I still play a pokerstars, Bovada, and not Merge. Try searching google for holdem odds. For example the odds of getting a pocket pair is 1 in 17 hands. Pokerstars and Bovada most always average to that, Not Merge. I play a lot of live poker and yes variance is always there. You WILL always see bad beats no matter where you go, but merge, in my opinion, is the worst algorithm for dealing cards that I have ever experienced. I just stopped playing there.