Strategies for Online Poker Players (Part I)
From "Internet Gambling: How to Win Big Online"
By J. Phillip Vogel

Moving from "offline" card rooms to online ones can be a tough transition. While the games are basically played the same there are subtle differences that can be difficult to adjust to if you're used to the rigors of traditional play. First and foremost, you're not squaring off "face-to-face" with the other players-they're just images on a screen. Also, the anonymity of the environment makes people more comfortable playing a wider range of hands, betting foolishly, and otherwise doing things that they normally would never try with a table full of faces staring back at them. In many cases, such poor play is a huge perk-since a solid player will triumph numerous times for every bad beat suffered. But as any online poker player with experience will tell, it can still be very frustrating at times.

And that's what this is all about: getting familiar with the always entertaining, but sometime aggravating, world of online poker. Over the next few issues we're going to discuss the ins and outs of a variety of popular poker variations including Texas Hold 'em, Omaha, Seven Card Stud and Five Card Stud.

Hold 'Em Basics

At its most basic level, hold 'em is a high card game where each player is dealt two cards known as "hole cards." Five community cards are then dealt face up on the board in three stages, the "Flop" the "Turn" and the "River." All players in the game use these cards along with their hole cards to make the best possible five-card poker hand. There are three common variations of hold 'em played online and each is distinguished according to wagering structure. They are:

• Limit Texas Hold 'em: Betting limits are restricted to predetermined values in each game and on each round of betting.
• Pot Limit Texas Hold 'em: A player may bet the value of the pot.
• No Limit Texas Hold 'em: A player may wager their entire bankroll/chip stack at any time.

Note that while each of these variations is played according to the same basic rules of hold 'em, optimal strategy does change.

Sample Texas Hold 'em: Starting Hands

General Strategy for Beginners

Every player has his or her preferred strategy. Some are conservative, playing only the best hands and rarely every bluffing. Others prefer a more aggressive stance, vigorously playing a much wider selection of cards.

Although opposite in their nature, both methods are viable-if played correctly. However, for new players, those who have little or no experience in the game, can't properly read their opponents and are unsure about which hands to play, I'd suggest sticking with the best hands (according to your position) and betting them aggressively when called for. This is because generally speaking, players holding two very good starting cards have the best chance of making the winning hand-or at least having the best draw after the flop. Once you have gotten your feet wet, start to expand your game to the following:

• Early Position: Play only very strong hands that can stand up to a raise or even multiple raises. Expect to fold the majority of hands.
  
  
• Middle Position: Play strong and moderately strong hands, especially if you stand a chance of seeing the flop cheaply. Don't be afraid to get aggressive if your hand warrants it, since it's to your benefit here to thin out the number of opponents seeing the flop.
  
  
• Late Position: Play a wider variety of hands (aggressively) especially if you're only up against the blinds. Such aggression-especially if it's pre-flop--can be very beneficial especially if you continue to be aggressive when faced with a bad flop.
  
  

Although Omaha bears a striking resemblance to Texas Hold 'em, it is a much more technical game, relying more on the cards than psychology. In a full ring limit game of Omaha, it usually takes a powerful hand to win-a pair or two pair having the horrible tendency to fall short of winning in this game. The best strategy, especially for low limit games, is to play hands that do well in multi-way pots and bet aggressively when you have the nut straight, flush, full house.

Look at it like this: Since Omaha involves four cards, two of which you must use (in conjunction with three from the board) each starting hand actually contains multiple potential Hold 'em hands. Breaking it down from an imaginary hand A-B-C-D this converts to: A-B, A-C, A-D, B-C, B-D, C-D. And if you're battling over the pot with four or five opponents, that's a lot of hands you'll need to overcome to win. So if you do stay to the river with a measly two pair, expect to lose to a flush or full house. There are just too many better combinations out there that can be made. In short, when playing Omaha shoot for the nuts (the best hand) or walk away.

Starting Hands

The starting hands in Omaha are just as crucial to success as they are in Texas Hold 'em. But in Omaha since you're working off of four cards, you need starting hands that work together. Novice Omaha players-especially if they're used to Texas Hold 'em-over value hands like Q-Q-8-3, assuming, incorrectly, that the pair of queens is just as valuable here as it is in Hold 'em.
They're not.

Similarly, hands like A-J-7-7 are often overvalued because they represent two seemingly decent Hold 'em hands. However, their strength diminishes when you realize that it really only offers poor hand combinations, like A-7 and J-7. Compare that with the strongest Omaha hands like A-A-K-K (double suited), which offer four cards working in concert and multiple combinations. Below is a reference of the top 20 starting hands for Omaha, followed by a breakdown of common playable hands.

Top 20 Omaha Hands
A-A-K-K double suited
A-A-J-T double suited
A-A-Q-Q double suited
A-A-J-J double suited
A-A-T-T double suited
A-A-9-9 double suited
A-A-x-x double suited*
J-T-9-8 double suited
K-K-Q-Q double suited
K-K-J-J double suited
K-Q-J-T double suited
K-K-T-T double suited
K-K-A-Q double suited
K-K-A-J double suited
K-K-A-T double suited
K-K-Q-J double suited
K-K-Q-T double suited
K-K-J-T double suited
Q-Q-J-J double suited
Q-Q-T-T double suited

Of course there are other playable starting hands, but those listed here can serve as a starting point and aid in understanding how the four cards in your hand must work together to create valuable combinations.

Quick Tips for Online Players

• Be picky about your starting hands. I can't stress this enough. Even though many online players enter into way too many pots, be patient and don't give into the temptation to join the fish.
  
  
• Observe your opponents and note how they play. Whether you're involved in the hand or not, be observant about each and every action taken by your opponents. Most online poker rooms provide a "notebook" where you can type in your observations and store them for later examination. Use it.
  
  
• Use anonymity to bluff. Since you're hidden from your opponents, you'll have an easier time bluffing, since there are no physical tells that you can give away. Work an ace after a garbage flop. Semi-bluff that open-ended straight on the board. Work the cards, your opponent's natural fears, and your "invisibility" to its highest potential.
  
  
• Consider playing as the opposite sex. For a male player, by selecting the female avatar you can occasionally take advantage of the stereotype that women are less aggressive players that are unlikely to bluff. For female players, by selection the male character they may be able to project a more forceful-and threatening-table image.

Remember that poker-no matter which version you play-isn't always about math and step-by-step strategy. Much of the game is related not only to your own skills, but those of your opponents. As such, while you can learn the ins and outs of every game, at times you must be able to look past that and make exceptions when called for. Mastering the proven game strategies and learning everything you can is great. But if you can't learn to trust both your head and your gut, ultimate success in these games will forever be just out of reach.

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