Should You Play Texas Holdem Differently Online Articles | Poker

By: Richard Bleuze

Should You Play Texas Holdem Differently Online

Many poker players have played Texas Holdem poker at the casino, or perhaps with their buddies, however, now you want to play Texas Holdem online.  Perhaps you want to work on   your game.  Thus, you may ask the question, "should I have a different Texas Holdem game".  The short answer is yes in my opinion.  You can not avoid the fact that online Texas
Holdem is a different animal, but the long answer is worth exploring to learn exactly HOW your game should differ.
 
It does not make sense to play poker the same way with your penny ante buddies as you would with high stakes cutthroats, so why would you assume you could take your physical card game and just translate it online?  As a rule, you have to make some adjustments.
 
Before I talk about your online Texas Holdem game and how it should differ from your live Texas Holdem poker game, let us look at how the online Texas Holdem should stay the same as the other.  Afterall, Texas Holdem is Texas Holdem. There are some rules that just will not change for online Texas Holdem.  In fact, no RULES will change, but the environment will be different.  Thus, you must take these factors into account.
 
What should NOT change when you play Texas Holdem online is your smart Holdem poker play.  Do not throw good money after bad, do not play like a fish, do use position to your advantage, play in the right stake level for your bankroll and experience level, etc.  In other words, play smart poker.
 
However, when you log online to play online Texas Holdem, you do need to adjust your game.  Now, this really is not a NEW rule.  Anytime you sit down at a new poker table, or new players join your table, or you play in a differnet location, you need to adjust your play to the circumstances, and online Texas Holdem is no different. Online Texas Holdem will require you to pay more attention to playing styles and patterns, and be aware of how fast the game is, but adjusting your play to the environment should not be a new thing for you if you have been playing Texas Holdem for awhile.
 
Here is what is true about playing online.  First, the games are faster.  And secondly, there is no way to read tells on anything other than betting patterns.  Outside of those two differnces, there are hardly any major differences worth noting.
 
When you play Texas Holdem poker, especially online Texas Holdem, you have to make the adjustments that keep your head level, the cards working for you, and your opponents off balance.  Online Texas Holdem provides a great opportunity to learn because you can play so much of it and especially at your convenience.  Just remember to be smart when you play online Texas Holdem and stick to the low stakes until you know what you are doing.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!