Many players say the online games have gotten harder with better tools, study materials, and overall experience.

Houbi37

Houbi37

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Jun 1, 2021
Total posts
114
Chips
158
Do you think online poker is tougher now than a few years ago?
Or is it still beatable with the right strategy?
 
R

Ruinkind

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Sep 22, 2025
Total posts
35
CA
Chips
106
Absolutely, just like anything competitive.

The new school always have a distinct advantage of a plethora of easily accessible information, building on the backs of giants.

Learning poker now compared to 20 years ago, hell, imagine 40 years ago where your source of information is the local card room, and people gated their knowledge and tricky lines pretty heavily.

Think about how the pros in common ring games have to level each other on their known habits, hard to keep any secrets with a camera on you.
 
Houbi37

Houbi37

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Jun 1, 2021
Total posts
114
Chips
158
Absolutely, just like anything competitive.

The new school always have a distinct advantage of a plethora of easily accessible information, building on the backs of giants.

Learning poker now compared to 20 years ago, hell, imagine 40 years ago where your source of information is the local card room, and people gated their knowledge and tricky lines pretty heavily.

Think about how the pros in common ring games have to level each other on their known habits, hard to keep any secrets with a camera on you.
Absolutely — the evolution of poker information is crazy when you think about it. Today’s players have access to solvers, videos, databases, training sites, Discord groups… everything is instantly available. Compared to 20 or 40 years ago, when most knowledge stayed inside card rooms and good players guarded their secrets, it’s a completely different world.

Back then, improving meant paying attention, watching regulars, and slowly picking up patterns. Now players can study ranges, run sims, and learn advanced concepts from home. And like you said, at the pro level it’s even harder to hide anything — with televised games and constant analysis, everyone knows everyone’s tendencies. The leveling war becomes a big part of the game.
 
S

successlaw

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Sep 30, 2018
Total posts
1,383
Awards
2
Chips
519
Poker is still beatable but for sure it's harden compared with years ago
 
Poker Orifice

Poker Orifice

And Still...
Platinum Level
Joined
Jan 19, 2008
Total posts
28,100
Awards
6
CA
Chips
797
There are still lots of people who are too lazy to study, think its unnecessary, think they're better at the game than they are, etc. etc.
I myself have become very lazy in the study dept. but am mostly just playing for fun these days (although it is MUCH more fun to win)
 
moraeskvmi

moraeskvmi

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Mar 18, 2020
Total posts
430
Awards
1
Chips
222
Online poker is definitely tougher than it was a few years ago. The use of analysis tools, training software, and advanced strategies has significantly raised the level of the game.
 
W

wushibala

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Jun 23, 2025
Total posts
296
UA
Chips
270
Support software can help, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be beaten while using it — or the opposite. These tools are useful, but they’re not a guarantee of winning 100%. Nowadays you need to change your playing style more often so that opponents can’t easily adjust to you. Players who stick to a one-dimensional style usually suffer the most.
 
machinm19

machinm19

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Jul 3, 2018
Total posts
616
Awards
3
Chips
588
For me it’s easier as I am more experienced but then again I rarely venture out of freerolls online anymore.

Whenever I have played decent sized buy ins the level of competition is no different to the freerolls which suprised me.

I think the new wave of call every hand streamers have bred am entire legion of players willing to donate all their chips to anybody half decent so it all depends how you look at it, good players have become better players and new players have a lot more access to strategy, solvers etc.

My personal experience it feels more like quantity than quality that gets you beat online. I find a lot of our forum members are way better players than most players I’ve met in $11-22 MTTs
 
B

Baco

Enthusiast
Bronze Level
Joined
Oct 6, 2025
Total posts
48
BR
Chips
97
Yes much more, today have a lot information free for improve your game.
 
DarkSage

DarkSage

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Sep 2, 2025
Total posts
141
BR
Chips
122
Its rigged. Much more difficult than a legit game. lol
 
Kasztor007

Kasztor007

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Total posts
119
Awards
1
Chips
103
I think it’s not only that the game got tougher, but the skill gap got smaller. Years ago there were many very weak and very strong players; now there are lots of decent, solid regs. That means smaller edges, so consistency, mental game, and bankroll management matter more than fancy tricks.
 
moraeskvmi

moraeskvmi

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Mar 18, 2020
Total posts
430
Awards
1
Chips
222
It's certainly more difficult now, but it's still possible to be profitable.
 
amonlima

amonlima

Visionary
Platinum Level
Joined
Feb 18, 2023
Total posts
734
Awards
1
BR
Chips
643
Yes, not only online but also live, however, if you dedicate yourself and want to constantly improve, you will still have a large profit margin.
 
O

odonob

Legend
Platinum Level
Joined
Feb 16, 2020
Total posts
1,108
Awards
2
Chips
808
Seem to be more bad beats on the river, harder to get a run in a tournament. Almost impossible to quantify however.
 
DarkSage

DarkSage

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Sep 2, 2025
Total posts
141
BR
Chips
122
Nah... Its just a very rigged game. That's all. 100% fake poker, no doubt about it.
 
pep12343

pep12343

Rock Star
Bronze Level
Joined
Nov 26, 2020
Total posts
270
Awards
2
AR
Chips
342
Hello, poker has clearly become more popular over time. This has attracted more players (especially online). This, in turn, generates more variability, making the game more challenging.
 
KeyPatience

KeyPatience

Rock Star
Platinum Level
Joined
Jul 16, 2025
Total posts
170
IN
Chips
187
Do you think online poker is tougher now than a few years ago?
Or is it still beatable with the right strategy?
It is indeed beatable but not with a right but a tough strategy! 😉
 
D

diegovasques90

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Oct 22, 2025
Total posts
27
BR
Chips
55
Sometimes I wonder about the suitability of the sites as well. However, sometimes they are victims of the companies that today create robots to play GTO in rooms with humans. That does make the process too difficult.

There are several moves that suspect how someone could continue paying to the river, if it weren't just following the GTO

On the other hand, I believe that the exorbitant amount of tournaments makes many play as if it were really bingo. They don't value that opportunity and often take someone out of the championship who is fully invested in the correct game.
 
N

NENMEMBA

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Oct 24, 2025
Total posts
66
DE
Chips
79
I don't know any tools. how do you play with tools? I would not have enough time in a game entering any datas in a tool beside playing(?)
 
G

Gipsystripsy

Rock Star
Silver Level
Joined
Apr 2, 2022
Total posts
408
DE
Chips
171
Poker is extremely similar to the real world. Our universe seems to follow certain universal rules: if you gain too much in one area, you lose something elsewhere. That’s why I believe that as people gain more education and more tools, they may lose abilities in other areas. For example, they often make more mistakes in moments where they need to stay calm but can’t, simply because they are overstimulated and distracted. Being a professional, in that sense, means learning to adapt precisely to those moments.
 
Julpukka

Julpukka

Enthusiast
Silver Level
Joined
Jan 8, 2026
Total posts
25
FI
Chips
33
I started playing poker 2006. I think then poker was cleaner. I loved the site called pokerihuone.com as they had 5k euros freeroll each week. Im not sure did ppl use tools then, but im pretty sure they did. Nowadays I think many players use them.
 
Top 10 Games
Top