I'm starting to get pretty good at online Hold'em - as long as I can maintain patience and focus - and as long as I don't chase!
Hold"em is a game that requires a lot of concentration, a decent memory and a good grasp of, and ability with simple math.
I also find that When I play more than a few hours, my attention wanders and my game suffers.
I play mostly $1-2, $2-4, or $3-6.
Before I get into detail - one point - when you sit at a table and can't get a decent hand, then leave the table - otherwise, you could go broke before you start getting decent cards.
Take your time and find a table that "likes you" and will give you some good cards.
Try jumping up or down in value - from $1-2 to $2-4 or $2-4 to $1-2.
One other point - are you feeling great or are you a little bit under the weather? Play small when you don't "feel" great and play up when you have the world by the balls.
1. Your hand - open only with the better to best hands depending on the % of players on the flop? The more players on the flop, the looser you can play your openers.
2. Don't chase to the river - fold quickly when you don't have a VERY good chance - what are the number of possible outs you have and the resulting pot odds. Review your hand on the flop, on the turn and on the river -= see who's betting and raising. Don't be afraid to fold.
3. Be patient, don't open with garbage. What's the % of players on the flop - over 60% you can open with poorer hands than with 45% or fewer on the flop.
4. Pay attention to who's raising before and after the flop - recognize that the better players will have excellent openers. Getting a "tell" on a player isn't as important as recognizing who plays like a macho teenager and who's playing like an adult.
5. Look at how much $ a player has - the more $, the better he probably is. On a loose table see who's folding and how often - on a tight table see who's calling and how often. also keep close tabs on who raises and how often - some morons will raise every hand that has a picture card - they'll raise with Qc,2h, and some players will raise when they have the nuts for openers.
6. When in doubt - FOLD!
7. Whenever you have the chance, on the turn and especially river, write down what the bets were vs the total in the pot - and how much you won, whether it's $0 or $50. This will help you recognize the value of fold9ng and the foolishness of chasing a hand to the river.
8. When you have the nuts and someone raises, call, but don't raise - 4 of a kind and straight flushes are almost common sights when playing on line. I think of one recent hand where I had a pair of aces and got and ace with a pair of kings on the flop - a full house with 3 A's and 2 K's - this one player kept raising on my raises, so, luckily I started calling - puzzled at what he had - which ended up being 4 k's.
After playing online and live, I don't belive that the on-line software is fixed - but I do believe that it's weighted toward better hands than a truely random deck of cards would give - probably to keep the suckers coming back!
Hold"em is a game that requires a lot of concentration, a decent memory and a good grasp of, and ability with simple math.
I also find that When I play more than a few hours, my attention wanders and my game suffers.
I play mostly $1-2, $2-4, or $3-6.
Before I get into detail - one point - when you sit at a table and can't get a decent hand, then leave the table - otherwise, you could go broke before you start getting decent cards.
Take your time and find a table that "likes you" and will give you some good cards.
Try jumping up or down in value - from $1-2 to $2-4 or $2-4 to $1-2.
One other point - are you feeling great or are you a little bit under the weather? Play small when you don't "feel" great and play up when you have the world by the balls.
1. Your hand - open only with the better to best hands depending on the % of players on the flop? The more players on the flop, the looser you can play your openers.
2. Don't chase to the river - fold quickly when you don't have a VERY good chance - what are the number of possible outs you have and the resulting pot odds. Review your hand on the flop, on the turn and on the river -= see who's betting and raising. Don't be afraid to fold.
3. Be patient, don't open with garbage. What's the % of players on the flop - over 60% you can open with poorer hands than with 45% or fewer on the flop.
4. Pay attention to who's raising before and after the flop - recognize that the better players will have excellent openers. Getting a "tell" on a player isn't as important as recognizing who plays like a macho teenager and who's playing like an adult.
5. Look at how much $ a player has - the more $, the better he probably is. On a loose table see who's folding and how often - on a tight table see who's calling and how often. also keep close tabs on who raises and how often - some morons will raise every hand that has a picture card - they'll raise with Qc,2h, and some players will raise when they have the nuts for openers.
6. When in doubt - FOLD!
7. Whenever you have the chance, on the turn and especially river, write down what the bets were vs the total in the pot - and how much you won, whether it's $0 or $50. This will help you recognize the value of fold9ng and the foolishness of chasing a hand to the river.
8. When you have the nuts and someone raises, call, but don't raise - 4 of a kind and straight flushes are almost common sights when playing on line. I think of one recent hand where I had a pair of aces and got and ace with a pair of kings on the flop - a full house with 3 A's and 2 K's - this one player kept raising on my raises, so, luckily I started calling - puzzled at what he had - which ended up being 4 k's.
After playing online and live, I don't belive that the on-line software is fixed - but I do believe that it's weighted toward better hands than a truely random deck of cards would give - probably to keep the suckers coming back!
