Free Poker Games

It doesn’t matter if you are a free online poker player aiming to win virtual currency or a high stakes roller improving your playing skills will obviously help you win more poker and articles on skills are everywhere. However what is often overlooked is the fact that choosing the right games to play also has a massive impact on your success or lack of it!

For example, there’s an old story about a poker pro who was the sixth best player in the world but never made any money. That was because he chose to only play against the top five best players in the world. The moral of the story is that you make money when you possess a clear edge over your opponents.

Don’t be overconfident

Everyone wants to be the best and play the best. It’s a matter of pride. However, unless your name is Phil Ivey, you probably won’t have an advantage over every opponent in every game. It’s also important to recognize that even the top poker pros will sometimes step down a level and play lesser competition because it’s more profitable.

If you can’t beat players at lower level cash games, you shouldn’t try to play at higher level cash games. You’re going to go broke trying. Start out on free texas holdem games if you need to and work up from there.

This is true with online games as well as live card rooms. A great example I have of picking the right room is a time a few years ago when I found myself in a small resort hotel casino. The players there were pretty loose and passive and as a result with more aggressive play I was able to hammer them with larger bets that they were comfortable with and as a result doubled my money in 2 hours without even winning a pot simply by getting paid off for OK strength hands.

I also remember one time when I played for five hours in a $1/2 no-limit hold’em game at a five-star hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. I barely broke even. The players were tight and aggressive and played back at me when I tried to put a move on them. I knew afterward that I picked the wrong table.

What kind of game to look for

The first thing to keep in mind is your bankroll. If you can’t afford to play $5/10 live or $.50/1 online, then you shouldn’t do it. You should move down to a more affordable level even free texas hold em if necessary.

The next thing you have to be honest with yourself about is your skill. Ask yourself if you have at least a decent chance of wining at this level. If no then you really should drop a level. If you’re new to poker start out on free texas hold em sites and work up. If you’re low on confidence and have had a run of bad beats maybe drop to free poker or right down to micro stakes just to get your confidence up again.

Once you’ve decided the level you can beat, you then need to be choosy about the particular table you want to sit at. Ideally, you want to play at a table where you see players making a lot of fundamental errors like playing too many hands or playing too passively. A loose and passive table is probably the most profitable table. A loose game will allow you to win big pots because players will call you down with weak hands, and a passive game affords you the opportunity to hit your draws cheaply and bully your opposition.

If you can’t find a really passive and loose table (that is quite rare sadly) get into the habit of observing regular games before you join. You should be able to get a good feel for if you’ll be able to do the business there. Remember the point is to win. It’s nice to be a good player but not a good player who gets beaten by better players because you couldn’t resist “a challenge” You’ll feel better to be a good winning player trust me! So start fresh now, get more selective with the games you play, if it’s all new to you start with free texas hold em and work up from there.