Although it is true that anyone can play cash games — including playing poker online — all online players should be well equipped before making their way to the table. In an effort to get you geared for the rollercoaster that is online poker, we at the EnergyCasino Blog have decided to lay out the best online poker strategy tips we could find.
Broken down into digestible sizes, these online poker tips are sure to get you up and running regardless of where your experience level lies. Whether you’re a poker veteran or a completely new poker player, read up on each poker tip below to get this adventurous show on the road!
WHAT ARE THE RULES OF ONLINE POKER?
Playing online poker can seem extremely complicated to someone who is yet to play poker. In fact, this is precisely why it is recommended to nail down the basics of poker before attempting to play online poker.
Poker has many variants, but for the purpose of this explanation, we’ll stick to the most popular one: Texas hold’em. In this variant, poker players must aim to form the best hand using the two cards dealt to them as well as the five community cards.
Here’s where things get somewhat tricky for beginners: a specific combination of cards is needed to form the different poker hands. Have a look at the traditional poker hand rankings below (listed from strongest to weakest) and how they can be made.
- Royal Flush — Consisting of the five consecutive cards A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit, a royal flush is the best poker hand. A royal flush beats all the other hands, and it can only tie with another royal flush.
- Straight Flush — consisting of five consecutive cards of the same suit — is the second-best hand. A straight flush beats all the other hands except for a royal flush and a higher straight flush.
- Four Of A Kind — also referred to as quads, features four cards of the same rank, such as four nines. This hand beats all the other hands, except for a royal flush, a straight flush or another four of a kind of a better rank. For example, a four of a kind made up of four jacks will beat another four of a kind made up of four nines.
- Full house — is made up of a three of a kind combined with a pair of a different rank. For example, three eights and two aces would make a full house. Only a royal flush, a straight flush and a four of a kind can beat a full house. If two players have a full house, the one with the highest card rankings will win. The best way to make a full house is when a pocket pair is dealt. Pocket pairs complement a full house pretty well, since other players won’t stand the same chance of making an identical full house that way.
- Flush — consists of five cards of the same suit, but they must not be consecutive cards. For example, 10, eight, five, three and two of diamonds would make a flush. Although desirable, a flush is far from the most powerful hand in the game since it can be beaten by a royal flush, a straight flush, a four of a kind and a full house. Having said that, a flush can beat a straight, a three of a kind, a two pair, a pair and a high card.
- Straight — consists of five consecutive cards of different suits. For example, a K-Q-J-10-9 of different suits would make a straight flush. Should they be of the same suit, those cards would make a straight flush. Straights beat a three of a kind, a two pair, a pair and a high card. A straight of a higher rank or any hand better than that will beat a straight. You might come across the phrase ‘Broadway straight’, which refers to the best possible straight hand of 10 through ace.
- Three Of A Kind — three cards of the same rank are required to make a three of a kind, which only beats three other hands: a two pair, a pair and a high card.
- Two Pairs — a two pair consists of one pair of the same rank and another pair of another rank. For example, two jacks and two queens. A two pair beats any one pair as well as high cards.
- One Pair — A pair simply consists of two cards of the same rank, such as two queens. A one pair beats a high card and, at most, a one pair of a lower rank.
- High Card — a high card is the worst hand possible. It is made up of five cards that don’t form any of the hands listed above. A high card won’t beat any made hands except for another high card of a lower rank.
WHAT HAPPENS IN CASE OF A DRAW IN POKER?
Draws — known as ‘ties’ in poker — can be quite frequent in this card game, so it’s important to know what happens in the event that your hand ties.
In poker, ties are settled by what are known as kickers or high cards. The kicker refers to the cards in a hand that don’t contribute to the made hand. For example, A-A-10-J-5 and A-A-10-6-3 feature one pair of aces. The rest of the cards are the tie-breakers, that is, the kickers. In this case, the former hand wins since its kicker (J) beats the other hand’s kicker (6).
If the high card is the same for both hands, the subsequent high card would then be the kicker. For example, in a showdown between A-A-10-J-5 and A-A-10-6-3 the kicker wouldn’t be the Jack since both hands feature it. The kicker would therefore be the best-ranking card after that, which would see the former hand win thanks to its kicker (J) that beats the other hand’s kicker (6).
In cases when all kickers are identical, the hands are considered full ties. Should this happen, the pot would be split in equal value. This tends to happen when players’ poker hands are made up of five cards, since there are fewer kickers to act as tie-breakers. On the other hand, kickers are more abundant when it comes to a one pair or a three of a kind.
