If you want to get anywhere in the world of online poker, then there are some basic tips & strategies that you just have to know. If you don't you will find yourself depositing more cash into your poker account very quickly.

On this page, you will find a brief overview of the general "need to know" tips. There are also some hints that will save you from making any "schoolboy errors".

Naturally, with all the poker variations available online, each type of poker game carries its own advantageous strategies. You will find these here:

Texas Hold'em Tips -Omaha Tips -7 card stud Tips -5 card stud Tips

Bluffing
The art of bluffing lies at the very heart of the history & appeal of the game of poker. To be honest, it is a tool that is often over-used by novice players. Poker success depends upon being able to get out of bad hands with small losses, while ensuring that your opponent pays up to see your good hands. Of course, there is some luck, and occasionally a wild bluff will come off. Realistically, however, poker is a game of probability and if it is 11/1 against a card coming up on the river, it is very unlikely, and you shouldn't find yourself in that position, except perhaps in desparate circumstances in tournament play. Bluffing does have its place online, but trying to steal the blinds with poor cards is even less likely to succeed at a 10 player table, than it will in a 6 seater tournament game. The odds will be against you.

Don't be predictable
If you only play your good hands, and always fold your bad hands, you will become very easy to read by others at the table. Although you won't lose much, everyone will be cautious when you actually play a hand. Occasionally, you are going to have to throw in some variation. As an example, if there is a small pot on offer and you have average cards, then see how far you can go. It might be a cheap way of confusing your opponents who could get overconfident against you when you have better cards.

Pot Odds & Probability
Poker might be widely known as a game of bluff, skill & luck, but the truth is that it is a game of knowing your true chances of winning, and comparing that to what is on offer in the pot. This is called knowing the "pot odds". Not everybody uses this method of calculating the value of their hand, but the consistently successful players will know their true chances of winning & whether it is a value bet to keep going.

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Table Position
Your strategy should alter depending upon your position at the table. In Texas Hold'em, the dealing position rotates and is indicated by the position of a dealer button. Players in the first three seats to the left(clock-wise) of the button are said to be in early position. They are at a disadavntage because they are making thier first bets without any indication of strength or weakness from the other players at the table. The next four players are said to be in "middle position". The last three players are in "late position" and they have the advantage of having seen the majority of the table bet before making up their minds to call, raise, or fold.

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