Advantages And Disadvantages
Advantages And Disadvantages Of Playing Online Poker Vs. Playing At A Poker Table
The differences between online poker and more traditional poker table games are sometimes not as obvious as they may seem.
Unlike sitting down at a poker table with friends, online poker has an added dimension these days. There is a lot of pressure from many quarters to make online poker illegal, particularly in the United States. You will almost always know if the table game you are playing is in an area where poker is legal, but it is getting harder to know if this is true about poker played online.
In spite of these gray areas, millions in the U. S. and around the world regularly enjoy participating in online poker games from the comfort of their own homes. Just to give this some perspective, in 2005, the revenue from online poker was reported to be in the vicinity of $200 million.
Not only is online poker generating huge amounts of revenue and creating new millionaires, among players, site owners, and affiliates of poker sites, but, due to its pervasive influence, the appeal of poker in general is growing. The public is not only gaining knowledge about poker, but is showing an interest in all things poker. From the tables to the chips at the table, to the people who play at the tables, poker is huge.
Poker players such as Chris Ferguson (Jesus), Annie Duke, and her brother Howard Lederer (The Professor), and Hoyt Corkins (The Alabama Cowboy), to name a few, had never been heard of by the public a few months ago. Now they are celebrities in their own right. Even people who have been celebrities, such as Jennifer Tilly, Ben Affleck, and Mimi Rogers have traded in the bright lights of Hollywood for the green felt of the poker table - at least on occasion.
While many of these famous people play in tournaments sitting at the table with the celebrities of poker, most mortals enter the poker arena via online poker websites such as partypoker.com, pokerstars.com, ultimatebet.com or fulltiltpoker.com.
Sitting at a poker table can be intimidating, particularly for the new player and just is not that inviting for the beginner. They are apt to feel out of their league, and, if others at the table have more experience or are strangers, they are apt to feel intimidated.
The online poker experience is quite different. There is an anonymity which protects the psyche of the "newbie". They can watch games as long as they want before actually taking part. Additionally, most online venues will have tutorials and practice games for beginners that help ease the learning process. Sometimes the main site will actually have a completely separate site set up strictly for the beginner. Another helper for the beginner is that online games tend to have buttons labeled for the various actions and often include on-screen prompts for the appropriate action.
Internet poker sites also offer a range of limits so that the beginning player can actually start betting pennies. Not only is the betting easy, but so is the access. Unlike a table game, an online game can be found 24 hours a day from anywhere in the world that there is a computer and an Internet connection.
There are, however, two drawbacks to playing online, particularly if one's goal is to eventually participate in the highly televised poker tournaments occupying more prime time slots on TV. First, there is the hurdle of actually sitting and playing at the table itself. No amount of online preparation can duplicate or offset the first few times you find yourself in a chair across from a Doyle Brunson, Chris Moneymaker, or Daniel Negreanu.
Second, although it IS possible, it is exceedingly difficult to bluff at an online poker game and even harder to learn how to read your opponents.
Look on the bright side, however. It IS easy to learn basic poker skills and improve your technique online, and you won't have to worry about your poker face!
Copyright 2006 Donovan Baldwin
7 Secrets to Making a Great Living Playing Online Poker
Making a living playing online poker is certainly not for everyone. However, it can definitely be done. And for some it can be accomplished easier than you ever thought possible. Follow these seven steps and discover if making a living playing online poker is right for you.
1) Know What Games to Play
If you want to make a decent living playing online poker you must know what games to play. Yes, I can tell you which ones are more profitable than others but this decision is also dependent on you as an individual.
You personality and behavior traits are important ingredients to deciding which games to play. For example, if you are an impatient person don't play Free Roll tournaments. These tournaments usually take a minimum of fours hours to complete and the payout is very low for the time invested. You may be better off playing short-handed sit-n-gos.
On the other hand, if you're a fisherman who can sit out on your boat for six hours and not worry about even getting a bite on your line than big tournaments may be worth it to you.
