To consistently win at poker you must not make many mistakes, and exploit your opponents mistakes and weaknesses. I know that No Limit Hold'em is the most popular form of poker, but if you want to play cash games (ring games) online I would suggest playing limit hold'em. Many people make mistakes at limit poker and it can be really profitable for you to take advantage of those mistakes. This isn't to say that you are going to win money every session or even go on an extended losing streak but you should be a long term winner. Limit poker will also limit your downside if your opponent hits a weak draw to beat you. In No Limit games you can get all your money in on a hand you have a high percentage of winning, but there are times that your opponent will hit a miracle card and really damage your bankroll.

Here is a list of rules to play poker profitably

• Learn the math behind poker - Learn about odds and probabilities and how to use them in poker. This will give you an advantage and make profitable decisions. Read about Odds and Probabilities and look at the Odds Chart

• Learn about table position - Learn about early, middle, and late positions at the poker table. You should play very few hands from early position and more hands from late position because you are more apt to bet last in late position

• Don't play a lot of hands - You should roughly be playing 20%-25% of your hands depending on the type of table you are playing. Check out the starting hands guide

• Find a loose table with weak players - Find a table with a high percentage of players seeing the flop and staying in hands on draws

• Find calling stations - Find people who will keep calling all the way to the river to a showdown. These are players that make many mistakes

• Stop playing if the table dynamics change - It's easy to change tables or stop playing online. If the table dynamics change (different players, less/more players) to something you are not comfortable playing then stop playing or find a new table

By following these simple guidelines your poker game should be much more profitable than before. With the explosion of poker today, finding a good table is very important to winning more money. I have more in depth information on my website at http://www.overpairpoker.com.

This article was posted on March 26, 2005