Five Easy Steps to Winning at Online Texas Holdem Poker

Are you tired of losing while playing Texas Holdem Poker online? When we play online poker we all expect to be big winners. We have all read the stories and have seen the online players go on to become big time money winners in the biggest event of all – The World Series of Poker. Unfortunately, when most beginners start out they end up losing money. Then in an effort to win back what they have lost, they end up losing even more. So, how do you avoid becoming like most beginners? If you are in the midst of a big losing streak, how do you get to playing winning poker? Well…

The first thing that I would do is to completely analyze my game to find out what I am doing wrong. Ask yourself questions such as:

Am I playing way too many hands?
Am I paying attention to how the others at the table are betting?
Do I play aggressively? Passively?
Does my position at the table influence what I do at the poker table?
Am I playing at the correct limits for my skill level?

We are going to take a look at these questions one at a time. But beware; the answer to winning is in all of these. Don’t just take one of the suggestions and incorporate it. Use all of it. Why? Because it will work for you.

Am I playing way too many hands?

Simply put, you may be playing too many hands. Start by tightening up your game. Start out by playing only the absolute best hands. I would recommend that you only play AA, KK, A-K suited, QQ. This is going to require a lot of patience on your part. Then when you start to win with the absolute best hands you can begin by introducing some other starting hands to your game. Add JJ first. When you are successful with JJ then add 10-10. You can also add A-K, A-Q suited and A-J suited. Playing tight will help to plug up leaks in your game.

Am I paying attention to how the others at the table are betting?

Make sure that you are paying attention to what the other players at the table are doing. You should be paying attention to your opponents no matter if you are still in the hand or if you have folded. Is there a player that seems to play super tight and play only the best hands? Is there another that plays every hand? You can learn a lot about your opponents by simply observing what types of hands they play and there betting patterns.

Do I play aggressively? Passively?

Aggression is rewarded in Texas Holdem Poker especially when you are a tight player. My preferred style is tight-aggressive.

Playing aggressively does not mean playing every hand and betting. It means playing the best hands and playing them aggressively. Bets force opponents with a weak hand to fold. You don’t want players hanging around to see a flop for free. Don’t give them the opportunity to connect with it and beat your hand. The fewer the number of players that you are up against the greater the value of your already powerful hand.

A bet will also get more money into the pot for you to win.

A passive player is one that usually only (or mostly) calls bets. A passive player basically just ends up donating their chips to the other players at the table.

Does my position at the table influence what I do at the poker table?

Learning what hands to play based on your position at the table is powerful. If you are seated in early position you have no information on how your opponent has acted and how strong their hand may be. If a tight player bets in early position you can be sure that they have a very good starting hand. Stick to the very best hands in early position.

In late position you can judge if your opponents may have strong hands and can then decide if you should raise, call or fold.

Am I playing at the correct limits for my skill level?

Many players move up to the higher limits way too quickly. The competition is usually better at the higher limits. Work your way up slowly.

If you are playing at limits higher than you usually do and find you are consistently losing, drop down a level or two and work your way back up.

If you feel the need, then play at the free tables a little. I don’t recommend spending too much time at the free tables though, that is because players tend to play much differently when it is not for real money. I usually recommend playing free tables only to get used to the software and the table layout. After that it’s time to get playing for real even if it is only at the very low limits.

Even at super low limits many people will call or bets on hands that they shouldn’t. They tell themselves "heck it’s only costing me a nickel" but this sets bad habits that can be hard to break.

Stick to our five steps and you should see definite improvement in your game. Here’s a quick summary of them again:

1. Play only the best hands and then add other hands as you begin to win.

2. Pay attention and learn about your opponents.

3. Play the hands that you do play aggressively.

4. Use your position at the table to your advantage as well as assessing hand strength.

5. Drop down in the limits that you are currently playing and if necessary spend some time at the free tables.

That wraps up this strategy article. You should now have a good idea on how to stop losing your losing streaks and better yet avoid them in the first place.