Posts Tagged ‘free online poker games’
In live poker, expert poker players rely on poker tells. Traditionally, poker tells are the body language of an opposing player to get a read on what cards they are holding or what actions they take. Poker tells are behavioural patterns related to cards, actions, and emotions of players. Some poker tells include, but are not limited to: changes in body position, placing of chips, breathing, tone of voice, facial expressions, and the directions of one’s gaze. With the advent and popularity of free online poker, tell have become related other factors instead of visible body language.
Speed of play is one of the more popular free online poker tells. Aside from a bad connection or lag, the rate of speed a person bets is a good indicator for their strength or weakness in a hand. It is widely thought that the faster you place a bet, the weaker the hand you have, and the slower a bet is placed, the stronger hand is held, however this may well be a myth.
A more useful strategy regarding speed of bet is to watch players and analyze their speed when in a hand. Each individual may vary. If possible keep track of each players speed and watch the results of their betting. For example, if a player is involved in a large pot and bets quickly after seeing the flop and eventually loses the hand, then this person’s betting quickness is a sign of weakness if it is fast. A person who bets slowly in a big pot might be building the pot and indicate a strong hand when they exercise a slow rate of betting. Since each individual has his/her own style of betting speed, it is important to analyze each style before making assumptions.
When looking out for tells its always worth considering what else may be happening with the other player behind the scenes rather that just assuming they are fast or slow playing due to the hands they hold. For example, they may well be playing a few tables at once, or surfing the net while waiting for their turn. Consistent slower betting from these players shouldn’t be considered a tell to their cards but is simply a sign they are distracted. Consistency is critical to eliminating bet speed as a tell with this type of player. In addition, the quality of the player’s internet connection can interfere with their bet speed.
Online poker tells theories have evolved over the years. It is still the best bet to analyze each player individually rather then make overall assumptions regarding tells. This holds true in both real and free online poker.
It’s very surprising that over recent years the level of boasting a win against an opponent has took an upwards turn. Even more surprising is that this tendency not only occurs on the free online poker sites but also on the money tables. Scaring a smaller “fish” away is not a very shrewd tactic; as keeping this player involved should result in winning their money. On the contrary this type of player may not realise their own lack of ability, and consequently the longer you can keep them in the “water” the more of their money you can win. Hence the saying: “don’t tap the aquarium”.
You want to people to gamble. You even want fish to get lucky a few times so that they’ll keep gambling. That is why you should try to treat fish with respect. You want them to enjoy themselves and have a good time.
Applauding or praising a poor move may encourage an opponent to continuingly make the same mistakes. However, this may be outside of a players moral standing and would be considered a hustle or “setting the fishes bait”.
You don’t have to set bait to keep the fish nibbling and putting money down. By simply ensuring there is a good feeling at the free online poker tables you will help bring down the opposing players self guard and they will gradually let free and play adventurous. While your opponent is having a good time playing carefree you can continue to play conservative poker and watch your money pile up.
No one likes being disrespected and the chances are if you’re obnoxious or impolite, your fish will find another bowl to swim in (table to play at) and inevitably take their purse with them. By pushing this opponent away you will have potentially pushed away money you could have won from their blunders.
Can you imagine if everybody played well? The game of poker would be very tough to beat.
The main goal of playing good poker is to make as many correct decisions as you can, while forcing your opponents to make as many incorrect decisions as you can. It’s much easier to encourage bad players to make bad decisions, so you shouldn’t scare them away. In the long run, you’ll profit from their bad plays.
Another reason why you shouldn’t berate fishy player at the table or in your online chat box is because you don’t want them to improve. If they feel embarrassed with how bad they play, they may actually take the time and effort to improve their play. In other words, you’re encouraging bad players to become good players. Once they’re good, they’ll be tougher to beat. You won’t be getting their money quite as easily anymore. Why would you want to make it any harder to earn a buck in poker?
It’s hard enough to win at poker nowadays with all the information that’s available to improve your game. There are a lot of decent players out there. The games simply aren’t as soft as they were when I started playing online seven years ago.
