Read Your Table
Knowing how your poker opponents are playing is a huge part of being a successful poker online player. If you act on your opponents without knowing how they play, you are setting yourself up for failure, because you’re essentially playing online poker in the dark. In addition, every time you play, you give your opponents a chance to observe you and to evaluate your style of play. Unless I’ve got a killer hand, I like to start every tournament by letting the blinds to around once or twice without playing any cards. It’s become my policy to sit out the first few round of betting to get a better look at my opponents. I usually don’t draw out any top ten hole cards through the first few rounds anyway, and it’s easier to pay attention when I’ve made it my objective. Give it a try the next time you play-force yourself to fold the first twenty hands that you get (if you get a huge pocket pair or Big Slick, then you can break the rule), and pay attention as if you were playing. See how your opponents bet, and take note of those players who have a tendency to raise, and which ones seem to fold a lot. When the hand goes to the showdown, see which cards your opponents like to play with. Get to know your opponents and by the time you’re ready to start playing you’ll have a leg up on he other players at the table.