Veteran Tips to Playing Real Money Poker Online

You will find plenty of so-called online poker guides out there that offer the most basic of tips and strategies. You know the ones. I can’t even guess how many times I’ve read this; “Don’t spend the mortgage payment on a tournament buy-in”. Pardon the expression, but… duh! That is common knowledge.

At RealMoneyPoker.org we strive to deliver exceptional knowledge that will further edify serious poker players. With that said, the following is a concise list of three veteran class tips for playing real money poker online.

Don’t Play to Break Even
The first thing a serious poker player should realize is that breaking even is not winning. If you play to break even, you’re not a real poker player. It becomes a hobby. You might as well be playing free poker games on Facebook. Simply put, don’t play to break even.

If you are playing real money poker to the best of your ability and still find yourself averaging a break even outcome, something has to give. Most likely, your strategy is not really working for you. Maybe you are being too aggressive, or even too passive. It could be you are playing at a slightly higher level than you should be.

Try changing things up. Don’t be afraid to drop down a level or two. Maybe you’re not making as much of a profit as you’d like at lower limit real money poker tables, but if you’re making a regular profit at all, you are still better off than you were breaking even.

Never Underestimate Your Opponents
The next rule a serious poker player should always abide by when playing real money poker online is to never underestimate your opponents. When you can’t look a person in the eye, you cannot judge their capabilities, no matter how they are playing for the first few hands. If you are not accustomed to playing against a particular person, do not assume you know their player type within a few minutes of watching them. Online poker players can be highly deceptive.

There are some players we like to call “maniacs”. These players will change up their outward behaviorisms so often that you can never read them. If they appear to be playing loose/passive for the first few hands, a player who assumes they can take them may find their entire bankroll wiped out in short order. Take your time to learn the ways of your opponents until you can grasp an encompassing insight on each player. Like any other pro sport, without a defense, you have no offense.

Freerolls are Poker Tournaments Too
Last but not least, too many experienced poker players underrate the value of a freeroll poker tournament. Just because it doesn’t cost money to enter does not mean it is not a real money poker tournament. They may not afford the same level of opportunity as a traditional MTT or SNG tourney, but when times are tough, they can be your savior.

When a serious poker player is going through a rough patch, as we all do in this game, taking a hiatus from the virtual felt is not always the right answer. Dropping additional cash into your bankroll is generally a bad idea too. A good poker player will only allot so much money in a given period of time for real money poker play, perhaps $500 a month or so.

If those funds run dry, don’t deposit more and don’t quit playing. Simply spend your time competing in freeroll poker tournaments in an attempt to rebuild your bankroll from scratch. You can continue to hone your skills and maybe fight your way back into the profit margins without risking any coinage.