How To Become Good At Online Poker

• How To Get Good At Online Poker
• How To Become Online Poker Pro
• How To Become Good At Online Poker Tournaments

First, the results. Since the World Series of Poker last year, I've played 174 hours of poker. I play limit hold'em, with almost all of my play at the $10/20 or $15/30 level. In that time I've made $7594, which is $43.70 per hour.

Tip 10: Develop A Good 3betting Strategy. Whilst 3 betting aggressively is a strategy many players employ, especially in online poker circles, failure to apply optimal 3 betting strategies has certainly led to a lot of spewy poker. Simply attacking opponents who are suspected of opening wide doesn't cut it in the modern poker world. Play poker the good old way Simply put, the variance is the number of times a particular hand in poker is most likely to win. It's not accurate, but at least you have a barometer to understand whether the way you're playing is the correct way.

I say that I'm a semi-professional, because obviously 5 hours of 'work' per week isn't really playing at a professional level. Statistically speaking, it's also somewhat possible that I've just gotten lucky over this time. Considering my level of understanding of the game, including knowing what I don't know, honest evaluation of the competition, and a general comfort level with the game, I can objectively say that I don't think luck plays a large part in my results.

Anyway, I say all that to let you judge for yourself my playing level, rather than having to take my word for it. Real professionals might disagree with some of my advice, but I'm offering it because I think that it's difficult to find the correct path towards becoming a winning poker player, and I've now discovered one such path.

Subjectively, it feels awesome to be good at poker. When I go to Vegas every month, I assume that I'm going to leave with a profit of some sort, and am playing to figure out exactly how much it will be. In the same way a programmer takes for granted that he can build a simple web app, I've come to take it for granted that if I need money for something, I can just play poker. That's part of why I don't play more, actually-- it feels like pulling money out of the ATM that I'm not immediately going to spend. Proficient poker playing actually feels like a low-grade superpower.

So today I want to share some parts of this journey. This post isn't about how to play poker, but rather how to learn to play poker. Despite tons of good resources and information out there, I found it difficult to know exactly how to tackle the problem of 'getting good at poker'.

Hold'Em is a beautifully complex and satisfying game. I'd play it even if money wasn't on the line. Playing for money makes it a pure game which ensures that everyone is playing at the best of their ability. The only real 'move' you have is to add money to the pot. No hitting, standing, or swapping out cards. Yet behind this simplicity are layers of math, psychology, and logic, all woven together.

How hard is it to get good at poker? Not very. I started out playing $3/6. When I moved up to $6/12, I was terrified that everyone was going to be really good. They were horrible. I stuck around at $6/12 for a while, and then, hands trembling, moved up to $15/30. I was sure that everyone was amazing there. A few people were good, but most were pretty bad. After a few months of play, I was usually the best or second best player at the table. I recently took a shot at $20/40 and played two different games. At one game I figured I was fourth or fifth best out of ten, and at the other I thought I was one of the top two.

Unfortunately, you can't just be in the top half to make money at poker. Because of the house taking money, you have to be one of the top three or so to win overall. Because everyone else is playing casually and without discipline, it just doesn't take too much to get to the top three.

Before you ever start playing, you need to memorize starting hands. Start with Winning Low Limit Hold'Em by Lee Jones. It's not perfect, and you'll end up diverging from his recommendations eventually, but by simply following his chart, you'll have an enormous advantage over the other players at the lower limits.

Buy a copy of Turbo Texas Hold'Em from Wilson Software. The interface is hilarious and it only runs on PCs on 32bit operating systems (or in VMware), but it's the best poker simulation you can find. Go through meticulously and make all of the settings as hard as possible, including having the AI learn your style. Turn off the animations and sounds to speed up play.

Turbo Texas Hold'Em is amazing because it's fast. You can play fifteen hundred hands per hour. For reference, that's fifty hours of live poker. The AI isn't exactly like real life players, but it's close enough and the difficulty roughly matches to a $15/30 game.

