Well, It’s a Sunday morning, it’s cold outside and I’ve just joined AC and thought I would add a few insights I’ve learned from playing thousands and thousands of poker hands online over the past few years. I just read some of the more current articles written by some very knowledgeable players and for the most part I agree to what they are saying and I use some of the technique’s they talk about all the time. Never forget the basics. Once learned, it becomes the basis for your play and a place to go back to when things go wrong, and they will, more often than you would like. My game is sit-n-go tourniments and I earn my living from the new, weak and stupid players that inhabit the online casino’s on a daily basis. If you fall into one of these catagories then DO NOT READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE!! Go directly to your favorite online casino and spend, spend and spend some more, I want your money. But just in case you want to keep some of your money then here is a starting list to go by.
TIP Number one:
Read, read and then read some more about poker. A good place to start is Doyle Brunson’s ” Super System” , and you must understand that reading is good but applying is hard. I read about ten books before I was totally lost in opening hands to theory to odds and when you reach that point YOU MUST GO DIRECTLY TO YOUR FAVORITE ONLINE CASINO, DEPOSIT A THOUSAND DOLLARS AND START PLAYING. I want your money but on the other hand just go out and spend, spend, spend and don’t become informed , I want your money. Being armed with a little knowledge is very profitable for me. But, let’s say your more inclined not to do that, so here’s the next step.
Tip Number Two:
Decide what kind of poker you want to play. If your going to play Holdem then decide on either ring games or tourniments. Don’t play both at the same time while learning, that’s a formula for disaster.
Tip Number Three:
Play only free games!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don’t deposit your money yet, although that’s what I would like you to do but instead pick out a couple of online rooms and register to play and start the learning process. Play at least two different rooms but I suggest at least three to five rooms. Why? Because the play will differ from one room to another.
Tip Number Four:
Opening Hands. Go to the poker forum and sign up and search for opening hands and there are many articles about the subject. Remember that opening hands for ring games are somewhat different from opening hands for tourniments.
Tip Number Five:
Now, FORGET WHAT YOU’VE READ start playing and use the opening hand list you obtained from the poker forum. Please note that when you sign up at an online casino make sure you ask for your hand histories. Poker Stars has a great HH program that sends your HH right to your computer. This is a very important when starting out. Play a few tourniments or spend the next ten hours sitting at a ring game then quit for that session. Open up your hand history in your computer and analyze your winning and loosing hands and find out why you lost or won. If you don’t know ask. Go to the poker forum and ask they have many great players and a lot of articles about all sorts of poker subjects.
Tip Number Six:
Now here is where it gets a little dicey. How many hands do you think you need to play before you are ready to play for money? I asked that question to several of my online poker friends and we all agree that 30 to 50 thousand hands is in the area you need to play. Because it takes time to see what you are doing wrong and read on the subject and then to apply your new knowledge to make it works for you. Now it get even a little more dicier. Remember, the regular free game players don’t care how they play. It’s only play money . I see these comments all the time. So it’s a loose type of game and you must learn how to use your new tools against these players without getting caught up in their style of play.
Now that you have gained some knowledge of the game and you want to play for money, start slow and low. You need at least 100 times the big blind to withstand the losses you will have. One interesting thing that I have found is that at most levels of money play the stupids are still there spending their money so try not to be one of them. Learn and apply. Only try new levels after you are winning more than loosing in your current level of play and remember that 90% of online players are loosers. Only 10% make money.
One last thing. The five community cards very seldom repeat in the next hand. If you have ace, ten, nine, five, three in the community cards in one hand they very seldom repeat individually in the next hand. So if your delt an ace rag as your hole cards in the next hand and you remember that an ace was in the previous community cards, chances are that the ace wont repeat. I have saved a lot of money following that rule. If you get ace king as your hole cards and you remember that an ace king were part of the last community cards, play with caution. 90% of the time the ace and/or king will not repeat. And finally, don’t try to play like the pros who give advise, you can’t! Use your knowledge and formulate your own style. It takes time and patience but the rewards are there.
