One of the most often overlooked aspects of playing online poker is also its most fundamental one: profit.

The aim of the 99.9% of online poker players is to make money out of their hand; yet, a great deal of the time players seemingly let their pride get in the way of payoffs.

As you may expect, this is most readily witnessed at the smaller stakes tables; however, it’s a trend that doesn’t drop off as quickly as one might imagine the higher the stakes get – it seems players of all levels and pocket sizes can get bogged down in petty rivalries and ‘one-upmanship’ .

The typical scenario (as seen at low stakes tables) plays out something like this:

A player spends 70-90% of their time (depending on how lucky they are getting) folding non-playable hands; finally, a semi-decent hand comes along (let’s say J10 suited), only for one of the players at the table to go all-in pre-flop, robbing the player of their patiently waited-out chance at a decent hand.

The smart thing to do in this scenario is realise that the player who is willing to go all-in so recklessly has lucked into a good call and will probably lose the majority of their chips within the next 10 hands; however, far too often players take this kind of loss personally and become engaged in a ‘tit for tat’ battle to see who will fold over all-ins the most.

Needless to say, this kind of behavior will not see a player stay at the table for very long; it is always better to aim for profit over pride in the world of poker…

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Every now and then (or every single day – depending on who you are) a person will hear some news that makes them think: ‘How was I not aware of that?!’

Recently, this has been the reaction provoked by the news that Northern Ireland is currently striving to get online poker legalised upon its shores. That’s right. Not the United States, but Northern Ireland…

Shocking as it may seem, poker is still very much illegal in the Northernmost part of the Emerald Isle. It has been a recurring feature over the last few years, which has been highlighted by the case of the Cavendish Club in 2006 – a private poker club that was raided and deemed to be illegal.

Poker isn't quite so big in all parts of Ireland...

Funnily enough, the reason that poker is illegal in Northern Ireland is due to the fact that magistrates deemed it not to be a game of skill; despite this, several other gambling outlets (which are certainly much less skillful) such as the sports betting, bingo and horse racing are not subject to such prejudice.

However, there is currently a movement to change the draconian laws that single out poker in Northern Ireland:

The online petition is available to sign at GoPetition.com/Petitions/Legalise-Poker-In-N-Ireland.html and the requested change in definition would see poker legalised under the governing Betting, Gaming And Lotteries Act.

Finally, it seems Irish poker players have a means to make up their own minds as to whether or not poker is acceptable for them.

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If there is one criticism that skilled poker players often have of less skilled rivals, it is that they are far too predictable. Although poker is certainly a game of calculated odds and risk, there is also an element of skill and nuance to it; this means that a player can simply not afford to make themselves ‘that player’ who is always calling, folding or seeing – that is not to say that players should aim to do the exact reverse of what would typically be considered the smartest move in a particular situation; however, it is imperative that actions do not become too ‘robotic’ and stagnant during a game.

Luckily, this criticism of repetitive playing styles only truly stands up at higher stakes games with skilled players; in low stakes games with novice players, the best thing that a player can do it play a solid game based on pot/hand odds. After all, there is no point trying to bluff a player who has no idea what is happening in the first place…

Following predictable playing patterns only works at low level games...

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There are plenty of strategies people use to play online poker; however, one of the most helpful utilises the unusual method of relating players to different animals…

The ‘Poker Animals’ strategy attributes each player at the table to a different type of poker animal, each with their own characteristics and tendencies. In theory, once a player is aware of what kind of ‘animal’ their opposition is, they should know exactly what is needed to deal with them. Below are the different species of ‘poker animal’:

Lion - is rarely seen at low limit games. Has strong starting hand requirements. Will raise when they are head, but are quick to fold when behind. A strong player who makes their living by picking off the other animals.

Lions make great poker players...

Elephant - commonly sighted at low limits tables (also referred to as a ‘calling station’ by some players). Has loose starting hand requirements and is quick to throw money into the pot. Tends to play hands that aren’t likely to win and prefers calling to raising.

Jackal - common at low stakes tables. Plays a great deal of hands with reckless abandon. A jackal’s chip stack will rise and fall many times throughout the game. Jackals have a high chance of being caught bluffing.

Mouse - very timid players with super strict starting hand requirements. Bets but rarely raises or re-raises. Plays a sound game tactically but falls down by being far too predictable to the other players.

Having played online poker, these poker animals should be fairly recognisable to the majority of players.

Which poker animal are you?

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With the decline of Full Tilt Poker (which was formerly the Internet’s second largest online poker operation), there has been plenty of speculation about where the future of online poker is heading, with some interesting theories arising about what this future will look like…

One such theory is centered around ‘live poker’. The premise behind live poker is much the same as that which is currently in operation at ‘live casinos’ (which can be found at virtually all of the leading online casino providers) and , in a nutshell, it pits players against one another via webcam – this allows players to see their opponents and brings a whole new level to online poker, by allowing people to genuinely look out for the ‘tells’ of others, adding more realism than ever before.

