Introduction
Poker is an extremely popular game that anyone can pick up with a bit of learning. If you’re starting to dip your toes into online poker, it may appear intimidating and you’re not sure what to look out for. After all, poker can be picked up quickly but it can take years to master it fully.
With this learning curve in mind, we have curated a few points and strategies that can help a new player get their bearings or even a returning player who needs a refresher. By applying these tips at the right time and observing the flow of the game, you would gain a greater understanding of what is going on and how to take advantage of it. Plus, it’ll make the game more fun to play as well! After reading this article, you should also check out the link if you want to play at Aussie poker sites for real money.
Know What Game You’re Playing
Poker comes in quite a few forms, so it is important to know what style of poker you are playing. After all, a strategy may work in one style but not another! Oftentimes, the style of poker being played depends on the geographical location. With online poker, however, this is slightly different. In online poker, the most common and popular form of poker is Texas Hold’em, and you will find yourself playing this version online more often than others.
So how does Hold’em play? At the beginning of the hand, every player at the table will get two cards faced down, followed by a round of betting before the flop. The flop is the first three cards dealt face-up (also known as community cards) which are shared among the players. This is then followed by a round of betting and the fourth card (known as the ‘turn’ or ‘fourth street). There will then be another series of bets before the fifth card (called the ‘river’) is laid. The goal is to get the best 5-card hand using your hole cards and the community cards.
The Start Is The Most Important
It is vital that you heavily consider your starting hand. Not all hands are made equal, and you need to reign in your excitement and sometimes let others have fun. The goal is to not lose money on a hand that sets you back.
Choose to pass on a marginal hand and play harder if you get a monster hand. In the late position, use some premium hands and fold preflop on meager hands.
Don’t Be Timid When You’re Lucky
Sometimes, you will get a really good hand. The goal for us is to filter out the bad hands and play the good hands and play them hard. We also recommend throwing a curve ball to other players and bet a little harder occasionally when you’re dealt a slightly weaker hand, like a small pair or suited connector. We don’t want other players to know just how good of a hand we got, which incentivizes them to bet a little more and gets you a little extra when you win with a good hand.
To Bluff Or Not To Bluff
We already touched a bit on bluffing earlier, when we talked about being a bit aggressive on lesser hands. More experienced players know how to take advantage of bluffing in order to get players, who may have better hands, to fold. The most basic way to bluff is the c-bet strategy. You make a bet on the flop after you led the betting preflop. This will give the impression to other players that you are extremely confident in your hand. The bet doesn’t have to be made with a particularly strong hand, either. The point is to build a persona that you are aggressive to mask your made hands. This becomes very important when another player may think you’re trying to just intimidate them when you had a weaker hand (which they have observed before) and would bet higher, while you actually have a good hand.
However, it is important to know when to bluff. Bluffing requires you to put in a substantial amount of chips every round of betting in order to maintain the bluff. This will cause you to lose chips more quickly. Don’t bluff with marginal hands too often, and instead opt for some semi-bluffs, instead. This is when you get a hand that has the chance of being good.
There’s No Shame In Folding
Especially in online poker, where the hands are dealt out quickly, it can be difficult to fold sometimes. This can be the case especially when you’ve had a string of bad hands and you finally got a decent one. But don’t be tempted just because you got a middle hand, as you need to look out for what other players are doing too. If a player who’s been playing tight decides to fold a good hand, then you should also consider folding as well. What’s more important in poker in the long term, not the short-term game itself. Only play your cards when you’re confident, and the better option is to fold when you’re unsure about raising.
Know Where You Sit
There are turns in poker, and where you are on the table very much changes how you want to play and respond to certain scenarios. If you’re the first to act, you will likely be facing a raise or re-raise. In late positions, you will be the last to act and would have a better idea of the actions of other players. Change how aggressive you are on pre and post-flop depending on your position.
Conclusion
Online poker is designed to make you feel more compelled to be impulsive and irrational with your bets and hands by making you feel frustrated with weak hands. It’s important to play prudently and watch the game, and play your hands only when you’re confident about it winning. Don’t be afraid to use bluffing to your advantage and to confuse other players on how you actually play. The most important thing is to be aware of your bankroll and play within your means. Even if you have a lot of money to play with, start with smaller games first to develop your skills before you move up.
