How to Play Poker Online
Online poker takes the game that has long been played in back rooms of smoky bars and casinos and cranks it up a notch. It’s now possible to play poker from your computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone for virtually any stake imaginable. Whether you want to play for free, for satellite entries into the biggest live tournaments in the world or for a million dollars it’s all there at your fingertips.
If you’ve never played poker before then you’ll probably want to start off with the free money tables. All major poker sites offer these and they’re a great way to get familiar with the software and the emotions that come with playing real money games. The fact that you’re not wagering any money also makes these tables a safe environment to experiment with your bankroll management and analyzing your opponent’s actions without risking any cash.
Once you’ve had a taste of what it’s like to play poker online then you’ll want to move up to the real money games. This is usually done by heading over to the tournaments section of a poker site and then filtering by “cash games” or any other category you prefer. Then you’ll find a list of the various tables available for each event. You’ll usually be able to select a table type that suits your playing style (short-handed, high-roller etc) and you’ll be seated with players who have selected the same option. This helps level the playing field for beginners and more experienced players alike.
One of the most important aspects to understand about poker is that it’s a game of chance. While every player would love to win every hand it’s simply not possible. Understanding this can help you to keep your emotions in check and not take every loss personally. It will also help you to play within your bankroll and avoid making big mistakes when the buy-in of a tournament is on the line.
Another aspect that many new players struggle with is reading other player’s tells. While there is a certain amount of guesswork involved in this process, the reality is that most players will display some sort of tell when they make a decision. This can be things such as a slow count or how much time they spend looking at the cards. Online poker can be a little bit easier to read these tells as the player’s name is often displayed on the screen when they are in-game.
Lastly, the best poker players know that they have to be able to make fast decisions. If you aren’t able to do this then you will quickly fall behind the pack. The good news is that with online poker this is relatively easy to do as you can launch multiple tables at once and play a lot of hands. This is also a huge advantage over playing live poker where you only get a few hands per hour.