Poker Strategy 101: Class Is in Session
Poker Strategy 101
Experienced online poker players are able to gauge the odds and probabilities of most situations. They are able to read their opponents and they know exactly when to play certain kind of cards. Obtaining all of these skills requires plenty of practice and a desire to constantly learn from your mistakes. It may seem like a daunting task, but starting with the basics of poker strategy 101 will give you the proper foundation to hone your poker skills in the future.
Less Is More in Online Poker
In a standard game of online Texas Hold'em, each player will receive two hole cards. This gives you 169 possible hole card combinations at the start of each game. At most casual online poker tables you can get away with playing low and mediocre hands. However, if you're serious about your poker game play, it's likely that you'll be folding over 75% of the time right from the start. Out of the 169 possible starting hand combinations, only high value pairs such as Jacks, Queens, Kings, Aces or a suited Ace-King should be played 100% of the time.
If players only played the top five starting hands and folded the rest of the time, online poker would be quite boring. Basic poker strategy 101 dictates that you will actually be able to make plays with the top 15 starting hands, which range all the way down to a pair of 9's and a suited Jack-Queen. However, only playing about 15% of your hands will make you miss out on opportunities where the majority of your opponents are also carrying weaker hands to begin with. It's necessary to find a good balance between folding, consistently playing good starting hands and occasionally trying mediocre hands.
Online Poker Records
Online poker can become time consuming quickly. Tracking statistics and records have often been thought of as a tool only a fanatic or experienced player should use. However, anyone can currently use these tools with ease thanks to poker tracking software and a standard spreadsheet. In order to improve your poker skills at a quicker rate you should seriously consider leaving an electronic paper trail of all your poker games. Keeping records may appear to be a skill that is too advanced for those interested in learning poker strategy 101, but it's one of the easiest ways to keep track of exactly how you're doing and how much money you are actually winning.
A simple spreadsheet can be used to track a variety of information including:
Date of poker session
Number of hours played
Table limit
Total buy in amount
Cash out amount
True profit or expense
Profit per hand played
The types of statistics you can keep track of are nearly endless. A simple spreadsheet will give you an idea of how you're doing at a certain stakes levels and how much net profit you're seeing per hour and per hand. Specialized poker tracking software can also be used to take your game to a whole new level by tracking very specific details right down to the exact hand you played during a game several months ago.
Perhaps the easiest way to get started is by using the basic in-game notation system that nearly every online poker site provides. Getting into the habit of taking notes on your opponent's playing style, their average bet size and their initial stack size will put you in the mindset for being aware of practically everything that occurs during an online poker game. Most importantly, keeping records and notes will help you learn poker strategy 101 much more quickly by identifying what areas you excel at and where you need to improve.
Poker Strategy 101
Experienced online poker players are able to gauge the odds and probabilities of most situations. They are able to read their opponents and they know exactly when to play certain kind of cards. Obtaining all of these skills requires plenty of practice and a desire to constantly learn from your mistakes. It may seem like a daunting task, but starting with the basics of poker strategy 101 will give you the proper foundation to hone your poker skills in the future.
Less Is More in Online Poker
In a standard game of online Texas Hold'em, each player will receive two hole cards. This gives you 169 possible hole card combinations at the start of each game. At most casual online poker tables you can get away with playing low and mediocre hands. However, if you're serious about your poker game play, it's likely that you'll be folding over 75% of the time right from the start. Out of the 169 possible starting hand combinations, only high value pairs such as Jacks, Queens, Kings, Aces or a suited Ace-King should be played 100% of the time.
If players only played the top five starting hands and folded the rest of the time, online poker would be quite boring. Basic poker strategy 101 dictates that you will actually be able to make plays with the top 15 starting hands, which range all the way down to a pair of 9's and a suited Jack-Queen. However, only playing about 15% of your hands will make you miss out on opportunities where the majority of your opponents are also carrying weaker hands to begin with. It's necessary to find a good balance between folding, consistently playing good starting hands and occasionally trying mediocre hands.
Online Poker Records
Online poker can become time consuming quickly. Tracking statistics and records have often been thought of as a tool only a fanatic or experienced player should use. However, anyone can currently use these tools with ease thanks to poker tracking software and a standard spreadsheet. In order to improve your poker skills at a quicker rate you should seriously consider leaving an electronic paper trail of all your poker games. Keeping records may appear to be a skill that is too advanced for those interested in learning poker strategy 101, but it's one of the easiest ways to keep track of exactly how you're doing and how much money you are actually winning.
A simple spreadsheet can be used to track a variety of information including:
Date of poker session
Number of hours played
Table limit
Total buy in amount
Cash out amount
True profit or expense
Profit per hand played
The types of statistics you can keep track of are nearly endless. A simple spreadsheet will give you an idea of how you're doing at a certain stakes levels and how much net profit you're seeing per hour and per hand. Specialized poker tracking software can also be used to take your game to a whole new level by tracking very specific details right down to the exact hand you played during a game several months ago.
Perhaps the easiest way to get started is by using the basic in-game notation system that nearly every online poker site provides. Getting into the habit of taking notes on your opponent's playing style, their average bet size and their initial stack size will put you in the mindset for being aware of practically everything that occurs during an online poker game. Most importantly, keeping records and notes will help you learn poker strategy 101 much more quickly by identifying what areas you excel at and where you need to improve.
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