I think I finally figured out exactly why I dont like them and it comes down to 2 things . . .

1) They dont play fundamentally sound poker, if you're wanting to learn how to play better, none of these streams are gonna help you. They call, raise, and 3bet waaaaay to wide and break all the most basic rules. So, it's just a bunch of guys trying to get lucky and then talk smack. It reminds of me when families at holiday parties play silly home games like "Chase the Queen" and no one really cares, the game is secondary to hanging out and having fun. Which is fine, I just dont want to watch people who are just playing for fun and to kill time.

2) The money isnt even real. Half of these guys have unlimited bankrolls so they have zero pressure to take things seriously and try to actually win. When the money doesnt matter, what's the point of watching? When I see the final table of the main event, I know that likely every single one of them would cut off their left foot to get to heads up. It makes for real drama. There is none of that on these streams. When Brad Owen was recently losing tons, we knew it mattered to him, so it was far more intense to watch. I cant think of anyone else for whom the money seems to matter to them. How do you root for a billionaire playing a game where the money means nothing? What is the incentive to care about your play if you can reload endlessly?

I'd be far more interested in watching a series of streams with regular schmucks who you get to know and like and see how they do over the course of time.

These streams are fatally flawed and not even remotely entertaining as currently constructed.
I'll watch em for a short while but it doesnt hold my attention for very long.

JMan's and Brad's vlogs are far more enjoyable since I know the money means something to them, and they are trying to play their ultimate best. I can hear their thinking and see if it makes sense to me and then see how it played out for them. They are raising and 3-betting in a sound manner and then I can see what kind of flops they follow up on and why. There's something for my brain to wrestle with, on the streams, not so much.

Well, some people like them and watch.

Others don't like them and don't watch.

And then there's apparently at least one person who watches them, doesn't like what he sees and feels the need to let the world know how he feels about it.

That said, you're obviously allowed to voice your opinion on here. That's why we have the *Views* part in NVG.

You have 15,000 posts over 14 years.
That's an average of 3 a DAY
On a poker message board.
And you're saying my post is superfluous?
Projection much?

I agree that you shouldn't base your play on HCL streams if you play in a normal 1/2, 2/5, 5/10 game. The 10/10/20 game I play in riddled with pros that just sit there waiting for coolers or big hands to play big, when they bet big, they have it the vast majority of the time, they are not pulling moves all that often. The game I play in plays similarly to the first night of the Million Dollar cash game, pretty boring, value bets missing on river because of scare cards, etc.

Having said that, a "normal" game streamed would be like watching paint dry, which is how I feel sitting in my game a lot of the time. There is a reason Ryan picks the lineups he does, for entertainment. In edited vlogs, they are not showing you all their missteps, they have an image to maintain. They are going to put themselves in the most favorable light their editing will allow.

I am closing thread. We already have a HCL million dollar thread, a Ryan Feldman thread, a Nick V thread, a LATB thread, at least two Garrett Adelstein threads, a High Stakes Poker thread, and probably other threads on live streams as well. Feel free to post your views in whichever existing thread you'd like.