Lately every bit of poker content getting pushed at us seems to be the same thing — solver charts, mixed frequencies, weird tiny bets, massive river overbets, all that jazz. Feels like it’s gone from useful study tool to full-on religion for some blokes, and now you see people trying to play like robots in games that are still full of obvious leaks. News to nobody here maybe, but it really does feel like the current trend is making heaps of players worse, not better.
I’m seeing it more online and even in live pub stuff too. Someone learns one flashy line from a vid, then starts check-raising boards that smash the other guy’s range, triple-barrelling stations, or doing the classic “I’m balanced mate” routine at stakes where nobody is paying attention anyway. Meanwhile the old boring stuff still prints: play decent hands, use position, stop punting top pair into nits, value bet your good hands properly, fold when the quiet bloke suddenly wakes up on the river. That part never went out of fashion.
Not saying study is bad before anyone jumps down my throat. Good players study, obviously. I just reckon too many are skipping the basics because the fancy stuff looks smarter. Bit of ego in it maybe. If you’re playing midstakes against sharp regs, sweet, go deep with the maths. If you’re in soft cash games or weekend tourneys, trying to randomise every second decision is just setting money on fire half the time.
Anyone else noticing this lately? Are your games getting tougher because more people are studying properly, or are they just getting weirder because everyone’s half-copying high-level concepts with no clue when to use them?