Poker Strategy
Knowing Your Opponents Online
When signing up to a Web site, a poker player needs to state his place of residence (City, State) and his screen name,
which will usually be different than his real life name.
(Most sites don't really monitor these details,
as can be seen by funny and weird names people write under city and state: "doghouse", "mother earth", etc...)
These are the only "facts" you will know about your opponents.
It's important to choose them carefully, because some sites make it hard to change details once you've signed in.
Some players like to add to their screen name or "handle" (nickname) something else, that will reflect who they are:
a cartoon character, a picture, an icon, a color and the likes.
This portrays a certain image - which is sometimes deliberately misleading.
If a sharp poker player calls himself "Auntie Wilma", accompanied by a picture of a sweet old lady - this is not a mere joke.
It's a way of getting people's shields down.
But apart from this, you will get to know your opponents by the way they play. Every person has a certain style,
and so does every poker player.
Though when playing Online you don't see a player's face and body gestures,
you can still learn a lot from the way that he or she play the game.
One player may be very careful and cautious,
staying in a hand only when he has strong cards.
Another player is in it for the thrill, loves to take big risks and tries to bluff a lot.
Noticing a player's style will make it easier for you to win your opponents.
The fact that you don't see your fellow poker players sometimes proves to be an advantage:
you won't be confused by their body language.
For instance, it can be very confusing when a player makes a big raise but has a very concerned facial expression.
In such an occasion, how can one know whether his opponent has a strong hand or not?
In Online poker, on the other hand,
it is all about how the players choose to play their hand.
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Online Poker