Online Poker Tips and Strategies

Thanks to the fact that poker is a skill-based game, you are free to use strategic thinking and try to outsmart your opponents. In doing so, you increase your chances of winning the pot. Yes, it is important to remember that when you’re playing at poker sites or land-based establishments, strategies and tips won’t guarantee you wins. But they can increase your chances.

BestPoker wants to provide you with as much information that will help you have the best time while playing poker. Hence, we are more than happy to share a few strategies that will help you win real money.

Top 10 Online Poker Tips

In the past couple of years, online poker became quite popular. After all, the platforms where people are playing online poker boast quite a lot of good features. Some of them include massive security, tons of payment methods, entertaining and rewarding online poker tournaments, bonuses and promotions, etc.

Since so many people play poker online now, we will start things off by sharing our top 10 tips for this variant. Let’s check them out.

Play Free Poker Games First

Poker requires a lot of learning and mastering certain skills. These traits take time. That is why you can always resort to free poker sites. When you play at these operators, you will have the chance to learn how to play online poker without losing any money. Not only that, but you can access these sites at any time and place. That will provide you with massive flexibility.

Use Bonuses and Promotions

When you’re playing Texas Hold’em or any other online poker game variant for real money, it is smart to use bonuses and promotions to your advantage. Why? Because these promos can either allow you to play for free and still be eligible for real rewards or boost your overall winnings.

One thing to keep in mind when you’re claiming them at online poker sites is to always read their terms and conditions. You must meet them before you’re able to withdraw bonus winnings.

Get Familiar With All Poker Variants

Online casinos feature different poker variants. While the basic rules are the same in these games, each variant has certain unique characteristics. Get familiar with these specifics and then, determine which title suits your personal preferences the most.

Use Poker Tools

Poker tools and cheat sheets are packed with great information related to the game itself. They provide you with crucial statistics which can help you get a grasp of what are your chances of winning with a certain hand, chances of winning depending on your position, etc.

There are numerous types of poker software tools – equity calculators, real time assistance, training software, etc. Make sure you use them as they can increase your skills and chances of winning on a poker table.

Freerolls Are Worth Researching

As you know, online sites host a lot of poker tournaments, all of which feature great prizes. Speaking of that, the next featurette on our list of best poker tips concerns freerolls. These are tournaments that don’t require a buy-in.

You can join a tournament and play a poker cash game to win real money rewards. If you have enough experience, then you can implement poker strategies and thus, increase your chances of winning.

Use Secure and Fast Cashout Methods

One of the best online poker tips that we can give you is to always use secure and fast withdrawal methods when playing poker online. Online casinos feature a lot of options and you can select one that meets your personal preferences.

Fast cashouts mean that you will have your funds in your bank account in no time and that’s a massive advantage.

Always Fold if You’re Unsure

One of the hardest things to do when you play poker online is to learn when you should fold. Often, poker players get caught up in the mix and get greedy. Hence, they feel like every round is theirs and they refuse to quit even if they are unsure of their hand.

So, our poker tip for this occasion is to always fold if you’re unsure.

Learn the Hand Rankings in Order

The hand rankings are the same in all poker variants – from Omaha poker to video poker. Each winning hand has its rank. In other words, some hands are better than others. Make sure you learn the rankings in order.

That way, you’ll know when you have good chances of winning and when you should play less aggressively.

Don’t Bluff Very Often

The best way to win at an online poker table while having a bad hand is to bluff. Raising the stakes will make other players think that you have a strong hand and thus, they will likely fold. This is a basic poker strategy.

Although it is smart to use it once in a while, don’t fall in love with it, even if it brings you good results. The more often you bluff, the smaller your pot odds will become in future rounds. Other players will catch up to you and will learn your betting patterns.

Learn How To Have Fun

The final and one of the most important poker tips is to learn how to have fun while playing this game. After all, the goal here isn’t to take unnecessary risks. Yes, winning rewards is a good thing, but the main goal is to have fun. Play responsibly, learn the poker rules and limit your time and budget.

