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It is truly amazing how enormous of an attraction the game of poker has grown within the last few years. This crazed phenomenon has indiscriminately drawn in the likes of superstar celebrities, professional card sharks, amateur players and even your typical acne-infested teenagers. Today, it is almost impossible to watch television without coming across a commercial for some online poker site or a broadcasted big payout poker tournament in action.

I would have to say that Texas ‘Holdem is by far the most popular style of poker being played today and for very good reason. Once you get in to it, you learn quickly how exciting and stimulating the dynamics of this game can be. A few competent bluffs and a taste of victory after pushing “all in” will have you hooked before you know it and soon you may start to believe this can be an easy way to make money. (If you are one of those people who truly believe this, please pinch yourself very hard so you can join the rest of us here in reality and then continue reading on).

Poker is played at house parties amongst good friends, at casinos with poker halls and more and more often on highly addictive free online poker sites which are so cleverly convenient to anyone who has a computer and an internet connection. Popular online poker gambling sites exists such as PokerStars.net, FullTiltPoker.netand PokerRoom.com. Creating a user account on these sites is always easy and free. By providing a huge network of players worldwide and a running total of fake money in your account, it is a simple and enjoyable way to develop your poker skills without the fear of losing real money. But to take it one step further you have to be willing to play with real money and be willing to suffer the consequences of that money. Not everyone has the nerves to do well when it comes to putting actual cash on the line.

It is true that you can make money doing this and I personally know people who do this for a living and earn an extremely lavish living doing so. But, only a few really win and most just fuel the craze walking away with nothing. So, what does it take to be one of these winners? There are ways to increase your chances of winning online poker and I will share what has worked for these friends of mine who are capable of bringing in thousands of dollars a day in winnings. It takes a bit of patience and a lot of legwork to set up, but the payoffs can be unimaginable.

In live poker at a table, you have the opportunity to be able to read your opponents behavior in order to make an educated and calculated move. In online poker, you can only react to the resulting actions (ie. bet, fold, check) of your opponent. There are no facial expressions, beads of sweat on foreheads, shaky hands, disgruntled murmurs or any other “tells” which may indicate the level of confidence your opponent has in their cards. I will assume that you are already familiar with the rules and lingo of the game from this point on. If you are not, then this is not the article for you to be heavily invested in for the moment at least until you are a competent poker player. It might still be of interest to you so you do not find yourself on the other side of this loaded gun.

The way my friends have made and continue to make their big money that differs from those who just sign up online and win few hands with unjustified and unreliable luck (which will run out eventually I guarantee) is as follows:

1. Set up a logical system of getting to know players and their style of betting well in advance before actually playing against them – Virtually all the online poker sites have a feature which allows you to tag other players and keep your own customized notes on them. To really capitalize on making money here, you have to observe the style of poker play others use and keep notes on them so that you know exactly how to play against them when the opportunity arises. This allows you to target certain individuals. You will also probably need to have some actual money in your online account before you are allowed access to real money tables to observe players gambling with real money. It takes a lot of time and patience to have your opponent properly analyzed and strategically pegged down, since you only have their reactions (ie. bet, fold, check) to observe. You have to spend the extra effort just watching how people play and based on the outcome of their hands you have to judge and note down many factors about this opponent such as (this is by far not a complete list and can contain anything you think is relevant or useful):
   • Are they generally conservative or aggressive in nature?
   • Do they bluff a lot? And when do they usually bluff?
   • Are they likely to fold in the face of a large bet?
   • Do they bet big before the flop comes out with low pocket pairs or high face cards?
   • Do they limp in with nothing or fold when they have nothing before the flop?
   • Do they try to protect a lead with big bets?
   • Do they chase for a hand until the end often?
   • Do they bully others when they have a big stack of chips?
   • Do they act in desperation (or make stupid moves) when they are down to a few chips or after they lose a big hand?
   • Do they attempt to steal blinds often?
   • Do they set traps to fish opponents in?
   • Do they favor certain hands?
   • Is the duration of time in which they react an indication of their hand? How so?
   • Etc… etc… etc…
2. Play only against opponents that you have already analyzed and have figured out – Another great feature of these online poker sites is the ability to search for particular users that are online when you are so that you can join the table they are at or challenge them to a game. Once you have established an opponent’s playing style and are able to more or less read their hands, then you want to search for these opponents to play against to increase your odds of winning. Taking luck out of the equation leaves you at an extreme advantage over your now semi-transparent opponent, but beware as this is still very much so a game of luck. It doesn’t take many poker hands to bump up your bank roll substantially. A few good reads of your opponent along with a few well placed bets will have you wishing you figured this out long ago!
3. Play at a table with only a few seats – Once you have found players that you have well analyzed already, try to play against them on a table with as little non-analyzed players as possible. The less number of players you have at the table you are playing, the less chances of somebody winning with just stupid luck. Your goal is to take luck out of the equation as much as possible, leaving you with an unfair advantage of winning since you have insight into your opponents’ moves. Ideally, you would have found a player you have well analyzed and are able to play at a table that only allows two players - you and your semi-transparent opponent. The dynamics of a heads up poker match are much different than that of multiplayer poker. It is much easier to win with nothing as long as you are able to read your opponent correctly. You also do not have to worry about any non-analyzed opponents foiling your plans.
4. Play online on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. You want to play against the weekend hobbyist who isn’t there to make a million dollars like you are and probably won’t mind losing a chunk of change because it is just their hobby. If you are on the poker site day and night, chances are you may end up facing a clever cash seeking opponent who does this for a living. Plus, you are more likely to find your analyzed opponents on the weekend playing in their spare time as opposed to weekdays.
5. Vigorously keep your notes up to date as players evolve in their tactics and style of play (as will you). If you encounter new non-analyzed opponents at a table with an analyzed opponent, then you should start keeping notes on them as well. Spend time watching players you think you have fully analyzed already to ensure your notes are still affective. You do not want to be surprised in a nasty way and end up losing big.

A good check and balance to have for any person gambling is to have a limit of how much you are willing to lose. Don’t be reaching back into the cookie jar for more when it’s all gone. Accept the fact that you have lost and will most likely continue to lose if you continue on. Please act responsibly.

PricelessSavings.com does not endorse online gambling. This article is for interest purposes only, although we wish you the best of luck if you wish to pursue such a strategy. If you apply these methods and find great success, feel free to donate some of it back to us so we can continue to publish interesting articles for our readers!!!

Good luck!