Poker News

Ashley Adams

5. Good players play at lower stakes on line than in casinos. In casinos, it is unusual to find a really good player in a game below $5/10. On line, there are often good solid players at the $3/6, $2/4 and $1/2 table. If you don’t adjust your starting requirements and playing style to suit these tougher opponents then you will often lose your bankroll to them.

REMEDY: Pay close attention to the play of your opponents in the lower stakes games, and adjust your game accordingly. Do not assume that you are up against poor players just because the stakes are low. Leave your ego out of your game. Beating a $1/2 game is better than losing at $3/6. Avoid games with a lot of tough players, no matter what level you’re used to playing in a casino or among friends. There are no bragging rights for losing at the biggest game available.

6. On line accounts tend to be more limited than live bankrolls. Many on-line players are playing with a severely restricted bankroll. Since they require an electronic transfer of cash to fund their site, they often plan to give up once their initial stake is depleted. Players on short bankrolls play too cautiously at first and then, as they lose their money, they play fatalistically-just tossing in chips to end the pain.

REMEDY: Recognize the importance of having a bankroll that fits your game.. If you’re planning to lose your initial buy-in in the on-line game - then you probably will. Rather, give yourself a fair chance of winning by playing within your bankroll - probably with at least 200 times the small blind. If you’re not willing to invest at least that amount intoyour on-line play then you probably shouldn’t be playing on-line.

7. You can play more than one game at a time on line. Many stud players - stud players with winning records in casinos - do this regularly. But in stud, unlike Hold Em, it is critical that you remember folded cards and the betting action of your opponents in conjunction with their exposed cards. If you’re playing more than one game at a time on line then for all but those with photographic memory, this is impossible to do.

REMEDY: Just don’t play more than one stud game at one time - ever. If you find on-line play too boring then either don’t play it or have some other task you can do in between the hands you play. I find it to be a great opportunity to read back issues of Poker Player.

8. It is tougher to pick up tells on line. There are no faces to read, no body language to watch, and there are no verbal clues to respond to. This is bad for two reasons. You lose your ability to use these and other subliminal tells that might have guided your live play. And, you tend to ignore the clues that you can glean from your on-line opponents.

REMEDY: Pay close attention to the betting action of each opponent. Put them into general categories based on their betting. Arethey tight early on but loose once they’re in a hand? Are they passive? Do they over-et their hands? Will they fold on the River? Do they play Flush draws in heads-up hands? Are they tricky? Do they bluff? Many on-line sites have a feature that allows you to keep notes electronically. If they don’t have it, do so manually. There are dozens of clues on line but they’re based on the player’s betting action. So keep track of their action.

[Editor’s Note: Also read the the first part of this article.]

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