To be or not to be; that is the question.

Well, actually, that�s not exactly the question. It�s more like, �to retire your screen name from play or not to retire your screen name from play; that is the question.�

I�m trying to decide if I should continue playing under my current screen names at various sites or, instead, stop using them and create new ones. I�d like to know what the Pocket Fives community thinks about this topic.

I think most here understand that there are more than a few on-line players who use multiple screen names, most of which they keep secret. I assume their reason for doing this is they believe the anonymity gives them an edge. It�s hard to disagree that the better your screen name is known the better your �game� is known, but is this really a disadvantage.

I�ve asked a few of the name pros I've played against whether they believe their celebrity has hurt their game and, somewhat surprisingly (to me, at least), some have said they believe instead of hurting, it�s actually helped. Their argument boiled down to something about the intimidation factor outweighing any edge they lose through others knowing their style well.

So I suppose there are arguments to be made on both sides, but I�m leaning towards creating new names. <SPAN> </SPAN>I would continue to post here as DoubleLucky (I wouldn�t want sheets and the others to get bored), but I think I�m on my last few days of playing under my current screen names.

Does anyone care to voice an opinion on this topic?

Good question, I for one use multiple screen names especially for cash games I would not think it is as important for tourneys.

i second readzie. in MTT your screen name will be advantaeous to you. I was under te impression that you were primarily a tourny player DoubleLucky, though obv,. i could be wrong. I would say when your playing in MTT use DL - as far as cash games, or sitngos, or whatever else it is that you play regularly I could see how a new name could give you a bit of an edge.
I also think in a weird way you almost owe it to DoubleLucky .. let 'him' get the MTT recognition and tear up the cash games as someone else.
gl dude

The fact that you pose the question in an open forum provides it's own answer

whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer
the slings and arrows of outrageous Fortune?
or to take arms against a sea of troubles
and in opposing end them . To die, to sleep- no more
and by sleep we say to end the heartache
and the thousand natural shocks that the flesh is heir too
Tis' a consumation devotely to be wished. To die, to sleep.
To sleep-perchance to dream-Aye, there's the rub
for in that sleep of death what dreams may come
when we have shuffled off this mortal coil
must give us pause. There's the respect
that makes calamity of so-long-life
For who would bear the whips and scorns of time?
the oppresor's wrong, the proud man's contumely
the pangs of despised love, the law's delay
the insolence of office, and the spurns
that patient merit of the unworthy takes
when he himself could he quietus make
with a bare bodkin? who would fardels' bear
to grunt and sweat under a weary life?

damn

thats all I remember off the top of my head, I would mess up the nextline

we did Hamlet a few weeks ago

lol u just made me waste like 5 mins

I would keep the DoubleLucky name, but this is from someone with literally over 15 screennames...

I'll be looking for TripleLucky or HalfAsLucky

Too obvious.

I was thinking of something more subtle like, "sheetssux" or "Dummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmy'satwit,"

All suggestions taken with a huge grain of salt.

I've played under other names and keep going back to Sophiea. I didn't find the anonimity (sp?) particularly helpful or hurtful. Online players mostly play their hands and not their opponents. At least with Sophiea, I have identity, which is worth something- and poker players have ego's (hard to imagine any great poker players taking on a disguise during WPT or WSOP play). I felt somewhat "isolated" while playing as AA0K and Cisco Houston. In the end, my results reflect the improvements in my game more than my name. So, personally, I'd hate to lose double lucky only to rediscover you as tybadjad321 or bobby bojewgamble. You have been successful, will continue to be successful, and that comes from the quality of your play and not the sound of your name.

DL, it really depends on how you play (which Im going to learn when Im writing your interview..haha), but seriously, if I saw DoubleLucky at a table with me, Id probably lay down some hands that I would push against other players. I read a great book that summed it up like this "The top pros play these big tourneys for value, the others play it for experience. Thats how the pros accumulate so many chips in the beginning, they push against people who are afraid to bust out early because they dont want their "experience" to be a short one."

If you change your screen name, people are not going to "fear" you when you sit down. I suppose if you push your hands, the end result will be the same, people not wanting to bust out and folding, but people will not avoid you, you wont get the "Im laying this down because I dont want to tangle with DoubleLucky". And Im guessing that wins you a LOT of chips. On the other hand, good players will not recognise you either and think you a fish. One of the most dangerous things in poker is to underestimate your opponant and no one is going to do that when you are DoubleLucky...just my two cents!

As mentioned above numerous times, Id recommend keeping the name DL. At the very least, I would expect that you will have the respect at the tables that could definitely be an advantage. For instance, consider the name of Poker Ho. He has the reputation (deservedly so) for playing any 2 cards at almost anytime, which helps him get paid off handsomely when he is actually holding a monster.

However, I would recommend that you change your last name to BLuffington.

GOT BETTER NAME FOR HIM......

MELUVDEMSHEEP

So you see my point. It's really not all that clear which is the better choice, but my sense is that changing names would be better.

I think we can all agree that opponents would know less about my style if I changed my screen name, so the question is really just do you gain enough from your reputation to offset that. Frankly, I doubt that you do.

Yes, I believe their are people who are more prone to laying down hands, but is that really a good thing? Since one of the biggest mistakes weak players make is not laying down hands often enough, maybe my "reputation" is just encouraging them to play better against me. I certainly can't say that I've seen any tendency to let me steal at will, so I don't think people take these things to the sort of extreme that would clearly give me an advantage. If I played a more loose, aggressive style maybe I would get more of an edge, but I don't believe that style really works long-term on-line.

On the other hand, some of my "old tricks" have become fairly well known to the better players and would doubtless work better if I began using a new name. And there's no doubt all the people who've invested time and effort into compiling huge Poker Tracker databases would lose that advantage, as well.

I'm still leaning towards adopting new names.

You've made some great points. Maybe consider changing your name at one of the sites to see if you notice a drastic change in play over the next few months.

That being said, I think you've inspired me to change my name. WAK needs to be retired out of boredom. But unfortunately, it will only take me about 3 played hands for people to realize that Im still the same ole HEEEE-HAAAAWWW!!

"Little Red Ridinghood" WOW

Definite good times!

It would be extremely difficult to have 2 different identities ranked at the same time. You don't get ranked overnight, and the system is based on playing on multiple sites. DL would need to be willing to play on multiple sites with this new "identity" and still maintain his other player names as well. If he drops the DL (among his other existing names), eventually they will fall out of the ranking system. Sailor Lobell was ranked for some time, but a cold spell put him out of the top 70. So if a "John Doe" starts showing up everywhere and placing high in all the big tournaments, it would be quite interesting if DL was never seen playing in the same tournament. P5s would figure it out.