Once you've memorized the starting hands, start playing a couple hours of TTH per day, just guessing what to do after following the starting hand chart. This gives you some context for the game that will increase your comprehension when you read.

After a couple thousand hands or so, read the rest of 'Winning Low Limit Hold'Em'. Keep playing Turbo Texas Hold'Em, but also start playing real life casino games. Start with a $3/6 or $4/8 game, which are low enough to be cheap, but not so low that it's a complete freakshow.

At these low limits, the rake is proportionally so high that the games are virtually unbeatable. Even a firehouse can't fill a bucket with a giant hole in the bottom of it. There's just too much money being pulled off the table. So you don't have to wait until you're beating $4/8 to move up in ranks-- just wait until you are choosing your starting hands with no thought, aren't playing hands you shouldn't play, and feel like your post-flop play is one of the best two or three at the table. Complete comprehension and implementation of Winning Low Limit Hold'Em should get you there.

It's important to be aggressive in moving up in limits, even if you're scared. The buy in for $6/12 is $200, which is a small price to pay for a test to see if you're ready to move up or not. Don't make your decision based on whether you win at the new level or not, but on how the game felt after a couple hours of play. If you felt like people were running circles around you, and you didn't understand what the better players were doing, don't move up. If you think you're in the top half of the players, do move up. You need better competition to progress, and sometimes you have to pay for it in the form of losing a small amount of money to the rake.

Once you start playing $6/12 or $8/16 or $10/20 (depending on which of these your local casino has), most players will still be horrible, but you'll run into a few people that actually have some understanding of the game. Now you can put into practice slightly more advanced tactics like hand-reading, free card plays, and certain bluffs. To learn these, read Small Stakes Hold'em by Sklansky.

The rake in these small/mid limit games is small enough that they are beatable. Keep at them until you feel like you're one of the best three players at the table, and are winning money. If you're diligent about reading the book and putting in some hours on TTH, it won't take long.

The big skill to work on in these mid stakes games is hand-reading, which isn't explicitly covered in any of the books I'm recommending. The idea is that as your opponent makes his moves, you narrow down the range of hands he could possibly have. The goal isn't to figure out the exact hand he has, but rather what his 'range' is, and how you fare against it.

For example, if an opponent in late position raises a two-tone flop, but then checks the turn, it's extremely likely that he has a flush draw. If you have a pair, you can assume that you're going to win unless he he hits his flush card.

The second part of this equation is to figure out which play will net the most money based on these assumptions. To continue the previous example, if a non flush card comes on the river, you should actually check, even though you know you're probably winning. Why? Because he might try to bluff at it and bet. If he DOES bet, you should call, but not raise. A raise will only be called by hands that beat you (like if he made a set on the river).

Once you're becoming somewhat proficient at hand reading, move up to $15/30 or $20/40. Because these games are finally getting into the realm of stakes played by professionals, you have to tread with a bit of caution. The $15/30 game I play in San Francisco has a couple pros, but no one particularly intimidating. I played a $20/40 game in Seattle that was full of horrible players that I would expect to see at the $6/12. On the other hand, the one time I played $20/40 at Bellagio, it was a tough game.

While moving up to this new limit, or even just before, read Hold'Em For Advanced Players. This book is more complex than the first two, and many of the plays it prescribes will only work against decent players. You should continue to work on hand reading and thinking very critically about how each of your possible plays will work against that range.

Make sure to track your progress as you go. Genting casino glasgow poker. I like 'Session Logger' for Android, and my friends like 'Poker Journal' for iPhone. Once you settle in to your $15/30 game, you should be able to make about $45 an hour. It's not a huge amount of money, but it's not bad, and it's a fun way to do it.

The last thing I'll mention is the importance of discipline. If I were to point out the biggest error I see opponents making, it's that they lack discipline. They want to play crappy pocket pairs early. They want to call one more street to see if they make their miracle straight. It's only a bet here and there, which seems negligible, but it adds up in the end.

