No matter how good you think you are, it is simply unrealistic to believe that you can enjoy constant wins in poker money games. Even the best of poker players face mounting losses from time to time. The factors behind occasional losses in poker games could be manifold though. Variance, being a common deterrent in all poker games, affects even the highest standards of play by professional poker players.
Hence, the root question being, how do you minimize your losses and boost your poker win rate in the long run when you play poker online? Let’s find out today. Truth being told, a few alterations in your approach to playing poker games and tournaments can have a positive effect on your results. The key being, you must be disciplined and not fall prey to tilting to the game play of your opponents.
This guide is especially for fresh poker players who are struggling to make profits in the game. We want you to take a minute or two to browse through a few tweaks to change the odds in your favour when you play poker money games.
Do NOT Slow Play
It’s one thing to slow play with strong hands against world class poker players in high stakes poker games and true, it works most of the time. However, doing so in low stakes poker games of 100 bucks is another story and only means you’re losing out on opportunities to make decent bucks.
Remember, when you are playing poker online in online poker rooms, most poker players love to call. Now, isn’t it obvious, you are losing out on making money by not raising your poker hand? So, the next time you get pocket Aces or Pocket Kings, without blinking, build the pot by raising and re-raising your hand.
Takeaway: Being naive in front of your opponents actually works in low stakes poker games.
Do NOT Miss the Fish
One of the proven ways to leave the table with profits is to play the fish. It is one of the easiest ways to win money when you play poker online against the worst poker players who are here to lose. If you are unable to spot the fish, use a poker HUD. The typical fish will certainly play more than 40% of his hands. If you fail to find one at your table in poker money games, you better leave and find another one.
Do NOT Tilt
No matter what may come, it is crucial you keep your cool when you get bad beats. Take a quick break, drink water or go for a quick walk. It never bodes well to linger and be vengeful. Thinking and discussing bad beats over a call will only shake you more. To play poker online and sustain in the game profitably, you must learn to laugh it off and move on. Remember, bad beats do not spare even the best of poker players, it happens to everybody!
If you still can’t get over it, it’s better you call it quits for the day. You can always play again tomorrow. That’s the thing about online poker games. You don’t have to run to the casino every time you feel like playing some. An insider trick to avoid tilting in poker money games is to create a fitness regime, whether at the local gym or at your home. Whenever you feel low after the game, sweat it out and all your tilt shall melt away only and help you make a quick crisp comeback. Believe it or not, it works every time!
Do NOT Overlook the Odds & Outs
Odds in poker money games expose the probability of hitting the cards you seek to complete a strong hand. Outs are the cards present in the deck that are crucial to make the hand you need. If you wish to rank among the top poker players and stay in the game, you must learn the odds and outs of a game.
Poker games are all about mathematics. It bodes well for you to know the fundamentals of the poker game in order to estimate your probability of winning a particular hand so that you can size your bets accordingly and minimize your losses in the long run.
However, before you know how to calculate your odds in poker money games, you should know the outs. This is easy. Simply remember you got 13 cards of each suit in a deck. So, if you have a flush draw with 2 suited cards, you have 13-2=11 outs.
What about the odds? To calculate the odds against hitting a flush with 3 suited cards in your hand with 2 more to come, simply add 1 to 3, that becomes 1 out of every 4 times. If you divide it by 100, you get the percentage as well, i.e. 25%.
Do NOT Play for Stakes Beyond Your Bankroll
In the end, the key to sustaining profits for poker players of all calibre is efficient bankroll management. The thumb of playing poker money games is to keep your poker bankroll separate from your daily expenses. Secondly, the amount of money you put in your bankroll should be able to cover your possible losses in the game. This means you must pick the table stakes accordingly so that if you end up having a bad day, you don’t flush out your entire bankroll in one go.
If you play poker money tournaments, pick those that only require the smallest percentage of your bankroll. Go for multiple tournaments with smaller buy-ins instead of playing one big event that can consume more than 50% of your bankroll. Ideally, recreational poker players should not invest more than 10% of their bankroll in a single tournament, whether you play poker online or sit at the live tables.
Do NOT Play When You’re Already Down
We can’t stress this enough but amateurs must copy the fact that Poker games can by mentally taxing. To play your A game, you must be mentally 100% fit and you must handle bad beats with poise to avoid affecting your future decisions. If you are already beat after a long day at work or have been studying all day, it’s better you skip that day and get your sleep and instead, choose to play poker online on days you have a free schedule.
Remember, playing poker right means making logically accurate decisions throughout the entire game. You can only do this when you have the mental band-with to handle variance and sit through long sessions without feeling weary or worried about your ensuing priorities for the day. A little bit of exercise and a good breakfast can lift your senses and conjure the right mindset to enjoy your game. As long as you’re having fun playing poker online, you know you’re on the right track.
Final Thoughts
Do mind these Don’ts from hereon and avoid such practices at the tables to trigger your win rate. Think of poker like stocks, you musn’t fall prey for short term gains. Poker online is one of those games that can reward you immensely in the long run, not to mention, it will help you make wiser decisions in other walks of life too. Stay in the game and you will be rewarded my friend.
All the Best!
