The online poker World
By Jennifer Schwechten
Playing poker is not too unlike a battle of Survival of the Fittest in the natural world.
In other words, a player’s success in Texas Holdem is highly dependent on the environment in which he is playing (the poker website) and the strength of his neighbors in the wild (his opponents).
Invariably, a hierarchy emerges in poker that ranks players based on their
Those players on top of the hierarchy are in a better position to prey upon lower level players, those weaker or more inexperienced in poker, by dominating the game play and, thus, the prize winnings.
The ability to win money as a poker player is not solely dependent on skill alone.
After all, with such a huge population of poker players, it’s inevitable that even the most talented players will find someone out there who is more successful than they are in Texas Holdem.
Those individuals who consistently find themselves betting against stronger players are likely to lose in the long run, even if they get lucky and win a few hands here and there.
Therefore it follows that selecting your opponents, as best you can, should be an important factor in your game strategy.
This is where an understanding of poker ecosystems comes into play.
Poker ecosystems consist of the online Texas Holdem community in its entirety, meaning all of the poker tables at all of the major poker internet sites.
Every player will have his own unique place within the ecosystem based on his poker hierarchy.
The key to be a winning player is to position yourself within the ecosystem so that you can make the best use of your game play talents.
Players who can align themselves at tables with weaker opponents, so that they are the strongest individual at the table, have much higher likelihood of winning.
Determining exactly where you fall into the hierarchy, though, can be a major challenge and requires a close scrutiny of the environment and the other players in the game.
A review of internet poker sites clearly reveals that some sites attract the highly experienced players, while others consist mainly of beginners and those individuals with weaker poker skills.
Since the internet is not restricted by any geographic boundaries or barriers, players are free to play at any site they desire.
New and lower level players, though, are setting themselves up to be mauled by stronger predatory players who seeking out the weak if they select an inappropriate site and wind up playing with individuals whose game play skills far exceed their own.
Instead, newer players would do best to fix their sights on those sites that draw in a more inexperienced crowd, sticking with their goal to be the strongest player at their chosen table.
This may seem to be an effort in futility at first, since online players can easily and quickly switch from one game site to another.
But the reality is that most Texas Holdem players are very loyal to their favorite poker sites, resulting in much less crossover from site to site than would be expected. This serves to protect players to some extent from the more experienced, poker “sharks” preying on the weak.
So what types of things should a Texas Holdem player look for in an internet poker site or poker table where trying to determine where to play?
Site Partners:
Any website affiliated with an online or brick-and-mortar casino is likely pull gamblers from the casino, resulting in a large influx of casual online players. The same is true of poker sites that are sponsored by large corporations or media groups, such as Yahoo. The effect of this will be more crowded tables, but since most of these players visiting the site to “try out” the game, the level of competition will be lower than that at some of the more competitive sites.
Marketing and Promotion:
Websites that engage in extensive marketing and promotional campaigns are also likely to draw in a large crowd of more inexperienced, casual gamers. Individual poker tables may be more crowded, but the competition will primarily be from players near the lower levels of the poker hierarchy.
Player Limitations:
Some sites have specific player rules and limits in place to restrict activities that favor more predatory players.
For example, several major poker sites limit players to playing on a single table at a time. This serves to protect weaker, novice players since many more experienced players attempt to maximize their winnings by playing multiple tables. Other sites, such as Empire Poker, offer Beginners Only tables that are restricted to players who have just registered with the site.
Betting Limits
It makes sense that more players are willing to play at tables with lower betting limits (less than $15, for example) than those with higher limits ($15-20+). Similarly, more inexperienced players are going to stick to tables with lower limits to minimize their losses while they learn the ins and outs of the game. High limit tables are most frequently populated by more experienced Texas Holdem players who have already met with success on low limit tables.
A thorough understanding of the poker ecosystem is vital for proper game selection. Players who are new to internet poker and those who are quickly moving up the poker hierarchy will benefit from spending a little time checking out the various sites to determine which ones are the best match for your skill level.
Next: Review
of online poker sites consistent
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