When I sit down at a poker table, my goal isn't to win. It's to play correct poker. I don't try to justify any call or fold-- I just try to do what I think is best. I don't always get it right, but that attitude has helped me avoid the emotional playing that would have easily turned me into a net loser.

As for going beyond these limits, I just don't know yet. I definitely haven't fully absorbed Hold'Em for Advanced Players, but I imagine that doing so would be the first step towards moving up limits. I'm currently beating the $15/30 in San Francisco and the $10/20 at Bellagio in Las Vegas. I'm a bit intimidated by the $20/40 at Bellagio, and I don't have enough data to know whether I can beat it or not. I suspect I can't yet.

I also don't know anything about online poker. For whatever reason, it just doesn't appeal to me, and I don't play it.

As my awareness of the game grew alongside my profits, I was shocked to see just how bad most players are. They've put in the time playing, but without any real study, they're mostly reinforcing bad habits. You can do differently. With just a few months of concentrated study and play, I'm convinced that anyone can become a winning player.

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No pickup update because, honestly, this last week has been useless. my wing and I moved to Las Vegas for at least the next few weeks to remedy the situation. the full story will come out in the next update.

I think this post may not be the best edited, but it's 5:15am and I'm running out of batteries, so I've got to post it.

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Play poker like a rockstar? Don't be fooled by the title.

Everybody can learn how to play poker like the pros (well, at least those serious enough), but winning 'every' time is the tricky part.

Unless you're a masochist, nobody likes losing and everybody wants to win every time, especially at poker when the stakes are high.

You know what I mean. Poker players, both amateurs and professionals, knew right from the start what it felt to win your first hand with a play you don't even understand.

The sound of card shuffles, the feel of the felt, the splash of chips. They all contribute to poker's overall appeal as a recreational game.

If you want to up your game a notch and play like the poker legends, there are so many things you can do.

But before we go on to that and give you tips on how you can improve your game and mimic the pros, allow me to clarify a bunch of stuff to make things clearer about poker in general.

Here they are:

• Poker is about two things: Math and Psychology
• It has a simple game structure, but it's complex right down to the core
• You need funds ($$$)

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Poker Math and Psychology

Pure luck.

You can't beat the game because when cards are involved, you can't do much about it.

I beg to differ.

Play Poker, just like any card or gambling games, has been subjected to many academic studies, specifically game theory and other decision-based sciences.

If this is not true, then how come there are books on how math works for poker players?

If you want to learn how to play poker like the pros and win every time, you must be ready to accept that the name of the game is probability and if you know how to capitalize on that, then you're on your winning ways.

Probability plays a big role in each hand you play poker and the most each poker player can do is make estimates.

You can only estimate using probability what's going to happen next. It sounds like a guessing game, but probability helps a lot if you know how to use it and you have a pretty clear idea what you're going up against.

Sure, luck plays a role in the game, too, but in poker parlance, we call it variance.

Simply put, the variance is the number of times a particular hand in poker is most likely to win. It's not accurate, but at least you have a barometer to understand whether the way you're playing is the correct way.

There's also psychology involved. Ever heard of tells? Tells are signs people don't know they project to other people.

If you've seen the movie Rounders, the tale of Matt Damon's nemesis, John Malkovich, during their final heads-up match came in the form of Oreo cookies.

If Malkovich takes a bite of Oreos, it serves as a tell to Damon that Malkovich has a strong hand. What if he doesn't eat it, then Damon has him beat.

But here's a catch: it'd be sweet if we could see tells in that way when we play poker each time.

For one, that's difficult because you have to play non-stop and iteratively to see those mundane gestures. Another would be to play with the same person over and over to understand why he plays like that in the first place.

For most professional poker players, they too can do somewhat the same. Using math, they can pretty much estimate what the other player is holding.

And just to be clear, we said estimate. I remember a new player asked me if I can tell what hand the other players are holding.