BEST TIPS AND STRATEGIES FOR ONLINE POKER
What separates recreational players from professional poker players is the fact that the latter are always looking to step up their game. Whether it is reading about poker or watching your favourite poker player playing live games, we really recommend keeping your finger on the pulse of this amazing card game if you truly wish to improve. To help you step up your game, we’ve decided to cover some poker tips and strategies that, while not promising to make you a profitable poker player, can definitely help you in your goal to become a professional poker player.
1) AGGRESSIVE PLAY IS SOMETIMES THE KEY
Whether it is a cash game or a poker tournament, playing aggressive is sometimes the only way to make the most out of both premium hands and medium-to-weak hands. Slow playing a monster hand is usually done by weaker players who aren’t comfortable betting aggressively, and this almost always results in a waste of potential.
When dealt a strong hand, feel free to use aggressive actions — even a continuation bet or two. It doesn’t matter whether other players fold or not, since your goal when being dealt a good hand is to make the most out of it.
If you’re going toe to toe with a weak player who tends to fold regularly, you might be able to play aggressively with simple pair hands or suited connectors.
2) ESTABLISH A HAND RANGE AND STICK TO IT
What we mean by the phrase ‘hand range’ is the range of possible hands to bet on and pursue in later streets. In high-stakes games and online poker tournaments, players tend to widen their hand range as much as possible in order to rack up enough chips to survive the bubble.
In lower-stakes poker games, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to restrict your hand range (also known as playing tight). A tight player restricts their betting to great hands only, while folding the rest. This way, the chances of taking home a great pot are amplified as long as the hand is played correctly.
Do know that playing tight can become frustrating if you keep losing out to better hands, thus resulting in your widening your hand range to try and compensate for lost hands. The gist of our advice is to stick to your established hand range and ignore temptations to play loose.
3) TRY RE-RAISING PREFLOP WITH PREMIUM HANDS
A poker tip that can help you make the most out of your strong hands is to re-raise preflop. Forget a standard raise! If your hand is truly one to behold, make sure to get the most out of it by sweetening the pot preflop. Granted, some players will fold but the rest will indeed contribute to the pot and make things interesting. In low-stakes games, re-raising preflop can be the way to sweeten the pot.
Some players might argue that re-raising must be done most of the time, even when your hand isn’t that strong. We are quite ambivalent about this stance, since this would mean investing more in a pot that you might not have a chance to win at all. On the flip side, this could help you win a greater pot if things go your way. The best way to find out what works for you is to toy around with both strategies and evaluate your success.
4) NOT CONFIDENT WITH YOUR HAND? FOLD
Pocket aces or not, don’t hesitate to fold if the bet sizes aren’t something you’re comfortable with. If the number of chips at stake may threaten your budget, feel free to fold without regretting it. Living to fight another day can help you survive longer in both normal poker games and poker tournaments.
On a similar note, folding weak hands can be quite boring, but it doesn’t mean that you should start playing hands to fend off boredom. The great thing about a traditional poker game is that a good hand can be right around the corner — given that a huge number of hands are dealt per hour — so don’t waste your time and money pursuing a poor hand. Start folding poor hands, if you don’t already — your bankroll will thank you for it.
5) ESTABLISH A GAMBLING BUDGET AND STICK TO IT
Speaking of your bankroll, the best poker strategy you could ever choose to employ is to never play poker without a gambling budget. In truth, this isn’t just a poker strategy; playing with bankroll management must always be done when playing any cash game out there.
Before looking to play cash games, you should have an accurate idea of the size of your budget, and you should stick to it no matter what the result of your betting is. When playing online poker, it isn’t a good idea to constantly look to make a profit. You are better off establishing a budget and stretching your bankroll as much as possible while learning about the game.
One of the most common poker mistakes out there is throwing budget management out of the window and betting all your money in one final attempt to recoup past losses. This is a very bad idea and it often ends up losing more money that what you started with.
6) DON’T FEEL LIKE PLAYING POKER? SKIP IT
Most online poker players tend to play even when they aren’t in the mood to do so, and this can make for quite a bad ending to their playing session. Forcing your way onto a poker table after a bad day is rarely a good idea, since you’ll be tempted to play aggressively regardless of whether the situation calls for it. This will inevitably lead to your bankroll paying a very hefty and avoidable price.
Before looking to play a poker game, we would advise making a status check to see where you’re at emotionally. Are you still tilted about yesterday’s bad beat? Are you finding it hard to separate frustrating life events from poker games? In both cases, we would advise against playing. Do not disregard your mental game, since your performance at the table will take a dive if you do!
Do not forget that poker should be a recreational activity, and if it doesn’t feel that way at any point in time, we recommend taking a break until you’re up for it again. All the best poker players in the world take breaks, so why shouldn’t you do the same when your poker batteries need recharging? In any case, all online poker games will still be there tomorrow, so there’s no harm in taking a break and picking them up when you’re back at your best.
