If you have only ever played poker in a live setting and never tried online poker, your first time playing the game online can be daunting.
Online poker doesn’t have the same interactive nature as live. It plays much faster and is a lot more math-based than live poker.
For players transitioning from the live arena to online poker games for the first time, we have prepared this short guide with the 7 best tips for trying online poker for the first time.
#1 – Play Significantly Lower Stakes
Live and online poker differ in many ways, and the lowest stakes available are one of them. While live games usually start at $1/$2, online poker offers games with blinds as low as $0.01/$0.02.
The lowest stakes available tend to attract the least experienced players, but there is a big difference between the lowest stakes live and online.
For example, a live $1/$2 game will be filled with recreational players and low-stakes wannabe pros, all of whom are not that great at poker, simply because it is the smallest game around.
An online $1/$2 game will be a different story. Plenty of regular grinders who play multiple tables will be seated at your table, playing reasonably good poker, and not throwing their chips away.
If you are going to play online poker for the first time, and you usually play low-stakes games live, we recommend playing micro-stakes games, with blinds up to $0.5/$0.10, at least until you get accustomed to the online poker streets.
#2 – Be More Cautious with Your Bankroll
Variance in online poker is high, and the level of play is typically much higher than in live games. This lowers your win-rate and exposes you to bigger swings, regardless of how good you may be.
When transitioning to online poker, you would be wise to take a more conservative approach with your poker bankroll than you are used to.
For example, if you are used to playing with a 15 buyin bankroll in your live game, you might want to consider keeping at least 30 or 40 buyins for the online game.
All the top pros understand that you can only be as good as your bankroll will allow you to be, and playing with a low bankroll can be detrimental to your progress in the game.
#3 – Make Use of Poker Promotions
Live poker games can be fun, but they are also usually quite expensive. The rake in live games is traditionally high, and the kickbacks are few and far between. That’s simply because the costs of running a live poker game can be quite hefty.
Online poker sites, on the other hand, can run multiple games simultaneously at very low costs, enabling them to return value to their players.
When signing up for your first online poker site, consider the welcome bonuses, rakeback offers, leaderboards, and other poker promotions different sites offer.
Look to sign up to a site that has a low rake at the games you hope to play, and offers valuable promotions and bonuses.
Remember, each dollar you get through a bonus or rakeback is equal to a dollar you earn in the games. The less rake you pay, and the more promo money you earn, the higher your win-rate is in the games.
#4 – Try Big Field Tournaments
If you have only ever played live poker, you are probably used to playing small-field daily tournaments or big yearly events with high rake and fast structures.
Online poker gives you an opportunity to choose your games carefully. Options are almost limitless, and they include big field tournaments with massive guarantees.
Winning an event like this can be exceptionally difficult, but if you get lucky and actually go all the way, you may be able to jump-start your bankroll and skip many hours of climbing the ranks.
However, always keep in mind that just because you have the bankroll to play a game, it doesn’t mean you should play it, as the skill gap can sometimes simply be too high.
#5 – Be Careful with Timing and Sizing Tells
If it’s your first time playing online poker, it can be easy to switch to “auto mode” and make your plays without taking your time to think about them.
What’s even more, if you get into a pattern of choosing certain bet sizes with certain hand categories, or acting fast when you are bluffing or value betting, the savvy players in your games will pick up on that.
Instead of giving away your game through timing and sizing tells, remember to always take a few seconds before acting, and try to balance your sizes between your value hands and your bluffs.
#6 – Avoid Passive Play
One of the main differences between online and live poker is that live games tend to be a lot more passive, while online games are all about aggression.
If you find yourself in an online poker game for the first time, you would do well to avoid calling too much and instead apply pressure and take aggressive action more often.
Of course, there is a time and a place for passive play as well, but adopting a more aggressive overall strategy is the only way to truly succeed in online poker.
#7 – Play During Peak Times
Most live poker players only get to play whenever the games are running, and live games tend to be pretty good around the clock.
Online poker, on the other hand, is available at all hours of the day, but the games are not always the same.
Playing online during peak times, such as the weekends and national holidays, is significantly different from playing during daytime when most non-professional players are at work.
Try to figure out when the best times of day and week are to play on your chosen site, and you will notice a significant difference between peak time games and those played at random hours of the day.
