Questions about Online Poker

 

These are some of the most frequently asked questions that have landed in my mailbox. I have put together my answers here so that those of you who are starting out in the game of poker have a little guide to help you get started.

 

How Much Money Do You Need to Play Online Poker?

 

Thanks to the micro-limit tables, online poker is within the reach of most. A budget of $ 50 (which can be increased with the help of bonuses) is enough to get you started.

 

How is the Money Dedicated to Gambling Managed?

 

Poker can be played for fun or for business. If it is played for fun, a good idea would be to allocate a fixed economic amount to the game each month and stop playing, or play at the demo tables, in case you lose it.

 

If the objective of playing poker is to make money, the budget must be managed in such a way that the chances of going bankrupt in the event of a losing streak are reduced. The player has a certain capital and based on it must choose the tables in which to play.

 

In Limit Holdem, a good player who wins steadily needs at least 350 times the amount of the big bet (which is twice the big blind) to withstand the swings caused by bad streaks. Therefore, to play the $ 0.25 / $ 0.50 tables you need $ 175. You can expand information about this in the entry of my Initial Budget in Poker diary.

 

As for No Limit Holdem, when you are starting it is convenient to have 30 times the amount of the maximum buy-in to be safe. If the buy-in is $ 25, the ideal would be to have $ 750. It can be done with half, but logically there is a greater risk.

 

Regarding 10-player Sit and Gos, it would be good to have 80 times the buy-in (it is a conservative estimate, but better cover your back). If you want to play in the $ 5 + $ 0.50 Sit and Go's, the advisable budget would be $ 440.

 

The amounts I have indicated are necessary to overcome a prolonged streak of bad luck. Logically, a recreational player who has no interest in learning any amount of money will suffice.

 

Can You Play Poker For Fun And Make Money?

 

To win money you have to play with patience and a lot of discipline and that is rarely fun. For example, a winning Limit Texas Holdem player only puts money to flop from 13% to 21% of the hands (in 10-player games); the rest of the time he watches how others play. Now, there is a way to maintain that discipline and at the same time have fun, and that is by playing at several tables at the same time. Rooms like Party Poker or Poker Stars allow you to play at several tables; and it is also possible to play at tables in different casinos at the same time.

 

Logically, before going to play on several tables simultaneously, the player must prove to himself that he is capable of winning regularly at a single table. But once the learning phase has been passed, it is advantageous to play at more than one table at the same time: it is more fun and you win more money.

 

Remember that I am talking about Holdem with limit. This variant of poker is very mechanical and you don't have to closely follow the course of a game to make the right decisions. In Holdem WITHOUT limit, on the other hand, it is more dangerous to play at more than one table at the same time, since in this modality the meticulous study of the opponent is of vital importance. There are, of course, programs like PokerTracker that help analyze the data of the opponents in real time.

 

How Much Can You Win or Lose in a Session?

 

It depends on the number of players, how aggressive the game is and our own style of play. In principle, the fewer players there are at the table and the more aggressive the game, the greater the fluctuation. Playing against five opponents aggressively, 50 big bets can be won or lost in a matter of 5 hours; It is not usual, but it can happen.

 

A good player will win at least 60% of the sessions; although from time to time he will enter a negative streak that could lead to him losing money in 10 consecutive sessions or more.

 

What Poker Books Are Recommended?

 

Here are a few books worth considering.

 

I start with a beginner limit Texas Hold'em one. Suitable for players who want to play micro-limit Holdem:
Internet Texas Hold'em - Winning Strategies from an Internet Pro, by Matthew Hilger

 

Also limit Hold'em, but this is an advanced concepts manual for short-handed tables, aimed at players who compete at high-limit tables:
Winning in Tough Hold'em Games, by Nick “Stoxtrader” Grudzien and Geoff “Zobags” Herzog

 

One for cash games in No-Limit Hold'em:

 

Harrington on Cash Games, Volume I & II by Dan Harrington and Bill Robertie

 

From the same authors, the book that for many is the bible of strategy books for Texas Hold'em tournaments:
Harrington on Hold'em, Volume I & Volume II, by Dan Harrington and Bill Robertie

 

Another of tournaments. It has the peculiarity that this consists of the narration of all the important hands that its author played on the way to becoming the Aussie Millions champion in 2007:
Every Hand Revealed by Gus Hansen

 

For those who want to enter the wild world of Pot-Limit Omaha, one of the most suitable books is:
Secrets of Professional Pot-Limit Omaha by Rolf Slotboom

 

Finally, a book about cantes, those gestures that reveal the hand carried by an adversary, written by a former FBI agent:
Phil Hellmuth Presents Read 'Em and Reap: A Career FBI Agent’s Guide to Decoding Poker Tells, by Joe Navarro

 

I recommend that you alternate playing poker with reading manuals. Do not wait to learn these books before you start playing, because it is one thing to understand the concepts and strategies, and another thing to put them into operation. You will find that you learn much more if you alternate study with play.

 

How is online poker different?

 

Almost everyone in America has played some form of poker at some point in their lives. While the transition may seem a bit shocking at first, switching from your personal poker experience to playing online is a much shorter jump than it sounds. The rules are the same, the decks are the same and it feels just as good when dealing the cards online as when dealing live.

 

The only big difference that new players tend to be unprepared for is the sheer speed of the online version. When you play at an online poker site, you play about four times faster than a live poker game. In addition to that speed, you can play multiple tables at the same time. Years of live poker can be put together in just a few weeks of intense online gaming. While this sounds good at first, the pace of online poker presents a unique set of challenges, especially for newbies who need a slower pace of play to make good decisions.

 

Are online games manipulated?

 

Cheating is an unfortunate part of almost all games. Online poker is no different than live poker in this regard. Fortunately for players, most online poker sites in the US have developed sophisticated methods to identify and stop cheaters in online poker games.

 

If you think a game is not right on a certain site, your best bet is to collect all the hand records that you think show evidence of fraud or cheating. All online poker sites have dedicated security teams that will take your information, review it, and act accordingly. While every suspicion of cheating does not result in actual cheating, the best policy for players is to report anything that appears suspicious in the room and let the professionals work it out.

 

How do poker sites make money?

 

Poker rooms that accept American players make money the same way any other poker room wins, online or not. They make money by charging fees, which are taken out of the pot in cash games, and from the entry fee in tournaments, called rake. You can view the rake for any US poker site on its website or by contacting technical support.

 

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