The first lesson in online poker strategy is to understand
that the game of poker is a battle. Therefore, just like
a General in an army needs a strategy to win the battle,
a poker player needs a poker
strategy to win the poker battle! The quicker you learn
that poker is a game of skill and not of luck the faster
you will become a better poker player. But please don't
misunderstand me, it never hurts to have luck on your side!
Besides having a strategy it is good to have a rakeback deal in place. No matter if you win or lose you will receive every month part of your paid rake back to your poker account. Furthermore, please note that an online poker strategy can
be different from a real-life poker strategy, however, the
fundamentals are all the same. If you ever decide to play in the world series of poker its important you learn tournament strategy as well. 888poker is a great place to practice your poker strategy and skills.
The first strategy
lesson is to spot the response time. The first Response
speed can be a major tell when playing against inexperienced
or low-limit players. Advanced or higher-limit players will
seldom give off many of these tells
unless they are intentionally trying to throw you off, however,
it is still worthwhile to incorporate the following tells
into your overall strategy:
Long pause, follow by a raise:
This is one of the more common tells
in online poker.
Most of the time this action occurs when there is a possibility
of a big hand on the table, perhaps a flush or a straight.
When a player pauses and then raises it usually indicates
that they worry they've been beaten, but are hesitantly raising
to counter a possible bluff. But be careful, they could be
using the poker strategy of "slow playing". More specifically
they want you to think they have a bad hand so you will bet
first, then they will re-raise you to make the pot even bigger.
Instant or automatic raise:
When it is clear that a player has checked the "bet/raise
any" button you should definitely approach with caution. Usually
this action signifies a strong hand because the player is
very confident, and wants to exploit it to the best he can.
Occasionally this could be used as a bluffing technique but
more often than not, it indicates a strong hand. Take caution!
Again, the lesson to be learned here is if you have a decent
hand as does your opponents, you can use this strategy to
bluff your way into having a strong poker hand.
Instant / automatic checking:
This action is usually indicative of a weak hand because most
players will not go to the trouble of clicking on auto-check
if they are planning on coming back to check-raise you. If
you're in a smaller field and its auto checked to you,
if you lead out with a quick bet you may have an easy opportunity
to take down the pot right there.
Fast calls to your bet:
Another poker strategy that is often used in the online poker
world is when someone is chasing you or has a weak to moderate
hand they'll call immediately to try to prevent you from betting
the next round, as they're trying to indicate they're going
to call you down to the river. Their strategy is to coerce
you from betting all the way to the river because they'd like
to see it for cheap. If they had a stronger hand they'd be
raising you or check-raising you instead. In this situation
you should continue to bet if you've got a strong hand. This
is also a good opportunity for a player with a weaker hand
to bluff.
In high-limit games or against experienced opponents calling
down fast is actually quite a common strategy. Also, some
players tend to act fast whatever hand they are playing or
bluff they are attempting. Use your best judgment when figuring
which player is calling because he's weak or trying to draw
on you.
Avoiding Showing "Tells" Yourself:
One of the best ways to avoid giving off tells yourself is
to use an equal amount of time before making any action. If
you use a consistent amount of time before any action you're
limiting the ability of your opponents to read your hand and
develop a model of your playing style. Try counting to 7 every
time you make a decision, regardless of what your decision
is. One exception is if you're planning on folding when it
is acceptable to use auto-fold. If you would like to read
more on Poker Tells please read our recommended book Click Here
.
Small bets in a no-limit poker game:
Many people are unfamiliar with no-limit games because in
land-based casinos they are usually reserved for high rollers
and high-stakes players. During no-limit online games it becomes
apparent that your opponent has a weak hand when they bet
without adjusting the slider bar. More often than not this
person has a weak hand or a low pair. This tactic is used
when a player bets because he wants others to think he has
a good hand so he can scoop the pot with a small bet but is
not confident enough in his own hand to make a big bet. If
it comes down to a duel this is a great time to check-raise
and steal the pot (its even worth a bluff).
Experience strategy tips for No-Limit Hold'em poker games at William Hill Poker. In no limit players don't have any limitations on the amount that they can bet. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned player, William Hill got a table for you.
Massive all-in bets compared with actual pot value:
In pretty much every scenario it is best to fold in a situation
where an opponent is making huge all-in bets. This style of
play is usually reserved for very weak players. A weak-tight
player will make this sort of bet as soon as they have a AA
or KK without taking the actual size of the pot into consideration.
A weak-loose player will make this kind of bet as soon as
they have any pocket pair. Some experienced players might
occasionally make this move but only if they have a really
strong hand and are playing extremely fierce action. In any
case, it is best to fold if someone uses this poker strategy
against you. If a player is constantly going all-in you can
be patient and wait until you have a strong hand and call
him if you think you're in a good position to go heads-up.
Don't be tricky in low-limit games:
It is almost entirely ineffective to attempt any creative
move in an online
poker low-limit table game. Against opponents who are
willing to call you down, bluffing and other creative poker
strategies will likely provide few benefits. In these low-limit
games you will often see a showdown with low pairs, or even
an ace high meaning if you don't have at least a moderately
strong hand you can risk being beat out. Players at low-limit
tables very seldom flop, often it is more worthwhile to stay
in the game so always take that into consideration if you
are thinking about bluffing a very weak hand. The best defense
against tricky players in low limit games is to check-call
questionable hands.
Now that you have become familiar with certain types of poker
strategies check out our "poker
tips" page where you can learn some valuable poker tips
from experienced online poker players!!
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