No wonder there are thousands of new poker players joining online casinos every day when the idea of earning money from the comfort of your room sounds so appealing. Everyone knows at least one friend who claims they’ve won a large amount of money playing online poker, or even someone who plays it for a living. Whether you just play an occasional game or two for the kicks or you actually plan on making a career out of it, we’ve asked some of the most famous professional players for advice on how to improve your games. Some of these tips and tricks might sound like a common sense kind of thing, but you’d be surprised to know how many players, both experienced and newbies, make the same kind of mistakes when playing online poker.
Never play under the influence
While the idea of sipping on a glass of your favorite booze while playing online poker might sound really appealing, the reality check shows that the more you drink, the most likely are you to make wrong moves. You can play free games all you want while relaxing and drinking, but if you don’t want to end up losing all your money, play with a clear head. Drinking or drug abuse will most likely cause you to get over confident and make more risky moves, which in most cases will leave you with a loss. The same goes for playing when tired or stressed out. Poker is a game that requires your full attention, and if you’re mind is somewhere else, preoccupied with problems, you won’t play your best. If you feel like you’re not in the mood for playing, never force it. Take a break, go out for a walk or grab something to eat, then return and start a new game.
Don’t play every single hand
This is probably the most common beginners’ mistake of all times. Just because you’re playing a game doesn’t mean you have to play every hand, even when the odds are not on your side. Learning when to fold is one of the most important lessons in poker, and while playing every hand will most likely get you to lose money, staying in half or more hands means you need to change your strategy.
Never force staying in the hand
The logic behind this it pretty simple. You’re thinking – well, since I’ve already invested in the pot, I might stay all the way, but that is just the waste of time. If you have a bad hand, there’s nothing in the world that will change the outcome – you’ll gonna lose that money anyway and sticking to the hand won’t change a thing about it. Learn to fold as soon as you realize that your situation is hopeless, it will save you time and nerves.
Choose the right skill level game
Even if you’re winning a bunch of $2/4 games, don’t jump into the big league unless you’re sure you can swim with the sharks. It’s better to take it slow and win little by little than lose big money by playing more experienced players.