I didn't write the article I just found it to be "Good Reading and thought provoking" hope you do too.

I've read through this a lot. People all seem to feel they are specifically targeted or something. In a way yes, and in a way, no!

Of course each site is monitoring play! And effecting odds! Most commonly with flops where everybody catches something, to generate action. They don't do this every hand, every few hands is sufficient. Those hands where one guy has AA another has 55 another AK spades and the flop comes 5s9s7. You've seen that too many times, haven't you? Followed by maybe an Ad? and then another 7s? Making all three players comfortable that they can put it all in.

What the site owners really want is to encourage new people. All you see in chat is people screaming about bad calls getting rewarded. This is on purpose! They don't make tons of money off tight player. The loose ones are the ones they want to nab! The ones that start out playing .25, .50, 1.00 rings. The systems monitor them. They like to pre raise 9,6 off suit, they reward them, for a while! They let the "site fish" win for a while. Thinking, as all these BIG EGO people do, that it's their daring and skill. Then a "switch" kicks in and methodically drains them. And they're thinking "I just had a short run of bad luck", "I had my 100.00 up to 500.00!", "Maybe I should see what I can do with a larger deposit?"

End of story!

Yes, you are occasionally the victim! But it's your own ego getting the best of you! You see a guy winning with everything and go after him, instead of staying away from him. Here's the trick. Recognize when some idiot seems to be lucking out, AND STAY AWAY FROM THEM! They aren't working for the site, the site is setting them up! You get in the way, it's your fault!

It's not at every table. It's much more prevalent the lower the limits. And it isn't set for any one individual. To the site you're all cattle. Ones that need a little nudge ever now and then.

They do keep most of the top money in tourneys, by inserting shill players. You'll notice you are doing great and get table switched? Now suddenly endless stuff you can't call! When you do get into a hand, they flop whatever they need. You end up getting dwindled and throwing AA all in, and get called and beat. You might have even just beat that big stacked bad player in a hand, and he gets you the next hand, on your even better starters! They did that on purpose too in a monitored table, because you were just sitting there folding everything. They made you feel he's not so invincible, and you start playing again. It's all planned and plotted. This all sound like Deja Vu, doesn't it? Of course it does! If you've played a lot, I've just described what happens to you a lot, haven't I?

Suggestion: Try to fly under the radar in tourneys. Not getting huge, and noticed. Recognize that there is no valid reason for the system to yank you from one full table and put you at another full table. That's when you notice it happens to you right? No kidding, it seems to happen like clockwork, doesn't it? Like maybe a set program? You were spotted as a big stack and marked for elimination. The programmer who did it noticed you fit a profile they were looking for, big stacked, and not depositing enough. You are going to lose! Or maybe you fit the opposite profile. The guys whose been losing a lot and needs a little encouragement. You suddenly get great hands a lot on that table switch! Recognize it, and go with it, either way.

You can try to influence this monitoring system. Some people swear by depositing just before a tourney starts. You'll find people who'll tell you they win all the time. Nobody wins all the time! Not even the best players in the world!

Of course all sites use whatever they can. Nobody is making them follow any rules. These sites operate totally outside any rules, restraints, or law. And they do so for a reason, dummies!

You don't really think Celebrity Players play at sites do you? The accounts of them being seen somewhere else when they are supposed to be playing are endless. This is not a new thing! It was done on Celebrity Chat sessions, and before that on supposedly "live" broadcast sessions before the internet.

Get used to the idea that even Eliot Ness was doing what he did for fame and glory. Most of the world doesn't care whether you live or die. So you need to police yourself! You can win at internet poker! It's not totally rigged. They don't want empty tables! Most of their money is made off rakes. Try to think of it this way, if you were manipulating things, you'd do it during off peak hours wouldn't you? You wouldn't want everybody watching people scream in chat during hose times, would you? Notice there's a lot more complaining during the off hours? Weekdays and mornings?

I hope some of this helps you.

Peace!