Online Hold ’Em Strategy

The following tips and suggestions can apply to the game of poker at large, but are particularly useful for new online players at low-stakes Hold ’Em tables, whether in cash games or tournaments. Remember that these tips and observations are generally true. Particular game circumstances can change everything in a heartbeat.

Study the Table

Poker is a game of limited information, and the more information you have on your side, the better your decisions will be. When you know something that your opponent doesn’t know (or doesn’t know you know), you have an advantage. One way to gather such information is to study the play of your opponents.

One limitation of the online game is that you can’t directly observe the other players as you can in a live game. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still gather information. Watch your opponents betting patterns and general tendencies. Who’s playing tight? Who’s playing loose? Is there someone attempting a lot of bluffs? The best time to study the table is when you’ve already folded out of the hand and have no direct investment in the outcome. If the cardroom offers a note-taking feature, take advantage of this by typing up your thoughts as you go.

Even if your observations don’t pay off in the current game, the very act of studying the table will sharpen your skills and help you to think about poker on a deeper level.



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