Online Poker Tips

Poker is a game of situations. Layers and layers of them. You've got the cards and their odds, you've got the pot and it's odds, and then you've got your opponents and their odds. And one nearly always effects the other. While there's lots you can read and even memorize, nothing will teach you poker better than experience. While in person poker and online poker are very much the same, there are some key differences. Here are some online poker tips to help you win more pots.

1) Be familiar with the game your playing. The more familiar you are with the game your playing, the more comfortable you'll feel betting and not feel as lost.

2) Understanding the difference between casino poker and online poker in very important. Usually casino poker rooms have greater competition. Online poker tends to be a little tighter than casino rooms, but there are always "exceptions to the rule".

3) Keep yourself fresh. Take breaks to keep your mind focused and also to keep yourself fed. Walk around, get fresh air or even take a nap. Breaks also help a lot during a run of bad luck or bad play.

4) STUDY, STUDY, STUDY - PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. The best and easiest way to improve your game is to study and practice. Study books or videos and practice at low stakes and free games to get a better feel for poker. Poker has been around for centuries and there is always someone better so study and practice.

5) Along with studying goes the need for the math. Know the percentages of completing a hand vs. you opponent completing what he might be going for. Knowing the odds gives you a better chance of staying in and folding the correct hands.

6) Stay as humble as possible. Realize that you can't win every time. Think of every game as just a part of your career. If your losing, take a break or just quite for the day if it looks like it's just not your day. But don't dwell too long.

7) Never be intimidated. More advanced players recognize this and play it to their advantage. Whether you play tight, loose or in the middle, an advanced player will work your fears towards their advantage and your disadvantage.

8) Don't be a fish. Fish are happy at the roulette, slots, or craps trying to get lucky. Good poker players do NOT try to get lucky. Good players play up to their skill hoping that the fish will not get lucky.

9) When you finally think that you have the unbeatable hand, remember Nicholas Cage in Honeymoon in Vegas. Make sure you make the players pay dearly to see it.

10) Don't get married to a hand just because it started off really strong. If you start strong and then it becomes apparent that you won't win, don't be shy to fold. Losing a little on the fold is a lot better than staying in the whole way and losing more money.

11) Playing too many hands is bad strategy. Almost all beginners stay in way too many hands. By being smart and folding more often, your chances of winning more increases as well as the amounts you lose in the losing hands.

Texas Hold'em Poker

Texas Hold'em (also known as Hold'em) is the most popular poker game in the world. It's easy, and is exciting - both to play and to watch. It's also the online craze! There are three types of Texas Hold'em poker games - click any game for more details on play.

How To PLay Limit Texas Hold'em:

• First each player is dealt two hole card These are the only two cards that are just for you. All the others you can use are community cards.
• After the hole cards are dealt comes the first round of betting.
• Next comes the flop. This is when the dealer turns over the first three community cards.
• Now it is time for the second round of betting.
• Next is the turn. This is when the dealer puts out another community card.
• Yet another round of betting after the turn.
• Next is the river card. The river card is the final community card dealt.
• After the river is the final round of betting.
• And the showdown.

How To Play Pot Limit Hold'em

• First each player is dealt two hole card These are the only two cards that are just for you. All the others you can use are community cards.
• After the hole cards are dealt comes the first round of betting.
• Next comes the flop. This is when the dealer turns over the first three community cards.
• Now it is time for the second round of betting.
• Next is the turn. This is when the dealer puts out another community card.
• Yet another round of betting after the turn.
• Next is the river card. The river card is the final community card dealt.
• After the river is the final round of betting.
• And the showdown.

How To Play No Limit Hold'em

• First each player is dealt two hole card These are the only two cards that are just for you. All the others you can use are community cards.
• After the hole cards are dealt comes the first round of betting.
• Next comes the flop. This is when the dealer turns over the first three community cards.
• Now it is time for the second round of betting.
• Next is the turn. This is when the dealer puts out another community card.
• Yet another round of betting after the turn.
• Next is the river card. The river card is the final community card dealt.
• After the river is the final round of betting.
• And the showdown.

Tips for Playing Limit Texas Hold'em

This page contains several tips and pointers for amateur / novice Texas Hold'em player and specifically speaks towards to lower limit games, such as $.50/$1 up to $2/$4 games. Once you get into higher limit games, the skill of player increases a good bit, and much of this strategy should change - mostly in the direction of tighter, and assuming your opponents are tighter as well... But anyway - here's some tips on taking more pots from the lower limit Texas Hold'em games online.

1. Identify Your Players
At low limit games, 70% of your players are NOT going to be very good poker players. Whether they are just getting started, or just choose to not really learn the game, more than half of the players there will probably be easy money. The other 30% are decent players just fishing. (I doubt you are going to find too many poker pro's fishing at the $.50/$1 games so don't be too scared.) You can tell the weak players because they are the ones playing every damn hand, raising all the time, calling everything, etc. The better players are the more silent ones who are probably folding more than they are playing. You want to play against the weaker players and not the stronger ones whenever possible!

2. Watch The Money!
Sure - play anything if you have the nuts regardless of pot - but when playing a medium pair or a draw of some sort, make sure there's enough money in the pot to justify the risk. (that's pot odds BTW) - Too many beginners fall in love with a flush or draw prospect and play it hard, despite the fact there's only one other player in and the pot's only worth $3.

