Online Poker Strategy: Going from Felt to the Keyboard

Whether you’re new to online poker or a long-time grinder still using your old Party Poker handle, it’s still always good to wash the deck once in a while, relearn the fundamentals, and get yourself unstuck. So, here are some basic tenets and strategy of online poker that differ from your brick-and-mortar gambling.

Online Poker Strategy: Going from Felt to the Keyboard

Lower Your Stakes

A common mistake poker players make when switching over to online is maintaining the same table stakes, they did in their live game. The biggest difference in online poker is the speed of play. Roughly 65-70 hands will be played per hour in a 6 handed online game. When you add multi table play, that bumps up to about 100 hands, and Zoom can push it close to 250 hands per hour.

The reason why that matters to the stakes is because 100 hands of $1/$2 blinds is basically the equivalent of a live game at $5/$10. Another reason to come down in online stakes is that the player pool is so much larger now. There is nothing wrong with getting in the shallowest of waters first and chopping up those fish before you decide to move up.

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Know your Bankroll

Deciding to go up in stakes should depend on your skill AND your bankroll. The sheer volume of hands and volatility makes a sufficient bankroll a must. You should only go up a limit when you have 25-30 “buy-ins” for that level. A full buy-in is considered 100 big blinds.

For example, if you start off at .05/.10 cent blinds, you should have about $300 total in your bankroll because a “buy in” is $10. Once you get your roll up to $450, then you should move up to 15 cent blinds, because that is 30 buy ins.

Also, there is nothing wrong with needing to fall down a few levels if things aren’t working out where you are currently playing. Chasing is never the route to go in poker. Increase with wins and decrease with losses. These games will always be here, so step back and grind out some wins below the surface before reentering.

Recognize your opponent

Although there are endless numbers of players online, low-stakes games usually break down into two categories. Tight or Weak. Rarely will there be a highly skilled player at the low stakes who switches up their styles in a confusing manner.

And if there are, its best to just avoid them. Not because of fear, but there simply much easier ways to turn a profit off the other players that are more transparent. Betting patterns is the clearest way of discovering who exactly you are up against. And, once you do…

Punish the Weak

There are many ways to take advantage of a weak player, however bluffing is usually not one of them. Weaker players tend to be “calling stations” and are more interested in seeing their hand all the way through, rather than if they are beat or not.

Therefore, it’s important not to put a move on these players with “air,” as it can go to waste on a mop that’s not interested in making a good fold. Simply wait until you have the goods and value bet each street, including the river.

Far too often, value is left behind with a checked river because a scare card got there. A weaker player will rarely be check-raising on a river showdown, and if they do…BELIEVE THEM! Most raises on the turn and rivers in low stakes are believable for a reason.

Scare the Tight Players

A lot of players are looking for reasons to fold hands, you should be looking on how to win pots. The tight player has solid basic strategy that does not want to risk their stake unless they have the absolute nuts. This sets up ample bluff opportunities, against the exact kind of player we want.

In a draw-heavy board, one could “semi-bluff” a tight player with your own draw, get a free card, or even represent anything that hits. If a third flush card drops a lot of times, the tight player will automatically assume you hit it because why else would they still be in the hand?

Of course, it does not have to even be as severe as a straight or flush card. Sometimes, even a big overcard, like a King or Ace hitting the board, will do the trick. So, if your opponent is afraid of weak showdowns at the river, oblige and barrel him away.

The key to winning low stakes online poker is to use basic, tight aggressive strategy consistently. Do not let the basics stray from your game and keep a disciplined daily routine.

The advanced strategies and higher stakes will come when its ready for you. Stay tuned for part 2 of my Online Poker Strategy series. Remember to always Run Good, that helps!