How to Begin to Win in Online Poker
Image by lawrencechua
Poker is one of the most lucrative professional games in the world. In 2012, the World Series of Poker offered a mouth-watering 1st prize of over $12 million dollars. Whilst poker’s online counterpart has not yet managed to match such mind-numbingly high payouts, thousands of internet players are still raking in the cash in extraordinary amounts. The gambling industry is globally worth around $800 billion dollars with online platforms generating an increasing percentage of these profits. Between 2001 and 2005, online poker’s revenue sky-rocketed from nearly $83 million to over $2.4 billion. Therefore, it is unsurprising that big brands such as and Pokerstars pay out over $3 million dollars in prize-money every month.
Poker is one of the most lucrative professional games in the world. In 2012, the World Series of Poker offered a mouth-watering 1st prize of over $12 million dollars. Whilst poker’s online counterpart has not yet managed to match such mind-numbingly high payouts, thousands of internet players are still raking in the cash in extraordinary amounts. The gambling industry is globally worth around $800 billion dollars with online platforms generating an increasing percentage of these profits. Between 2001 and 2005, online poker’s revenue sky-rocketed from nearly $83 million to over $2.4 billion. Therefore, it is unsurprising that big brands such as 32Red and Pokerstars pay out over $3 million dollars in prize-money every month.
Online poker is becoming increasingly popular as both a money-spinning pastime and as a full-time career. The internet phenomenon has proven in recent years that it is not just a place for amateur players, the quality of online poker users being proven at this years World Series of Poker. This premier event was won by Sweden’s Martin Jacobson who snatched a staggering prize of over $10 million dollars. What is notable about Jacobson’s win was that he cut his teeth in the game playing online poker after late-night shifts working as a chef. Jacobson’s victory was even more impressive considering he was the only player to fully expose his face during proceedings. Whilst other players adorned themselves in the traditional poker uniform of baseball caps and hoodies, to disguise detrimental tells, the 23 year-old wore only black-rimmed glasses.
So, if you fancy following Jacobson’s example or just wish to earn a bit of extra cash, here are a couple of tips on how to begin playing online poker. Who knows, maybe it will be you next year being showered in confetti and holding that big fat cheque.
Slow and Steady Wins the Hand
Regardless of how comfortable you are at the casino table, it is always wise to start small when playing internet poker for the first time. Whilst internet poker equals the tactical appeal, exhilarating pressure and addictive quality of its real life counterpart, there are subtle differences that can throw even the most seasoned pros off initially. Whilst in times these differences will add to your enjoyment, and will give your game greater versatility, it may take a bit of time for you to adapt.
For example, If you are someone who enjoys the leisurely pace of the casino version then online poker’s short move time-limit will be a shock. However, once you adjust the adrenaline rush from this pacey variant will have you hooked. Similarly, if you are a player who relishes discovering hidden tells, the inability to see your competitors faces may be a stumbling block. However, the removal of this ability means that other areas of your game will improve. Like how a blind man’s sense of smell becomes stronger to compensate for his lack of vision, your ability to calculate probability will increase substantially when you cannot rely upon identifying tells. By playing online poker you will become a more rounded and dangerous player and just imagine the carnage when you do return to your local casino table with your newly honed skills.
So resist the temptation to play for as higher stakes as you’re use to, instead play with small amounts initially and slowly increase it as you grow more comfortable. This method may hurt your pride, but it will save your wallet from a beating!
Routine is Supreme
It doesn’t matter if you plan on making a career out of online poker or simply are using it as an extra source of income, getting yourself into a routine will increase your winnings. You wouldn’t stroll into work at a different time each day or train for a sport in erratic chunks, so why would you do it when your trying to make money in online poker. No matter how talented you are, nobody can dip in and out of something and continuously improve. Online poker requires you to be at the top of your mental game and a good routine will train your brain to preform at its best every time you sit down to play. Work out at what times you preform best, if you are someone who has boundless energy in the morning or an individual who doesn’t start firing on all cylinders till dusk, make sure you tailor your routine to utilise this. With a solid routine in place, you will soon find that you are instantly ready to compete and won’t have to waste time, and money, warming up.
Customise to Optimise your Chances
Whilst it may seem an insignificant aspect of online poker, customising how your online table is displayed will improve your game. What is onscreen is your gateway to big winnings, so why would you settle for a one that isn’t quite to your liking. Most online poker websites give you a wide variety of customisable options for your display, so why not utilise this. If you find the avatars of other players distracting, then remove them. If you are logging several hours of play and struggle towards the end to quickly identify how many players are at the table, why not select a darker background and ramp up the vibrancy of the colours of the cards. It may seem pernickety but even these little alterations can give you that much needed edge.
