When the early 2000s introduced the first World Poker Tour on television, and when an accountant from Tennessee named Chris Moneymaker turned an online poker satellite into $2,500,000 at the World Series of Poker, the game soared to new heights. People were fascinated by the large sums of money at stake and the betting behavior and personalities of professional players.
As the game became more popular, people without access to casinos tried to find alternative ways to play, and their answer came in the form of online poker. With the rapid rise of poker players, the game became more competitive, and so did the stakes. While the online poker industry has changed greatly in the two decades since the poker boom began, the game is no less popular and widespread.
Before you decide to join the millions of other players and join a site to play online poker for money, it’s important that you understand the rules associated with the game. This article aims to provide useful poker tournament tips for you to succeed on that journey.
Land-based poker vs. online poker
Land-based poker began to plateau after the 2008 economic crisis and when the American government cracked down on igaming in 2011, which led to other countries following suit to implement strict regulations on sites that included online poker. Live poker took an even bigger knock during the 2020 pandemic when lockdowns restricted visitors, and many budgets became limited. It has made a comeback since that time, but there has been a radical and undeniable swing toward online poker tournaments and cash games.
There are several reasons that people continue to turn to online poker, one of which is accessibility.People can play anywhere, anytime, and for nearly any stakes. Additionally, affordability is a major contributor. Playing in a casino often requires at least $40–$60, whereas playing poker online can require as little as $2. Furthermore, the array of live poker tournaments to choose from and the convenience of playing in the comfort of your own home are other elements involved in the continued rise of online poker, sports betting, and online casino games.
Basic online poker rules
To get a good grasp on how to play poker (of which there are several variants), it’s crucial to know the basics. Because Texas hold’em poker is the most popular format played, we will use it as our example.
The process
The dealer will digitally distribute two cards to each player in the hand. There is a round of betting before the flop of three cards is dealt face-up in the center of the table. The player on the left of the big blind started the betting preflop, but the player to the left of the dealer button will start the post-flop betting.
A single turn card is placed by the dealer as another community card, followed by another round of betting. The dealer then puts out the final card, known as the river, which completes the five cards on the board. Players can use any combination of their hole cards and community cards to complete a five-card hand. The last chance to bet follows, and the player with the best hand wins the pot. To gain a deeper understanding of the different rounds in poker, check out our in-depth poker glossary.
The hands
Now that we know the process of a poker round, it’s crucial to know your different poker hands. This list below showcases the hands from best to worst:
- Royal flush: A hand of A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit (spades, hearts, diamonds or clubs)
- Straight flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit, for example, 8-7-6-5-4of clubs.
- Four of a kind: Four cards of the same value for example, 7-7-7-7- of all four suits.
- Full house: Three cards of one value and two cards of another for example, 10-10-10-8-8-.
- Flush: Five cards of the same suit, for example, K-J-9-5-4 of hearts.
- Straight: Five consecutive cards; for example, J-10-9-8-7 of any suits.
- Three of a kind: Three cards of the same value for example, 9-9-9.
- Two pair: Two cards of the same value and two cards of another value for example, 9-9-5-5.
- One Pair: Two cards of the same value for example, Q-Q.
- High card: The hand with the highest card , for example, in lieu of any of the above rankings, a high card of any value can win.
Six poker tips to avoid tilt in poker
Playing in live poker tournaments can be tough. Tables are often very well populated, so it requires patience and beating lots of other players, and play can be slow. Online poker tournaments play much faster, but the same rules of patience and skill apply. However, finding tournaments with the most recreational players is a good place to practice, both live and online. That is where these basics are important to keep top of mind.
1. Play patiently
Being ready to play for the long haul means being selective with your starting hands. It’s tempting to play every hand, but for the sake of longevity, you must choose the right time to bet and get involved in hands. You will notice players start to fall off quickly due to risky bets, especially in reentry and bounty tournaments. Knowing when to play and when to practice patience is a crucial poker skill to master.
2. Constantly monitor your table position
This is a key part of a successful poker strategy. It is a good indicator of when to be aggressive and when not to be. For example, it is often best to save any early position moves for premium hands, but you can be a little more open to betting in late position. The range of betting and raising hands opens up when you are on the dealer button or in the blinds.
3. Understand the behavior of the players around you
Understanding the psyche of the players around you is another important tip for success. Being able to identify the players who’re known to bluff or who will only bet if they have a strong hand gives you a good sign of when to raise, check, or fold. This is more difficult in online poker, as there are no physical tells, but then it becomes even more important to watch opponents’ betting patterns.
4. Learn to be aggressive
Although it’s important to be patient, it’s also crucial to know when to play aggressively and try to win some of those chips. If you want to win, you need to take some calculated risks. A good way to start is by being aggressive with strong hands in position. While it can be good to be an unpredictable player, you should choose your aggression times carefully, based on position, your chip stack and opponents’ stacks, the blind levels, and cards.
5. Choose a licensed online poker room
In a world of many unregulated poker sites operating without proper licensing, it’s important to play on a site with a license, one that follows state and federal regulations, and one that guarantees its ability to pay players and operate ethically.
6. Gamble responsibly
Remember, playing poker is about having fun, not about putting your savings on the line. Only buy in what you can afford to lose using proper bankroll management. This often involves not risking more than 5% or 10% (at most) of your bankroll on a single tournament. Yes, you have the chance to win big. However, you can lose big, too.
Play poker on Borgata Online
No matter your preferred buy-in and poker format, Borgata Poker hosts hundreds of live poker tournaments every day, all day and night. Register with Borgata Online today to get started in the world of online poker, complete with a welcome bonus and the opportunity to take advantage of ongoing promotions, cash games, and every kind of tournament and series that players seek.