2) Know Where to Play
Believe it or not some poker rooms are better to play than others. I have my list that I play at exclusively. But this has taken some trial and error and research to figure out. The reason I play at the rooms that I do is because, frankly, they're easier to win at. They have more inexperienced players that I can beat easily.
3) Use a Proven System
Flying by the seat of your pants is not an acceptable nor winning poker strategy. If you're new to poker it may be wise for you to do some research on different poker strategies to discover what works best for you. Don't worry you can always adjust it and update to fit your personality and playing style. But please understand you must have a system and apply that system if you want to win consistently.
4) Manage Your Bankroll Properly
Don't jump into a $100 sit-n-go 10-person table if you're just starting out. Get a feel for the game by playing at the smaller buy-ins and then move up the ranks to the larger buy-in tables.
I will say this. The money is made at the larger buy-in tables. For example the $30-$50 buy-ins. The reason? Because you don't have as many crazies as you do at the $5 tables. What I mean is anybody and everybody will play like a fool when they're only risking $5. But when they're playing with $30 or $50 they play a lot differently. However, they can still be beat quite easily!
5) Know When to Stop Playing and When to Keep it Rolling
If you're down on your luck stop playing for awhile. It makes no sense to keep playing when the cards aren't coming for you. On the other hand if you're on a winning streak play as long as you can. There is no reason to buck the trend when its going your way.
6) Schedule Quiet, Uninterrupted Time to Play
To be really successful in online poker you need to play in an uninterrupted, quiet setting. I do poker coaching for some of my students and it kills me when they have their two year old in their lap trying to play poker. How can the possible stay focused? They can't! Don't make that mistake.
7) Know What Time of Day to Play
Everyone is different here. Some say don't play during the day because that's when all the pros play. Others say don't play at night because that's when all the pros play. To me it doesn't matter when you play as long as you are following a sound strategy and system.
However, if you are mentally weak and need a perfect time of day to play. Test it out for yourself and then make a plan to play at that time every day.
Follow these seven steps and you'll be well on your way to making a living playing online poker.
Playing Poker Online – What To Avoid At Any Cost
Wow - You've see it on TV. The glamour, the glitz, THE CASH!!! and you may have noticed that one of the key skills in any poker game is observation. In a live game there are relatively few distractions and you get to watch the reactions and body language of your opponents.
Playing online is a whole different ball game. There’s the TV, the family, the dog, the phone, in fact it seems like the whole world wants your attention. This is not good for your game and ultimately your poker earnings. Oops you just folded that AA when you wanted to raise. Damn now you called an all-in bet with junk and you meant to fold. Don’t laugh, I've done both of these and it’s cost me quite a few dollars!!
So now you’re in the Den, it’s quiet and at last you can concentrate. Ah, let’s just reply to these emails, do that search for a new BBQ and review the excellent www.pokerwebonline.com site for the best bonus deals. Hey what do you mean I’m sitting out?? Multi-tasking the modern day buzz word. And a total killer for your poker profits.
It’s a tough enough game to beat when you’re fully concentrating, on top of your game and playing the best that you can. So why handicap yourself by not giving it the attention it deserves. And have fun while you’re doing it. Chat and Smack Talk while you play, you may send a player on tilt! But don’t forget to concentrate, it takes a lot of focus and discipline, especially when the game is slow and you’re just not getting any cards. Don’t be tempted to push for some action – you’ll lose more money quicker than that!
The best way to split your attention is to play 2 or even 3 tables at a time. This guarantees that you can’t focus your attention on any particular table. If you must do this, (and I’m certainly guilty of it!!), play a tournament and a ring game, or 2 tournaments. Try and avoid playing multiple ring games, it’s just not profitable in the long run unless you’re Howard Leaderer of Phil Ivey.
Pick a card room and a table that suit how you play. At the lower limits that’s easier said than done, but by OBSERVING what’s going on, you’ll get a ‘feel’ for the table after a few hands and for little or no expense, depending on whether you posted and went through the blinds or not. If it doesn’t suit you, get up and find another table. It’ll be far cheaper in the long run than trying to force the table you’re on. Know when to cut and run and when to stay.
