Improving Your Online Poker Game

Online poker is becoming more popular all the time. Since it is possible for people from all around the globe to now play against one another, the interest in online poker playing is ever increasing. It is, however, different from playing live games because you are not actually face-to-face with your opponents. You do not have the ability to spot things such as poker tells that you would normally see inn a live game.

Things such as facial expressions and hand gestures just aren’t visible. There are, however, online poker tells you may spot, such as reaction time and response time. Because of the way it is played, the strategy can be somewhat different with online poker than it is for a live game. Below are a few tips that will help you improve your online game.

Mix up your play. Once you master the fundamentals of a particular variant, it’s very easy because the concepts remain the same. The rules and strategies may vary with each poker variant, but the objective is the same. It’s often easy to lapse into mechanical play, especially when playing online. Even though many online games are equipped with the sound effects, graphics, and other aspects of the game you would find in a casino game that stimulate your playing, often times people playing in their home are in a comfortable environment which doesn’t always stimulate in the same manner. This can lead to your just playing by the book. Should you find yourself in this situation, failing to notice the tendencies of the players to your immediate right and left, or making moves without figuring out what you are trying to accomplish, work a little harder at mixing it up. Take bigger risks and don’t be afraid to implement new strategies.

Limpin’ ain’t easy. Though this can apply to both live and online play, it is most often seen in online games. Don’t limp when you are the first to enter a pot. The logic here is that since you have no money involved in the pot, you lose nothing if you fold. So, if you are going to call, you should have a hand that is expected to earn money.

Online tells. When playing poker, as mentioned above, most tells have to do with betting speed, since you do not have the advantage of watching the physical characteristics of your opponents. The dramatic pause is one of the easiest to catch. In most cases, a bet preceded by an extended pause can indicate strength from a player trying to project weakness. On the flip side, a check preceded by an extended pause is likely to indicate weakness from a player trying to project his or her strength or that he or she is strong enough to at least consider betting, while most likely the player is just trying to catch a free card.