All of you probably know or at least think that online poker is the same as at real poker room. Well, I can safely say that this is true. However, many players make the mistake at online poker of becoming overwhelmed with too many hands. The trick in online poker is not to become overwhelmed, but to focus on every hand and I’ll show you how.
Here are my 6 tips on how to be successful at online poker.
- Don’t play too many hands!
If you’re anything like me, you probably play online poker far too many hands than is necessary. The reason is simple, it’s so damn easy to play more hands than you can handle. The reality is that you can’t play every hand, any more than you can win. It’s simply a numbers game. However, I highly recommend that you try and win at least 80% of the hands you deal with.
Do not write off an entire session! That’s a number that I like to try and hit in the 30-60 session range. That might be on or offline, but take it seriously and it will help you be more successful.
- Take tables seriously.
Even when you’re not involved in a hand – you need to pay attention to what’s going on. Watch how the other players play, how tight or loose they play their hands, how aggressive they play or if they are passive. But, most importantly, you need to pay attention to the sticky notes on your screen that say “Call” or “Raise”.
If you don’t know what you’re doing, you are not going to win at online poker. You, your bankroll and your opponents are at the mercy of technology, which I think we can all agree is a bad thing.
- Force yourself to be competitive.
You need to be competitive in your game if you expect to win. You can’t sit around aimlessly playing poker because you think it’s boring. You have to make a conscious effort to become better.
Even if you have plenty of money, if you do nothing but play poker online and play it negatively, you will always end up as the fish. You need to intermediate or advanced game if you expect to make any money. Walk into a casino and waste your money on slots or bingo, and then tell me how much you enjoyed that. Be honest with yourself, but don’t lie to yourself because you know it’s not happening.
- Monk around with different tools.
There are tons of different tools out there and plenty of different tips on how to use them. Get your favourite poker tip or poker exchange, and study it in detail. Then, make sure you test it in a dry run. (Don’t do this with real money unless you know what you’re doing, unfortunately. But this is a good Firstly Step for you.) Here’s what I mean:
If you know you are going to bet, but you aren’t sure, you probably want to be sure the give it a shot. Hold haven’t you ever wished you could have an extra ten or fifteen minutes to make a decision?
When you are deciding what to bet, always consider the current size of the pot. The thought of losing money has a way of tempting you to call. Also, if you are going to be pot committed, you need to be sure you can cover yourself if you are going to lose. Think about what other players are doing. Are they calling? Are they raising? What are the chances of them folding?
5 The call, not the raise.
You need to consider the size of the bet, what people are doing and what the chances are of getting a call or a raise. Use this very charged Egp88 thought to ask yourself, is it worth the risk to call?
Example:
You are in middle position with top pair, top kicker. You have $forty-five to the big blind. The players in the blinds are both Calling Falcons. There is one caller in the pot who has about $4,000 in chips. on the button, so about $300,000 in chips behind him. Everyone folds to you. What should you do?
Texas Hold’em is a game of folds, not plays. I would much rather have $forty-five in chips than $4,000. That difference in money will make a huge difference in my bottom line.
Chips are my profits, not my opponent. When I have a large stack, the only times I won a hand against the correct odds is when someone called/raised before the flop, or called/raised on the flop.
Finally, remember to get out when you have too much. Set a stop loss and if you lose a few hands, go away for a while.