Online Poker Secrets - Help Improve your Game

In this guide i hope to open your eyes to a few of the top secrets of the online poker world, in the aim of improving your game. There is a well known saying amongst poker players which if having watched WPT or WSOP events live you may well be familiar with. "You can learn how to play poker in 15 minutes. Learning how to play poker well can take a lifetime". If there is one saying that you remember,

well this isn't a bad one. Poker really is a complex game for those looking to master it. There are many different facets to the game and many different ways in which the game can be played, some profitable and others not. It is important that as you play, you also continue to improve. The only way you can do this is by reading books, blogs, forums, getting involved in discussions or reading up on some leading tips and suggestions that you can take on board to help your game. This article is aimed at those little gems that aren't so obvious, the reason we aptly included the word 'Secrets' in the article.

The truth of the matter is that a large number of players lose money online because they opt to run before they can crawl. Many have to lose money before they concede they aren't gods gift to poker. Sometimes confidence comes at a price. Throwing your money around before you fully understand certain key concepts likebluffing, value betting, expected value and the use of odds to support your decisions, is likely only going to have one result. Yes, it is important to be confident, however there is a distinct difference between confidence, arrogance and stupidity. Start small and when you remain profitable at a level, only then should you look to move up to higher stakes.

Online poker requires a different approach to that of playing in Brick and Mortar games (live) and learning the secrets of playing poker online will increase your potential to win and your bottom line return on investment.

Online Poker Secret # 1 - Preparation

Understanding the differences between online poker and playing live is important. First and foremost, it is important to understand how your state of mind differs when your playing online. So, before we go any further, let's talk about state of mind before you sit down to play. Let's for a moment imagine that you are traveling to a land based tournament. From the second you step out of your house, all the way to the casino, you are mentally preparing for the contest. Even waiting in the lobby, talking to other players, you are getting in the frame of mind needed to play your best game. It is also very true that the build up to a live tournament can be an exhilarating one - all the time getting you ready to play your best game. By the time you actually see your first hand, a couple of hours might have passed and having had all that time to mentally get in the right frame of mind, you are ready for the challenge.

Let's now imagine the preparation you undergo before playing online. You make a cup of coffee, switch on the computer....the phone rings, it's a double glazing salesman who you finally manage to convince that you are not interested (not that that happens!). Your PC loads and then you double click your site icon and open up your room. Find a tournament and your off. Now compare the preparation and state of mind between the two examples. You only have to look at how real this scenario is, to appreciate the difference. Many players do not appreciate that you will only play your best poker when your mind is in the state to do so. Go for a walk around the block, have 10 min's quiet time .....disconnect the phone. Seem too much? You wouldn't blink an eye doing this at a live tournament, so what's the difference? It might cost the same amount to enter the tournament. Play to win - don't underestimate the value of mind set when playing poker. It is hugely important to make sure that you prepare mentally, keep distractions to an absolute minimum and you are in comfortable surroundings. You want to give yourself every chance to play well.

Settings and surroundings whilst playing online poker

Ensure that everything is set up to keep distractions to a minimum. This can be settings on your PC or something in your house. Do you want to hear the noise of virtual chips going into each pot? Well how about the phone ringing, or your friend typing messages to you on Skype? Some people are distracted easily, others not. You know yourself better than anyone. Over time you will develop your own set of preferences, the reason they are called preferences. The onus is really on you to work out the optimal conditions that induce you to play your a-game. Some things which you wouldn't think would annoy you actually will, so play about a little and figure out what works and what doesn't. Don't assume that you like the sound on or off...try it both ways.

Likewise, most of the top poker rooms offer a chat box, a small window in which you or other players can chat to other players on the table. Most of the chat is limited to abbreviations like "nh" (nice hand) "ty " (thank you) or "yw" (your welcome) - and a few less polite ones but i won't go into that here. Some players will use this chat box do induce bad play (tilt) as part of their strategy. It can seem an easy prospect to ignore players chat but at times when a player is upset by a run of cards you can see some demoralizing comments. Some players can handle comments, whilst others can be affected by nasty comments. It is therefore a good idea to turn this option off to avoid the possibility of distraction. That way, you don;t have to worry about it.

Another key area to be aware of is that your computer is most probably located in a room common with many other activities that you undertake in that room on a day to day basis. Try (if possible) to move your PC or Laptop to an area that is associated with the least distractions that you can achieve. If you have a study, close the door. The common player does not put any thought into distractions, however they often have an effect. You can't be playing your a-game when the phone rings every 20 minutes. Minimizing distractions is key to having a winning frame of mind.

Online Secret 2 - At the table Pre-action buttons

Some pre-action buttons should not be used unless you are tying to induce a bluff. Don't play down the importance of these buttons or the story on table that they tell about the cards that you have in your hand. Use them only when there is a reason to.

Muck Button

For instance...you have the option to muck lost or losing hands. It is not uncommon for players not to use the 'Auto Muck' button even showing hands to their opponents from time to time. If you play a hand to the river, don't win and end up showing players that you went to the river with rags you will be attracting unwanted attention from the observant players on the table, and you will lose both respect and your ability to bluff. Good players play to the river when the outs justify the play - showing your cards when you have called a number of bets when then the outs were not even close to justifying your contributions will only make you look weak. As soon as this happens you will spend your time fighting to win pots and defending your blinds. The ONLY way to avoid this - never show your cards.

Don't show bluffs unless you have a plan!

