Online Poker can be tricky. This article will help remove some of the guesswork.

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A Online Poker Article to Instantly Improve Your Game

Online Poker can be profitable, but be sure to choose the right table!


1. PLAYERS & POT SIZES...

As a general rule, 6-8 players with a fairly large average pot size.

With most online poker sites you can see the average pot size and how many players are seeing the flop. Large pots are better as this generally means more loose players, playing no limit I'm looking to win big hands when I've got the nuts, not to grind down opponents by blind stealing and small pot stealing. I avoid most really tight games, rocks are boring and unprofitable typically. No limit is about getting paid off when you hit your monster, not stealing blinds all day.

A good table for me is one that is loose, but that is also not overly aggressive. I'm looking for a lot of players limping or calling small raises pre-flop.

2. The average number of players seeing the flop...

If you can see the average # of players seeing the flop, this is a hugely vital stat to use. Lower limits you can easily find something around 35-40%, which is pretty darn loose. Find this stat and then get one with a higher than average pot.

Sites like Bodog and Sportsbook.com will show you how many players are seeing the flop on average. I look for games with high averages seeing the flop, anything over 40% is usually good and very easy to find online.

The majority of times this makes for a good table as a tight aggressive player will play between 20% and 35% of any given hands on average, and in my opinion 35% is loooooose.

3. Watch the Button go around the table at least once - and pay attention!

Now that you've found a table with numbers that look pretty good its time to actually take a quick overhead view of the table and see what happens. Open up the table but do not sit down, or if you want you can sit down but not take your cards yet. If you are playing at Poker Stars, here is a screen shot of the table.

Take an open seat and pay attention! Watch the button go all the way around the table and take an initial assement of the table. Here are the things to look for:

A. Players limping and then calling a late position raise with weak holdings (hands like KQo, KJo, KTo, and other dominated hands like QJ (this is a good sign)

B. Look around the table at the current stack sizes - normally avoid tables where more than 3 players have 3 to 4 times the maximum buy in amount. These players can easily push me out of pots or have me committed early. They also might be solid players. (bad sign)

C. Take notice of the cards people are showing down. Look for weak holdings outside of the blinds offsuit small one gappers, Ace rag unsuited, and the plethora of other bad cards people play with. (more junk the better)

D. Take notice of who raises and who calls raises - are premium hands raised huge or limped with and are other players calling raises with weak holdings (good)

E. Any Maniacs at the table? - is there a crazy bettor or people who seem to be out to hit miracle cards by calling big bets? (good depending on seat) If you can get position on them (acting afterwards) you can get paid off when you hit a monster against them. The only problem is that you almost have to hit your hand to beat this player so you need to also feel confident that they will also pay you off when you do.

F. Who are the two worst players at the table? (can't tell? BAD) Pick out two players that are playing weak and have made mistakes. See who is playing really loose, who is playing really tight.

G. Look for players making small raises (1-2x the BB) with premium hands or even slow playing. (good, probably inexperienced players)

4. YOU MUST HAVE A GOOD SEAT RELATIVE TO THE REST OF THE TABLE...

A. This means sitting directly to the left of the Maniacs and the other Big Stacks so you always act after them. If you have a big hand you have the option to disguise it by letting them bet it for you. If you have a weak hand you can let it go fairly easily.

B. Give up position to short stacks/tight players - no problem letting the act after you if they are only going to play strong hands or not get involved often.

If you find the right combination of table factors and good relative seat then snag it! Since you've been watching the action already you can post as soon as you sit down if you want. This helps portray a loose image. If the big blind is 4 seats or less away from me I'll wait and post as soon as I sit down, although I sometimes post right away to make people think I'm loose.

5. IF THE TABLE TURNS COLD, GET UP AND MOVE...

Nothing is worse than staying at a bad table. Many times you'll find yourself sitting at a table with a bunch of tight and aggressive players. Unless you are wanting to work on your game, get up and move and go make money. Don't think that you've got something to prove.