That’s why I try not to “tap the fish tank and why I still play at free online poker freerolls were there’s real money up for grabs!
Winning any type of poker be in high stakes Vegas or free poker comes down to being able to extract profit from marginal situations. The object is not (it’s impossible anyway) to win every hand played, but every hand YOU play – OK also impossible but that has to be your aim. The best way to do this is to out bet your opponents and one way to do this is the slow play.
The Art of the Slow-play
The slow-play is when you deliberately under bet so as to disguise the strength of your hand and trap your opponent with a weaker hand.
Unlike the bluff bet, the slow-play is effective against strong and weak opponents. Bad opponents simply bet their hand, so if they have something or they are simply on a draw, they are going to pay you off.
When not to Slow-Play
You shouldn’t slow play when there is a flush or straight draw on the board. You should only slow play when your opponent has a hand that is not likely to improve enough to beat yours. Suppose the flop is AD-7H-KC and you hold 7D-7C, and you put your opponent on an A or K. It’s usually more profitable to bet the hand aggressively on the turn.
By slow playing the turn you’re potentially loosing cash on the turn- the only sensible motive for slow playing this scenario is if you know the opposition will fold with any gamble you declare.
If you manage to get quads or a full house don’t over play the hand- if the opposition are not strategically sitting right, they don’t seem to gamble often on the river, instead they check or call. By slow playing this turn, this type of opposition wont raise or re raise on the river.
Therefore, just keep betting the turn, despite the improvement. They rarely put you on quads, so try to get some action on the turn.
How to Represent Your Hand
The obvious assumption is that a big gamble stands for decent cards. This is believed even more so when gambling after the flop. If an ace or king comes to surface on the flop you can represent the same by gambling. You will learn that it’s what the opposition believes you have that is almost as important to the cards you are actually holding, especially if you have a relatively poor hand.
So there you have it a fast guide to the slow play. Typically it works better with money games than free poker where you’ll find many beginners who don’t pick up the nuances and throw all in regardless! But of you find yourself in a free online poker freeroll with real money up for grabs then think about how and when you might apply it.
Whether you’re playing free poker online or at the money tables, the achievements you have will be linked to how well you can use psychological tactics to your advantage. The free online poker games can turn out to be decent money making buy in games and competitions further on.
Using psychology in poker gives you an edge that can make the difference between winning and losing. In fact, I play the players more than I play the cards.
There are loads of psychological scenarios to consider which is as significant as knowing your place at the table: the chances and numbers involved in making a hand, pricing the pot and running a trap.
Good poker psychology is based on two things: intelligent observation, and common sense. Psychology also calls for old-fashioned ham-acting and some high pressure salesmanship. If you put it all together right, you’ll win at poker, whether it is the weekend family game or high-stake poker.
However, it goes almost without saying that you must know the people you are playing poker with; if you don’t know them, you’d better start studying them, because if you really know and understand your fellow card players, you can decide how to play your hand even before the second turn of the cards. Knowing how the other players play is a fundamental sharp poker strategy.
Remember a persons eyes are the path to their soul, and although appearances deceive the eye it’s knowing how to notice any giveaways which counts for all.
There are many signs and bodily giveaways or as the pros call it- tells. An opponent could start becoming a ‘chatter box’ if they hold good cards. Another example could be if a player seems restless to get into the action or a different opponent could become silent if they’re holding decent cards.
If you were playing against me however you wouldn’t know the cards I was holding as I maintain a consistent level of conversation. I also enjoy playing the fool- as the tells of most novice or standard players have is remarkable. For instance I wouldn’t give you a dime to look at these players cards and call them out. As they would have inevitably by now told me by their body language what they’re holding.
Some of these psychology pointers you will have realised only apply in real world games where you can see eye to eye but others, such as the chat (or lack of chat from a normally chatty player) speed of action and so on are very applicable to paid and free online poker games. So if you don’t already do it start to observe, think and observe more and think you way to more winnings.
