Online Poker is easy to learn, but mastering decision making in online poker can arise takes years as there are many tricky situations. For example, if it is just you and another player left at the poker table and you are holding a relatively good hand, but your opponent has just raised you, do you assume it’s a bluff or do you play it safe? Many poker players would be surprised to know that the decision making is not always based on that specific hand or situation, but rather more generalized aspects of playing the game of poker. Read on to see the two most important considerations when deciding your next move.
Know What Sort of Poker Player You Are
If you don’t know the competition you are up against then the best card for you to play isn’t a card at all; it is to know yourself. Your personal tendencies when playing poker can often be quickly picked up by your opponents, and your decision making in online poker might become predictable once you settle into a certain rhythm. For example, you might be prone to giving up the pot to bluffs, or perhaps betting too often on good hands rather than great hands. Since your opponents cannot see your poker hand, they can only make these assumptions based on the entire range of hands you present in a game.
It is important that you protect your holdings and take a step back from yourself so as to avoid these pitfalls. Every few hands, try to pause and review the decisions you have made. If you have a poker hand you want to pursue, it might be worthwhile to change tactics suddenly to throw off your competition. Just so, if you are going to bluff, it might be more believable if you are willing to sacrifice a few hands along the way.
Know Who You Are Facing
The better you know your competition, the better you will be able to handle what they throw at you. Whilst some poker players are easy to fool, others might accept your challenge and battle it out to the bitter end. For example, if you have never seen a player bluff before, then he probably prefers to operate without bluffing, and you shouldn’t anticipate his decision making in online poker to be loose or weak. This way, if he continues to call and raise you then you can assume he likely has a winning hand and should fold before you waste any more of your bankroll. Look for betting increments, how many times your opponent will raise, how often he is bluffing and how often he is actually winning – you can’t ever be 100% sure, but you’ll be able to make an educated guess if you pay attention to the more subtle details of decision making in online poker.
For more poker playing help including strategy visit our other poker strategy articles.