Best online poker sites & games
Friday, September 11, 2009 12:00 AM
Have you ever dreamed of playing in a high stakes poker game at one of the luxurious hotels in Vegas? Maybe watched a poker game on TV and wondered how you could get in on that kind of action?
These days, an online poker site may be just your ticket to the big time.
Since the first real money online Poker sites UK started in 1998, some famous faces you may know now scored their seats in the World Series of Poker by winning their entry through an online venue.
Chris Moneymaker and Greg Raymer won the WSOP event in 2003 and 2004, respectively, by winning an entry playing online poker. Peter Eastgate won the main event in 2008 at the age of 22 after winning a seat through an online satellite.
Playing online poker in the UK at any of the new poker sites is different from poker at a casino or a live game in that physical "tells", or mannerisms exhibited by the players as they play, are absent. However, there are other tells in online play an alert player can observe and use to his advantage.
Improve your Online Poker Game Skills
In order to become a good, or even great, poker player, when playing on a new poker site pay attention to the other player's reaction time, speed of play, opponents' fold/flop percentages, and the use of the chat box. What are their betting patterns? Do they wait for the big blind before making a move?
Turn the lens around on your own play, as well. Remember, every action you take is being observed by other players, noted, and will be acted upon. Successful poker play at sites depends upon adaptability and alert observation of your opponents and the patterns of their behavior, but you must also pay close attention to your own actions and reactions.
Another difference between a live table and playing on USA pokersites in America is the rate of play. At a table in Vegas, for example, the average rate of play is approximately thirty hands per hour. Online play can average between ninety and a hundred hands in an hour. It can be quite an adjustment for an online player used to such a fast rate to sit down at a table of live players. However, you can use this to your advantage.
Learning the finer points and nuances of successful poker play on USA & UK online poker sites can only help you should you win a place in a major tournament. While live play experience is necessary, factors like rate of play, betting patterns, and player's reaction time can be monitored closely in an online venue. The fact is, there's no easier way to win a seat at a major tournament, and it's fair to say the experience of playing on poker sites is changing the way poker is played today.