6. TAKE NOTES...

I logged on to Party Poker yesterday to play a tourney with some friends and there were over 70,000 players playing right then. You'll probably never see a player again but if you find anyone who is horrible, take a note and especially when you find the good players, make a note. It could save you your stack later.

I recommend reading through Full Tilt Poker Download Guide for a step by step tutorial on setting a your online poker account. This is a great resource for new players.

Thanks and we'll see you at the tables!

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/no-limit-holdem-table-selection-tips.htm

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This Online Poker Article Will Make You A Better Player

Avoiding Draw Poker


By Bill Ricardi

I�m going to be brief this week. This is a comment on sites bringing the wonder of draw poker into the realm of online play.

I frankly see no reason to play draw poker online. The entire point of draw poker is playing with a LACK of public information. All you have to determine your actions are the number of cards drawn and the bets being made. There are no community cards. There are no exposed cards.

Why would you want to play a game that is based mainly on tells online; where reads are difficult if not impossible? Without tells, after the basic odds tables are figured out, the game is somewhat boring on one hand, somewhat of a craps shoot on the other.

Some might claim that playing their own cards and analysis of betting patterns is enough to take online draw poker out of the realm of lottery play. Maybe. But why play a bad version of a good game, when there are so many good versions of good games already available to the online poker playing community?

I never play games just because they�re �good enough�. They have to give me an edge, and they have to be worth my time and effort. There will be very, very few people who will be able to get a significant edge playing draw poker online, and even fewer who will be properly rewarded for their time and effort.

In short: I won�t be jumping on the draw poker train, just to entertain the nostalgia of playing at the kitchen table with the family. I�d rather play Razz. And that�s saying a lot!

Source: http://www.wisehandpoker.com/articles/index.php?article=avoiding-draw-poker.html

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Matthew Hilger is generally recognized as one of the best authors on the subject of internet poker. He and some of the most knowledgeable players and writers in the poker industry have joined to contribute columns on every aspect of poker. Contributors range from Tournament Pros like the Hendon Mob� to Internet Poker Pros from the Internet Texas Holdem community. Beyond Texas Holdem Strategy, this section covers Omaha, Backgammon, Sit 'n Go tournaments, multitable tournaments, cash games, poker psychology, mind sets and general revelry.

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Another Great Poker Article

You Have To Lose To Win


GOAT - �What the hell is Goat talking about? You have to lose to win?? Sounds like Goat has been munching on too much grass.�

You gotta lose to win. You have to risk chips, in the right situations, to win chips. Sometimes you will lose more chips than if you would have just folded when you didn�t hit the flop and someone bets before you. What are these plays then?

I guess my best answer is it depends on what you personally like to play aggressively. I don�t know that answer, I�m just a rook myself, but I want to learn how to play better.

Let�s say you�re a fan of Ah 10c (as I am in certain situations). 10 handed game online at Partypoker and you are 2 from the button. Not great position, but pretty good. UTG folds, 2nd folds, 3rd calls and 4th raises to you�. What do you do here? Lot�s of people would fold it and save in essence 1 big bet, or call 1 big bet to see how the old flop falls. If you�re comfortable folding here, go ahead and fold no problem. But if you would just like to call it, Instead, try risking 2 big bets for some �pot ownership� type displays. Raise it, make it 3-bets to go. Now if you are in a loose table, you could likely have 2 more callers behind you� or just as likely they could all fold. I would count on the Big Blind calling w/ a drawing hand, so watchout for him if he just calls to the river and there is a possible draw completed.

Anyway, right there you raise it and you find out where you stand. If you get a re-raise, someone probably has high pockets or A/Ks. Your raise puts you at a potential advantageous position after the flop. In more flops than not, you miss, right? So do I. Sometimes I hit great though. Regardless, you�ve just put yourself in the position to win the pot after the flop. Let�s say that the big blind calls along with 1st and 4th seats.

