Online poker looks simple at first. You learn hand ranks, you press bet, call, or fold. But winning against decent players takes more. Fortunately, I started adding small advanced moves to my game – read on to pick them up.
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Key Techniques to Level Up in Poker
Now, here are some of the tricks real card game pros use daily. Don’t let them scare you away – you can master those, too!
Practice Hand Reading
When I first heard about hand reading, I thought it meant guessing the exact two cards. That’s wrong. To read hands smartly:
- Start with what hands they could have pre-flop. A raise from the early position usually means strong stuff like high pairs or big aces.
- Narrow it down after the flop. If the board is low and they still bet big, they might hold an overpair. If they check, maybe they missed.
- Keep adjusting through the turn and river.
Example: I had pocket tens. Opponent raised under the gun. Flop came 7-2-2. He bet heavily. Instead of thinking “he has aces,” I told myself “his range is QQ, KK, AA, maybe AK.” My tens didn’t look good against that range, so I folded. Saved myself a big loss.
Use Position as a Weapon
Position is everything online. If you act last, you see what everyone does before you decide. That’s power. Here’s how I use it:
- From the late position (button or cutoff), I play wider hands. Even suited junk like 7-5 can turn into a winner because I control the action.
- I steal blinds when others look weak. If it folds to me on the button, I raise most hands. Works way more often than you think.
- I keep pots small with marginal hands. If I’m behind, I check more. If I’m ahead, I build the pot.
One night I kept hammering the blinds from the button. After a while, the small blind tilted and shoved all-in with Q-8 offsuit. I called with pocket jacks and doubled up. That’s position pressure in action.
Balance Your Play
If you only ever play strong hands, good players will fold against you. If you only bluff, they’ll trap you.
To balance things out, I mix my plays. Sometimes I bet hard with the top pair. Other times, I check it and let them fire. I also bluff in spots where I’d normally value bet. That way, opponents never feel sure.
I once shoved on a scary board with nothing but ace-high. A week before, I had shoved in the same spot, holding the nuts. Opponents remembered that. They folded, giving me the pot.
Advanced Bluffing Techniques
These are three bluffs I use:
- Semi-bluff: I bet with a draw. For example, holding 9-8 on a board of 7-10-2. If they fold, great. If they call, I can still hit a straight.
- Float play: I call a weak flop bet with air, planning to steal later. Works well if they always give up on the turn.
- Over-bet bluff: When a scary card hits, I bomb the pot. Like when the third heart drops and I don’t have one. Opponents fear the flush.
One time I semi-bluffed with a flush draw. Guy folded a better hand, I found out later in chat. Even if he had called, I had outs. That’s why semi-bluffing feels so safe to me.
Reading Bet Sizes
Bet size tells a story, so I look for patterns:
- Tiny bets often mean weakness or just a blocker bet.
- Big over-bets usually mean nuts or pure bluff.
- Medium, consistent bets lean toward value hands.
I once saw a guy min-bet into a huge pot on the river. That’s almost always weak. I raised big, and he snap-folded.
Table Selection and Seat Choice
You can’t win much at a table full of sharks. So I pick my spots.
Signs of a soft table:
- Lots of limping instead of raising.
- Players are buying in for minimum stacks.
- The chat box is full of jokes and tilty comments.
I also try to sit with weak players on my right. That way, I act after them and can exploit their moves. If a strong reg sits directly to my left, I usually leave.
Using Software and HUDs
HUDs (heads-up displays) look scary at first, but they’re simple if you focus on a few numbers:
- VPIP (Voluntarily Put $ in Pot): Tells how loose or tight they are. Under 15% = rock. Over 40% = fish.
- PFR (Pre-Flop Raise): Shows aggression. A gap between VPIP and PFR means they limp a lot.
- Aggression Factor: High = bluffy. Low = passive.
For example, if someone has VPIP 10% and suddenly 3-bets, I know they’re strong. I don’t mess around there. HUDs cut the guessing down.
Conclusion: Turning Moves Into Wins
Online poker rewards those who apply the sharpest moves. Once I learned to think in ranges, use position, and read bet sizes, my win rate changed.
But don’t try to use all these tricks at once. Pick one, practice it until it feels natural, then add the next. That’s how pros build their edge – brick by brick.
