First in NEW SERIES: POKER LESSONS 202

Posts: 2913 · Posted: 17.09.2006, 04:39

Strategy Tips for Online Poker

Poker Crushers, I now present to you my formal POKER LESSON 202: STRATEGY TO WIN!

Remember, I have told you that my first choice of ring tables to play at any online casino is a table for 10 players, if available. I also recommended that you follow my example since it seems to be a winning one most of the time.

There are several reasons I choose a 10-player table. One of them is because you don't have to put up an ante nearly as often, since only 2 players ante per hand; one contributes the big blind to the pot, the other the small blind. At tables with fewer players, your chip stack can go down pretty quickly with nothing but antes. Nobody but the house benefits from this.

Once you have decided on the table size, you should not keep switching table sizes either, because the play will be slightly different at each. That slight difference in play can make a big difference in your winnings. So stick to one table size, at least until you have mastered the strategies of that table's playing. It is important to follow that rule,even if you choose a table with fewer than 10 players.

When you arrive in the site's lobby and start looking for the right size tables and find them, then you have to decide which one would be best for you! Being a winner, you see, consists of much more than how you play the cards. There are many decisions you have to make before you even sit down to play....and they are extremely important ones for your success.

Therefore..... let's aassume here that we are considering ONLY the 10-player tables. When you have found them, the next step is to choose your preferred limits by the sizes of the blinds (antes). Let's decide on only the tables with blinds of $0.50 - $1.00. This is a range I recommend once you have had just a little experience playing. It will be the easiest to win at, in my opinion. The big-money players are at much higher limit tables and the players too scared to put hardly any money into the game for you to win are at the lower limit tables. Therefore, $0.50 - $1.00 will let you win easier, at the point most of you are now, according to how I have come to know you.

The next strategy step is to look at all the tables in that range and the average size of the pots. These figures will be up in the lobby where you pick the table to go to. And all the figures on the board there are called the table statistics. You look for the largest pot size THAT ALSO MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS OF 10 players, $0.50-$1.00 blinds, and Pot Limit (PL) Texas Hold'em. You waste too much time playing Fixed Limit (FL) games and the betting can get way too wild and out of reasonable sight on the No Limit (NL) tables.

The reason you look for the largest average pot size is because that tells you the players are playing very loosely. In my opinion, that means betting or calling too often for their own good.....but good news for YOU.

There is one more step and then you will have found the perfect table for YOU. This step is looking at the flop percentages. Flop percentages tell you how many players are usually staying in the game at least until the flop is dealt. The highest percentage in your selected group of tables is what you are looking for. Again, the higher the flop average, the looser those seated are playing, which is good for you.

Okay. Now you have made 6 very important decisions after entering the chosen site BEFORE you even sit down at a table. How well you do will depend, to a large extent, on these decisions.

To help you remember them, I will now list them in the order you should find them.

1. Texas Holdem Pot Limit (PL) table.

2. 10-player table (9-player if that is the highest they have)

3. Do NOT switch table sizes.

4. $0.50-$1.00 blinds

5. Largest pot size meeting the above requirements

6. Highest Flop percentage average meeting the above requirements

Now you have YOUR PERFECT TABLE! If 10 players are already sitting at every one of these tables, you can make one of two equal choices: List your name as "Waiting" to be called when someone leaves

or

Choose the table that has the fewest empty chairs out of 10.

BUT WAIT. Now that you are at the table, don't play the very next hand dealt! Instead, look at the players' chip stacks.

This part should be just a review for a lot of you because we have already discussed it. If one player has a much higher amount of money in his stack than all the others......sorry, Get up and move on to another table. He is probably a shark and maybe a pro. If 2 players have amounts extremely higher than the others, but close to each other's amount, you walk then, too. These two could be in collusion. That is, on the phone with each other, revealing what they hold, which allows them an advantage over you as far as knowing which cards will NOT be dealt on the flop, turn or river!

So your important decisions before playing a hand now equals 6 + 2.