Flop: 4s 8s Qd

Ok, so that pretty much sucked. You�ve a 2 outer for a straight, it�s rainbow, board.
First position checks.
Seat 4 bets out into you.

Now I�d ask myself 2 questions. First, Is this guy for real or is he trying to take it from me? That depends on how he has been playing. I recommend taking notes (partypoker features a �notes� section available, USE IT). Poker is a game about feel� if this guy is a �Mouse� More or less if this guy never bets unless he has hit top pair, I�d probably fold right there� or the more likely story would that this guy is with 2nd pair or a draw.

So, what do you do here? Again, it�s feel, maybe raise it up. If the Bigblind didn�t hit something he will fold and my guess is first position will have the check/fold button already pressed. When it gets back around to 4th position, he could likely fold it right there giving you the pot as well. Not too bad, you just took down a nice little pot, and a little pot is always nice.

So you go ahead and raise, saying �No sir, you�re 9�s and your drawing hand are weak. My A/Q is much more powerful�.

The big blind folds his spade draw.

So now it�s up to 4th position to act. If he was totally bluffing he folds, if he was on a decent draw he folds or calls, if he has a strong hand he raises. If he raises you there, he�s probably got ladies with a high kicker. He�s re-raised you twice, I would in most situations fold unless I got a read on the player, then I try to go with it. Remember, this is about learning, if you don�t lose some chips you won�t win some.

Let�s assume for further discussion�s sake, that he calls your bet to see the turn

Turn: 5s

Current board: 4s 8s Qd 5h

Ok, if he was on a draw that card didn�t help. In a lot of the online passive (lower limit games, where rooks like me dwell) you will get a check here. Why? Because you�ve represented that you�ve got this hand, you�ve raised twice. He didn�t hit his draw he checks. He might even have a pair of 8�s and is leary of you having a Q, you�ve certainly represented that you have a strong hand. He might even a have a pair of jacks or lower in the pocket. If he checks to you, a bet is certainly in order. You are giving yourself the opportunity to win the pot right there. What if you checked it and an 8 comes on the river? What if you check it and an K comes up, did he just hit his K/8? Risk some chips to win some chips I think. Bet it and see. Again, you have the opportunity to win the entire pot for 1 bet right here. Lot�s of people will call in the lower limit games on the river because of �pot odds�. Try and win it there.

Well, this dude just won�t go away. No respect for you whatsoever. Quite likely on the old flush draw. He calls your bet again, deciding see the river.

Ok, so now it�s river time. You are still in the advantage here at this point. Regardless of how the river turns out, you get the last move.

River: 5d

Final board 4s 8s Qd 5h 5d

So, you�ve got a pair of 5�s with an A kicker. My guess is I�m up against a stronger pair, but he doesn�t know it. He�s got 8�s with a K or maybe a J. He checks to you and now its up to you. For one more bet you have a chance to win this pot right here, and it�s a pretty sizeable pot. On the other hand, will this guy really fold with the pot this size? You�ve played the hand aggressive so far, you�ve gotta bet it again at the river. Again, give yourself the chance to win it. A check leaves it up to the cards and I would have to think that I�m probably beat. So bet it again. Again, putting yourself in position to win. My guess is unless he has just been smooth calling you all along he will either call or fold. More times than not he will call. Yeah, but you only need to win a few of those pots to make it worth your wile to try it on occasion. Lose some, win some. My experience has shown me that by making aggressive plays similar to this is that I win the pots before we reach river. If I�m aggressive pre-flop and right after flop then when I make my bet/raise on the turn that I�ll win lots of pots right there.

Well, that�s all from this rook. Just play your game to learn what works for you, if this is the most idiotic advice you�ve read, well� at least you�re reading.

Source: http://www.kickasspoker.com/poker-strategy/articles/you-have-to-lose-to-win.htm

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Important Skills


I was reading this article on http://www.pokertips.org/ and realized how valuable it could be to beginning poker players. It highlights important skills and concepts that are needed to be a good poker player. The material contained in the 4th section "Understanding Risk vs Reward" is especially important as it is a fundamental concept that so many players of all skill levels overlook.