Confused, he asked me to elaborate. It told him I couldn't be 100 percent sure what exactly is the poker hand my opponent is holding, but I sometimes have a good 'feel' of what he has depended on his poker behavior at the table.

I explained further and said that I see tells not on people's faces, but based on their betting patterns.

You put the two together – math and psychology – then you've won half the battle.

Simple structure, complex game

The structure of poker is very simple: you have a bunch of people (usually a maximum of nine players per table), dealt two cards face down each and they battle it out who has the best five-card combination.

In game theory, poker is classified as 'fixed game' with strict rules and an expected payout.

The player who has the best hand wins and gets paid while the rest ends up with nothing. In other words, poker is a zero-sum game. There's only one winner.

It looks so simple, as poker greats used to say, 'it takes a few minutes to learn, but a lifetime to master.'

You have several players taking turns clock-wise and they're given choices whether to call or fold, raise or re-raise.

The crux of poker being a complex game lies in vast probability and psychology the game is known for.

True, there are a finite number of cards in a deck, but the probability of landing a monster hand and getting the nuts is infinite.

Also, if you're not prepared for the swings, poker can drive you 'nuts.' I've seen many big men figuratively down on their knees with each bad beat and some even try to control tears from running down their cheeks.

It's drama in real life with a thousand 'what ifs' – what if I've played this hand differently?

What if the donkey player didn't call?

What if I just stayed home and didn't lose sleep?

Poker is very emotional right through a person's core that's why it's a complex game.

It's not just about cards; it's poker.

To get money, you need money

This is the stark reality of poker as a recreational game and professional sport.

You need to be ready to shell out cash if you want to play in the game. As the cliché goes, 'there's no such thing as a free lunch.'

If you're after the recreational side of poker and hope to win a little bit of cash, you need money.

It's no different from watching a blood and gore movie.

You have to pay for the ticket.

Do you want to play bowling with your friends?

Then you should be ready to pay for bowling lane use.

How much more if you want to learn how to play poker like the pros and win every time? Those who are considering making a living out of poker need to make a considerable investment.

You need funds for your buy-ins. You can't enjoy your dinner if you only have a fork and a knife. And you need a steak.

Now, let's put these things aside temporarily and look at the following tips how you can play poker like the pros.

Before the Flop (The Opening Hand)

Just like in the game of chess, the opening hand is crucial to ensure victory or to avoid a dreadful loss.

Most beginners, especially the serious ones, have difficulty grasping this concept.

For starters, I want you to remember some basics to guide you through the process.

Opening hands to play

Although highly criticized, Phil Helmuth's top ten opening monster hands have been guiding beginners to help them quash low- to mid-level games.

These poker hands made me start winning morewhen I first started playing poker and decided to play more seriously at the beginning of my career. From time to time I still play with these opening hands whenever it suits me and I play it aggressively.

These opening hands are very helpful especially if you're at the beginner level and you don't yet have an arsenal of a wide range of hands that you can play with.

Bear in mind these opening hands are not etched in stone.

Of course, you can vary your opening hand choices, but putting Helmuth's hands would help a lot.

However, this strategy of playing 'only' these monster hands fell under heavy criticisms from other professional poker players.

They argue that such advice won't play well for beginners who are playing low-stakes games. In most low-stakes poker games (usually house games), players would play almost any hand just for the fun and recreational part of it.

Be that as it may, being dealt with monster hands is sweeter rather than just playing any suited and non-connected cards.

They will also allow you to test your strength and emotional game state how you would play each monster hand.

As you play along, you would develop the knack to develop your strategy on how to go about your game.

On Calling, Raising and Re-raising

When do you call a bet?

Do you raise?

When do you re-raise?

How much should you bet?

How much should you re-raise?

These are the common questions beginners ask as they explore poker and learn more about the game.

