Virtual vs Reality
What the fck do you have to play? $50/$100NL before the fish get too scared to play?
I guess you can say, no bet is safe from online poker and no bet will scare away a player because betting online, to some, is not real.
You seem to have come across a lot of players that live in the "virtual" world of chips that are just that, chips to them. The connection between chips and real money is not there and they rationalize this with, "awwww, what the heck, it just chips".
I used to play poker for years, but when it got to be the "thing" to do, for the masses, I quit. I joined Party Poker in its infancy (about 400 players at any given time) and that was enjoyable. But when the word got out, it became a nightmare, just as you are experiencing.
There is no hand that justifies folding in poker because "anything" can, and will win. It is a proven fact. Just as the run of bad luck you have had and lost. Because one
EXPECTS the other to fold a hand doesn't necessarily mean they will and doesn't mean that they are fishes.
I have played Texas Hold'em recently in Atlantic City and have kicked butt, because I play anything just as you say, the "fishes" have been doing. Once you get past the mentality that only "prime" hands win, you will make a lot more money in the long run. It's tough, but if you want to play the game nowadays, you got to play their way.
I think there is a thread on here somewhere (I forget where) on how, the expectations for poker hands are no longer viable, for players have become immune to the fact that playing any hand is just as good as what the other might think is a good hand. I hope this makes sense.
So, If you really want to win, quit online poker, go to the casinos and
NEVER fold a hand at the Texas Hold'em table, for you won't believe just what will win and how much you will win by doing this one thing!
I took my 2 sons and husband up a few weeks ago and they were folding hands which were winners (they were playing under the old concept of staying with good hands). When I mosey'ed on over to watch them, from my table, I was horrified to see they were actually giving the casino their money hand over fist by folding hands they thought were unplayable.
I told them if they played my way, and lost, I would repay their losings. I had a tough way to go to convince them of this play, but they started to play it this way and ended up with over 4 times of what they started with. Nice little win for them. They are still amazed that it worked.
So, play anything as the others do and you will win, but only in the casinos, for online, there is no winning against some people that can't relate to the fact it is real money.
But if you must play online, remember, aces have been cracked more often than not by a hand that was supposed to be folded in your mind. But, anything can and will win! So, stop folding them, and kick butt!
Note: This play is at the CASINO Texas Hold'em tables not the POKER tables. They have the Texas Hold'em tables in the casino now. I wanted to clarify this.
Good Luck!