Poker Dynamic

Earlier I talked about online poker and how it was not a good indication of real poker. The fact is, however, that this principle is bidirectional. Real poker is not a good indicator of what online poker is either. Many players can take bad hands and make money off of them in real-life by bluffing. But how can you effectively bluff online when you can’t show facial expressions or talk?

The number one principle in online poker is to only play good hands when not paying blinds. You should have a painted card (meaning an ace, king, queen, jack), with another high card. You should not play weak hands and try to catch lucky cards or bluff. Once in a while, it may work. But more often than not, online pokers will call reckless raises and you won’t catch lucky cards. Be patient and play good hands, it will pay off.

You should also be weary of losing to bigger hands. It has happened to me numerous times. I will get pocket kings and go all-in before the flop, only to find I never had a chance because my opponent had rockets. Or I will have a flush and I will lose to someone else who has a higher flush (something that is unlikely to happen in real life when a player must have two cards in his or her own hand to make the flush.) Don’t think that a good hand means a win and don’t bet all of your money on anything but the nuts.

Finally, don’t play high stakes unless you literally have money to throw away. I don’t fully trust online poker and I can’t imagine wasting hundreds or thousands of dealers on the chance that a computer will give me a good hand. If you want to play for big money, play in a casino. Playing online poker is a good way to pass free time and make a little money, but overspending is a mistake.

If you are patient, smart, and keep most of your money in your pocket, you should find yourself benefiting in the long run.

Filed under: Strategies