When you go thru the process again to find the winning table for you, don't forget the names of the tables you might have already left, so you won't waste time going back to them again. Not this night and hour!

Okay. Once again, you have gone thru the 6 steps and have YOUR table again. If there is only one chair left, take it! If more than one chair is empty, take the one most far to the player with the most money's left. That will give you a chance to see what he is doing each hand before it is your turn! That also now makes your decisions before a single hand 6 + 2 + 1.

You are ready to play. What's more, you are ready to WIN because chances are not a single other player at the table has the education you now have from a pro for being at that table. So you are starting out with THE ADVANTAGE!

Those who asked me about how to build their confidence back when I first accepted this job, should, at this point have it BEFORE THE CARDS ARE EVEN DEALT!

My next lesson will be WHAT TO DO NEXT. In other words, STRATEGIES for playing your cards and betting!

First, let's have some discussions about this lesson I have just presented. Your guru NEEDS some feedback from you!

Good thinking always!

Your PokerGuru

Posts: 654 · Posted: 17.09.2006, 17:27

Guru ~

I am impressed! I have always followed your advice and it has always paid off for me!

In fact, I had thought I was doing pretty well and was at first a bit hesitant to change my ways. But when I decided to go with the pro's advice, I was amazed! I started winning much more often and in larger amounts. For that I thank you very much and I will not question your advice again since you have proved youself to me!

But I do have a couple of questions about this lesson.

First, I have always played at NL No Limit games. Should I for sure now go to the PL Pot Limit games?

And second, well, darn, I forgot my second question. Will have to ask it as soon as I remember what it was.

Anyway, thank you in advance for answering my first question. And thank you for all I have learned from you! My checkbook thanks you too!

royalblush

Posts: 1825 · Posted: 18.09.2006, 05:39

Wow I am impressed with me hahaha Without realizing it I do all those things naturally EXCEPT Pot Limit. I love NL tables and do well at them. So I guess my next experience is to try for some Pot Limits... I hate fixed pots as it cramps my style *evil grin* but Pot Limits is kind of between Fixed and NL so maybe I won't feel too cramped Razz

Posts: 496 · Posted: 18.09.2006, 08:23

Thank you Poker Guru... as always I learned alot from your lesson

Im a big poker lesson junkie ...as you know

But you my dear friend are one hell of a poker lesson supplier !!

keep them comming

mojojds

Posts: 398 · Posted: 24.09.2006, 10:34

ok ok ok .....illl try it your way.....thats like the way it has to be to earn the free money which is of a match nature. welll what the heck i mean is ive deposited several times at places and well before you recieve the bonus u have tohave certain amount of raked hands...within such a certain amount of time and then you will recieve the money which was a you deposit this much and youll recieve..that much more. a match bonus and wahhhhh that match burned.....wrong kinda match i guess....oh excuse my rattle offat the keys type in a frensy....whew thanks for letting me vent....welll for it to be used as a raked hand type point. 50cent tables is how i understand it. though it could be if i win a pot with 50 cent and more or hey does it count the monies i fold give away to the main pot ? oh hey im not off topic or nothin here....it matters. otherwise i would play my micro tables and play real money tables for long time. .50-1.00 is got money to burn.....oh wow i just typed a silly ....sorry excuse my airy ways.... anywho.....PokerGuru you see i am forced basically to play those two -four quarter tables.....otherwise i wont even achieve experiencing the recieving of match bonus....which ok ok first i better study this .....ive really made myself think. hmmm.....thanks.
very good info in this lesson by the way, perfect timing almost even....most of all......

Posts: 1 · Posted: 24.09.2006, 10:37

hey i greatly agree that playing 10 handed tables is FAR BETTER than 6 handed tables. also i agree looking to see what percent of players are in for the flop is a very good idea deciding which table to sit at. however this aint just for PL holdem though. it will also work at NL holdem, hilo games, stud games, whatever game is ur preference that ur best suited for.