Five secrets to Online poker

This post is the result of minutes of thought, if it helps only one person, it will be time well spent.


1)STOP BELIEVING THAT IT IS RIGGED: If you are right, it would be rather silly put your money at risk in a fixed game wouldn't it? If you are wrong, then you are doing tremendous damage to your own play. You will not play winning hands aggressively and you will overplay losing hands. Not a profitable way to play. Wherever you play online, either believe in the system or avoid playing altogether.


2) LEARN YOUR OPPONENTS: Create a database of your opponents. This might take some homework but then you didn't pass high school without doing some homework did you? If you are unfamiliar with Dbase programs, use excel. Create a file that includes information that you may find useful later. For example; keep track of how many hands they play and what those hands were. How may hands did they raise? What were they and in what osition?


3) ACT LIKE YOUR BELIEF. If you believe that you are a winning player, act like one. Good players do not cold call 3 bets at the turn with AA and a board of 6789. Fall in love with your hand and your money gets jealous and finds someone else to spend its time with.


4) PLAY WITH THE CORRECT BANKROLL. You always have access to fortunes provided that you still have money to play with. If a 150 BB downswing busts you at a particular limit, play a lower limit that offers a 300 BB BR.


5) ENJOY THE GAME: This maybe should have been #1. Life is way too short to participate in something that is not fun to you. If you are unable to enjoy the game on one level or another, get out and don't come back.


SUMMARY: You will experience some bad beats. Instead of getting upset, ask yourself, "IS THAT THE Kind of player that wouold go runner runer flush? If the anser is yes, then maybe trying to bluff such a Player is not the best strategy to utilize. Like I said, I am tired so I am going to bed now. Gnite all

You should write more when you're tired. I liked the whole post, but the:


"Fall in love with your hand and your money gets jealous and finds someone else to spend its time with."


The best.


Your fate is in your own hands, but make sure your hands are skillful enough to grasp it before reaching for it.


MS Sunshine

Great post - I would add one more thing -Learn how to play shorthanded -I think its the key to online poker.

Great post and great advice. The only part I disagree with is the subject--these aren't secrets, they are pretty obvious if you think about them.

2) LEARN YOUR OPPONENTS: Create a database of your opponents. This might take some homework but then you didn't pass high school without doing some homework did you? If you are unfamiliar with Dbase programs, use excel. Create a file that includes information that you may find useful later. For example; keep track of how many hands they play and what those hands were. How may hands did they raise? What were they and in what osition?


I think you meant the last word to be position. I looked up osition in Funk and Wags Poker dictionary and it was not there....LOL


The bankroll thing we talked about in my post below. The other "secrets" as you call them should be known to a winning player already.


Besides the BR, IMO, knowing your opponents is probably the most important thing on your list (online and live). Saving bets by making laydowns and plays (or not making them as you mentioned) against specific known opponents that you would not routinely make can be $ in the bank.


Be careful, don't make them too often because you'll end up being the one throwing the party. But even at the micro limits up to $1-2, sensible play making (or semi-bluffing), if you choose your spots wisely, against certain opponents, can be quite beneficial. And never, never do them without outs, or a hand that could win unimproved...period!


This is so much easier and beneficial to do online because all you have to do is reach in a box and pull out a card.


Lets's see...XYZ just sat down...you've got a compete map of his previous play if you've made the effort to buy some 3x5's and write in between hands.


Players who work at getting better, usually do get better. Players who don't, just order more wine.


KC50

Very good post, Larry.


Yeah, knowing your opponents is key. However, with online poker there's such a tremendous turnover that it's very difficult to track everyone by hand in a spreadsheet. You can get to know the "regulars" pretty well, but it's those fish that don't play very often that blow through their whole deposit in one sitting as they see 90% of the flops that you want to know about. Pretty difficult to do by hand as the "faces" change every hour, every day.


Just buy one of the commercial poker analysis programs on the market like PokerStat. I tried the spreadsheet thing, and it's sooo tedious. I bought PokerStat about a month ago and wonder how I ever lived without it. Not only do I have a complete database of every hand I've ever played--which has helped me tighten up my game considerably--but I have every hand of everyone else I've ever played, complete with tons of poker stats on them. I probably know more about their game than they do.


With the ever growing list of players in my db, I can troll the lobby looking for the fish in my database. Or use it to avoid the groups of tighter regulars.


Ed

I agree. I played recently in a live tournament after having played online for a little over a year. I couldn't believe how easy it seemed. So many skills have been developed online by keeping records of play, that when I got the extra information of body language, it felt like information overload. The biggest thing that goes missing in online play, is being able to attach a face to a playing style. There is no visual assistance. It becomes important to keep track of players differently, like in a Dbase.


I actually missed one "secret" for online play. PATIENCE. I have gone for what seemed like a hundred orbits not playing a hand. It is not very exciting, but exciting doesn't win money. Situations will arise that are very profitable, provided we have money left to participate in them.


