How to Approach Online Poker
Steps for starting to play online poker with ‘real’ money
Under Beginners > Dos & Don’ts various topics are mentioned that should be taken to heart by everyone. If you cannot identify yourself with these topics then please do not bother reading the rest of this page, it will simply not bring you any further! We further assume that you 'passed' the aptitude test! In order to optimize the financial success and to minimize the risk of a total loss the topics from 5 to 9 of the Dos & Don’ts are of special importance!
swiss-holdem-poker.com recommends the following procedure for a gentle entry into the world of real money online poker:
1) Register yourself at an online poker provider. We recommend Everest Poker because the poker software is well designed and easy to use, the rules of the game are clear and using the free games one can have a lot of practice. Moreover, Everest Poker makes a good impression by offering attractive bonuses, even if one belongs to the 'old hands'.
2) Play at least 100 hours of free online poker. It does not really sound all that much, but it is! (e.g. an hour every day for just over 3 months!)
3) When you win 95% of the 'most expensive' free poker sit 'n go tournaments without serious problems, then you are ready for games with real money. If you do not win in the long run in free poker tournaments then please do not burn your fingers by playing with real money! It is a cold wind that blows here!
4) Transfer money to your online poker account only after you fulfil point 3)! A prior transfer could, in addition, tempt you to play before you are really ready for real money!
5) Transfer money only when you are ready to play for real money! Transfer $100 at the most.
6) Now you can begin to play with real money not forgetting the points mentioned in No. 5) under dos & don'ts. If you lose all the money you transferred with $5 sit'n go tournaments, there are three alternatives. Alternative a) Try again with another $100. If you lose this money too, you are not suited to play poker (see the aptitude test). Alternative b) Stop immediately with online poker! Alternative c) Online poker will become a costly hobby for you but it will please your opponents!
7) In most promotions (e.g. 50% bonus on the first deposit) the money is credited to the online poker account only after a certain amount of time has been spent playing online. As soon as the bonus has been credited another money transfer should be made in order to profit again from the next bonus. Avoid playing without getting some kind of bonus.
8) Do not progress too quickly to buy-ins or minimum stake games. At Pokerroom, for example, the difference in level between $5 + 0.50 and $10 + 1 tournaments is not very large. Between the $10 + 1 and $20 + 1 tournaments, however, there lies half a light year!
9) If you have the time for multitable tournaments practice first with small buy-ins (less than 5% of your poker bankroll!). As long as you have under $250 on your account, please do not participate in multitable tournaments with more than 20 players! When you play a Multitable tournament for the first time try a Freeroll which most online pokerrooms provide. Everest Poker for instance gives every first depositor a free shot at a 1'000$ tournament.
10) Play only as long as you are successful and you are having fun.
Observing and taking notes
1) Observe your opponents. Try to recognize their betting patterns.
2) Attempt to guess which cards your opponents have, based on their manner of play during a hand. The more you practice this, the better you will become! Guaranteed!
3) Keep on observing and guessing the hands of your opponents even when you are no longer involved in the hand.
4) Make notes about the betting patterns of your opponents. Most online-poker providers offer this function to make notes on opponents.
5) Try to create a type of "standard" for your notes so that you can describe the manner of play of the opponents in a few words. After 3 months or so, if you come across the same opponent again, you will want to able to interpret your comments! Making notes is a good investment – guaranteed! Sooner or later one encounters the same opponents again.
6) Do not forget to date your notes as the manner of play of an opponent can drastically change with time.
7) Also note the circumstances of the observation. In a $5.00 + 0.50 tournament some players are just in for the fun and are accordingly "loose". However, in a $100 + 8 tournament the same player might play very "tight". Limit cash Game versus No Limit tournaments lead also to extreme differences in behaviour!
8) Backup your notes! Many poker providers save your personal notes in a file in the program folder. If you have to reinstall the computer then your notes are lost! In our list of online poker providers the respective path of the files for the notes is documented. How you can effectively backup the files, without always having to remember, can be found under: COMING SOON...
9) Observing the opponents requires your full attention. It is not possible to watch TV or answer your e-mails at the same time!
|