As the play progresses you’ll notice players leaving and joining. Pay extra attention here as the fish you were milking has left and a tight aggressive player is now in their place. This could affect the complexion of the whole table and make it unprofitable to continue.
Play tight, aggressive and sensibly and your bank roll will grow over time – and maybe I’ll see you at the WSOP!! – I’m All-in!!!
The Chat Feature in Online Poker: Advantage or Disadvantage?
The majority of Holdem poker rooms today include a chat feature allowing players to communicate with one another by typing text into a corner or along the bottom of the screen. This feature can add fun to the game and let players become friends.
There are some very positive aspects of chat in poker rooms, but there are some very negative aspects as well. Let's look at the pros and cons of the chat feature:
First, we will look at the favorable facts about chat. The benefits are attributes which add to the fun of the overall gaming experience when playing Holdem or any other poker variation.
Meeting new people, making new friends: Communicating with other people who have interests similar to yours is one reason to chat in Holdem rooms. After all, you already know the people playing enjoy Holdem, otherwise they wouldn't be involved in the game. You may learn you have many other things in common and become friends outside the Holdem poker rooms. You may begin a long-term friendship whether it remains virtually-based or becomes face-to-face.
Asking questions: When are you unclear about a rule, chat is a great way to ask other players for assistance about the way to place a bet, what a term means, or get another question answered without a long search through the help section of the website.
References to other great websites with Holdem poker online: Other players know about other poker rooms with great Holdem games and good bonus programs; they are usually very happy to refer you to rooms they have enjoyed just for the asking.
These are the main benefits of chat; besides the fact that chatting can be lots of fun.
Some of the main reasons to avoid chat, or at least seriously limit your participation in the chat feature are:
Distractions: It is easy to become caught up in the conversations in the chat room and place a poorly thought out wager or miss a crucial piece of information about the play and lose your wager as a result. The main reason to play Holdem is to concentrate on the play first and chat only in truly spare time.
Chatterboxes: Some people just continue to send message, seemingly on an endless basis. These chatterboxes don't send one message and await a response; they tend to send you their whole life story in repeat messages that can be boring and unwelcome. Getting these chatterboxes to stop messaging you is difficult and often they are insulted by the suggestion that they are sending too many messages. But you have to concentrate on your game and the cards others are betting as well as the community cars in order to have any hopes of winning the pot. A simple message of congratulations upon winning a pot or a "too bad" upon losing a pot is the sort of chat you can expect and welcome.
Too many people chatting: If too many people are chatting with you at one time, you will not only be distracted from your game, you will be confused about who is saying what to you. This is detrimental to your play. Limit your chat to only one, never more than two people with whom you chat with in any single game. Never rush your responses resulting in inattention to the game play.
Beware of these pros and cons o chatting while playing Holdem and you will see your result improve. Do not allow other players to make you feel obligated to chat with them. A simple statement of "I'm sorry, I am too busy to chat" should sufficient to stop the distraction.
The Fight to Keep Online Poker Legal
The Poker Players Alliance is leading the rally to keep online poker legal and fight the hypocritical and prohibitionist anti-gaming legislation from Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) and others. Below are details on how you can participate.
First of all, please take the time to join the over 100,000 members of the Poker Players Alliance, if you haven't already. The PPA is the strongest voice for you in politics and is focused on representing your interests on Capitol Hill and elsewhere. Some of the major players joining the battle are PocketFives.com, WickedChopsPoker.com, TheRoundersRoom.com, DoylesRoom.com, PartyPoker.com, FullTiltPoker.com and many others.
You can the Poker Players Alliance for as little as $20 - which gets a Member Welcome Packet plus a Poker Player Alliance t-shirt and exclusive information about special events. If you are unable to donate, you can also send pre-made letters to Congress and make phone calls. If you are able to do both, that’s wonderful!
