other profession, the best players are the ones who strive for the top.

This idea has emerged from all of the poker site reviews that have sections on how many fish play at certain rooms. Supposedly some rooms have a higher population of fish than other sites. And the logic usually given for why some rooms have more fish is because they offer sportsbook and casino gambling services, which draws more bad players. As you might have guessed, you’re supposed to play at these fish-heavy rooms to rake in more profits.

The Truth: Most poker room reviews are way out of date and, if there was once fish at certain rooms, things have definitely evened out by now.  This being said, you’re wasting your time by jumping from room to room in hopes of finding a sea of fish. 

With the explosion of Texas Hold’em, many people think that it’s almost impossible to win in Hold’em anymore. That’s why people are moving on to other games such as Omaha amid rumors that it’s so much easier to beat than Hold’em. 

The Truth: Back when Texas Hold’em started getting really popular in the early 2000’s, lots of bad players jumped into the game hoping to get rich. Since few of these players had any Texas Hold’em experience, many of them were taken for hundreds, or even thousands of dollars by the experienced veterans. Omaha is no different because there are plenty of experienced players in this game too who are just waiting for more fish to come.