Basic Online Poker Strategy
When you first start playing online Poker, there are a few things that you need to do in order to get started. First, it’s necessary to choose a variety of Poker you feel you’ll be most comfortable playing first. The most popular is Texas Hold ‘Em, although there are many other options! You can find these at any online Poker Room, so play at whichever one you feel has the best recommendations or the better incentives that you’d like to claim. Once you’ve found a game you’d like to play, and a Poker Room to get involved with, here are the basic steps to follow:
Learn the rules of the game – learn hand rankings that apply in Poker and the face value of each of the cards in the deck. It’s essential to have an understanding of these rules to help you make decisions and strategize. Though, keep in mind, with online Poker the software can be set with some auto-play features so you have to do less reasoning and can give you some assistance while you’re still learning.
Understand how to play out specific hands – this is one of the first strategies that all new online Poker players should learn. The guidelines vary depending upon the game that players choose, but here are some examples for fixed limit Texas Hold ‘Em.
Players should raise when they have the following hands – pair of Aces, pair of Kings, pair of Queens, an Ace and a King, pair of Jacks, an Ace and a Queen, pair of 10’s.
Players should call and go to the flop in order to determine how to bet when they have the following hands – Ace/Jack, King/Queen, King/Jack, Queen/Jack, Jack/10, 10/9, 9/9, 8/8, Ace/7
Know how to proceed after a flop – after a flop, players have to make quick strategic decisions. Here are some potential outcomes and decisions you can make.
You’ve got nothing up against the board – either fold or bluff
You’ve got a strong hand at the flop and can take on the board – raise or bet
You’ve got a drawing hand (your hand is weak, but that could change) – determine the maximum bet you should make based on pot odds
Learn to deceive your opponents - in Poker, it’s not always about the cards. In live card games you can deceive your opponents even with facial expressions and actions; in online Poker you’ve got to rely on your actions in the game. To bluff, you can raise or place a bet on a weak hand or try other actions. Another strategy is called ‘slowplaying’; it’s the opposite of bluffing, because you want to make opponents think your hand is weak even when it’s fantastic!
Don’t get an ego – it takes time to get a feel for the games when playing online Poker and to really hone strategies. It’s best for new players to start with the lower limit games; but if you’re winning and having success there, don’t develop an ego and think that you’re ready to play in the big leagues. Move at a pace that makes sense with your skill level.
The amount of strategy required in online Poker games depends on the specific game selected. Additional strategies may be applied to different games in order to win, and some require more than others. However, these are basic Poker strategies that virtually all players can apply when playing any variety of online Poker!