1. In No Limit Online There Are Too Many Crazy Players

When you're first learning poker, it's hard to take the game seriously when you're playing with a pack of philandering yahoos who will go all in at any time, for any reason or none, just to try to knock somebody out or just because they don't have anything to lose and/or are crazy.

Online no limit Texas Hold'em, when played online, especially at some of the more widely trafficked sites like PokerStars.net, is a game that directly contradicts the central fact and reality of Texas Hold'em no limit poker:

You have something to lose.

When you're playing Holdem in a tournament or in a cash game, everyone who is playing is usually at least halfway motivated to not lose all their chips for the sake of an unjustified bluff, just because DonBs44 from Peoria is mad at Jalisco from Gauadalajara.

When you're playing no limit online, the losing player can just go get more free chips! There are way too many illogical and irrational people out there on the Internet to make this situation work well from the perspective of a beginning poker player who wants to learn the game right.

back to top of page

2. In Fixed Limit Online Poker There Are Too Many Hands Played

When first you move on the fixed limit tables, again especially at some of these really mainstream poker sites, the fixed limit tables look like heaven compared to the hellhole of raving no limit stupidity you just emerged from.

Finally, you are not surrounded by donkeys that make Pinnochio's trip to that one island with the jacked-up rollercoasters seem like a walk in the park.

But after a few three hour rounds of fixed limit online poker, you may find yourself hankering for the good old days when poker was fun, at the no limit tables.

You see, many fixed limit online poker rooms are frequented by people who have nothing better to do in life, so they play poker online for fake money but they don't want to play the no limit tables because, well, they don't want to lose all their fake money.

All condescension aside, though, because there are good poker players at all limits and on all websites, the problem with fixed limit online tables are that people play too many hands, so the new beginner poker players gets the wrong idea about what hands to play.

When you're at a fixed limit online fake money table, everyone's usually up for a call to see another card, so you have a lot of multi-way pots that are decided on the river card. Again, it's not that this is necessarily bad, it just can give you bad habits if you want to win real money later.

back to top of page

3. Pot Limit Online Tables Are Kind of Like Goldilocks

When learning poker, you want game conditions that include:

• People take their bets seriously
• People take the game of poker seriously
• Some people at the table are really good

Basically you want a poker game that has some relationship to a real poker game, where people are playing for real money.

If you want that real game feeling but aren't quite ready to risk your own funds, consider playing the pot limit tables online. The quality of play at pot limit online tables can be quite high, even at sites that are so full of fish they should be declared for-profit federal hatcheries.

Pot limit online fake money poker is kind of like Goldilocks: not too big, not too small…just right. People take poker seriously, but aren't afraid to go all in as necessary. Raises are forthcoming but not, usually, haphazard or blatant. In short, you're seeing better poker.

When you're just starting out learning poker, what you see can be what you adopt, so you want to be conscious about what games you choose to participate in.

back to top of page