The Beginner's Guide to Online Poker: Getting Started Part1

So, you've decided to play for real money online and make some easy money.

If you have never played for real money before, don’t make the mistakes almost all new players make when they begin playing for real money. They are:

Finish watching the WPT, make a deposit online, and jump straight into a NL ring game. Two things will happen if you do:

One - You will lose money right from the get go. Or, two, Which is worse, you will get lucky and make a lot of money, become over-confident, and then lose it all.

Number Two is a bigger problem than number One, as the new player will be on a good run moving quickly up though the limits getting luckier and luckier. It’s not unheard of to hear a player going from a $50 deposit to $3000 in just a few days from over-risking their bankroll. This gives him the illusion that he is a great player who has some natural skill to the game, and when they go bust they think they must have gotten unlucky. The reality is, of course, that their luck ran out. This is where one of two things can happen - they do some research and realize they were very foolish, or re-deposit under the illusion of greatness and lose more money.

Another problem for new players happns to those who have played a few years at B&M (Brick and Mortar) casinos. They have usually never read a poker book, have probably broke even, or had equally good nights and bad nights at the casinos.

They approach online poker feeling superior “heh, I’ve played in live games, these Internet chumps won’t know what hit them”. The reality is that the competition is actually tougher online, with many of the experts agreeing that the 0.5/1 2/4 5/10 limit games play like the live 2/4 5/10 20/40 games. They jump straight in with as little as 100BBs (Big Bets i.e. at 2/4 Limit $400=100BBs) and proceed to go broke.

This is when you hear players complain about fixed sites and strange flops. Online games run a lot faster than their real life counter parts. Being dealt around 80 hands per hour and playing 2 tables at once can equate to playing 4 live hours in a casino. Also they fail to realize that they are usually playing looser than if they were playing in a live game - it’s easier to click call than it is to say “Call” and showdown a hand that would cause embarrassment. Online games for the most part are also very aggressive compared to live games and a different approach is usually needed.