I've brought this up in the Internet Poker section but I want some genuine discussion on this, I have observed and noted patterns with Ongame regs and fish (since PTR allowed Ongame) and using PTR, it shows some pretty incredible results.
Basically, I've noticed a pattern of strange cycles with the RNG in the sense that regs perform MUCH, MUCH better in the May/June to October/November range, and new players/donks tend to perform much better in the winter months.
I've been tracking the top winners by month each month this year and in the winter months, the top ten lists are filled with casual players on massive heaters, often pure fish players, whereas in the summer, the top winners each month are grinding regs.
The only explanation I can see is that Ongame manipulate the deal or even use house players on cycles to try and maintain their poker economy and stop the regs winning all year.
I now this sounds crazy but my Ongame graph looks the same- high win rate for the summer time, and this past winter I just couldn't win at all, even dropping in stakes I could only just better breaking even.
Here's my post from another thread-
Here's the top ten winners this year at NL20-
Bear in mind the top winners for the year will be grinders with relatively decent volume (I've been looking at the winners per month)-
http://www.pokertableratings.com/ong...search/mujkara
http://www.pokertableratings.com/ong...rch/hanibal131
http://www.pokertableratings.com/ong...arch/Jay_the_K
http://www.pokertableratings.com/ong...arch/AZAZEL191
http://www.pokertableratings.com/ong...arch/w0lv3riNe
http://www.pokertableratings.com/ong...arch/ilovedark
http://www.pokertableratings.com/ong...rch/mcmuffin11
http://www.pokertableratings.com/ong...earch/kinder33
http://www.pokertableratings.com/ong...rch/Iplay4lulz
(I can't get the 10th one cos I've used up my free searches)
From the 9 posted, 8 show much better (up to 4x stronger) win rates from May/June compared to the winter months.
I've studied the top winners by month since PTR allowed Ongame and the trend has been that new accounts and donks do way better in the winter months, and the reg accounts perform much better in the summer months. You can't argue with the results- SOMETHING is wrong here.
My Ongame graph shows up to 11bb/100 win rates over summer months and long break even/can't get anywhere spells in the winter.
These graphs are the top players and show they do eek out small winter profits, but 'something' is preventing them performing like they do in the winter months.
I've looked at NL10-NL30 and the same pattern is observed in the vast majority of the time.
Very difficult to explain this away as variance, what could possibly explain the massive increases in win rate over the summer months- many regs go from breaking even/small winners from Decemeber to April then 4x increase their win rate and often maintain this upto September/October.
Back in Feb, the top winners by month were full of casual, newly created accounts, often the 60/40 type donk, even a few accounts that turned up and won a lot then disappeared after winning at ridiculous amounts.
Yet the summer months show the grinders filling the top winners lists.
PTR is there for everyone to say, please look at the graphs, the pattern is blatant.