Poker Strategy for Beginners

A good poker strategy can make a huge difference while playing and that is why you should get familiar with them. Of course, some are more complicated than others and as a result, beginners cannot use them.

That doesn’t mean that there isn’t a basic poker strategy for new players. In this section, we’ll take a look at some strategies that a beginner poker player can use.

Fold If You Have A Bad Starting Hand

Apart from poker hand ranking, you should also get familiar with poker hands. Some starting cards are good and some are bad. For example, a majority of hole cards with low values are bad (2-3, 6-2, 4-2, 4-3).

If you have a bad starting hand, then don’t hesitate to fold it immediately. One common mistake in this online game is that new players are not selective with their hands. They are looking to participate in every betting round, regardless of how good their hand is. Don’t be like these players.

Think About the Hands of Your Opponents

A common mistake that poker players make is that they only think about their own hands. If they happen to have a good hand, they think that they have a high chance of winning. However, that’s a major mistake.

When playing with good hands, the best online poker strategy is to always keep an eye out for other players. Think about the hands that they may have. Learn their betting patterns. That way, you will know when they are bluffing and when they’re not.

Don’t Overvalue Suited Cards

On many occasions, when recreational players receive suited hole cards, they think that they are strong and hence, they begin with aggressive pre and post flop betting. This is not a good poker strategy.

Each poker odds calculator indicates that statistically looking, the chances of hitting a flush or even a straight flush are lower than 1%. In other words, don’t overvalue your suited cards. Be patient and do not hesitate to fold if you don’t have any combinations post-flop.

Intermediate Online Poker Tips

As you practice poker, you get better with time. This is when you ought to turn things a notch and start creating challenges for yourself. That’s the only way through which you will be able to progress and get better.

Apart from helping beginners, we at BestPoker are keen on assisting intermediate players and helping them master the game. Hence, we feel obliged to share some of the best poker tips for this group. Let’s give them a look.

Positional Awareness

As you may know, each table comes with several poker positions. Positional awareness can make a huge difference in the game and indicate what type of strategy you should implement.

For example, early positions are considered the worst as they have no control over betting behavior. Middle positions are challenging as they must exploit early positions and make them quit, while also competing with those on the late table position.

Late positions are the best as they have more freedom in terms of bluffing. They can also keep an eye on all players and learn their betting behavior.

Semi-Bluffing Can Lead to Wins

Semi-bluffing is a term which indicates that although your hand is not a winning one, it has potential. On some occasions, semi-bluffing can lead to winnings, especially if players call to see whether you are for real and the turn and river are in your favor.

Don’t Be Afraid to Play Aggressively

When you become an intermediate player, you’ll have a pretty good feel of the game and hence, you won’t have to play too tight. Don’t be afraid to be a bit aggressive. That way, you’ll chase out weaker players on the table.

Online Poker Tips for Advanced Players

Let’s say that you are now a skilled player – you’ve learnt many of the strategies, mastered the poker vocabulary and are now playing with experienced players only. There are a few tips that we can give you at this stage, so let’s check them out as well.

Expose Those In Early Position

One of the biggest online poker tips from the pros states that the number of players influences your pot odds. Since players in an early position have the worst table seating, make sure you expose them, especially if you are in a late position. That way, they will quickly fold and increase your chances of winning

Be A Pre Flop Raiser

Speaking of exposing players, raise in the pre flop round, especially if you have a good starting hand. By good starting hand, we mean pocket Aces, other pairs, combinations of two Royal cards, etc. That way, you’ll instantly set a standard and become fearful.

Never Let Your Ego Take Over

When you become a skilled player, you might get overconfident in many situations. Pride is the devil and it can be your downfall. Always remain focused and never let your ego take over. If you do, you’ll only increase your chances of losing.

Poker Tournament Strategy

Apart from playing strategically in a cash game, there’s also a poker tournament strategy. This will help you climb on the leaderboard and increase your chances of hitting the big wins. There are several strategies that you can use in this scenario. Some of them include:

• Be patient and start slow
• Avoid making loose calls later in the tournament
• Only play with strong hands during the danger zone
• Protect your stack in the middle stage

Frequently asked questions