Emerging Victorious in the Contested Field of Online Poker

Poker has once been the game of dim-lit parlors, speakeasys and perhaps the occasional Las Vegas den of mafiosi. These days are now long gone and poker is a favored pastime legalized in many states across the country, and one of the most prominent competitive games set in the gambling vertical. 

Even then, it’s important to understand that poker is no game of chance. There are players who have won consistently in the hundreds of thousands and even millions of dollars. To get there yourself, you would need to garner a deeper understanding of the game and probably spend some time traveling around to participate in land-based events and tournaments.

Conversely, you may choose to go another way – that of online poker tournaments. Becoming a success in online poker is not always as easy as it sounds, but it’s definitely a great way to get yourself started, or even thrive in poker. After all, you are familiar with Chris Moneymaker’s story of turning less than a $100 into more than $2 million? 

Understanding the Psyche of Online Players

Poker is touted for the fact that it’s a mental game in which players will be at each other’s throats. There will be the faints and the hidden tells, the giveaways and the nervous gestures, and the rivalry. There is tension and suspense. Well, this is perhaps also true in online poker, but much of these psychological factors are more or less out of the picture.

You cannot tell what the other person is thinking based on their HUD. But then again, poker online for real money is a world of its own and emerging victorious from it is the ambition of many players out there. This is why the first thing to consider is the fact that online poker is somewhat vastly different from the in-person version. At least so far as “reading people” is concerned. 

The rest remains pretty much unchanged. You still have to know how odds work, what cards are more likely to come, and how your own hand stacks up against that of your opponent. Poker is a game of ever-changing dynamic that will require you to be involved, vigilant, and ever-improving. 

Luck Matters, But Not about Being the Best Player

Luck is definitely an important factor if you are an amateur plan, but an amateur player can definitely still discover how winning at an online poker even can have a transformative effect. Alex O’Brien, an amateur player herself, managed to win $10,000 playing in an online tournament, showing intuition and prescience that are becoming of a more advanced player.

O’Brien was really not that much into poker, but she loved the game when she won the event. Her win was something that came because of her hobby-like interest in the game, not of a deeper understanding of the game. Still, O’Brien is a science writer and this means that she has a very strong grasp of the game and its dynamics innately. 

Even then, though, she would not be able to go very far – only she just might right now as a professional team of poker players has decided to train her. Did they think that she is “lucky enough” to be a successful player? This is hardly the case. Rather, O’Brien demonstrated understanding about the game. All top players agree that skill is all there is and luck is occasional mishap. O’Brien triumphed over 1,666 players to get to the top – she didn’t defeat any of them through sheer luck alone.

Learning about the Game, Learning about Yourself

Poker can be a stressful game. Let’s face it – there is money on the line and they are coming out of your pocket. Online poker, however, has made it very easy to play with much smaller amounts. There are tournaments and events that would literally only cost you a dollar to enter and get started.

Those are the events that make the most sense to enter as well, as they allow you to rely on your skill alone. Online poker and tournaments, though, are an opportunity to learn not just about the competitive nature of poker as such. This is your chance to learn about yourself. 

Random outbursts of anger are detrimental to your long-term success as a poker player. Players who wish to succeed need approach the game with an understanding and reflection, just like the ones advertised in books such as Super/System written by the late Doyle Brunson. 

For those of you who wish to truly master the game, the best way to do this is to focus on analyzing why you lose as opposed to why the other player won and that made you angry. Success in poker is just as much about learning about yourself as it is about learning and improving in the game itself.

Beating the Online Poker Pros – Become One? 

Emerging victorious from online poker events is not as difficult as it may sound, but it’s a process that definitely requires you to be aware of what to expect. Poker is a game of skill, deeper understanding of probability and let’s face it – some degree of intuition. You will develop that innate skill but the best way to master the game of poker is to constantly improve and try and understand why you lose a game – or even win a game. Is it just luck? Did you do something to contribute to your win?

There are many factors at play here. It’s possible to play online poker tournaments and post continuous success but to get there, you will definitely need to show a level of commitment and dedication that is becoming only of the best in a given industry or even sport. Forget chance and luck – poker is a game of a deep skill and an ability that rivals that of geniuses.