Perhaps one of the most disturbing trends in poker in recent years even on free online poker sites is the increasing number of so-called “good players” that regularly criticize those who play poorly. Chasing away “fish” makes little sense for anyone who wishes to win money playing poker. The surest way to win money is to play against inferior opponents who don’t realize that they’re poor players. That’s why people say that you shouldn’t “tap the fish tank” or “tap the aquarium.”
To help keep fish in the water you may conceder playing a few bad hands to ensure they’re having a good time; as the better time the opposing player is having will result in the length of time they stay in the water and continue to gamble.
Applauding or praising a poor move may encourage an opponent to continuingly make the same mistakes. However, this may be outside of a players moral standing and would be considered a hustle or “setting the fishes bait”.
If you don’t feel like hustling the fish, then you should at least try keeping it jovial at the table. By creating a fun atmosphere at the free online poker tables, people will care less about the money that they’re throwing around and start playing loose and wild. This is what you want if you’re a good player. You’ll be playing solid poker, while they’ll be throwing their money away.
If you’re rude and disrespectful to fish, they’ll be less inclined to play anymore. They’ll take their money to other places where they can play without being harassed. By chasing fish away, you’re giving up opportunities to profit from their mistakes.
Take a moment to think about if all players were decent? Poker would be one hard game to win at or more to the point make any money from.
The main goal of playing good poker is to make as many correct decisions as you can, while forcing your opponents to make as many incorrect decisions as you can. It’s much easier to encourage bad players to make bad decisions, so you shouldn’t scare them away. In the long run, you’ll profit from their bad plays.
Another reason why you shouldn’t berate fishy player at the table or in your online chat box is because you don’t want them to improve. If they feel embarrassed with how bad they play, they may actually take the time and effort to improve their play. In other words, you’re encouraging bad players to become good players. Once they’re good, they’ll be tougher to beat. You won’t be getting their money quite as easily anymore. Why would you want to make it any harder to earn a buck in poker?
It’s hard enough to win at poker nowadays with all the information that’s available to improve your game. There are a lot of decent players out there. The games simply aren’t as soft as they were when I started playing online seven years ago.
That’s why I try not to “tap the fish tank and why I still play at free online poker freerolls were there’s real money up for grabs!
In live poker, expert poker players rely on poker tells. Traditionally, poker tells are the body language of an opposing player to get a read on what cards they are holding or what actions they take. Poker tells are behavioural patterns related to cards, actions, and emotions of players. Some poker tells include, but are not limited to: fidgeting in the seat, placing of chips, breathing, tone of voice, facial expressions, and the directions of one’s gaze. With the advent and popularity of free online poker, tell have become related other factors instead of visible body language.
A popular tell when playing free online poker is how fast an opponent is playing. Providing there is not a bad internet connection the speed that a player is placing bets is a tell tale sign of what kind of hand they are holding, whether it is good or bad. Although, it is widely believed that quickness in betting is a sign of weakness and slower time to bet is a sign of strength, this needs to be analyzed more carefully.
A more precise way of working out an opponents strategy is to watch each one as an individual and see how fast they play certain hands and look out for the pattern. If possible keep track of each players speed and watch the results of their betting. For example, if a player is involved in a large pot and bets quickly after seeing the flop and eventually loses the hand, then this person’s betting quickness is a sign of weakness if it is fast. A person who bets slowly in a big pot might be building the pot and indicate a strong hand when they exercise a slow rate of betting. Since each individual has his/her own style of betting speed, it is important to analyze each style before making assumptions.
Of course there are other factors related to the speed of betting on free online poker that aren’t necessarily tells but an indicator of something else. Sometimes players are playing multiple tables or surfing the web while playing. If a player is constantly playing slow then there is every possibility that this is the case and that they are doing more than one thing at once. Consistency is critical to eliminating bet speed as a tell with this type of player. In addition, the quality of the player’s internet connection can interfere with their bet speed.
Online poker tells theories have evolved over the years. It is still the best bet to analyze each player individually rather then make overall assumptions regarding tells. This holds true in both real and free online poker.