WPT Global: Six Vital Strategy Tips To Improve Your Online Poker Game
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When you first start playing on an online poker site, it's good to bear a few things in mind. Once you've got to grips with the basics—like poker's rules, the sequence of play, and where all the buttons are—the next thing to do is to work on your basic strategy.
Poker is a game that allows for endless improvement, but everyone has to start somewhere. Luckily, the folks at WPT Global have put together a list to help you get started.
Here are their top six strategy tips for playing online poker.
1. Never Be The First Player To Limp
The old poker adage if it is good enough to call, it's good enough to raise isn't always correct, but when you're first into the pot before the flop it might as well be.
If other players have limped before you, then there are spots where you too can limp along. However, if you're first into the pot make sure your hand is good enough to raise... then put that raise in.
Conversely, if you're uncomfortable raising a hand, it should probably go in the muck.
2. Don't Call Three-Bets Out of Position
Another spot where you should avoid being passive is facing a reraise when you are out of position. You want to avoid playing big pots when you're out of position. So, if your hand isn't good enough to raise, then it is bad enough to fold.
If you do call, then you face three streets of action, in an already inflated pot, against a player who gets to see you make your move first each round. That's a big information advantage for your opponent and they can use that to make things very tough on you.
The best way to neutralize that information advantage have the goods (or make them fold preflop).
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3. Semi-Bluff Aggressively with Your Draws
Bluffing is an integral part of every poker successful poker player's strategy. If you never bluff, your opponents will know to fold when you bet. But you do need to make sure you're bluffing in the right spots. Getting aggressive with your draws, a technique known as semi-bluffing is a great spot to bluff.
Bluffing with a draw is especially convincing because when there is a possible draw showing on the flop, then players with strong hands tend to bet to chase draws off. This gives your bluff credibility. Plus, your gamble is somewhat hedged. If you get called, then you can still hit your draw.
Try and mix this move in when you're up against weaker players who are more likely to fold than call and more likely to call than raise.
4. Don't Bluff Very Often Versus the Fish
The goal of a bluff is to make the better hand fold. Unfortunately, fish are very bad at letting go of any hand after the flop comes down. This makes it very hard to get a bluff through them.
No matter how bad your hand is, if a fish's is better than yours, they're probably going to call no matter how clever your bluff. When you come across a calling station like this, your best bet is to increase your preflop aggression and then play straightforward poker after the flop.
When is it Best to Bluff in Poker? WPT Global Has the Answers!
5. Watch For Betting Patterns
Movies make a big deal of body language tells in poker. However, in reality, your best read on an opponent is much more likely to come from observing their betting patterns.
Good players will work hard to make these patterns difficult to track by keeping bet sizes fairly uniform and mixing things up with bluffs, semi-bluffs, and value-bets.
On the other hand, bad players will often vary their bet sizes depending on their perceived hand value. Bear in mind that these patterns are often unique to the player. One player might raise big with their bluffs, another might only risk a big bet when they've got the nuts. If you can figure them out, these patterns are free information.
If nothing else, it gives you something to do when you're not in the action.
6. Know When To Fold'em
Another poker adage says that the money you don't lose is as valuable as the money you win. Getting away from bad hands is a profitable move. Online poker has a definite speed advantage over live poker, so you can chuck your cards away and be back in the action a few minutes later.
Sometimes bluffs don't work. Sometimes your opponent's betting pattern says, "I've got it!" Always be ready to let your hand go, the minute it's clear that you're not going to win.
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If you want a place to put these tips into practice, WPT Global is a great place to start.
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