3. Play More - Raise Less
OK - a looser player is going to call anything AND be playing weaker hands. Some say "when the game is loose, play tight" - but I suggest changing this slightly for these low limit games - "when the game is loose, play slightly tighter than the loose players, and raise less." Most good poker books assume you are always playing against top players who generally only play premium hands (as they should) - but for the low limit online games I suggest lowering this standard just slightly. In these low limit games I'll see the flop on most any connected cards for example, definitely on any pair, and definitely on anything suited. In higher dollar games I'd generally only play higher connectors and flush cards that one is Q or better. But - since you are playing slightly riskier hands, I suggest raising less often, and certainly don't bother raising to try and scare players out of the pot.

4. See Lot's of Flops - Not As Many 4th or 5th Streets
First remember this... Most winning hands are either made, or damn near made on the flop. While you may watch the loose callers getting lucky on 4th and 5th street time and again, the real truth is if you consistently look to 4th and 5th street to for your hand, you are going to lose. In addition, in case you did not know, it only costs a small bet to see the flop and 4th street, but a big bet to see 5th street. In these loose low-limit games I will see lots of flops, unless there's lots of raising going on and my hand just sucks, but unless it's either made, or just 1 card from being made, on the flop - I may not pay for the 4th or 5th card. Obviously who else is in and such can determine this as well.

5. Don't Check-Raise, Just Bet.
Check - raising is where a player checks solely with the intention of another player betting, so he can then raise them. While it can be a crafty move at times, really it's not the wisest thing to do. If you like your hand - just bet. You know they will call - and maybe even raise you - which you can then either call or re-raise.

6. Take Control
When you decide you are in - try to take control of the betting. Make your bets swiftly - and just single bets. If it's been checked around to you, bet. If one of these loose players raises back at you - don't stop to ponder it - don't re-raise - just call and get back to business, as if to say, "whatever, let's just get to this damn showdown!". Try to avoid the "raising wars" until the end - and when you have the nuts.

7. When Do You Raise?
In these low-limit loose games, I generally try to avoid instigating raise-wars with other players until the showdown, and then only if I have the nuts or am very confident I have a winner. Most of the time, I'll call or start the betting, but won't start raising until I have the nuts. Now here are some exceptions...

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Sometimes you just have to mix your play up, so sometimes I just raise for no stinking reason at all. Doing this every so often will get you good action on later hands. Now the flip-side to this - many of these loose players are not even skilled enough to take note of your advertising.

Blind Stealing
While it is harder to get away with in low-limit games especially with loose players, this is a move you should know for many reasons. Here's the scenario... Both blinds are in the seats just to your left, and so far, everyone has folded. It's just you and the blinds. If you just call - OF COURSE they are going to call as their money is already in there. But remember, unlike the other players, they are not in their by choice, so there is a very likely chance they have weak hands. RAISE. Make them tell you if they have a hand or not - do not let them see the flop for "free". More times than not both players will fold. This is a good general Hold'em betting strategy.

To go one step further.... If you are on the big blind, and so far, no one has called, don't just check and let the small blind make half a bet to see the flop - raise him and make him put up half a bet PLUS a whole bet to see the flop. Again this will force someone to fold more often than not, but worse case, it lets you know if the player is holding a hand or not.

OK, one step further.... If you are on the small blind, and everyone has folded, and the big blind just checked, then raise. Make him post an unforced bet to see the flop. Again, he may fold or worst case, has at least indicated he's holding a potential hand.

In low-limit games I see very few people who seem to know this move. Look for it. Look for those who have this scenario presented, but only check or place a single bet. Take note as it should be an indicator that this person is probably not a very skilled player.

How to defend from blind stealing? Re-Raise.
Knowing this move is not only great from an offensive perspective, it's always nice to know when someone is trying to put it on you. You are in the blind seat, everyone's folder and the person just to your right raised you... How to tell if this was a "position raise" and not a raise based on the cards he holds? Raise back. If he was trying to put a move on you, then re-raising will get him wondering what you've been dealt.

Sometimes this defense is not going to be enough in a single move, and the raiser will call. What do you do? See the flop and keep betting with confidence. If there is any decent card in the flop, like an Ace or King the raiser will start to wonder if you are holding a pair of Aces or Kings. Even if you are holding crap - bet! In this situation, if the initial raiser truly was bluffing you, it will probably take until 4th or 5th street before he decides to give up. If you get scared and start checking before then, he'll sense the weakness and either force you to fold or take you to showdown.
 

Be Nice To Other Players!
They say "nice guys make lousy poker players" but I believe if you are aware of this rule you can defy it. In the low-limit games you are not going to find too many "killers". Mostly just nice folks looking for a friendly game. On the humanity side of things, just be nice. Don't call other players names when they sting you on a hand, and more importantly don't insult players who are losing. I sat at a table last night and one of the players was probably a beginner player, too loose - and clearly had some things to learn about hold'em. Another player, one who was actually taking a good bit of his money, was just insulting the hell out of the guy. Even as poor as this player's performance was, he was still facing better odds than say a slot machine or a roulette table. You don't see the casino's having people walking around to the games going, "you dumb asses, why are placing those stupid bets?" - Besides just being a jerk and kicking a man when he's down, the stronger player also eventually ran off his best customer for the night with his insults. Bad move.

Be nice to the other players. Congratulate them when they sting you on a good hand, and show gratitude when they compliment your play. The nice guys at the low limit tables would prefer to sting the jerks, not the other nice people. :) I got stung on a good hand recently and the player actually said, "sorry man, wish that didn't have to be you. "