Mastering online poker strategy is a key to succeed at online poker games. At Online Poker Play, we update different aspects of online poker strategy through our wide range of poker articles so that you can get well-versed with the winning strategies of different poker variants, whether it is Texas Hold’em Poker or Omaha Poker or Stud Poker.    

Keep the Basic Poker Strategy Theorem in Your Mind

While playing online poker games, always remember the basic poker strategy concept which states that whenever you play your hand the way you would if you could have a look at your opponents cards, you are on a winning track, and always your opponents play their cards differently from the way they would play them if they could glance your cards, its profitable for you. This theorem is the basis for many poker strategy subjects.

For instance, bluffing and slow-playing (described below) are examples of using deception to encourage your opponents to play differently than they would if they could catch a glimpse of your cards. However, there are a few exceptions to the basic poker theorem in certain multi-way pot situations, as explained in the abovementioned basic poker strategy theorem.

Calculate Your Pot odds, Implied Odds & Poker Probabilities

Calculating your pot odds and winning odds is one of the most important online poker strategies. Pot odds are ratio of the size of pot to the size of the bet required to remain in the pot. For example, if a player have to call $20 for a chance to win $80 pot (not including their $20 call), their pot odds are 4-to-1. To have a positive prospect, your winning odds must be better than your pot odds. If your winnings odds are also 4-to-1 (20% winning chances), and if you play the pot five times, your projected return is to break even (losing 4 times and winning once).

Implied odds is another complex concept, although concerned with pot odds. The implied odds on a hand are derived not from the money presently in the pot, but from the expected size of the pot at the end of the hand. While facing an even money condition (as explained in the previous paragraph) and holding a strong drawing hand (for example, a four-flush) a professional player will think about calling a bet or even opening based on their implied odds. This is quite correct in multi-way pots, where it is expected that one or more opponents will call all the way to showdown.

Take the Advantage of Deception

Learn the art of deception to induce your opponents to act another way than they would if they could steal a look at your cards. Bluffing is an art of inducing your opponents to fold better hands. If your opponents see that you never bluff, they won’t call their bets unless they have really superior hands. Slow-playing is deceptive poker play that is almost the opposite of bluffing: betting weakly with a strong holding rather than betting strongly with a weak one. If opponents see that you never play slow, they can leap at any sign of weakness.

Prefer a Late Poker Table Position

Poker table position refers to the order in which player is seated around a poker table and the strategic results of this. In general, if you are seated in earlier position (you must act first), then you must have stronger hands to bet or raise than players in later position. For example, if there are six players yet to act behind you, there are more chances that one of them will have a superior hand than if there were only one opponent yet to act.

Being in late position is an advantage because as you get to see how your opponents in earlier position act (which provides the player further knowledge about their hands than they have about his). Position is one of the most important aspects to understand so that you can be a long-term winning player. As your position improves, so too does the range of cards with which you can gainfully enter a hand. On the other hand, this general knowledge can be used to an intelligent poker player's advantage. If playing against watchful opponents in tournament type play (when the amount of chips one has is limited, means there are no 'rebuys') then a raise with any two cards can 'steal the blinds,' if employed against passive players at the right time.

Why you Raise?

Unlike calling, raising has a special way to win: opponents may fold. An opening bet may be considered a raise from a strategy viewpoint. Below are a few reasons for raising:

• To get more money in the pot you hold the best hand: If you hold the best hand, raising for value enables you to win a bigger pot.

• To drive out opponents when you hold the best hand: If you have a made hand, raising may protect your hand by driving out your opponents with drawing hands who may otherwise improve to a better hand.

• To bluff or semi-bluff: If you raise with an inferior or drawing hand, you may induce a better hand to fold. In the case of semi-bluff, if you are called, you still have a chance to improve to a better hand (and also win a larger pot).

• To get a free card: If you raise with a drawing hand, your opponent may check you on the next betting round, giving you an opportunity to get a free card to improve your hand.

• To gain information: If you raise with an uncertain hand, you get information about the strength of your opponent's hand if you are called. You may use an opening bet on a later betting round (probe or continuation bets) to get information by being called or raised (or may win the pot immediately).

• To drive out worse hands when your own hand may be second best: Sometimes, you may raise with the second best hand with cards to come, raising to driveyou’re your opponents with worse hands (but who might improve) may increase the expected value of your hand by offering you a higher probability of winning if your hand improves.

• To drive out better hands when a drawing hand bets: If an opponent with an apparent drawing hand bets before you and if you raise, opponents behind you who may have a better hand may fold rather than call a bet and raise. This is a type of isolation play.

