Online Poker Guide
Getting Started
Winning Money
Types of Players
Psychological Games
If you're joining an online poker game for the first time, you probably won't know what to expect. If you're used to playing in land-based casinos, you'll find that online poker games can look surprisingly similar to real-life poker games. Some sites go to great lengths to give you a full 3D environment, so that you can watch your avatar walk around the casino, sit down at tables, pick up cards, and even make faces at other players. Some online poker sites allow you to customize your own 3D dealer and players, but others take a more minimalist approach, and players are represented by simple pictures. In some of those casinos, players can choose their own picture from a bank of pictures in the online poker room's software. In some, players can upload their own pictures, allowing for fun with the pictures. There are casinos which truly embrace minimalism, and players are represented by a name tag or an oval of color with their nickname printed on it. The main reason casinos choose to pass on the fancier pictures is bandwidth. Each picture adds to the size of the file that users need to download to play. 3D adds even more, of course. If the casino wants to offer instant play, they have to trim the game down to the simplest format, and that means that the graphics will suffer. Some online casinos offer full-graphics versions for download and lower-graphics versions for instant play.
Almost all online casinos and poker rooms represent the poker game with a green table, similar to the tables used in casinos. Some online casinos give you a table-top view, while others let you feel you're sitting at the table by tilting the table towards you. In a 3D casino, you will usually be positioned so that you feel you are sitting at the table across from the dealer or another player. You will probably be able to see all the other players at your table. Almost all casinos use the standard colors for poker chips, and make sure that they contrast well with the green background, so you'll be able to see well with as little eyestrain as possible.
In terms of actual play, most of your options will be represented by buttons, although some online poker rooms will allow you to drag and drop your chips to place a wager. You'll also have a chat window with a variety of options. While you always have the option of sending emoticons to other players, some websites will automatically convert your icons into cute pictures. Less sophisticated programs will leave your classic internet smileys. The chat feature will generally allow you to choose between talking to the whole room or to one individual. If you enter a poker room online, you should find the environment friendly and easy to use. If you don't, try a different online casino. They vary so much that you're bound to find one you like.
Getting started with poker rooms is usually fairly easy. When you get to a new poker site, you'll be asked to download their software or to register to the site. It's important to check that the poker site has a good privacy and security policy, and is licensed and regulated. When you've decided to join the site, you'll have to give your personal information and set up a payment system, either by credit card or by an online payment service such as eBay... Read More...
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When you're playing poker, remember that winning pots, and even winning big pots isn't all there is to the game. In fact, the most important thing when you're playing poker is winning money. And part of winning money is avoiding losing money. If you have a lousy hand, and you stay in all the way to the end, then unless your opponents all buy your bluff and none of them has a good hand, you will lose.... Read More...
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The main two types of players that you'll find in an online casino are loose players and tight players.
Loose players will play almost every hand. They will usually play the hand conservatively, but they are generally unwilling to fold, even if their chances of winning are low. When you encounter a loose player, the easiest way to win is to play a little tighter than they do. Since they will almost always stay in, you can count on them to match your raises if you have a good hand. Be sure to let them win sometimes so that they will continue their loose pattern of play... Read More...
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Many of the best gamers of all times had the special talent of being able to joke and tease enough to put their opponents off guard, but in online poker, you're not going to be able to tease your opponents enough. You can't laugh at them, and you can't enrage them from another computer screen in another house. You'll have to learn the other sides of psychological play for online poker... Read More...
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