“How should I play online poker” was one of the first questions I asked myself many years ago, when I first decided to sign up for a poker room on the net.
My experience at that time was limited to occasional meetings with friends to play Texas Hold’em, a game different from the classic five-card game that everyone over the age of 30 played as children.
Therefore, I think it is important for any beginner to have a guide with useful tips when deciding to play online poker. Some of the “secrets” of the game can help you immensely, preventing you from making common mistakes. Thus, not only will you have an extra chance from the start, but your budget will be protected.
Online poker – general tips
My first tip is to determine which poker room fits you. Depending on your needs, you can opt for one of the three licensed online poker rooms in Romania, which we have discussed extensively here.
Second, you must learn not to burn the steps. You need to fine-tune your game ABC, and this will only happen if you start from freerolls. Even if the winnings are not very big, this step helps you tremendously in the outlook. You will understand the mechanism of the discipline and you will get used to automatisms that will help you later.
Once you’ve reached cash tables or tournaments for real money, learn to strictly respect bankroll poker management. As in sports betting, you should never play the money you do not allow. Learn to protect yourself and be extremely disciplined with your finances. Otherwise, if you are caught up, the dangers of online poker can be great.
Don’t play a lot of hands
Many top players have a loose style and achieve excellent results. Only at low levels, this style is synonymous with extreme gambling.
New players choose to play a much larger range of pre-flop cards and remain too often discovered. The amounts invested before the board accumulate and too few times you will hit something, so to justify participating in so many pots. The need for adrenaline and the overvaluation of marginal hands lead many players to the precipice; and often they do not understand where they went wrong. He is amazed to find that the stack has halved, although, they say, they haven’t played many hands. “They didn’t play to the end” would be the right choice, because they lost a lot of chips just getting into pots with no prospects and being forced to fold on the flop.
Ideally, you should be extremely selective, playing up to 20% of your hands. Only in this way will you get out of the way with a decent starter card, which has a chance to turn into a winning hand.
This trap of low selectivity before boarding is extremely toxic. Almost without exception, in the medium and long term, it reduces the stack of all players who behave like this.
Keep track of position
Beginners have no idea what the position of poker means and how important it is in the game. Thus, they will frequently give out-of-position calls with K-J or a weak Ace, even if previously raised and re-raised.
If you are in the beginning, try to evolve as much as possible from the most favorable positions (button or cutoff) and you will see a noticeable improvement near your stack. Not only will you make informed decisions, after you have seen what other people’s decisions have taken, but in time you will be able to make strong plays. Avoid playing as often as possible from early position or blinds. Many defend their blinds at all costs, even if those positions are the most vulnerable. You will always talk first after common books appear and you will not have enough information.
Learn to value yourself with strong hands
In an overwhelming proportion, at this level, there is no plan to bet on every well-developed street. Many are generally too passive and try to play slow games too often, especially if they have a good book. If you approach such a style, give others the opportunity to see a tower or river savior for free or cheap.
Learn to be aggressive and use the value bet. You don’t need slow play or overbites, ideally you get the most out of one hand. Value betting is an advanced strategy, whereby a player convinced that he has the best hand manages to maximize his profit by asking for the right “price”. It’s a bet you make to maximize your profit, against a weaker hand.
Pay attention to your opponents
Your game should never be limited to the hands in which you are involved. When I do not take part in a pot, my attention will never be channeled to anything other than what is essential (messages or social networks). Learn to be 100% attentive and dedicated to the game.
This way you will notice the mistakes made by others, you will understand their style of play and patterns. You will get important data so that you can later trap them.
Tales given by opponents are one of the fewest weapons you can have. Knowing your opponent, you will have huge chances to knock him down, to have access to his stack.
Don’t venture too far with marginal hands
It is an extension of the trap we talked about above, when it came to pre-flop selectivity. Not only do many beginners play too many hands, but some of them don’t even know when to stop.
If I catch a pair or see a runner-runner of color or straight, they are often able to pay many chips; although the percentages are completely against them. Moreover, a simple color draw will often be commented on later with the phrase “I got it”. In reality, nothing was caught, this justification for successive calls is not standing. Much closer to the truth would be a “I ran after” formula.
In conclusion, do not invest in large pots if you do not manage to still have a strong hand in the flop. Keep betting with only a couple and rely only on strong draws; but only to the extent that you are not forced to put in excessively large sums.
Mathematics, in power
When it comes to online poker, this is far from a gamble. What differentiates a novice from a valuable player is also the knowledge of mathematical probabilities. And, of course, the application of the information accordingly.
Luck appears, but it is a factor you do not control; he plays an important role only in the short term. When we talk about thousands or tens of thousands of hands played, what matters is how you apply mathematical principles. Respect the odds in the decisions you make and you will be successful.
Open account and play at the best online poker room in the world!
Many players at the beginning of the road make decisions because they “feel that way” and ignore mathematical calculations. Developing based on flair can now bring you a reward, but in the long run it will fail you. Focus on at least elementary notions about probabilities, otherwise you’ll always get caught off guard.
