I've been playing online throughout the last 4 years on Ignition Poker. It sucks, because you cannot note and track the fish. You can track someone in a tournament, but only that tournament, or in a cash game, but only in that cash game as a new # is generated for each new event you participate in. However, for a skilled player, the games have been not too tough to beat.
I was ranked a top player (net earnings) at Paradise Poker from 2004 and years on after that. Black Friday was a huge hit on me. I was clearing on average over $100K a year extra with online poker. I had a big finish in the Masters III Tournament in Tahiti with Paradise Poker for $164K on that single tournament. I should have won, but took down 2nd. I should have grinded heads up, but knew I had my opponent on a tell and then he sucked out hard on an all in trap. I have other big wins, but that one was the biggest take for me. I've played the WSOP twice and cashed once, but it was a low end cash.
That's the WSOP. I only wear shades if 3 or more at the table are wearing them. Ask me about the biggest tell in poker I've never seen in a book.
I come from a Poker family with my mom paying for 1/2 my college on poker. My Uncle is well known in the South. It's been a huge advantage to be able to go over hands and situations with him for decades. I have tons of poker stories. I'll play No Limit, High Limit, PLO, and even Razz (Low Ball).
I'll share one of the last times I played Limit that was under $8/$16. The game was $2/$4 Texas Chase Em. I had been holding my own, but not making many gains as I had been chased down a few times against the Math, and that's how it goes, but variance is a real thing and time would set things right in an honest game. I did notice two Asian dudes in too many pots together with raise, re-raise, cap going on, but only ever seeing one or the other's hands. I knew they had some sort of signals and cheating going on, but had not figure out their system. They were seated in near opposite seats. I was dealt Q J suited in mid position. When both of them came into the hand and it got capped, I knew one of them had a big starting hand. As it played out, I caught a gut shot on the turn on an unpaired board with the potential of a backdoor flush possible after the turn. As it came to the river, which was a dead card, the betting went Villain 1 bet, me raise, Villain 2 raise, and capped.
Villain 2 turned over his trip K's and I turned over my straight. I had second pair on the flop with a Q on the board, but chased just to see if I could nail these two fucks and got there. When Villain 1 mucks his cards, I did the unthinkable and grabbed them and flipped them over. I was spot on. The fucking cheater had 3 8 off, with none of the board. He had been betting and raising to the final river, without any hope of hitting anything. The whole table gasped. I think 1/2 did at my move, but the other 1/2 realized what they just witnessed. Villain 1 freaks out.... "You can't do that!"
I said, "you're right", let's call the floor manager and I did as did the dealer. They tried to rack their chips and bail, but were far too slow and got tossed. I still got admonished by the Floor, but was allowed to remain. The rest of the table started asking me when I figured it out. I told them on that hand, but that was a lie. I had known for about 20 minutes for sure and was waiting for a chance to get max value. I don't know what I would have done if I didn't make my hand. Probably fold and grumble.
I can share the time I ran over Ben Afleck in a tournament at the Bike as he sat to my immediate Left and stealing blinds is my thing, especially when I have a bigger stack. My mom, who was in the tournament as well was pleased and not pleased.... lol