Learn Play Poker

As part of the effort to make online poker as easy to use and convenient as possible, many software developers have included
an automatic Check/Fold button. This button will automatically check, or fold if there is a raise.

As much as this seems like a good idea for those multitasking, or just too lazy to push the button, this button can have a pretty
bad affect on your chances of winning overall.

If you are Big Blind for instance, than using this button will instantly give away the weakness of your hand. If this button is used,
then the action will be executed instantly, and anyone paying attention to the game will know that you’ve used it. This is essentially
telling everyone that you have so little faith in your chances of winning, that you aren’t even willing to pay to see the flop.

Using this button regularly will also give your opponents the chance to understand how you play and they will instantly recognize a
bad hand when you have it. This makes bluffing nearly impossible if the other players are paying attention, and they usually are.

This isn’t too much of a problem in beginner tables, as novice players rarely put together the pieces to the puzzle, but there are
still many veteran players looking for an easy win in the little pond.
Furthermore, the better you get, the more you’d want to play in the less amateur tables, and there, you’d be spotted in a second.

When playing poker, it is important to pay attention to all the little details. When playing online poker, a lot of the “reading” into
players is removed due to the fact that you aren’t sitting with your opponents in the same room, so you take every little piece of
information you can get your hands on. A player using the auto check/fold button is giving away clues he shouldn’t be, providing
he actually wants to win.

Online poker has many options meant to maintain convenience and keep the game flowing quickly.
The idea behind this button is that once you’ve seen your cards, you can click this button and the software will
automatically check, or fold if there was a raise involved in the round. This is a great tool for people playing a
number of tables at any given time, or just for people that are multi-tasking. It should be noted that the decision
to use this option is based upon the assumption that you do not intend to take part in raises, and that you hand
is really all that bad.

There are, however, certain situations in which using this option will give away your card status to the observant
players, and with the growing popularity and competition in online poker, these are becoming more and more common.

When you are the Big blind position, clicking this button consistently throughout a hand can give away the value
of your hand easily. If this button is selected, then the action will be performed instantly upon your turn. This means
that the other players can tell that if seeing the flop wasn’t for free, than you wouldn’t have paid anything to see it.
The obvious conclusion from such an action is that you have a very weak hand. In a way, you’re simply telling the
rest of table that your gonna lose, and you don;t even care. In a situation like this, a player will just raise you out
of the game and take your big blind investment in the pot.

This isn’t that much of an issue when you play on beginner tables, as they are far less observant of playing
patterns, or are just playing for fun and don’t mind losing as much. On the more skilled tables however, this is an
entirely different story and it’s a shame to give away your hand just for the comfort of not paying attention.

The check/fold button also takes away any bluffing on your part, which is a major part of any players game.
Without bluffing even once in a while, other players will be under the impression that you are a conservative
player and will be able to assess your hand very easily.
Auto buttons are a great addition for players of all skill levels, but just as every other aspect of your behavior in
a poker game, this can be used to understand your game-play patterns and should be used accordingly.

Poker Tells are any clue, reaction or habit that could give us information that could aid us in our attempt to win.
We’ve compiled a list of the top 10 things to look our for when playing poker. Remember, there could be contradictions and it’s up to you to filter out the unimportant information.

1.Make sure you have a good view of your opponent’s eyes. A good look in the eyes can always tell a much deeper truth than words, and your opponent will only say things that are good for him. This is the reason why many pro players wear sunglasses while they play.

2.Watch out for facial expressions, as they can spill the beans on a bluff. A tic, an unhappy face could all be linked to a generally weak hand. This is the reason why many pro players wear hats that conceal part of their faces.

3.Generally speaking, when someone is playing hardball, he’s most likely bluffing. In contrast, many players with strong hands will act uninterested and passive. This is not always the case with pro players, as they will mix it up to throw off their opponents. Novice players on the other hand are much more likely to fall into this pattern.

4.People can show signs of anxiety when they are confronted or feel under attack. Under such a condition there physical changes, include flexing of muscles, dry throat, pupil dilation and an increased heart rate. Keep an eye out for someone that drinking more, moving around too much and seeming tense, this could tell that this person in nervous, and it’s up to you to find the exact reason as to why he is nervous.

5.Shaking hands, which are also linked to anxiety can tell you something about the mental status of you opponent. Look at his hands closeley when he looks at his cards, when he moves his chips or just taking a sip from his drink. This could very well be a rather significant sign of his mental status.
6.If a player glances at his chip right after another card has been revealed, it’s usually a sign that he’s planning an attack. This means that should consider your actions if you turn is before his.

7.If your opponents is glancing at his cards right after the flop or when another card is revealed it means that he probably doesn’t remember exactly what he had, but he does remember that it has something to do with the cards on the table. Use this as a sign with conjunction with others to ascertain his status.

8.Look out for betting patterns. As the game progresses you will be able to see if a player has certain betting patterns with strong or weak hands. This is one of the most powerful tools when considering some of the more mental clues a player gives off.

9.Look out for changes in posture or attitude as it can really show that a player has a weak or strong hand. If a player straightens up and looks very interested, it’s a good sign that he has a strong hand, especially if he had a few weak hands right before the round. This can also be considered to be a bluff so look out for the other signs!

10.Pay attention to the way a player stacks his chips. Generally speaking, “loose cannons” will usually have their chips in an unorganized and sloppy form. Most conservative players will have their chips neatly stacked.

Use these signs to your advantage when playing poker. Remember, never rely on any one single clue but use them together to get the big picture, it will help you understand the situation in much clearer way.

One of the most fundamental skills an aspiring poker player must learn is the ability to read into his opponents. With some paying attention, one can learn a lot about the person sitting in front of him.

Even a little twitch or the lifting of an eye-brow can tell you that someone is under stress which could help a poker player call a bluff.

It is imperative that poker players keep learning so that they don’t get left behind. With learning comes experience and experience will usually tip the odds in the player’s favor.

The key to being a successful poker player is to be able to maintain self control. Emotions affect decision making in a bad way and could lead to some awful mistakes. With the correct state of mind there is a far better chance of making the right call.

Successful players will constantly monitor their opponents and absorb every little piece of information that can get. Similarly to a puzzle, these small pieces of information can provide the player with a pretty good idea of who the person sitting in front him is, how he’d react to threats, and most importantly, what he does when he’s under stress.

When a player is bluffing, he will constantly give off little clues that he is bluffing. Things he says that he usually wouldn’t, a change in posture, anything that seems out of place. A successful poker player will learn over time to see the situation for what it is, and not how someone wants it to be seen.

All this is easier said than done, and there is no formal formula that will tell you what every little move or word means, but it’s rather a skill that can acquired over time.

Trust your instincts. The human mind is reading into everything sub-consciously and can be trusted when it says something. Players will quickly learn that over thinking situations will most likely prove useless.

The learning process can be much quicker if the player is actively attempting to learn. If he is paying attention, he will slowly come to understand what different signals point to.