Conduct Strategies For Online Poker

Volumes have been written on poker strategy by some of the finest players in the history of the game. However, relatively little has been said about how behavior and presentation at the poker table can affect the outcome of a game, particularly in online poker.

Reading online ‘tells’ is one part of playing online poker successfully. The other part is developing self awareness, and understanding how personal conduct can affect the dynamic at a poker table. Here we’ll take you through several basic issues to take into consideration when playing poker online.

It’s all in a name

Don’t rush into picking an online poker alias, as this is likely to have a subtle but significant impact on how other players perceive and react to you over the course of your online poker career. A nick can be used to suggest gender, levels of experience and levels of aggression. It is therefore worthwhile considering how you want to come across to other players.As a rule of thumb poker players will play more aggressively against female players or beginners. Therefore picking an obviously female or newbie nick can lull opponents into a false sense of superiority (although many online players don’t need your help in this department) and cause them to make simple errors in play.

Of course, not all players choose to present themselves as soft targets. Many instead use their nicks to project superiority and aggression towards other players. This can succeed in intimidating other players, but keep in mind that an aggressive nick is of little use if it is not accompanied by an aggressive style of play.

To chat or not to chat

Most poker betting providers offer online chat services in their poker rooms, and these have contributed to the decline of many a poker player. While some players use the chat function to make friends with other players, the vast majority use chats to bait other players or act out when they go on a tilt after a perceived bad beat.

If you’re immune to tilts or being baited by other players, then the chat function can be used to project an attitude of courtesy and humility that may stand you in good stead at some stage of your game. For example the survival a player with a small stack sitting on the bubble during a scheduled or sit n go tournament could well depend on whether or not that player has antagonized other players at the table. If you’re polite and gracious in defeat, you may find someone cutting you some slack when you need it most.

If you’re easily stirred, then the best approach is generally to turn off the chat function and instead focus on how your opponents are playing. This prevents distraction, and helps you maintain all-important emotional equilibrium.

Showing too much

A basic principle of any form of poker is to give your opponents as little information as possible, and to use whatever information you do put out to mislead them. With this in mind, it is generally worthwhile to auto-muck your cards.

By mucking your cards when you win or lose a hand you are depriving experienced players of important information on how you will react to a particular situation. While it might be tempting to show off your heroic bluff, or the pocket aces that everyone at the table folded around, you’re better off keeping this information to yourself.

One final aspect of online play to keep in mind is that many players use speed of play as a tell when playing online. Players will generally play stronger hands slower and weaker hands faster, thereby broadcasting this information to anyone paying attention to speed of play. Mixing up speed of play can interfere with an opponent’s ability to read your game by using your timer.