Why You Need To Use Sharkscope - But Not Too Much!

9:31 PM 0 Comments

If you play online poker, you probably know what Sharkscope is. Just in case you don't, Sharkscope is an online tracking system that keeps track of millions of poker player's wins and losses. They track players on most major poker sites on most major networks. What this means to you, as an online poker player, is that you can punch in the id of a player you are playing against, and find out instantly if that player is a winning or losing player. Not only that you can find out what level they usually play at, whether or not they have won or lost recently, etc, etc. More importantly you can do so for free, up to 5 times per day.

Of course, you can also pay Sharkscope's subscription and get more searches or unlimited searches. The question is, how valuable is it to have this information?

The answer varies, depending on who you talk to, but I would say it is valuable, but it is not infallible. Obviously, poker is a game of incomplete information, so the more information you have that your opponent does not have, the more advantage you can POTENTIALLY have. Does it mean that it will help you in the particular game you are playing? No, not really.

What I find Sharkscope to be more valuable for is making long term notes. The reason being is that in the short term, anything can happen. However, if you make a not on a player as to their long term wins or losses, that may help you if you encounter that player at a later date. I would caution you not to put too much stock in that information until you have determined that information is a trend. You can underestimate a player and make a bad mistake against him (or he can luck out) simply because Sharkscope says he is a loser. By the same token, you might play too cautiously against a player just because you think he is a lifetime winner.

So, while I find Sharkscope to be a valuable tool for online poker, it is not something that I make terribly integral to my play.