How to Crush Online Poker Games
Playing online poker for real money has some great advantages to the live game, so whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro it is recommended that you start playing real money online poker games if you have not already. There is no need to abandon live poker completely, as even though you don’t get to play a lot of hands per hour the competition is very soft, but know that when you play online you have a great chance of winning if you play solid poker. You can also expect to play a lot more hands online, thanks in large part to multi-tabling, which can really help to boost your winnings.
One of the great benefits is the fact that no one can see your poker face – or see through it and understand your method of play. It may seem like a disadvantage that you also can see no one else’s, but that is not the case – if you pay close attention, you can in fact figure out their playing tendencies to give you the upper hand. Play against the same person for a few rounds and get to know their playing style and betting patterns so you know what to expect from them.
Once you have noticed these playing tendencies, take careful note of them and jot them down in the notes for each player at your table, and play accordingly. They will certainly be surprised when you start to win every hand where they are trying a bluff, or find a fold whenever they have the goods! This way, you can maximize your winning potential, and it also helps knowing how much to bet when it’s clear you have the best hand and can get called by worse. Against opponents who are calling stations, you obviously can get away with sizing your value bets bigger because you know they will be calling regardless of the bet size.
You can also take this one step further to raise your own poker game even more in order to crush the online poker games you play. Lure your opponents in by using an obvious strategy from the very beginning of the session, making it clear what you are doing and why.
For example, having a light 3-bet strategy where in addition to 3-betting premium hands like AK/QQ-AA, you also 3-bet non-premium hands such as 65 suited which you wouldn’t normally consider 3-betting. You should attempt this when there is a good chance that your opponent(s) will fold before the flop. This will help you to develop an aggressive image, which will force opponents to pay you off in future hands because you have been 3-betting them so much, or they may decide to avoid confrontations with you altogether unless they have a premium hand.
It can be one of the best ways to tilt other players at your table, because people don’t like to feel they are being bullied. Wait patiently until you have a really strong hand like KK or AA, then spring the trap and allow them to think they have a great chance of winning, until the final round when you reveal that you have actually have a strong hand and all the 3-betting in previous hands with mediocre hands helped you to get called on the river. In a 3-bet pot, this translates into winning big pots.
Of course, there are other advantages to 3-betting, such as gaining initiative in the hand and isolating weaker players. It is the best way to play poker online and win, as your opponents will never know that they are playing against someone with tricks like this in their online poker arsenal!
