How To Be Successful In Online Poker

As you’ll see in our article about earning cash in eSports, more and more people are looking to make money from online gaming. But the money isn’t just limited to those who are good with their thumbs. For those of you who are more mathematical in your thinking, and who have a flair for strategy, bluffing and card dealing, online poker might be your way to get to the big online bucks.

Of course, poker playing is not a business in the traditional sense; nor is it a guaranteed means of income. But with so many people playing online for real money, it’d be a shame not to get a slice of that action. So, let’s consider some of the best strategies for success.

Start Slowly

That is, begin with low-stakes poker. Yes, it might seem tempting to blow it all on one round, but that is the precise urge you’ll need to temper, as you get better at poker. The world’s best players know when to play it safe, and when to go all in. And this comes with years of experience. Even if you’re experienced in the real-life game, you have to remember that online poker is a different game, with a different atmosphere. There are fewer tells, as you can’t read faces or judge the vocal tones of any potential bluffs. You’ll have to get acquainted with this unfamiliar platform, before upping the ante.

Be Careful with Your Starting Hands

This is an extension of the ‘stay calm’ motto we’ve hopefully instilled in you above. When you first get started, you might want to play every hand. But most of your hands at the beginning will lag behind on the flop, so you’ll just be throwing your money or chips down the drain. Pass on the average hands, before going in on the big ones.

Get the Math Down

Learning to calculate odds in a poker game takes time, but this relatively simple skill is what separates the best from the rest. It stands to reason that anyone able to predict what might come next based on what came before has a better chance of winning. It’s like a super power. This doesn’t mean card counting like Rain Man, but having a rough understanding of the stats and likelihoods will give you a great chance.

Get Bluffing

Since you’re not in-person, and you’re unable to read body language, the art of bluffing is a whole new game in online poker. It might seem to not exist in the digital iteration of the game, but you can still do it by putting more chips on the table at certain times. Keep up with the hand history of your rivals, too, to see what they’re likely to be holding. Of course, any of your rivals worth their salt will be doing the same thing with you, so make sure to vary your bluffing as much as possible. Keep them guessing.