iCrowdNewswire Jan 29, 2021 9:14 AM ET
So, you love online poker but you never seem to win? You’re not alone. Poker is a game of skill. If you have the skills, you can win tournaments and make a lot of money. If you’re not good enough, you’ll constantly be the “sucker” in poker tables.
Poker experts love “suckers” because that’s how they make their money. So, unless you enjoy being the weakest player in a poker table, work on your skills. Consider these seven tips to become a better online poker player.
#1: Become an Aggressive Player
There’s a golden rule in online poker. Play fewer hands but play them aggressively. Don’t worry about survival—staying at a tournament to the last minute. If you receive cards showing potential, play them aggressively. You’ll win money in the process—cash you can use to survive in the latter stages of a game.
Many poker players hate aggressive opponents. But this can work to your advantage. They can’t be sure whether you have a pair of Aces or a speculative hand of 5 hearts and 5 spades. And as a result, you can bluff more effectively and win even when you don’t have the best hand around.
#2: Bluff Wisely
Bluffing is a great way to scare cautious players. But it doesn’t always work, not especially online. Many novice players respond to bluffs by raising their bets constantly. While this can make you great profits when you have the right hands, it can backfire if you have a terrible hand.
In light of that information, bluff only when your cards show signs of leading to a strong hand, say a straight or full house. That way, your bluffs will be helpful because you’ll emerge the winner even though your initial plan was to scare your opponents.
#3: Join a Poker Community
Poker communities exist for a reason. You can make friends, learn about interesting tournaments, and get free learning material. The last point is particularly helpful for someone who wants to improve their skills. The best poker schools and learning institutions can be expensive.
Some of them even charge you to join their exclusive clubs. That’s despite the fact that they teach things you can learn through a free online forum like the international Poker-Community YourPokerDream. This website brings poker loves together on a website through which they can discover poker bonuses and get access to a free poker school.
#4: Practice Often
In this age of free to play poker apps, you have no reason not to practice playing poker. Even the big shot websites like Poker Stars and Full Tilt poker feature platforms to play Texas Hold’em and other variations of the game free of charge.
Look for a website or app with a decent community. That way, you can play your favorite poker variations with real people and bots. Of course, look for a site where players are matched with opponents who have the same levels of skill.
Playing poker with sharks is great. But it can be discouraging when you do your best and can’t seem to win. Likewise, it doesn’t help to play with novices all the time. It’s better to play against people with equal skills. And once you improve, level-up to test your skills against more experienced players.
#5: Specialize
Want to become a Texas Hold’em expert? Dedicate more time to the game. Sure, many poker fans know more than one game type. But they don’t try to become experts in all of them. It’s okay to play a blend of different games to understand their rules and gauge whether they interest you.
But once you have a clue how Razz, HORSE, Omaha, Texas Hold’em, Card-draw and Caribbean Poker works, choose one poker type and invest your time and money in becoming an expert at it. Texas Hold’em is the most popular variant.
So, if you want to play the poker game with the most fans, frequent tournaments and huge prize pools, Texas Hold’em is the one. It’s easy to learn but perfecting it takes, weeks, months or years. And even then, getting to the point where you beat experts during international events requires a legendary level of skills.
#6: Learn to be Patient
If you intend to participate in poker tournaments, be prepared to play poker for long hours. This might not be a problem if you’re a full-time player who can always sleep during the day. But if you have plenty of things to do during the day, you might be tempted to quit tournaments.
So, eat healthy, exercise and socialize with friend when you have the time. When it’s time to play poker, take your time and give your opponents the chance to make moves at their own moves. Naturally, this also means staying alert. You don’t want to doze off or get distracted in the middle of games.
#7: Play in an Ideal Environment
Becoming a consistent poker winner in 2021 will take more than regular classes and practice. Sometimes it comes down to your environment. If you constantly get backs and eyestrains because your chair and monitors are not up to standard, then you’ll lose unnecessarily.
Create a workstation with an ergonomic chair, an office table and a fast, reliable computer. Ensure you have access to reliable Internet too. It makes a difference when playing live poker. That said, eliminate all other unnecessary distractions, from social media to booze.
#8: Follow a Schedule and Budget
A schedule helps you manage your life—your poker-playing job, home chores and social life. Without it, you risk spending too much playing poker. And if you don’t have a budget, you could easily overspend your money.
Create a schedule to determine when you’ll participate in tournaments and what to do when not playing poker. Budget your money such that you pay bills first and use what’s left for gaming. Vitally, budget your bankroll to run you the entire month. When you make profits, pay bills in advance, invest and only increase your bankroll after you meet your goals.
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