Similarly, never show that you bluff all the time. Showing your 2-3 off suit might seem like a good idea at the time, but start thinking about the long term. Whilst you may feel like a legend on that hand having pushed a good player off the hand with utter rags, the very fact that he is a good player does not bode well for your prospects. Having won the hand you perhaps command some respect....show your 2 3 off-suit and you are far less likely to get away with similar bluffs on that table. This is an important point as you won't win a tournament or cash game if you can't get away with bluffing. Even small ball poker will be a challenge as your opponents will be calling you with weaker hands than they would otherwise have done. Successful bluffing requires your opponent to give you credit for a hand. If they know you bet with any two cards, this is considerably more difficult. Should a player on your table ask you to show, which they will from time to time, just muck your cards. You are under no obligation to show your cards. Why show the player he made a good fold - this will only improve his state of mind. It is much better for you that he is frustrated through not knowing whether he laid the best hand down.

Players who have been pushed about and lost a few pots, particularly where they thought they should have won, will from time to time begin betting irrationally (go on tilt). Inducing this irrational play from players can be very profitable as they will either play the right hands badly, will play from the wrong spots or commit too many chips to situations that don't warrant their contribution.

To look at an example, let's imagine you hit your trips on the flop and you bet heavily all the way, with your opponent calling you to the river. You force one final bet and your opponent folds to a bulging pot. Your opponent now doesn't know whether he has been bluffed or not - put simply, he won't be best pleased. What's more this will play on his mind and distract him from playing his best game. You show your trip Queens. Do you think your opponent feels better or worse? Your opponent likely had worse that trips or he would have called so the likelihood is that you have made him feel a whole lot better for making such a good lay down.

You are not there to make your opponents feel good about their game. You want to keep them guessing and try to infuriate them by mixing up your game. Don't show your cards!

Raise / Check Buttons

The raise and check buttons can equally give a huge amount of information away about your hand. Don't use them unless you intend to mislead your opponents. Let's look at an example. You are last to act in a $20-$40 game of Hold'em and you hold pocket aces. You have raised pre flop and have got callers. The flop comes A-K-4 rainbow. You have the following choices in terms of pre-action buttons:

Check / Fold

Check / Call

Raise Any

A little bit of a relief seeing the Ace. You know that you have flopped a huge hand and you also know that you will likely raise any bet that comes your way. You check the pre-raise button which automatically raises any bet when the action get's to you. Observant opponents will realize that you could be sitting on a huge hand as you raised so quickly. They will now know that you were prepared to raise any bet (especially if you weren't first to act - as you didn't know the first player wasn't going to raise), conclude that the hand is not worth playing and stay away from it which will mean that you win less money. Regardless of whether you hit a monster hand or air, take your time - make it look like it isn't an easy decision.

You can however have some fun using these buttons. At times you can use them when you have a weak hand, trying to represent a monster. You do need to be careful - what if the player acting before you goes all in!

Online Poker Secret #3 Game Selection

When you playing online poker for the first time, it is better to just focus on learning how to play the game. Play games you are familiar with, at least until you develop the basic skills. You are not going to be much competition for good players at the game, especially if you lack certain abilities in general as a poker player. If you would like an introduction to the games that are available online, check out ourpoker games section. Alternatively we have a massive selection of easy to understand poker rules which go over the rules of your game and the order of play.

Online Poker Secret #4 - Virtual Chips

Playing with virtual chips can be a tricky one . They don't exist any any form other than on your computer screen as a graphic. Try to compare the two experiences, firstly sitting in a Casino you make a physical exchange, taking cash from your wallet that you got from the ATM, handing over the cash and receiving your playing chips. You will likely then do a quick count to make sure you have been given the right value of chips. While you are at the table watching your stack fall or grow and you are fully aware of the relationship between the chips and the amount of money they represent. You therefore respect your chips and their value. You will also likely base some of your decisions on the amount of chips you have.

Online, this relationship is abstract. You cannot feel the chips, you didn't need to go to the bank, withdraw from an ATM or put your hand in your wallet to get cash. The value of money online can be somewhat hidden, however your virtual chips still represent real money. Many players, especially those fairly new to the scene will find it difficult exercising this control, however it is essential to ensure you maintain control over your game. Virtual or real, money is money. It has the same value whether online or not. so give your chips the same respect. Remember, a loss online has the same value to a loss anywhere else!

Managing your moods

Unlike playing poker in a Brick and Mortar game, you have the perfect opportunity, playing online, to better manage your moods. Playing face to face, when a player sees a chink in your armour you will likely be put to the test. Online, no-one will see any mood swings unless you make it very obvious (typing in the chat box). It is still important to control your moods as a bad mood will mean you aren't playing your a-game, which is what you need to be doing.

This is however only part of it. We talked already about the importance of finding your a-game and some tips in setting up an environment that is conducive to this. If you are in a bad mood, you will not be playing your best game so the best advice i can give you is to stay away from the tables. You have an advantage playing online as you can get up and walk around or shout at the screen and no-one will be the wiser. Don't let your pride get in the way of your bankroll. When you feel like you should get up and leave a game, do it. You will probably never see half the players at the table again so no-one will be the wiser. What's more, leaving a table could be down to anything so don't read anything into it. You're not obliged to play for a second longer than you feel is right.

Take a look at your inner self

Well i have given you some of the key secrets to playing online. You know yourself better than anyone so you're the best person to understand what makes you play well, what angers you and what distracts you. Make a list, write them down and have them somewhere that is visible (maybe next to your PC). Doing this will ensure you play within an environment that helps you play the best poker that your abilities allow. It's often the little things that others overlook that make the difference between profit and loss.