Poker seems like an easy game. There isn’t much involved and the structure is simply a matter of deal and play and so on. Still, the apparent simplicity of poker is deceptive. There is a reason this game has continued to fascinate people from all walks of life for over 200 years! The truth is that poker mastery involves a great deal of skill. Here we’re covering the four basic steps you require to master to become an expert play poker online player!
Learn the rules
You require learning the rules of the game. If you are completely new to poker it may take a little while to get it at first, but rest easy knowing that the basic rules of online poker are shared among virtually all game variants. Once you’ve picked up your first game the others tend to be only minor variations.
Still, before you play any hand of poker you require knowing the specific rules of that game. Not understanding a few of the particulars can lead to numerous spectacular failures.
Learn the numbers
A few basic mathematics and statistics are essential to becoming a good poker player. While you may not require knowing the precise values, you will require having a very good idea of the worth of every hand and the chance to make money with it. Each situation involves a slightly unlike calculation, but essentially it all comes down to pot odds and implied pot odds. In many cases simply knowing whether you are the favourite or the underdog is enough.
If you are playing online at home don’t hesitate to use charts and tables of odds. Reference cards are excellent ways to pad your knowledge until you gain enough experience to have an intuitive feel for the cards. Working through the examples in books also accelerates the learning process. Often a real game will be moving too quickly for you to properly deduce your chances.
Keep in mind: The numbers from game to game can vary wildly. For example, a pair of kings is much stronger in Hold’em than in Omaha. Approach each new variant carefully and play poker cautiously until you understand the differences.
Learn the people
Knowing the rules and the numbers is only half the game. Poker online is truly a game about people. In front of your seat at the table will be a pile of chips, numerous cards, and most crucially several other people. You’ll have to assume they know the rules of the game and understand at least something of the numbers. Perhaps it may be surprising then that everybody plays in a different way. Do they understand the game in a different way? Or are they simply bad players?
Players, all players, make mistakes. It’s a matter of what kind and how often they make mistakes that decides their skill level. Occasionally you get people who forget the basic rules, but more commonly you’ll get people who don’t have a good understanding of the numbers. Knowing these people and understanding their mistakes is a key skill.
But even players with perfect grasp of the numbers play another way. Each of them has a particular strategy which they believe is going to make them money. A few of these players have gradual stack changes while others have large swings. A few people are cowards and numerous are bullies. It’s your job to identify each player. Label them. Tag them. Describe them. Knowing their style will assist you in knowing their cards; and that will help you avoid making mistakes.
Manipulate the people
Knowing people is the key to not losing money, and at certain stakes, with a good deal of patience, it can also provide for a steady income. But to get better returns you’ll require taking it to the next level. You require playing your challengers against themselves.
Just taking advantage of mistakes isn’t enough. No, you want to push your challenger into a corner. Learn the situations where they make bad calls and create them. Force on them scenarios where they feel uncomfortable. Your goal is to explore their shortcomings and cause them to make mistakes.
You are on your path of becoming a real shark!
Happy playing!