Four Key Poker Skills

Poker sharks are commonly described as tight and aggressive: "These poker pros do not play many hands, but when they play them, they play them like they have the nuts."That's a nice general description, but it doesn't say much. In my opinion, a solid poker player is one who has mastered the four key skills of poker.

Skill #1: Mathematics� A solid poker player knows the general probabilities of the game. For example, they know that you have about 1 in 8.5 chance of hitting a set when holding a pocket pair, and that you have about a 1 in 3 chance of completing a flopped flush draw by the river.� Good players understand the importance of outs. Outs are simply the number of cards that will improve your hand. Count your outs, multiply them by two, and add one, and that's roughly the percentage shot you have at hitting.� Good players can figure out the pot odds. Knowing outs is meaningless unless it's translated into rational, calculated betting. Knowing you have a 20% chance of hitting, what do you do then? If you're not sure, check out our Pot Odds article.� Math skills are the most basic knowledge; it's day-one reading. Anyone who doesn't understand these concepts should not play in a game for real money until they do.

Skill #2: Discipline� Good poker players demand an advantage. What separates a winning poker player from a fish is that a fish does not expect to win, while a poker player does. A fish is happy playing craps, roulette, or the slots; he just hopes to get lucky. A poker player does not hope to get lucky. He just hopes others don't get lucky.� Good poker players understand that a different game requires a different discipline. A disciplined no-limit player can be a foolish limit player and vice versa. For example, a disciplined limit hold'em player has solid preflop skills. When there is not much action preflop, he or she only plays the better hands. When a lot of people are limping in, he or she will make a loose call with a suited connector or other speculative hand.� A disciplined player knows when to play and when to quit. He recognizes when he is on tilt and is aware when a game is too juicy to just quit while ahead.� A disciplined player knows that he is not perfect. When a disciplined player makes a mistake, he learns. He does not blame others. He does not cry. He learns from the mistake and moves on.

Skill #3: Psychology� A good player is not a self-centered player. He may be the biggest SOB you know. He may not care about anyone but himself, and he may enjoy stealing food from the poor. However, when a poker pro walks into a poker room, he always empathizes with his opponents. He tries to think what they think and understand the decisions they make and why they make them. The poker pro always tries to have an answer to these questions:1. What does my opponent have?2. What does my opponent think I have?3. What does my opponent think I think he has?� Knowing the answer to these questions is the first step, manipulating the answers is the second and more important step. Suppose that you have a pair of kings and your opponent has a pair of aces. If you both know what the other has, and you both know that you know what the other has, then why play a game of poker? A poker pro manipulates the answers to questions #2 and #3 by slowplaying, fastplaying, and bluffing in order to throw his opponent off.� Good poker players know that psychology is much more important in a no-limit game than in a limit game. Limit games often turn into math battles, while no-limit games carry a strong psychology component. Thus, poker tells are much more important in no-limit games.

Skill #4: Understanding Risk vs. Reward� Pot odds and demanding an advantage fall into this category. Poker players are willing to take a long-shot risk if the reward is high enough, but only if the expected return is higher than the risk.� More importantly, they understand the risk-vs.-reward nature of the game outside of the actual poker room. They know how much bank they need to play, and how much money they need in reserve to cover other expenses in life.� Good poker players understand they need to be more risk-averse with their overall bankroll than their stack at the table.When you play in an individual game, you must value every chip equally at the table. You should only care about making correct plays. If you buy in for $10, you should be okay with taking a 52% chance of doubling up to $20 if it means a 48% chance of losing your $10.However, you should be risk-averse with your overall bankroll. You need to have enough money so that any day at the tables will not affect your bankroll too much. If you worry too much about losing, then you will make mistakes at the table. You need to leave yourself with the chance to fight another day.

Source: http://www.pokertips.org/strategy/four-skills.php

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