If you are in search of fun game which has all the elements of a perfect drama involving story, character, passion, challenges, chances, luck and above all the fulfillment in terms of rewards then online poker is the thing you should try. The level of emotional, intellectual and social involvement playing poker online requires makes it highly passionate yet fun-filled game. The balance of skill and luck along with the elements monetary reward and punishment makes it one of the most popular games in an online space. After the real-world success, poker is revolutionizing the virtual world of games. If you are a beginner, you get the required flexibility in terms of expertise, space and of course the monetary bandwidth. As an amateur, you need to be a little careful about the selection of the online poker platform. Also, make sure that your money is safe and secure. 

Is it a game of pure chances or skill makes the performance predictable? Going by the winning trend of top 1% it can definitely be said that it is definitely not a game of pure chance. You need to understand the game and master art to be the ultimate winner. As a beginner, you have to be very open in learning as poker has a very steep learning curve and with time this curve flattens. Since it is all about winning money, you have to master the art of saving your money as pros are there to fish in troubled waters.

However, this is a fact that you won’t be an expert in just one day and start winning, but right learning tips might help you be in the right path to be a winning player in due course of time. Here are some of the tips to help you start playing poker online on the sound footing with minimal chance of money-burn.  

Tips to Master the Art of Playing Poker Online  

The thrill, challenge, suspense, character, luck, and rewards are there to attract you to play the online poker game. But, you have to accept the reality that it requires some fundamental skill to play poker.  These fundamentals give you the desired confidence to be in the game and play smartly so that you could slowly master the art and start winning. 

Rule and Regulations of Poker 

Just like any other game, poker also requires some basic level understanding of the rule and regulations of the game. It is easy to learn the general rule of the game, but the game is in the understanding of poker hand ranking. Nobody wants to be in the decision making dilemma situation when one is in the middle of the hand and wasting valuable in deciding. So it is better to have a basic understanding of the hand look. 

Similarly, learn about positions first before jumping in to play as it is invaluable in your winning mission. If you have a position this gives you the chance to have maximum possible information about other players so that you could take a fair call depending on actions taken by other players. When in position, you should play much more hands. Your hands largely get affected by your position, and this helps you in putting pressure on your co-players.  

Keep Stake Low 

As a beginner your priority is to learn and master art of playing poker online not winning. Since odds of winning aren’t in your favor it is good to control the urge to play big. The rule is simple play low games until you are confident enough to take position and play with your mind. So, don’t overindulge in wasting money as this is the biggest de-motivator when it comes to the poker learning curve. 

Another big reason for the basic algorithmic matching of low game with low skill people is when you are playing low game your chances of losing are relatively low because you are playing against weak players. In the process, you learn the positions. Also, what hand to play in a particular situation and strategy to play the game.  

Be Tight but Aggressive in Play 

As a beginner, you might feel the temptation to play too wide and opening too many hands. The best to start with is play your strongest hands. Don’t push your mind too much in a tough decisions post-flop. This approach to going tight saves your mental energy and go aggressive when you decide to play your hand. This helps you learn strategy well and save the unnecessary waste of money. You have every right to raise the stake in the game, but only when your level of confidence is rising with the game.

Play Position

Your position is most important factor to consider when deciding which hands to play and which not to play. To increase chances of win, try to play more hands from the later positions. For best results, in early positions play very tight and while going closer to Button positions widen up. Sounds easy strategy, but it takes time to learn. In any case, keep your position into consideration while deciding hands.  

One Table at a Time 

As an amateur your priority is to see all possible information and learn poker strategy. You can do so only when your focus is unidirectional.  Playing multiple tables at a time creates unnecessary distraction and kills you learning in over excitement. Use the tight-aggressive approach and see what your co-player is doing in terms of hands. You can learn best through pre-guessing other players’ hand play. 

Play to Mood 

As said poker is much beyond luck and requires your full attention to getting desired results. If you are not in a good mood, it is good to stay away from the table as emotions are your biggest enemy on the table. Of course, you have to learn to manage win-loss reactions, but being in a bad mood is definitely big no to be on the table. 

Opponent Cards 

A smart warrior knows about armory of the opponent. Since poker is all about permutation and combinations, you have to keep an eye on your opponents’ move. Based on cues you can improve your hand and learn how many outs you have and take informative decisions accordingly. Although it is not for beginners to be in the guessing game, it is good to keep in mind. Put yourself in his position to analyze his moves and hands. His post-flop actions, betting or checking helps you know about his strength and weaknesses. Keep board texture in mind while playing.     

Time Factor

Don’t show your amateurism in decision making playing too fast, even if you are in control of the hand. Take your time so that chances of mistake could be avoided. Bring all the strategy in action prior to taking the final call. It is good to build this habit of taking time and consider all possible aspects into consideration. 

Bluff, But in Control 

Since you are a starter and focused on learning to play poker online, the best way to play the game is to be active. This is important when you have a hand and fold when you don’t have a hand. But you are playing with opponents who have higher stakes and playing aggressive using bluff, so you have to learn the art to play against the bluff. As a beginner, it is better to use your learning and plat to strategy.

When to Fold 

Just like all other skills you have to master the art of folding as this will help you against passive opponents who start raising stake out of nowhere. In early days, you may feel problem in letting go of these hands. But, you have to learn to fold to be successful in the long run. You have to adjust your game depending on opponents’ style of play. If someone is very aggressive and constantly raising stake then you should not be folding these hands.  

Use Tech 

Even if you are a beginner, start using some tracker software to see stats of your opponent and their strategy. Since you are in online space, it is very essential to have the tech advantage as your opponent might be using some advanced software to calculate your moves. Your software helps you in taking decision by providing you primary information about the player types and adjust your strategy accordingly.  

There is no end of the tip, however for a beginner, this is good enough to give you the confidence to jump in the game and start learning advanced maneuvers. Apart from the basics, the whole idea is to keep your passion alive by saving you from the early rout. It is a fact that we learn from mistakes, but here too many mistakes could cost you heavy. So, be calculative in your play. Most importantly, count all possible factors like simplicity, the pool of players, safety & security of the platform into consideration while looking for the best online poker playing platform. Play smart, play safe and be a winner!