Another great way to help is simply by spreading the word. You can put a PPA banner on your website, post in forums, place a link to PPA in your email signature…there are many ways! Get creative!
The threat to poker is real. Please forward this information to everyone you know who cares about poker and an American’s freedom to use the Internet. We need everyone possible to make their voice heard!
Do Online Poker Tools Really Work?
If you're like most online poker players you want to know the secret to gaining an advantage over your opponents. You then probably understand that gaining this advantage online is much more difficult than in face-to-face live games.
Online games move so fast it’s hard to keep track of an opponent’s play, their decisions and how they play certain hands in particular positions.
Well there's good news. An onslaught of online poker tools have come along to help you maximize your advantage. Before we find out if online poker tools really work let's define what they are.
In short, online poker tools are any legal assistants (yes the online poker tools I am referring too are legal!) or software programs that help you play online poker. And hopefully play online poker better. These software programs assist you while actually playing at a table or they help you with your pre and post play analysis.
Most common online poker tools are calculators and trackers.
A poker calculator is a software program that's run during play that provides valuable information like odds, probabilities, outs, etc.
A poker tracker is software that's run before, during or after play that provides vital trending information that can be used to help analyze your play and improve performance.
Do these online poker tools really work?
Yes they do. With one caveat, since there are so many poker tools out there you need to find the right one/ones for you. I'll be honest. Just like everything in life some are very good and some are horrible.
There are free tools out there. But I'm a believer that you get what you pay for.
That's why I use one tool that stands above all the rest. Its called HoldemPirate or HoldemHawk. And it is the best poker odds, outs and probability calculator in the market today.
This tool has dramatically helped me understand how and why I make decisions the way that I do. Sometimes it has helped me when I could have made a very costly decision. It's amazing the clarity you can receive from HoldemPirate.
I highly recommend this online poker tool. If you truly want to win more and systematically increase your odds of winning then you owe it to yourself to at least review this great online poker tool. In fact, you should get it as soon as possible.
A Bad Day At The Online Poker Tables Can Turn Terrible If You Let The Idiots Get Under Your Skin...
Want proof that only fools love online gambling? See how many of them are attracted to Internet poker. The Bible puts it very succinctly:
Like the crackling of thorns under the pot, so is the laughter of fools. This too is meaningless. -Ecclesiastes 7:5-7
How can you explain a player who has just won a big pot making fun of the losing player? I suppose the anonymity of the Internet allows people to be braver than they would be in person. That's the only reason I can think of for people abusing each other at the poker tables.
Bad enough in the cases when the abusive guy is the loser, but far worse when he's won! Is it not good enough to be winning, without gloating and upsetting people?
There's more than one definition of "loser" -- these fools are definitely losers in the derogatory sense, if not the literal one.
Sure, it's easy to get upset when the poker gods turn their backs on us. What you must not do is let them taunt you into compounding the loss by going on tilt.
There's more than one reason to keep schtum if you are angry. As well as the danger of tilting, you are giving away free information. All the other players will change their view of you, based on your anger and turn it against you.
What does this mean? The answer is, they will interpret any aggression on your part as letting off steam. (This means it's a great idea to bet strongly with very good hands! But don't try to bluff.)
They will call you down because you have, in the chat box, told them that you are on tilt. Don't give freebies at the poker table! Always charge dollars for information.
When you start seeing red and want to vent at the idiot who's abusing you, remember that Bible quote: "The crackling of thorns under the pot." Just treat it as background static and get on with the more important job of winning back those dollars!
And if the chat is still getting you down, switch it off. "This too is meaningless." Once you have switched off the chat facility, nothing he says will affect you. In fact, it's quite fun to think of him beavering away, writing comment after comment that you'll never see!
Online Poker Tools
Poker tools can be a valuable addition to any poker player’s arsenal. There are a variety of tools available and this article will examine the different types available to assist players. The most commonly used poker tools are hand history databases, computer playing programs, online poker assistants and online poker tools.
