Poker is one of the few games you can play that requires a bit more skill and organisation in order to be good at it. Most casino games rely on luck alone to play and to win, but online poker is different as it is as much to do with skill as it is luck.
There are a few different strategies you can take when you play poker online to maximise your chances of doing well. We’re going to take you through a few of them to help guide you along.
Top tips for playing online poker
- Choose the hand you start with carefully
There is a temptation to play every hand when you’re new to poker, but your best bet is better to play only the strong hands. Weak hands are more likely to lose you money than win.
To start off with, choose strong hands at the start and fold on the weak hands. Look out for the best starting hands which are pocket aces (A-A) and kings (K-K). These hands are going to be strong even if you’re the first in the game to play.
By sticking with the good hands, you can play better and are more likely to have a chance of winning!
- Learn the poker math
Getting to grips with the basics is imperative to playing poker well. While a lot of poker is about luck, it relies a lot on careful decision and understanding probability. In Texas Hold 'Em, you need to know the odds, as these are chances of getting a winning hand.
Before you play, take your time getting to learn how to calculate the odds of making a good hand. Once you understand the basics, you’ll be able to make better decisions based on the cold hard facts rather than just guessing and going off your gut feeling.
- Look for the patterns in the game
Your first cards are the ones that are going to tell you how the game is going to go. Looking for patterns between the games you win and the games you lose are going to help you understand the game better and quicker. You’re going to have to take some losses in order to do this, but these will help you in the long run.
You’ve also got to look at the patterns in the way your opponents play. Even if you’re playing online, you can observe your opponent’s betting style which can give you clues about their cards. This is a skill that takes time to get but it’s worth building it in when you start.
Look at how players bet in each round, especially at the beginning and look at how they play after a loss too. This can help you build a picture of what their next move might be..
- Learn how to bluff
Learning to bluff is a great way to make sure your opponents never know your next move. You can get other people to fold, even if they’re doing well, if you’re able to bluff.
You want to play a game of smoke and mirrors with your opponents and make them uneasy. The less they know about how you’re playing the game, the better. This will mean you’ll be able to get bad cards past them and make sure you win on the good cards.
- Play low stakes at first
When you’re starting out, the best thing to do is play low stakes. You’re going to need to get a few losses in at the start in order to learn and it’s never fun to lose a lot of money. You’re going to need to get your losses in to figure out what kind of player you’re going to be but there’s no need to be silly about it.
- Choose your stakes well
This might seem like a small tip but choosing your stakes wisely is very crucial. Being a winner is not going to work unless you have your bankroll under control. So make sure you’re playing within limits that you can afford and avoid any limits where there’s a higher chance of losing money.
- Don't play too many hands
It’s easy to get over excited and play too many hands at the start too. Of course, you want to be making sure you’re playing and learning, but don’t overdo it. You can still play a fair few games while you’re starting out but do make sure you’re being selective with your poker hands.
- Don’t bluff too much
We have already gone through why bluffing is important but it’s also good to note that you can bluff too much. The best way to do it is to bluff occasionally but also to bluff strategically. Don’t be doing it when it’s obvious you’re going to get caught. You want to be working with illusions, not absolutes.
Now you’ve got some great poker tips, all you have to do now is play!
