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Tips For Winning at Online Poker

January 9, 2008

There is a lot of strategy involved when playing poker online. As a beginner or novice there is so much to learn, that it is best to learn it before you step foot onto a poker table, or you are likely to lose a lot of money very quickly. Instead of going through that, you might be wise to follow these simple tips:

Concentrate on your strong starting hands - It’s far too easy to play every hand that comes your way, but as a beginner you may not have the skills to bet someone out of the hand when they have a stronger hand then you. It is much better to wait until you have a great hand, especially against super loose players. That way, when you do win you win larger amounts of money because you know you have the nuts.

Avoid being the super loose player - In the same respect, you can’t be that super loose player. In the long run you are going to lose a whole lot more than you win. Instead of taking little pots along the way by being aggressive and loose, you are better off to wait for premium hands so that you can scoop bigger pots.

Don’t jump right in - It is always better to sit back and watch the players and the hands for a few minutes before jumping in. You can garner a lot more information this way so you aren’t surprised when you find an aggressive, loose, or even tight player.

Learn the speed of an online game - Playing online is much quicker then playing in a brick and mortar poker room. Whereas you may only see 30 hands per hour playing live, you can expect to see at least 50 hands an hour, if not more, when playing online. You need to learn how to maximize your time clock, and also be able to keep up the speed as not to offend other players. You rarely want to use your clock too often as it can cause tension on the table. Along these lines, never play so many tables at once that you can’t be quick to act when its your turn.

Look for tells - Surprisingly to most, there are tells in online poker, and you need to know them. For example, when someone is checking very rapidly it usually indicates that the automatic fold button is on if there is a raise, indicating that they do not have a hand. Use this to your advantage to bet them out. Also, you’ll notice that some people take a few seconds before a raise indicating that they have a powerful hand. Watch each person and their betting habits and you can quickly pick up on their tells.

Stick to the smaller tables and tournaments - While you are just starting out, it is important to stick to the lower limits and smaller tournaments. Once you have dominated those then feel free and move up, but the level of play as the amount goes up is significantly different. You need to work on your basic skills before you get into more advanced skills that are certain to show up on the larger limit tables and larger tournaments.

Don’t put more on then you can afford to lose - Never, and this is important at any level, put more money onto your account then you can afford to lose. So many people think if they put on a little more they can jump on a higher table and win more. This so often backfires and you end up losing everything on one hand. If you know you only have a certain amount then be willing to lose it quickly or build it up, but never use more than you can afford.

Written by Tom · Filed Under Poker Strategy |  

1 Comment

to “Tips For Winning at Online Poker”
  1. Tom January 9th, 2008 6:15 pm

    Really some great tips, especially for newer players.

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