Poker is a game of skill

People skills are not needed at online casinos. The reason is obvious. You do not meet the other players face to face. You spend no time looking for tells because you are faced with an immobile avatar that cannot give anything away. Playing poker face to face in a brick and mortar card room is a lot different. You can substitute some of your technical know how with your read of the opposition.

Playing Internet poker requires a substantial technical game.

Luck certainly has something to do with who wins or looses in any gambling game.

Poker is unique in this respect as you have the ability to control your wins and losses with skill.

Lots of people would not put self control in a skill set list but when you play holdem it should be right at the top of the list. If you are going to be successful playing Texas Holdem, in the long run, you are going to have to look at lots and lots of cards that you will quickly muck.

While you are throwing away all these poker hands, some of which would have won, you have to stay focused. This is real hard when you are ahead. You will tend to start bending and then breaking your own rule about what hands you are going to play.

The logic runs through your mind like this, ” I am really playing with their money, so it does not cost me anything to call with this Jack/ Nine off suit just to see.” Unless you are in good position and are thinking about running a bluff then you have lost focus.

Table image

You do not have to worry so much about establishing an image of a tight or loose Holdem player. You simply will not have the time with the way folks blip in and out of Internet card rooms. It is not like the friendly neighborhood game where you have played with the same group of people for years.

Many of the weakest players will never catch a clue as to weather you are a tight player or a bluffer if they sat next to you, in person, for a hundred years. They are far too focused on their own cards to give the people at the poker table more than a passing glance. You will see these types on the Internet. It is this grossly bad play that can’t be hidden. Take their money as fast as you can. They will not be around for long. They are poor poker players and can’t seem to admit it to themselves and are unwilling to do anything that will improve their game.

When you play poker the first thing that you have to do is to be sure and not make any mistakes.

Get and read books about poker. There is no need to buy them. Right in your town is a place called the public library. They will lend you all the books that you need. If you do buy the books be sure and mark it down in your records. It is a cost of playing poker.

Have a plan

When you log onto a Texas Holdem game on the net you should already have a plan in place.

Decide beforehand how tight you are going to play. Decide how much money you are willing to risk. Decide when you are going to quit. You can put an actual clock time on when to quit. You can put a money limit on it. Or best yet, you can set a down limit. That is: How much of what you have won are you willing to give back.

Hone your poker skills

If you are in a game and you are outclassed. Get out. It is hard to admit sometimes but it is necessary to your mental health. You do not want to find out about tilt first hand.

The second thing that you have to do is be ready to capitalize on mistakes other people make.

Do not ever hesitate to take their last chip. Don’t hesitate to put a player tilt if you can. It will effect his play and hopefully add to your bottom line.

For instance if someone at your table hates people who check and then raise, then check/Raise as much as you can.

The people who you play poker with in your friendly game at home are not your friends and relatives when they sit down to the poker table.

It is unfortunate you can’t see, hear, or watch the body language of the people in a game on the net.

Or is it? They can’t see you either. So if you are the type of person who can’t put a bet into the pot without the shaking hands that give away a good cards, online poker is perfect for you. If you are a math wiz and can compute in your head how many outs you have for a hand, any hand, then you have a technical leg up. If you really are not a people person. If you have a certain shy reserve, then you have found a home.

Thousands of people play for real money online everyday.

Play at the fun money tables first to get used to the game. Make the initial deposit small, just to see how things go. In fact at pokerstars you can get the bonus on your first three deposits, so no need for a large first deposit.