The answer: It depends. Really. A good barometer for calling, raising, and re-raising depends on the following factors:

• The hand you're playing
• Your position at the table
• The size of your stack
• How you read your opponents' tells

Hand you're playing

Traditional poker strategy suggests that you raise if you have a monster hand like AA (or any other monster hand of your preference) regardless of your position at the table.

The raising behavior would send a signal to other players that you're indeed holding a monster hand.

However, your raise depends on another factor: your table image.

If you portray an image of a tight-aggressive player, your opponents are more likely to fold than engage you like that particular hand and play progress.

If you're the type, who's losing and would play just about any hand, expect to get called by others at the table.

Table position

If, on the other hand, you're holding a medium pair or suited connectors like double eights, theory suggests that these hands are good to play when you're in mid-table position and there are no raisers.

And if there are raisers in this particular hand, don't immediately fold.

Assess the amount raised whether it's worth playing or not.

I like playing suited connectors especially when I'm the last to act (or especially when I'm on the button).

I could hope for many possible variations of hitting something on the flop or the chance of getting a draw like a straight or a flush.

Stack size

The size of your stack is as important as the hand you're holding.

The bigger your stack, the wider your hand range becomes.

You can experiment with different hands, but always be careful not to overdo it.

Poker is a game of attrition.

The more poker chip towers you have, the more you can dictate how you and your opponents play.

When you get a monster hand together with a huge size of chips, you can limp to suck more players in or play aggressive and go for the immediate kill.

The downside to big stacks, however, is when you get outdrawn in a play and you've committed a sizeable portion of your stack.

Most poker players, including pros, tend to tilt and lose composure.

In most cases, players who tilt find it difficult to shift gears and play their best as they're sucked into a series of bad beats and bad plays.

Reading your opponents

Finding your opponents' tells is not voodoo.

Sure, it helps when you can see if your opponent is holding his breath or shows an occasional twitch.

But it could mean so many things for so many different players.

Some players, especially beginners, would splash chips with their hands shaking.

To most pros, a shaking hand is a sign of someone holding a strong hand.

Pros (at least those you see in the movies) would normally fold their hands.

But what if the beginner's shaking hands are not signs of strength, but of weakness?

What if that's his last chance of getting back into the game and he knows he was already beat?

The best way to get an opponent tells is by observing the manner of his bets.

Most players, especially the good ones, vary the way they bet to hide information on what hand their playing.

Sooner or later, and when you've developed your poker acumen, you'll be surprised to correctly estimate the hands your opponents are holding.

The secret is: There's no secret. You have to play more as much as you can and learn how people behave (bet) at the table.

Invest in the game

Casino ns halifax events. Earlier we said that poker requires money to get money.

Well, there's another form of cash beginners tend to overlook: Time.

Time is gold as most people say. It is. Time is the equivalent of money in its strict business sense.

In poker, you need to play at least 2,000 hours for you to get a reasonable statistics of your game to generate ample data on how you play.

To learn how to play poker like the pros and win every time means putting in the hours just like everybody else the way a bank employee kills his own time in front of a teller machine.

Apart from the 2,000 hours that you spend at the table, you also need to invest in books and videos to read and to watch how the pros do it.

Poker is an evolution in card games – it's survival of the fittest. And the fittest are those who could adapt, mimic, and incorporate the good and throw away the bad.

How many poker books have you read so far?

How many WPT series have you seen online or on cable TV?

How To Get Good At Online Poker

Have you joined poker forums and discussed your plays and exchanged ideas with other players?

This is what we mean by investment.

It's more than the amount of money you put on the poker table both live and online.

last words

Martin Van Rue once said, 'the devil is in the details.' There are many things to consider before one begins to play poker like a pro.

But you have to start to play poker somewhere.

There are so many things we can talk about and the pages of this article will run for miles and miles and still we won't be able to cover anything.

Test the suggestions below.

Read more.

How To Become Online Poker Pro

Play Poker More.

Win more.

How To Become Good At Online Poker Tournaments

Play poker like the pros.