A lot of poker players especially newer ones playing online poker free sit down at a table and start playing immediately, which is a plan I describe as similar to launching a military strike having done no recon - Bad idea! The wise player will observe a table for some time before starting to play and aim to learn how to win before they begin. But what should you look for?
Firstly, quickly scan the player names looking for younger and more aggressive names. Some names can give you a good indication of how that player plays.
Next check out the money balances each player has. If you see wide variations it could mean there are large differences in experience, luck or time at the table involved but generally it is a very good skill level indicator. For example, as experienced players won't go all in every time they have pocket aces they will tend to maintain higher balances.
The more experienced players will look to have a reasonably strong hand before betting, and over time the sizes of their bets will reflect how good their hand is. They bet progressively, and protect their money as much as possible - never risking a lot, especially for a little gain.
So try to figure out how many experienced players are at the table so that you can gauge how competitive the table is likely to be. Also, if there are lots of inexperienced players the pots can vary greatly, as these folks have a tendency to bet bigger and go all-in more. Watch a minimum of 5 or 6 hands to see if the lay reflects the difference in balances.
After checking names and balances, begin watching the play. Do many players ante up to see the flop or do they fold outright? Do some players often try to build a pot preflop? Unless you have a large bankroll it is best to avoid these games as they are often costly and can weed out those with smaller bankrolls.
Who is regularly betting, and how aggressively? And most importantly, when cards are shown try to keep track of who had a legitimate chance to win the pot and who should have folded. You will be surprised at how often some players hang in with little or no chance. And particularly on small pot games, you aren't likely to bluff anyone.
The flow of the game is very important, and you need to understand it as much as possible before jumping in. This will save you many chips.
To learn how to play poker free and practice observing it's a good idea to play poker online free to try and figure things out before risking real cash.
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