7) LEARN AND ADOPT A POKER TOURNAMENT STRATEGY
Here’s one for tournament players: adopt a poker tournament strategy! What works at a standard online poker table will not necessarily work in both low-stakes poker tournaments and high-stakes ones, and assuming otherwise is a huge mistake.
Winning online poker tournaments hinges upon the wins accumulated throughout the early stages of the competition, whereas the winner of a standard poker game simply requires to put their great hands to the best use. As we’ve mentioned above, building up a decent chip stack during the primary stages of a tournament is the go-to strategy, since this would go on to serve you well during the more delicate stages of the competition. The bubble is when things get remarkably delicate, and a loss of money during that stage can mean the end of your presence at the tournament.
Avoid that fate by starting off with a bang. Do not slow-play your hands during the primary stages of a tournament and try not to pass up good opportunities to build what will eventually be your lifeline. Instead of chasing a good win rate, aim to land wins of maximum value that can serve you well during the bubble.
8) AVOID LIMPING
Generally speaking, a real poker pro will avoid limping at all costs — sometimes even folding a considerably good hand if stuck in a bad position. Limping — that is, calling the big blind preflop — is generally not recommended unless your hand is exceptionally strong. Being the first player to invest in the pot voluntarily isn’t a great position, since the other players acting after you are free to re-raise and take the pot for themselves.
The premise of this poker tip is that having a player act after you is a great disadvantage, since you’re ultimately at their mercy to check or call your bet. Should they opt for raising instead, they will place every other player in the position of either calling or folding. Over-limping is considered much more advantageous than just limping. Over-limping simply refers to the act of playing after a player has limped. Seeing as multiple players have acted before you in this situation, you’re free to act aggressively and steal the pot preflop, granted that no other players have a strong enough hand to call.
In any case, the bottom line is that each poker strategy has its strengths and flaws, so it is ultimately a matter of evaluating the situation at hand and making the best decision possible. Our advice is to fold medium-to-weak hands when in an early position, since you’ll quickly find yourself in a pickle should the players acting after you bet or raise.
9) SNIFFING A WEAK HAND? USE VALUE BETS
A value bet is a betting strategy some players use to either sweeten the pot or flush out other players from the pot. It is a great tool to discover whether your opponents are holding a weak hand or a relatively good one. In cases where players don’t have a good hand but keep checking, their goal is to reach the showdown with as few chips invested in the pot as possible. In such cases, if any players place a bet of substantial value, they would be able to fold without making a dent in their chips.
If your opponents seem reluctant to place bets, you could capitalise on their passive play by playing aggressively, even if you have air. Known as bluffing, this tactic is said to work pretty well if your tell is correct. The flip side to this would be that your opponent is slow-playing their hand, which could end up badly for you if you’ve got nothing but air.
In the face of a value bet, players who have been checking through every street will not be very keen on calling your bet, especially if it’s a large one. With that said, this isn’t always the case since there is always an element of risk when playing poker.
10) PLAY POKER IN THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT
There are many things that separate recreational players from winning poker players. The most glaring difference between the two is their commitment to learning and practising. Players in the poker community who want to improve their game tend to not only play online poker consistently, but also do so in a distraction-free zone.
Don’t get us wrong: there’s absolutely nothing wrong with playing poker recreationally. With that said, try adopting any of the 10 strategy tips we’ve mentioned in this post if you want to take your game to the next level!
Moreover, pay attention to the online poker sites with which you create a poker account. We recommend going after licensed and certified online poker sites, since that helps mitigate the possibility that said the site might be shady. Licences from the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), the United Kingdom Gambling Authority (UKGC) or Curacao are three of the most esteemed gaming authorities out there, which usually means that they are safe and legitimate. Casinos without any licences or certifications stand a good chance of being scams, where their main goal is to make you lose as much money as possible and obtain your personal information in the process.
Last but not least, avoid installing poker software in an effort to improve your poker skills. Some argue that installing advanced programs meant to track your decision-making is the key to becoming a winning player, but this isn’t necessarily the case. Start off with small stakes games that include small stack sizes, and with enough practice, you could move from smaller stakes to higher stakes in no time.
WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN LAND-BASED CASINO POKER AND ONLINE POKER?
You might be wondering about the difference between playing online poker and playing at a standard, brick-and-mortar casino, so here’s a brief rundown.
First and foremost, online poker fails to deliver the immersive casino experience that land-based casinos offer. Although nice graphics and smooth animations can help poker sites offer the next best alternative to real poker, the experience simply isn’t the same. With that said, land-based casinos offer fewer hands per hour than their online counterpart, seeing as the dealer has to collect and deal the cards manually. Last but not least, playing poker at a standard casino allows you to read other players better on account of their facial expressions and general demeanour — something that is simply not possible in online poker.
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