Why You Call?

Below are a few important reasons for calling a bet or raise:

• To see more cards: With a drawing hand, you may be receiving the right pot odds with the call to see more cards.

• To limit loss in equity: Calling may be correct when you have adequate pot odds to call but will lose equity on money contributed to the pot.

• To avoid a re-raise: Only calling (and not raising) denies the original bettor the choice of re-raising. However, this is only completely safe you are the player last to act (i.e. "closing the action").

• To conceal the strength of a player's hand: If you hold a very strong hand, you might smooth call on an early betting round to avoid giving away the strength of your hand on the hope of getting more money into the pot in later betting rounds.

• To manipulate pot odds: By calling (not raising), you offer any opponents yet to act behind you more positive pot odds to also call. For einstance, if you a very strong hand, a smooth call may induce opponents behind you to overcall, building the pot. Specifically in limit games, building the pot in an earlier betting round may induce opponents to call future bets in later betting rounds. Thanks to the pot odds they will be receiving.

• To plan a bluff on a later betting round: You may call on an earlier betting round in order to plan a bluff (or semi-bluff) for a later betting round. Also, known as "long-ball bluffing".

Avoid Confrontations with another Player Who Already Have the Superior Hand

You must have better hands against the players who have already opened (or raised) the betting than you would have to open yourself. Always avoid the confrontations with another player who has already showed strength, and that calling only has a way to win (by holding the superior hand), while opening may also win in that instant if your opponent(s) fold.

You Need a Superior Hand to Stay in a Pot

You need a superior hand to stay in a pot where there are opponents yet to act behind you. As you don’t know how many opponents will be involved in the pot or whether they will need to call a re-raise, you don’t know what their real pot odds are. Hence, you must have a superior as a compensation for this doubt.

Remember the Important Concepts of Loose/Tight Play

If your opponents are loose players, then they will play rather more hands and are likely to play with weaker hands; this is why they don’t fold. If your opponents are tight players, then they will play rather fewer hands and are likely not to keep on with weaker hands; this is why they often fold.

Always remember the following important concepts that are applicable in loose games (and their opposite in tight games):

• Bluffs and semi-bluffs are less successful as loose opponents are less likely to fold.

• Requirements to continue playing with made hands may be lower as loose players may also be playing lower value hands.

• Drawing to unfinished hands, like flushes, is likely to be more successful because draws will often get positive pot odds and a stronger hand (rather than simply one pair) is often compulsory to win in multi-way pots.

Prefer to Play Aggressively

Aggressive players bet and raise more often. Passive players often check and call. Unless passive play is being used deceptively as explained above, aggressive play is generally considered better than passive play as the bluff value of bets and raises and for this reason it offers more chances for your opponents to make mistakes.

Make your Opponents Profile and Leverage Your Table-Image

By keeping an eye on the tendencies and patterns of your opponents, you can make more educated guesses about their potential holdings. For example, if your opponent player has been playing extremely tightly (playing quite few hands), then when he/she ultimately enters a pot, you may surmise that he/she has stronger than average cards. The table image of a player is the perception by his/her own pattern of play. You can leverage you table image by playing out of character and thus inducing your opponents to misjudge your hand and make a mistake.

Loosen up Your Play While Playing Short-Handed

When you play short-handed (playing at poker table with fewer players than average), you must loosen up your play (play more hands) for the following reasons:

• There are fewer chances of your opponents having a strong hand as there are fewer players.

• Every player's share of the forced bets increases as there are fewer players contributing to the forced bets, hence waiting for best hands becomes more expensive.

This type of situation arises more frequently in tournament style play. In a cash game, the adjustments are quite same, but not quite as drastic as the table can ask for a 'rake break.' A rake break happens when the floor-man, who represents the casino, agrees to take a smaller portion than standard for the hand. For example, a random casino might usually get 10% of the pot up to 5 dollars for a 'rake.' In this situation, the table would only owe 10% up to 3 dollars until there are an adequate number of players again. In online poker rake breaks are decided automatically.

Remember the Structure Considerations

Always remember the structure considerations while playing your favorite online poker games as the blinds, antes and limit-structure of the game have a vital effect on your poker strategy. For example, in no-limit and pot-limit online poker games, it’s easier to manipulate the pot odds than in limit games. In online poker tournaments, as the size of forced bets proportionate to the chips stacks increase, players are pressurized to play pots so that they can avoid being anted/blinded away.