Learning how to win more money at poker is a subject that is tackled by entire books. In order to make this short list of poker tips useful, I decided to provide tips that are more long-term in nature. The following poker tips will make you a better poker player over the long haul.
1. Invest in a copy of Holdem Manager
Holdem Manger is a powerful piece of software that watches every hand of online poker you play and records it in a database. From that database, Holdem Manager is able to generate a plethora of statistics about your own play and the play of your opponents.
For example, you can see what percentage of hands you play, which positions are the most profitable, which hands make money in which position, how often specific opponents checkraise the river and much, much more. The program also comes with a heads-up display and the ability to use plugins that help identify leaks, others that help you find juicy tables and more.
Seriously, I can’t recommend Holdem Manager enough. Yes, I have an affiliate link to promote the program, but trust me – this program is good. Ask any serious online poker player what he thinks about Holdem Manager and you’ll get a positive response.
Click here to visit the Holdem Manager website.
2. Invest in a Poker Training Site
The general level of competition in online poker has risen slowly over the years. I can remember when I first started, the tables were so soft it would blow your mind today. Back then, people would go all-in for $1,000 with top pair, medium kicker and not think twice about it. As the games have gotten tougher, the need for serious poker training has grown tremendously.
There are quite a few poker training sites out there to choose from. Pick a training site that caters to your needs. There are training sites dedicated to cash games, others dedicated to tournaments, some that are dedicated to heads-up cash games and so on. A couple of quality training sites that come to mind are CardRunners.com and BlueFirePoker.com.
Not all poker training sites are of the same quality, though. Make sure you look up a few poker training reviews to find out which training sites are worth the money. If you get a good poker training site, your game will improve significantly. Some of the best online poker players in the world share their wisdom at the top training sites.
3. Spend Time at Poker Strategy Forums
Poker strategy forums such as TwoPlusTwo.com are full of people just like you who want to learn more about poker strategy. Hang out in those types of forums and get to know the people on there. I learned everything I know about poker and become an online pro by participating in online poker discussion boards.
The beautiful thing about poker strategy forums is that they don’t cost anything to join. If you want to participate, all you have to do is signup for an account and start posting in threads. Post hand histories, reply to other people’s hand histories and become an active member. You will stimulate your brain and become a stronger player than you could have ever imagined.
4. Make It a Goal to Move Up in Stakes
You will never improve in poker if you don’t challenge yourself. The best way to challenge yourself in poker is to make it a goal to move up in stakes. As you move up in stakes, you learn how to deal with more sophisticated opponents and how to deal with bigger amounts of money.
But remember: you should always play within your bankroll. Don’t try to move up in stakes until you have enough money set aside for your new stakes. Follow the principles of bankroll management at all times.
5. Always Search for Better Tables
This is pretty basic stuff but seriously: you make more money in poker if you play against easier opponents. One of the greatest advantages of online poker is that you have hundreds of tables available at your fingertips and it only takes a few seconds to switch from one table to the next. Don’t let this advantage go to waste.
Practice smart table selection and always keep your eyes open for better tables. Look for tables that are full of fishy players and join those tables. If you get in the habit of that, you’ll make tons of extra money over your poker lifetime than you would have otherwise. All of my greatest months in poker were months during which I constantly searched for the softest tables.