By
Tom Howze
Online poker tournaments are skyrocketing
in popularity due to reasons ranging from low buyins into major tournaments
for a fraction of their usual cost to those who do not live within driving
distance of a land based poker room. (And of course another factor is the
money that can be won.) The Internet has changed where and when one can
play. This revolution in how the game is played has resulted in millions
of dollars being placed into online poker tournaments and satellite poker
tournaments, with more opportunities on the Net coming up each week.
Poker as a "sport" is widely enjoyed
by millions around the world due to the necessary level of quick thinking,
skill and challenge of the game. For those who don't understand, what makes
it a game of skill is this, the element of luck is in the draw of the cards,
but the skill is in how those cards are played. Too many times on televised
tournaments you can see extremely bad hands winning because of how the
hands were handled in a case-by-case situation by the player. Anyone can
get lucky for a good run or even enough to win a tournament, but over time
the skill level of a player will reflect their number of victories and
the amount of winnings taken home.
What fundamentals does a poker player
need to know before playing tournaments over the Internet? Here are some
tips:
Make sure you are ready. Practice
in regular play over the Internet as much as possible. This is what lets
you gain years of playing experience in a matter of months. Many young
players in their 20's are doing well against top players and this is one
of the big ways of how they get their knowledge so fast.
Take the time to invest in learning
strategies, techniques and how to read players. Purchasing a few books
written by experienced top players is a better investment than playing
at a table without an idea of what is going on. Combining the two will
enable you to play a solid game and wait for others to make mistakes and
bust out. And know how to adjust your playing strategy when the blinds
increase.
Surrender in order to survive. It
does not make sense to play marginal hands in a tournament if you don't
have to. Unless you know you have a winning hand, it may be wiser to fold.
The chips you save may help you to win a larger amount when you get a superior
hand. For the first few rounds in a tournament, you are trying to survive
while others are being eliminated.
Take the time to understand when
a player is "pot committed". When a player is pot committed, they have
so much invested that it makes it hard to back away from folding or putting
more chips in. Knowing to watch for this will enable you to put on more
pressure when you know you have a superior hand. It should also help you
know when to abandon a hand so that you do not place yourself in a situation
when it becomes hard to back away.
Finally, keep a written record to
track your play and earnings. It will help you to focus in order to become
a better player. This lets you stay on track and forces you to ask yourself
if you are playing the best game you can play.
Tom Howze is a webmaster for 7 sites
that relate to online gambling, World Series of Poker and World Poker Tour
events and updates. For more information, please visit 2005
World Series of Poker . He can be reached at webmaster@justgambleforfree.com
for questions.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com
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