If you plan on making the jump from live poker to online poker, you are in for a roller coaster ride.
Before you sit down at any table, make sure you have firm bankroll guidelines in place. It’s tempting to sit down at a table with your entire bankroll, especially when there are so many fish online, but remember that these fish can also be your worst enemy.
The biggest difference between live and online play is the willingness of players to throw their money around to try to win big. Here are some things to look out for when adjusting to the online poker world:
Players will call you more online
This is both the best and the worst part of playing online poker. A few weeks ago I was playing a 200-man tournament with an $11 buy-in. The field stood at 65 when I was dealt pocket 10s. I made a proper raise—four times the big blind—in late position and got called by one player in early position. The flop came 3-8-6. Considering my opponent was somewhat low on chips, I pushed all-in. He spent a solid ten seconds thinking it over before calling. He flips over 9-10. Yes, you read that right. The best part? He catches his gut shot straight draw on the river. I lose about half my stack and never recover. I asked him why in the world he would make such a poor move, to which he responded, “It’s only $11.”
First, if you are committed to playing a multi-table poker tournament, or any tournament for that matter, you should never measure a tournament’s worth by the buy-in amount. Over $550 went to 1st place. That is what you should focus on.
From a psychological standpoint, most players feel it’s easier to press a “call” button than it is to physically count out chips and throw them in the pot. People feel more confident playing in the comfort of the home vs. a casino. You don’t have a group of players staring at you and you can react however you want without giving away any tells.
You will take more bad beats
As a result of being called more often, you will receive more bad beats online. Some people think that receiving more bad beats online is a fallacy and simply a reflection of the higher number of hands played. Others believe online poker is “rigged” to encourage more action or not. No matter what you believe, you cannot deny the fact that the more players who call your bet, the more you are at risk of taking a bad beat.
Consider the players per flop percentage before sitting down at any ring game. Generally, the higher that number is, the looser the players are, which means you’ll have a greater chance of taking a bad beat.
Players will play draws to the end
If it seems that there are more flushes and straights online than in live poker, well, there is a good reason for that. Some players love playing connectors and suited cards, and will often limp in regardless of their position.
For example, one time I was dealt pocket Aces at a $.50/$1 ring game. I was in the cutoff position and the player next to me was on the button. I raised to $5 and was called by the button. We go to the flop: Q-10-6 with two diamonds. My opponent fires out $8 and I re-raise to $23. After some debate, my opponent re-raises me all in for the rest of my money ($50) and I call. He flips over A-7 of diamonds. He put over $75 in the pot with a flush draw. Naturally he caught his diamond on the river. Sometimes there is just nothing you can do but shake your head and laugh.
Still, the best defense against a fish is a good offense. Play tight-aggressive poker and get your money in the pot when you have the best hand. Force your opponent into make a difficult decision. Hopefully your good play will pay off in the long run.
The game is a lot faster
Some shorthanded ring games will have over 120 hands per hour. Adjusting to the speed of the online game can be difficult at first, but more than anything it satisfies everyone’s short attention span. Can’t stand the boring pace of regular 15-minute blind intervals? How about playing a tournament with blinds that go up every eight or even every three minutes? Turber, Super Turbo and Ultra Turbo tournaments will keep any all-in happy player, well, happy. Keep in mind that tournaments with three-minute blinds are almost all luck and feature nothing but all-ins. If you like lightening-fast cash games while still maintaining a full 9-player table, try Full Tilt Poker’s Rush Poker, where you can fold out of position and you will always have a hand.
Note that if you do not react within the time limit (usually 15 seconds) while playing a ring game, you will auto-check/fold your hand upon a bet, and you will sit out until you un-check the appropriate button. You can hit the “time bank” button to receive more time for those difficult decisions.
Tells are harder to spot
Tells may be harder to spot but they are certainly there if you look for them. Almost every tell revolves around an opponent’s betting style, particularly the timing and size of their bet.
In order to spot tells you have to pay attention to the game—something most amateur players aren’t willing to do. This means not going on YouTube or Facebook, but instead watching how each player acts, and then mentally or physically taking notes on their actions.
Tells are gained over time and are not necessarily a reflection of one hand. Pay attention to hands other than the ones you are involved in to get the most out your tell.
Conclusion
Without having to handle actual cash or chips, it’s understandable that players play faster and more careless online. Sometimes an opponent’s gambling ways can cause you to lose a lot of money. The only way to truly prevent losing a lot of money is to not bring a lot to the table.
Understand that there are plenty of fish that will play connectors and suited cards just for the opportunity to bust your good hand and win a big pot. Make aggressive bets and raises to get drawing hands to fold. You may not win many huge hands this way, but all the small and medium-sized pots will add up.
Do you play online poker? What do you think is the most difficult adjustment to make in online play?
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