What does the future of online poker have in store?

In contrast to this theory, there are those who believe that the future of online poker is already here and has been for some time (well, since 2006 at least) in the form of PKR. This innovative online poker room allows its players to create virtual avatars which take their place at the virtual felt – this brings a quirky, odd dynamic to the traditional game which has steadily been winning more and more fans from around the globe.

While these options seem like the current diretion of online poker, there are plenty more tangents that it could yet shoot off into…

What can you foresee in the future of online poker?

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During the course of a long game of poker, there is nothing more pleasing on the eyes than a pocket pair of aces…

Many see this most elusive of hands pre-flop and believe that it is their ‘golden ticket’ to a winning hand (after all, there is a less than 0.5% chance of drawing pocket aces) – this is an attitude that can be perilous, as nothing is guaranteed in poker.

Pocket aces don't guarantee a great hand...

It is surprising to observe how this rare hand is played at low stakes poker tables; in fact, things rarely undergo much of an improvement at the mid to higher stakes tables. The sad fact is that not a great deal of players know how to make the best of a pocket pair of aces.

Although winning a hand in poker is great, it is not the main objective of the game – the main objective is make your hand as profitable as possible. This is where the true strength of pocket aces shines through. It is important to make sure there are chips going into the pot, as pocket aces allow a player to ‘take the pot down’ at a moment of their choosing.

Although pocket aces are  great hand, there are plenty better and if a flop comes out unfavourably (i.e. with a high chance of a flush, straight, three of a kind, etc) pocket aces afford a player the luxury of pushing the pot up so a potentially better hand will never be played.

In order to became a better poker player, it is important not to rest on your laurels (or the laurels of your hand) and always play smart.

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One of the biggest mistakes that amateur poker players make is, perhaps, one of the most simple concepts to grasp. It’s not to do with betting strategy. It’s not to do with bluffing. It’s not to do with reading tells.

It’s patience.

Everyone knows that ‘patience is a virtue’, but no more so than in the game of poker.

When breaking down poker to its very essence, a player must remember that they are betting against other players on the perceived strength of the cards they are holding.

“Well duh!” I hear you shout, “that is obvious”.

True, it’s obvious – but it is also far too easily forgotten by many players.

One of the most fundamental mistakes that amateur poker players will make stems directly from a lack of patience; this mistake is playing far too many hands. You are not alone in the game of poker when you are dealt poor hands; when you look at the ratio of good cards to bad cards, it is common sense that you are going to get dealt a weak hand a great deal more often than you are going to get dealt a strong hand…

This means that you should have a very strict ‘starting hand’ criteria; a fundamental aspect of having a strong game is having a very strong idea of which cards you will choose to play – this will allow you to form a betting strategy which is proportionally based on those cards.

Did you know that the vast majority of professional poker players only play around 20-25% of the hands which they are dealt?

That’s because they have patience..

If you want to improve your game – stay cool… be patient.

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It is both shocking and surprising to find out exactly how many people who play online poker have no idea who regulates their poker provider; worst still, a good deal of online poker players have no idea whether or not their poker provider is regulated at all!

‘So, what’s the big deal?’ you may ask.

Well, the ‘big deal’ is ensuring that you, the customer, gets the best deal…

Regulation of poker operators is massively important; it is your way of knowing that the company to which you are entrusting your money does all that they can to ensure it is treated both fairly and legally.

All major online poker operators should be accredited and regulated; for example, Sky Poker are regulated by the Alderney Gambling Control Commission (AGCC) – the AGCC grant gaming licenses only to those online poker operators who prove that they are capable of providing the necessary standards of security, useability and transparency which a customer is entitled to.

Players should also aim to play at eCOGRA endorsed online poker operators; this independent regulatory body is yet another ‘stamp of approval’, which should help to give players peace of mind that the service they are getting is of the highest quality possible.

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PKR is a downloadable program that allows you to not only play poker, but an array of other games and mini games, whilst utilising a slick graphical game and interface.

The aim of PKR is to advance the graphics and environment of online poker, and it does achieve this. Players are able to create their own online avatar, sit at a table and react in real-time via emotions such as clapping, laughing or cheering. It certainly adds a new layer to online poker, which until now has been a very informal affair.

Poker isn’t all on offer though, blackjack, Caribbean poker, roulette are just a few of the other games. Most types of casino game are available to play, all of which allow real money use so if poker isn’t taking your fancy just hop on to your favoured game, or experience a new play. There are options to free to play as well if you are simply there for the entertainment or wishing to learn.
The site is very secure and has a great customer service, you can either contact them via email, or a live chat which is available all house of the day.

PKR is an exceptionally fast growing poker gambling software that is finding many players around the world due to its look and playability. It also offers neat bonuses for new deposits and has great tournaments on offer all of the day.

If you are looking for a new software, or are tired of the generic flat birds eye view of other poker games then PKR is definitely worth a download, it’s quick and simple to make an account and is certainly worth your time with tables for every kind of player.

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