Learning to play poker online can be very different than playing poker in person in a brick and mortar casino. You are not able to see visual cues and habits of your fellow players, and you’re not able to make eye contact or judge someone’s facial expressions. All you can do is observe what is available for you to see online, which is quite limited. It is always a good idea to sit out and watch an online poker game for a little while to see how people play. Even though you are observing an avatar, you are still learning its habits and play strategies. You will quickly be able to tell who the sharks are and who the fish are after observing just a few hands. Actually, it’s crazy to enter any online Poker room without watching a few hands. You will quickly find out which players are tight, which are loose and which play like lunatics. Some players online might seem as if they have an unlimited bankroll. Be careful; these players tend to call down every hand you play until the end, costing you a lot of money quickly. If the table appears too aggressive, it would behoove you to find another table that is more at your playing level.
Be aware of the auto check and auto fold buttons with online poker, they can give away a lot of information. Players who use auto check buttons are often bored players who play a lot of hands. The more hands a player plays, the better the odds of playing crummy cards. Watch what happens during the river; you may get a better idea of the actual cards being played. You can easily tell when people are using the auto check and auto fold buttons because the play will be made very quickly, unlike someone who checks or folds manually. You will not see any delay, just a quick game play. I don’t recommend that you use the automatic buttons when you play; it is obvious and can cause you to become lazy or sloppy in your game play. Always think about your strategy before you make your move to ensure that you are playing at your very best. You don’t want to allow the computer to think for you, nor do you want other players to realize that you’re using the automatic feature. Keep alert, and always keep on top of your game playing decisions.