Tips For Internet Poker Players

Just as in Texas Hold’ Em and Omaha, Internet seven-card stud players often act and react differently than they do in the flesh.

Here are some helpful tips for surviving at the virtual tables:

• Be selective, but work their impatience: Many online players enter into far too many hands than necessary.  Be selective about your hands, aggressively attack the weaker players that get involved too often especially in Texas Hold’Em.  By betting high pairs and other strong hands you ancourage players with moderate hands to fall into your trap and increase the pot. In turn this will discourage players with weak hands from seeing a cheap Flop.

• Beware of sequential or suited Flops: Many players play connectors regardless of position and pre-Flop betting actions.  If the Flop comes 5-6-7 or some other sequence, watch out for a straight because it can easily turn your pocket aces into garbage.  Be careful of Flops that contain to or three suited cards, as many online players will hold any two suited cards.

• Study your opponents: Pay close attention to the action when you’re not involved in the hand.  Watch how your opponents act and react during every hand.  How often do they bluff?  Make mental notes about everything they do and use your observations to your advantage.  Online poker rooms normally provide a “notebook” into which you can type your observations and tap into again for later examination.  Use it to record player actions and responses to specific situations, how often they bluff, whether they are weak or tight.

• Bluff: Bluff often, this will keep your opponents guessing about your play.  This prevents them from predicting your play and can lead to larger pots in key hands.

• Consider playing as the opposite sex: In a real room, everyone can see you.  The same can’t be said for a Net poker room and some players male or female take advantage of that.  For a male player by selecting the female avatar you can occassionaly take advantage of the stereotype that women are less aggressive players who are unlikely to bluff.  In contrast, female players selecting the male character can project a more forceful and threatening table image.

Betting

Look for repetitive betting patterns. Some players advertise their hand by always betting the same way with a good hand. With a mediocre hand they may bet a particular way and with a good hand a different way. Also have a look at how long it normally takes before the player place a bet. If a player decided to bluff they decided to bet irrespective of what happens. They may have their chips ready to put in the pot before it’s their turn to place a bet.

If someone is bluffing they normally take their time before they place a bet or call. With Texas Hold’em someone with a good hand comes across as very confident and bet through to the flop. Whilst someone with a mediocre hand will not be as confident. They tend to hesitate, look at their stack deciding whether to bet or not. Hesitation is a a tell-tale sign that the player either has a good hand and doing it on purpose or he has a genuine bad hand.

Strategy

Online poker presents is an entire different kettle of fish. You can’t see the players you’re playing against, therefore there are no tells. However, there are some indications that can give you a clue. Someone who checks very quickly may have a weak hand. They tend to overact and feign the opposite hand to the one they have. They will try too hard to let you believe that they have a poor hand when they actually have a good hand. They will also take their time when it’s their turn to place a bet.

A player who hesitates then checks is likely to have a weak hand. Hesitations followed immediately by a raise indicates strength. Using automatic play means that the player will have a set pattern of play. When the player suddenly change, it indicates that the player could either have a strong hand or that he is bluffing.