7 Secrets to Making a Great Living Playing Online Poker

Category: 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.

8 things not to do in online poker

Category: Poker

There are some common mistakes made by almost every poker player in the rookie years. Even though there is a lot of information available online about strategies and tips on poker games, these mistakes recur. But at the end of the day, every mistake has a solution and it can be avoided to ensure success. Some of the things that you should avoid while playing online poker is:

  • If you are not comfortable due to hunger, illness, divorce or any sort of frustration then try to avoid playing in these conditions as it can lead to wrong decisions. If you still force yourself then you may lose a lot of money.
  • If you have strong opponents then there are chances that they will make you lose. Even if you are good at this game, success will be based on your opponent’s skills to a great extent. Losing a game means your opponents are good, so make sure that you play a game according to your skills and interest.
  • Another important reason due to which players lose the game is the choice of a wrong game. You should go for it only if you are experienced and good at poker. For first timers, there are very less chances of winning. It is essential for them to know the strategies and rules and then play.
  • Make sure that you do not lose your emotional balance while playing poker. It is important to stay cool because when you are angry and irritated you tend to make wrong decisions which will send a signal to your opponents about your weak hand.
  • Many poker players forget to observe their opponents hands. They just think about their moves and avoid many important aspects of their opponent’s moves. You will have to be a professional and study the moves of other players meticulously.
  • If you are not prepared to play, then don’t get into it because winning and losing is based on your skills as well as preparation. Good planning could mean good chances to win. Losing focus could lead to loss of money.
  • Many poker players don’t concentrate on their game when they start losing. But in order to be successful, you need to understand the situation and then convert it into a benefit.
  • You will have to be aggressive and daring in the good sense because timid and bad playing is only for losers. Try not to play for a long duration because it will not only exhaust your brain but the game as well. Playing a lot in a stretch can lead to confusion.

Common mistakes made in online poker

Category: Poker
There are some common online poker mistakes that novices as well as experienced poker players make. If you want to be successful in this game, you have to practice certain strategies so that more pits can be won. You should learn to avoid these common mistakes and get an advantage over your opponents.

Distraction: Winning a poker game is all about skills, but you also need to have some attention span. You need to concentrate on the details of this game. In case of distraction, players don’t use their skills and leave everything to luck. If you are a novice, then you should learn handling more than 3-4 games at a time. Playing at home can ruin your attention to a great extent due to the phone, radio or TV; so make sure that you avoid all these distracting elements as far as possible.

Use of auto-play functions: The main function of the auto-play button is to speed up the game. When you use this button you must know that it is being used at the cost of your poker chips. In online poker, players are very far from each other and the only tells in this game is the duration taken by a player to act on his hand.

Delay in check: weakness
Instantaneous check: weakness
Instantaneous call: strength
Quick bet: strength

The first tell is all about understanding of the psychology of this game, but other three are based on auto play buttons. Clicking on the automatic check button when you have a weak hand will convey your weakness.

Too much talking: There are many online poker players who talk a lot because according to them this will not serve as tell. They fail to realize that besides the use of the auto-play button, talking can be the biggest online poker “tell”. So never waste time in talking to your opponents.

Never make enemies in poker: Try to avoid making enemies in this game because it is not a good idea. Avoid saying anything to your opponents when you win a pot, instead just drag the chips in a gracious manner. Don’t whine when you lose a game because making enemies will mean-they will gun for you.

To show cards: This is another mistake made by players in online poker. It is not a good thing to show your cards because according to some players this puts others on tilt and makes them less confident. So it is better to avoid hurting your opponents because it can hurt and place you out of a good game.