Larry

Yes many go thru their whole deposit and you may never see them again. Oh but if they do return, I've got them on a 3x5 index card with key points noted on their play.


Pokerstat is for Paradise only I understand. You say their is something similar out there that can be used at other sites. What is it?


Actually, the index card thing is so easy and is always there at hands reach.


KC50

...they are not sufficient to regularly beat Paradise games.


Marco

"Lets's see...XYZ just sat down...you've got a compete map of his previous play if you've made the effort to buy some 3x5's and write in between hands."


People you have to move past the physical 3X5 cards, yellow post-it notecards and a big piece of card-board. Too slow. Hard to sort. KC50 has made the next step, you should too. Give yourself the chance to ask questions which you can answer. It's work to learn how to use a database, but you will make money doing this.


"Players who work at getting better, usually do get better. Players who don't, just order more wine."


Players that work at getting better can order more expensive wine.


MS Sunshine

First, Larry, great post.


Second, KC50, you're right about knowing your opponents, you're right squared. On the other hand while you are in search of a 3"X5" index card, this player that has some basic skill with databases has searched his 500+ database in order. He is already sitting behind the live one before you find the card.


Guys, everyone it is time to move up to the next level.


MS Sunshine

It is a long time between moments of clarity, Larry, remember yours.


MS Sunshine

Clue me in (specifics) please.


Thanks,


KC50

Ok, I'm game. What? (dbase is compatible with any site?); Where? (do I find them?) and How? (do I use them?)..or is it self explanatory?


Thanks in advance,


KC50

KC 50 hope this helps, there are several posts in archives about this. If you have questions, don't be afraid to ask.


No StarOffice is just the database that I use. Somewhere is a database on your computer.


Below is a reprint from Dec. 12:


Player Profiles


Spreadsheet


Sorry, you have to use one. StarOffice 5.1 is my current one. Yeah, you can write down


every "live" one you play internet poker with on a 3X5 card, but you have to write really,


really tiny. Never used a spreadsheet before? You're screwed, but get over it. It's now


time.


Now, if you already have a database of players on file, then double-click on that file in My


Documents, Recent Documents or if you have it as a short-cut on your desktop, click that.


Oh, this is your first time? Then double click on the spreadsheet icon on the desktop and


click File, then New. When it asks for name put in the poker site you're making this


database for and add PP. (EX. PartypokerPP)


Now, the columns are lettered and rows are numbered. We are going to resize the columns by


putting our cursor on the line between the letters at the top of the columns. When the the


arrow turns to a double-sided arrow right click and drag to where you want it. Then


release, it will stay. The first two columns should be a little less than an inch then two


columns about 1/5 of an inch, enough for one character then the rest of the sheet, to the


edge of the page, equal spaced columns of about an inch and 1/2.


You can also set the background of the different columns to colors from a pallette on the


toolbar, click the letter on the top of the column and when the whole column highlights find


the background buttton, it looks like building blocks, right click and then click the color


you wish.


1. Name-Some characters will cause your spreadsheet to do funny things, OK, not that funny.


So just enter the name without the underline or other funny ones you know will cause


problems. Those cute catheads and the fishes, forget it, nothing put trouble.


2. Some sites give where the players are from, this goes in column two.


3. Leave this little column blank for now.


4. This little column is for a rating of how strong of a player he is. I use 1-9, from


best to worst.


5. The first large column, of the remaining ones in sight, is important. This is where you


enter the players starting hand style and his over-all betting style, from med tight passive


to very loose, very agressive. The remaining colums are for hands that are a clue to how he


plays. (EX. always limps UTG with AA or KK.)


Well, you spend a night of poker entering everyone you play with and you have about 30


names. That can't be right? I've been working my butt off. Don't worry, it gets easier


when you do it for awhile.


Somewhere in that first little blank column C, click on an empty cell. Now, on the upper


line of the toolbar there is a word Data, click on that then on Sort. Sort by C, then A.


Then press OK. Everything should be sorted alphabetically.


If you enter the seat letter into column C, letters are better, if you enter it into the


player rankings column, you will notice right away you have made a mistake. A-J for


Hold'em. After you enter the last player in today's game, make sure you click on another


cell in column C. Then do your sort and all of today's players should be sitting at the top


of your spreadsheet in order from seat A clock-wise around the table. When you are ready to


drop this game, clear all the letters out of column C.


You can resize your spreadsheet to fit in a corner or on the lower part of your screen.


That is your setup for playing, you can quickly look and check your notes while you are


deciding how to play a hand. You can also update the notes to give a better idea of how


that player might play in the future.


One thing to remember about online poker is that the players, who you really wish to play


with, last about one week out of the month then are gone for 3-4 weeks. Its nice to be the


first one to remember a player who lost 200 BB in one night, two months ago and sit right


behind him first.


If a hand is odd, for some reason , all-in abuse or funny betting action enter it into a


player's column and if something happens in the future you will have something concrete to


base your feelings on.


Try to work on it a few minutes an hour while playing and see what you have in a month.


Have a nice day.


MS Sunshine