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.

Swim against the Current

A dusty old piece of conventional wisdom in poker is to play tight in the loose games and play loose in the tight games. The idea is to assess the action of the table and go the other way—to swim upstream, as it were. It turns out that this is rather a good approach to the smaller online Hold ’Em tables. As stakes rise, however, the game tends to get more complex and sophisticated, and poker generalities work even less than they do otherwise.

In a small cash game where bets and raises are flying around, you’re better off hunkering down and playing very conservatively. In this case, you’re basically staying out of harm’s way. On the other hand, if the game is really locked down and quiet, it often pays to loosen up your game and try to steal some pots. Again, remember that this is only generally speaking. Each of your individual decisions, from hand to hand and betting round to betting round, will be informed by many other factors.

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