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Online Poker Secrets

Welcome to our guide on online poker secrets . There is a well known saying amongst poker players which if having watched WPT or WSOP events live you may well be familiar with. "You can learn how to play poker in 15 minutes. Learning how to play poker well can take a lifetime".

If there is any saying that you remember...this is a pretty good starting point. There are so many hidden online secrets and an array of pitfalls and poker tips that you can learn. A large number of players lose money online because they prefer to rush in and be a part of the action before they have taken the time to learn the game. Ok, but i thought you had to be confident. Absolutely right, but there is a distinct difference between confidence, arrogance and stupidity.

Too many players play without any online strategy which is why they seldom come out on top in the long run. Give online poker respect and it will serve you well. There are online poker secrets to mastering the internet game. The best experience you can gain is playing in live poker tournaments as you will learn how to interact on the table, how to read people, spot fish, understand mannerisms and best of all...how to bluff and get away with it. Online poker requires a different approach to that of playing in Brick and Mortar games (face to face) and learning the secrets as to how to improve your game will only increase your potential to win.

It is difficult to stay away from online poker for the mere convenience, after all you can play it from the comfort of your house, make as much noise as you want.... as you please.

So with online poker on the way up, and more importantly before you commit lots of your hard earned money to the table...let us enlighten you to online poker secrets that will give you an edge over the your opponents at any table. Remember that on top of this you will still need to devise or ready up on poker strategy and devise a strategy that compliments your style of play.

Online Poker Secret # 1 - Preparation

Understanding the differences between online poker and playing live (face to face) is key. First and foremost it is important to understand how your state of mind differs playing online. So before we get to some poker secrets at the table, lets talk about state of mind before you sit down to play. Lets for a moment imagine that you are traveling to a tournament (land based). From the second you step out of your house all the way to the Casino (lets assume) you are mentally preparing for the contest. Even waiting in the lobby, talking to other players you are getting in the frame of mind needed to play your best game. By this time maybe a couple of hours have passed and you have been running plays over in your head, you are ready for the challenge.

So lets now imagine the preparation you undergo before playing online. You make a cup of coffee, switch on the computer....the phone rings, its your mother. You chat whilst your PC loads and then you double click your site icon. The software loads and you login and choose your table....your ready. Now compare the preparation and state of mind between the 2 examples. You only have to look at how likely a scenario this is, to appreciate the difference. Many players do not appreciate that you will only play your best poker when your mind is in the state to do so. Go for a walk around the block, have 10 min's quiet time.....disconnect the phone. Maybe all this seems too much....if you think so you have just uncovered the first major difference in mentality that you will need to adopt to become a force to be reckoned with.

Settings and surroundings whilst playing online poker

Next to preparation, you should ensure that everything is set up to ensure distractions are kept to a minimum. Do you want to hear the noise of virtual chips going into each pot? Well how about a virtual voice adding commentary to your games? Do these things distract you? Over time you will develop your own set of preferences....that is why they are called preferences and everyone is different when it comes to what makes them comfortable. What i would suggest is that you experiment with the settings and see which settings you prefer. Don't assume that you like the sound on or off...try it both ways.

Likewise most of the top poker rooms offer a chat box, a small window in which you or other players can chat to other players on the table. Most of the chat is limited to abbreviations like "nh" (nice hand) "ty " (thank you) or "yw" (your welcome) - and a few less polite ones but i won't go into that here.

Some players will use this chat box do induce bad play (tilt) as their strategy (pretty lame but sometimes very effective. It is therefore a good idea to turn this option off to avoid the possibility of distraction.

Another key area to be aware of is that your computer is most probably located in a room common with many other activities that you undertake in that room on a day to day basis. Try (if possible) to move your PC or Laptop to an area that is associated with the least distractions that you can achieve. The common player does not put any thought into these distractions, but recognize that playing with distractions will not induce your best game. No distractions is key to having a winning frame of mind.

Online Secret 2 - At the table Pre-action buttons

Some pre-action buttons concern general choices about the way that you play. Don't play down the importance of these buttons or the story on table that they tell about the cards that you have in your hand.

