By Karlin Orvil
The poker industry is a global, multi-billion dollar enterprise. So with the rise of online poker in recent years, it’s no wonder that many people are looking to play some cards from the comfort of their own homes. But with all this opportunity comes risks.
The world wide web has turned us into an open book – and like any good book, there are bound to be some juicy parts mixed in with everything else. So here are 3 practical precautions for online poker players:
Precaution One:
The first one we’re going to talk about is the one we’ve talked about before: self-discipline.
- Self-Discipline for Online Poker Players
There’s a reason why online hold’em {홀덤} poker players are always looking for ways to improve their game – it isn’t easy, and you’ll need every ounce of mental strength that you have if you hope to achieve any form of success in this industry.
So the first thing that I would recommend is finding yourself some good books on concentration and discipline (or using our blog as an alternative). You might not become elite overnight, but with enough practice, your mind will be stronger than steel!
Precaution Two:
The next precaution we’re going to talk about is something called “gap control.” This term was originally coined by Tommy Angelo, one of the top poker theorists in the world.
- Gap Control for Online Poker Players
I’m not going to go too much into detail on what gap control is because I’ve already written a separate blog post about it – but the basic idea is that you want to make sure that there’s enough space between your last bet and somebody else bets so that if they call or re-raise then you can always comfortably fold out any other hands (you don’t want them playing back at you).
If someone starts betting small amounts behind you with quite a few cards showing, this will probably signal an attempt by another player trying to “trap” everybody still left in hand against each other. Just remember: four people are usually better than three people.
Precaution Three:
The third precaution that we’re going to talk about is something called “reverse implied odds.” This term might sound intimidating, but it’s quite simple – all it means is betting when you have a chance of winning the hand even though your opponent may not be folding anytime soon (or ever).
- Reverse Implied Odds for Online Poker Players
When I first started playing online poker, my strategy was always to play as tight and conservatively as possible without taking too many risks because I didn’t want to lose any more money than necessary (which is understandable if you were coming from a brick-and-mortar casino background like me).
However, over time, I’ve realized that certain situations in which an aggressive or loose style of play will benefit you in the long run (like when there are only a few people left to act behind you or if someone is playing way too tightly for their good).
Conclusion:
In conclusion, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy for online poker.
Instead, you need to be able to adapt and adjust your style of play when you face certain situations – not just when it comes down to how many chips you have left but also in terms of the other players who are still involved in the hand (especially if they’re overly aggressive).