Hand History Databases
Most online poker rooms offer players the ability to download the histories of the hands that they have participated in. These hand histories are in a text format and while it is possible for a player to scan and analyse a single hand, it quickly becomes difficult and tiresome for multiple hands. Hand history databases offer the features like win rate calculations, opponent analysis, hand replay, analysis by position and much more. The most popular poker tools of this type include "Poker Tracker" and "Poker Office".
Computer Playing Programs
Programming computers to play a strong game of poker is extremely difficult and it is only recently that they have become about the same strength as an above average player. Compare this to games such as chess and backgammon, where computers have now surpassed all but the strongest humans. These programs allow players to practice and improve their play without having any money at risk. Most also offer advice and the ability to setup and analyse certain situations. The strongest playing poker programs available to purchase are "Poker Academy" and Turbo series of programs produced by Wilson Software.
Online Poker Assistants
With the explosion in popularity of online poker, much software has been developed to assist players while they are playing. There are a couple of what are termed "bots" that make all of the decisions for a player but these are not very strong and if discovered using one of these programs a player can be banned and lose the money in their online poker room account. Other types of software that are also available are programs that overlay tables with statistics summarising hand odds as well as the playing style of other players (for example listing how often a certain player raises, calls or folds) in real time. Examples of these online poker assistants are "Pokerbility" and "PokerAce HUD".
Online Poker Tools
There are a number of web sites that provide free online poker tools to their visitors. Some of the tools available are odds calculators which analyse the probabilities for games such as Texas Hold'em, Omaha and Seven Card Stud poker, and tournament equity calculators. Whilst they may not directly assist a player while they are playing they are great at improving a player's knowledge which then can later be applied at the table. Websites with a variety of useful online poker tools
How to Build an Online Poker Bankroll for Free
The goal of this article is to show you how anyone can actually begin playing online poker for real money without making a deposit or using a credit card. I have made over $4000 dollars playing poker online without ever using my own money. It’s a great way for beginning players to start risk-free. Listed below are 3 easy steps to follow.
Step 1
Create a Neteller Account
You’re going to need a place to keep the money you will cash out from the different poker rooms before you start playing. There are many options for financial transactions, but the best is Neteller.
Opening a Neteller account is easy, completely free and only takes a few minutes to set up. It’s also safe and secure.
To begin, go to the Neteller website, http://neteller.com and click on the “Open Account” button. Follow the signup process and you will be issued a Neteller account number, a Secure ID, and the password you create. The Secure ID is basically like a second password. You will need this and your account number when you make deposits and withdrawals from the poker rooms.
Step 2
Freeroll Tournaments
A freeroll tournament is a poker tournament with no entry fee. Almost every poker room online offers some kind of freeroll. Some are for depositors and some require points, but many have no requirements at all.
The poker rooms do this for obvious promotional reasons; they hope you will have fun, make a deposit and become a long time, loyal player at their site.
To find a freeroll, check the Freeroll Tournament Schedule at:
PokerIncomeGuide.com alone lists over 250 freerolls a day! That’s thousands of dollars in free money given away every single day.
This is only one way to build a bankroll for free. It’s the way I started, but the following method is even better.
Step 3
Get Staked by Poker Affiliate Sites!
There are a growing number of poker affiliate sites that give you free money to sign up through their affiliate link. These sites have made a deal with the poker rooms. They are able to fund your account and still make a commission for bringing you in as a real money player. It’s a brilliant win-win-win situation.
I have found over 20 sites that give you free money. Below is a list of a few to start with.
Instant Bankroll offers up to $100 free at Party Poker, Absolute Poker, and Titan Poker.
Everest Poker - This deal is great. Everest offers $100 for free, no deposit or credit card activation required. Unfortunately, they just quit allowing players from the United States. However, telling them you’re from somewhere else is your choice.
Poker Time offers $10 free to new members. The money should be credited to your account within 24 hours.
Royal Vegas offers $10 free to new members also. The money automatically appears in your account within 24 hours of when you sign up.