Muck Buttons

For instance...you have the option to muck lost or losing hands. Many players don't use these and show some hands. If you play a hand to the river, don't win and end up showing players that they went to the river with poor cards you will be attracting unwanted attention from the observant players on the table and you will lose respect. Good players play to the river when the outs justify the call (or raise). If you show your cards and the outs do not justify the call or raise you will only look like a a bad player and you will get called in situations where you are trying to bluff pots. The ONLY way to avoid this....never show your cards.

Similarly never show that you bluff all the time (by showing your 2-3 off suit). This does you no justice. Having won the hand you commanded respect....show your 2 3 and all that was in vein. Should a player on your table ask you to show, don't. You are under no obligation to show your cards. This will add to the anxiety of your opponent which is a good thing. Players who have been pushed about and lost a few pots that they thought they would win sometimes start betting irrationally (tilt) which means you will have the chance to induce them into more pots where you have the best hand. Imagine you hit your trips on the flop and you bet heavily all the way, your opponent calling you to the river. You force one final bet and your opponent folds. Your opponent now doesn't know whether he has been bluffed or not. You show your trip Queens. Your opponent now feels better as he knows he made the right decision. You have just boosted his confidence as he now thinks he has razor sharp abilities to read the situation. Nice one..or not. If you had not shown your have instilled some doubt in your opponents mind and he will not be happy. It is this mental state that indices tilt. Don't show your cards!

Raise / Check Buttons

Do not use these buttons. They potentially give a lot away about your hand. Lets say your last to act in a $20-$40 Texas Holdem game and you hold pocket aces. You have raised pre flop and gotten 4 callers. The flop comes AK4. You have the following choices in terms of pre-action buttons:

You know that you have flopped a huge hand and you also know that you will likely raise any bet that comes your way. Lets assume that in this instance you check the pre-raise button which will automatically raise any bet as soon as it is your turn. Observant opponents will realize that you could be sitting on a huge hand as you raised so quickly. They will now know that were likely prepared to raise any bet, conclude that the hand is not worth playing and stay away from it which will mean that you win less money. You can also use this to your advantage as you could use this same strategy when you have nothing.

Online Poker Secret #3 Play Games you are Familiar With

When you playing online poker for the first time, it is better to just focus on learning how to play. Don't get arrogant and play games that you are not familiar with. Remember that there are players you will come across at the table that play that game as their chosen game. If you don't know how to play well you will not be offering up much competition.

If you would like an introduction to all the different online poker games, read our listings of all poker rules.

Compare Poker Rooms for Online Poker Games

Online Poker Secret #4 - Virtual Chips

The problem with virtual chips is, well they are virtual. They don't exist any any form other than on your computer screen as a graphic. Try to compare the two experiences, firstly sitting in a Casino you make a physical exchange, taking cash from your wallet, handing over cash and getting chips in return. While you are sitting at the table watching your stack fall or grow, you are fully aware of the relationship between the chips and money....well the chips are money! You therefore respect your chips, their value which in turn you base some of your decisions on this respect.

Online, this relationship is abstract. You cannot feel the chips, you didn't need to go to the bank, withdraw from an ATM or put your hand in your wallet to get cash but should you not therefore respect the relationship just as you would in the real world? Many players, especially those fairly new to the scene will find it difficult exercising this control.

Again, good poker players know very well the relationship and respect their virtual chips as if they were cash. You need to do this too.

Mood Management is the Key

Unlike playing poker in a Brick and Mortar game you have the perfect opportunity, playing online, to better manage your moods. Playing face to face when a player sees a chink in your armour...you will be put to the test. Online no-one will see any mood swings but it is still important to control as it will affect the way that you play.

This is only part of it. If you are in a bad mood...stay away from the tables as you will likely lose. You have an advantage playing online as you can get up and walk around (without everyone seeing and knowing that it is getting to you). Don't let your pride get in the way of your bankroll. When you feel like you should get up and leave a game, do it.

Know Yourself

Well we have given you some secrets to playing online. You must try to understand yourself, when you play well, what angers you, what disrupts your play, understand your strengths. Even make a list, write them down and have them somewhere that is visible (maybe next to your PC). If you can do this you can then set yourself to play within an environment that helps you play the best poker that your abilities allow. Understand that most Poker players lose online (in the long run). Set yourself apart from the rest....its often the little things that others overlook that makes the difference between winning and losing.

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