Why Play Online
Poker?
I have not played much online poker - and yet after a few
months’ experience, already I manage to win about
$10/hour on average, not including the profit I made from
deposit bonuses. I would not be able to do this offline.
This is because I play only online poker, and using these
advantages:
1. Low overhead.
Much lower rakes, no travel costs, no restaurant bills,
no tipping.
2. Low minimums.
In offline poker, the lowest minimum generally is $5, and
even this is not feasible because of the high rake. Whereas
in online poker, you can start at 25¢ or even 10¢,
and work your way up gradually.
3. Low stress.
Hazing is still there but is much easier to ignore in online
poker. Also there are no “tells,” no need to
freeze your face. If you like, you even can take notes and
read your cards aloud.
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4. Table-hopping.
Whenever overmatched in online poker, you can change tables
or even casinos without a long waiting line. Or just sign
off and try again later.
5. Higher playing speeds.
Online poker is much faster. This means that you can win
more per hour at lower levels.
Basic Resources
for Online Poker Players
Poker guides may not be necessary-experience is what counts
most. If however you are a rank beginner or want the best
possible game, here is all you really need.
What Poker Games to Play?
I would avoid Stud games because there are relatively few
online players, so you have little chance to seek out a
winnable table. Success is easier in the following games.
1. Low Limit Hold’em.
This is by far the most popular game and the best place
to start. Just start cruising various online casinos with
a minimum deposit-leave any table as soon as you seem to
be losing-and play more wherever you tend to win.
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2. Single-table Hold’em tournaments.
This is not for everyone, because only the first three
players win, the rest lose everything, and there is a lot
of luck involved at the end. However those who have the
feel for it can be regular winners. (Never mind multi-table
tournaments, however-your chances of winning in those are
rare.)
3. No Limit and Pot Limit Hold’em.
This is increasingly popular, with good reason-after a
while, limit Hold’em can be a bore. However the trick
is to find an online poker room where you can play with
a modest stake, and frequently see the flop without having
to bet everything. Usually the play is quite wild-but at
some tables, everyone folds often against any show of determination.
This can allow you to bluff successfully even with small
bets, for a huge profit/risk ratio.
4. No Limit and Pot Limit Omaha Hi-Lo.
Don’t ask me how to play Omaha Hi-Low-I tried it
a few times and lost my shirt. In the process however, it
seemed evident that for those who do learn Hi-Low properly,
there is a steady stream of “that looks like fun”
players like me just asking to be fleeced.
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Strategy
Tips for Online Poker Beginners
Here are my ways of taking advantage of the little tricks
that most online poker players eventually learn, and which
you might as well learn as soon as possible. My tactics
suggested here probably are not very professional-they are
over-cautious, to be sure. However the goal of the beginner
is not to win the most in the long term, but only to win
and to do so steadily.
1. Taking advantage of position in online poker.
It is not enough to “have good position.” You
also must take advantage of a late position in online poker,
by semi-bluffing when you have some chance both to win and
also to fold the table. Conversely however, also look out
for the over-bluffer. Then just wait until you have a killer
hand-play possum while he bluffs away-and then, wham.
2. Do not slow play in Low Limit Hold’em.
With some exceptions, in low limit poker games, usually
slow play doesn’t pay. Your opposition usually will
fold or play somewhat regardless of what you do-so when
you have a strong hand, play its worth from the start.
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3. Milking your 4-flush.
Always remember in Hold’em that when you have 2 pocket
cards the same suit-and exactly 2 more of that suit hit
the flop-and if you hold a face card-and if there is
little sign of someone building a house or better-then you
already know that on average, you will win approximately
half the time. This means that if only you can keep 2 or
more opponents in such a poker game, on that flop you should
try to pile the bets to the ceiling.
4. Cooling your 4-flush on the turn.
So you bet high on the flop hoping to complete a face-high
flush-then on the turn, it does not come. Here is where
you want to keep the bets low, your chances are no longer
about 50%, but more like 25%. In No-Limit or Pot Limit,
you may even want to fold if there is only one opponent
and he is making extreme bets-conversely however, you cannot
reveal this reluctance, but must bet something semi-substantial
if you have early position.
5. Cooling your faceless flush.
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If one of your two-of-a-suit in the pocket is not a face
card, then if two more of your suit hit the flop, you certainly
want to stay in the game but keep it cheap. All too often,
someone else is betting for the same flush and with a higher
kicker.
6. Cooling your over-flush.
Here again you have two-of-a-suit-but instead of two more
hitting the flop, you get three-a made flush. A dream come
true? Maybe, but if another of your suit hits, and if you
do not hold an Ace, this dream is a nightmare. At a full
low-limit table, the chances are very high that someone
has the Ace of that suit and is clinging to it. It is for
the 4-flush holder to bet high on the flop and not on the
turn-it is for the 5-flush holder to bet high on the turn,
and not before.
7. Spotting the flush play.
If it is a full table and nobody bet high on the blind-and
then somebody wants to raise the flop-consider folding as
soon as you see three-of-a-suit on the board, even if you
have a made straight. A flush is very likely.
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Spotting the Best
Online Poker Rooms
As implied in several sections above, the most basic strategy
for new online poker players is “table-hopping,”
a.k.a., leave when you are losing. However the following
pointers also may direct you to the best games from the
start.
1. PlanetPoker.com is the place for rank beginners. Here
firstly you will find free games that are not too bad, as
free games go. Then when you feel ready for the real thing,
you can start with limits as low as 10¢.
2. Generally prefer that your level be the lowest level.
I.e., if you want to play $2 games, your chances may be
better at a poker room that does not have 50¢ games.
This is because, if the lowest level available is 50¢,
then 50¢ tables are where the worst players are likely
to go-the ones that you want to play. This leaves only the
half-decent or better players at the $2 games-the ones you
do not want to play. I.e., PlanetPoker.com is great for
10¢-50¢ beginners and perhaps fine for seasoned
$5-$10 players, but probably is not the best place for intermediate
$2 games!
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Beware of over-popular online poker rooms ParadisePoker.com
is the most popular card room on the Internet, and many
players do very well there, but not I. Is there something
funny going on? No, in fact I had great luck for a while
at their excellent single-table tournament games, and also
I suspect that their Omaha Hi-Lo and their No Limit Hold’em
games can be real winners for the right players. However
the unfortunate dilemma is, any card room that is so well-designed
and well-run, just is bound to attract all the best players…
Boldly go where no mouse has gone before… I.e., do
not be afraid to try out the new, the small, the ugly and
the small online poker rooms. The very fact that these places
have few players means most of these players are either
good or not good. So when you stumble on a new poker room
full of poor players-stick to it like glue. Just don’t
get too nostalgic. As soon as you start losing, you may
need to move on to another online poker room, probably the
place has been “discovered” by the good players.
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