Making the move from in-person casino Poker on the felt to the wonderful and sometimes wacky world of online Poker can prove quite the challenging transition. Despite the fact that Poker is Poker whether played at a casino or online, there are few possible pitfalls the rookie online player should be aware of before migrating into the world of real money digital Poker.
These are some of the more common pitfalls and how to avoid them.
Playing Sky-High Limits
Since the pace of play is considerably faster online than at the casino, it stands to reason that more hands are played per hour when playing online. In fact, roughly three times as many hands are played online per hour than when playing in person at a brick-and-mortar casino.
What this means from a player’s perspective, is that losing means losing much more, and winning – winning more often also. For this reason, playing too high of a limit should be avoided at least until you’ve found your online Poker feet.
Beware The Micros
It is important to note that the opposite is true also. Online Poker is for many their first introduction to so-called “micro limits”.
This is obviously a good thing because the affordability factor allows more players to get a piece of the action and enjoy the game. But there’s unfortunately another side to the story also. Since online Poker allows players to play everything from Hold’em to Pot Limit Omaha at buy-ins as low as $0.01/S0.10, there exists a real danger of falling into a habit of not caring whether a hand results in a win or a loss – which in turn cultivates a culture of “poor-quality” Poker.
Don’t Play Distracted
Playing online Poker allows for multi-tasking. Since you’re no longer seated at a table in a casino’s Poker room, there’s no real need to stick to a single activity only.
Online conditions require discipline and a decision made on purpose to focus on the hand being played. Failing to do this will only lead to money lost.
Don’t Become Glued To One Table
It’s important to keep in mind the fact that online Poker is open and available to everyone – including actual full-time Poker professionals. And since the pros are bound to be “better at it” than what you are, you should never doggedly continue to play a losing table. And by losing we obviously mean you – not the actual table. For this reason, don’t be afraid to change tables when you do find yourself in a situation of all losing and no winning.
Don’t Forget To Take Notes
Taking notes is important because it allows us to get to know the opposition. And since playing online allows us to pit our talents against not only some of the world’s best players, but also a larger variety of players, taking notes becomes a non-negotiable.
Remember that the more you get to know a certain player’s style and typical behaviour, the better you’re likely to perform against that player in future.