Wednesday, November 19, 2008

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poker strategy :: Refine Your Online Poker

Online Poker Strategy Guide

Build Your Bankroll for Next to Nothing
Before sitting down at an online real money table you must first have cash to play with. This cash is called your bankroll and once its gone you're out of the game. You could deposit a chunk of your own money, but wouldn't it be better if you could build your bankroll for free? One of the many benefits of playing poker online is the ability to build your bankroll without adding a penny to it. Poker pro Annette Obrestad herself contests she built a massive bankroll without ever investing any money of her own. She did it and so can you. Read on to learn strategies for building your bankroll for next to nothing.
7 Costly Leaks
Every poker player's game has suffered from leaks, especially those new to the sport. Leaks are the holes in your game, the repeated mistakes that lead to lost hands. These lost hands could be avoided entirely if you know where the leak occured and how to plug it up. The first step is to identify signs of weakness in your playing through honest analysis, which can then be used to nail down the leak that's water logging your game. EPN is here to help make the task easier with a list of the more common leaks and ways to fix them.
Bluffing Your Way to a Win
Many players mistakenly assume a bluff is the simple act of deception that can be done at any point in the game. If only it were that easy to scare players out of a hand. Affective bluffing that wins the pot instead of getting you trumped at a showdown takes timing, attention and correct positioning. There aren't many aspects of the game that require more strategy than the bluff. Long before you attempt a bluff you must be laying the foundation in place to make it work.
Bankroll Survival: How to Keep Your Bankroll Alive
In poker the cards aren’t the most important thing, your bankroll is.  It’s your lifeline, without it there are no cards, no games, no winnings. Your bankroll in online poker is the amount of money that you have in your account to bring to the tables.  Before you sit down at a single table you have to know how much you need in your bankroll to support certain stakes and certain games.  If not you’ll be out before you even have a chance to win a hand.  Read on to learn strategies for keeping your bankroll where you need it and building it even higher.
Protecting Yourself When You Play Online
Many online poker rooms offer their players complete safety and work to eradicate any kind of unfair play to the best of their ability, which is usually more than adequate.  They use Random Number Generators to ensure players can’t predict which cards will be dealt, monitor playing for signs of cheats and incorporate some of the best security software available into their sites.  However, in our technology age criminals are coming up with new ways to take what isn’t theirs.  The poker rooms can’t always protect you if you yourself don’t take proper precautions when playing online. 
How Limits Affect the Game
The stakes of the game aren’t solely related to your chip stack.  The stakes should also be taken into account when considering your playing style.  There are many ways in which betting is structured in poker and there’s a reason why they’re called limits.  It’s another element to the game that’s going to affect the way people play and the strategy to use.  There will be certain advantages and disadvantage when playing each of the various betting limits we have covered for you.
How the Table Factors Into the Game
The table isn't just a place to put the cards when you're playing poker. It's a living entity of the game that determines when you can make a move, how many players are in the game and more. To play poker at its best you must understand the table you're sitting at; how it works, who's at it and how that information will affect your game. Read further to learn the properties of a poker table and how to work with them to increase your chances of winning.
Open Your Eyes to the Blinds
Blind betting structures have become more common as the poker games that use them, like Texas Hold'em, have become increasingly popular. The blinds not only start the pot but also add a new element to the game. Being in one of the blind positions you have a few more things to consider when action comes around to you. If you don't understand what the blinds entail and strategy for playing from the blind positions you'll be playing with a serious disadvantage every rotation.
The Tells of Online Poker
Dr. Mabuse, from the film of the same name, was able to use telepathic powers to rake in a heap of cash at the poker tables.  Though we don’t have the doctor’s advantage, we can still read other players, it’s just not quite as easy.  In poker the term tell describes an action that a player makes that indicates the strength of their hand as well as how they’ll likely to act in a given situation.  These actions form patterns that make reading other players possible which is a vital part of playing the game.
Betting When Playing Community Card Poker
If you’re like most of America and Europe you’ve probably caught wind of a little game called Texas Hold’em.  Unlike 7 and 5 card draw and stud, Texas Hold’em consists of both cards dealt to individual players that only they can see as well as community cards that are used by every player at the table.  Because each player is working with the same known cards to make their hand, the need for strategic thinking and reading your opponents increases.  We’ve laid out betting strategies for every stage of the game when you’re playing with blinds.
How Position Affects Playing
If you've read our Strategy Article on The Table then you're already familiar with the various positions at a poker table. Where a player is seated will determine where they are in the betting rotation. This gives some players an advantage over others and can likewise pose additional hurtles for players in other positions. But using the right strategy a player can win the pot from any position at the table.
Online Tournament Strategy
Tournaments are a major reason why players frequent online poker rooms. No buy-in freerolls, low entry fee satellites, prizes pools in the millions and just plain fun draw in thousands every day looking to add to their bankroll. It seems every year these establishments are creating new types of tournaments to meet the demands of their players. Each tournament has a structure unique to its type and adjusting your game to it can increase your chances to cash.