10 Top Tips for Online Poker Players in New Zealand

If you are an online poker player located in New Zealand, you want to be sure you do all you can to see the best results possible when you are sat at the felt. And we’ve got you covered with some great tips that will help you to maximize your wins at the online tables.

Playing poker in a regular casino can be a challenge. One player wants to have a chat, another smells like they haven't washed in a week, while another enjoys rubbing every pot victory in everyone's face.

Casinos are busy places and see a wide range of character types cycling through their poker tables. So you learn to adapt to it. Still, it's hard to bring your A-game with so many distractions.

With online poker things are different. You choose the environment you play in. that could be at home on the couch, or on a park bench under a favourite tree. What's important is that Internet poker gives you the freedom to make that choice.

1. CHOOSING GOOD POKER SITES TO PLAY AT

New Zealand poker players have plenty of options available when it comes to choosing poker rooms. But not all are built the same. Look into the software, the traffic, any bonuses and promotions it offers, the available games, the tournaments, the banking options, and the reliability of the customer support. You also want to make sure there are plenty of opponents at New Zealand peak hours – and that those opponents are not too tough to beat. Finding a comfortable site can involve a lot of work, but we have rated and reviewed many across a range of criteria to help you find one you are comfortable with.

2.LEARN TO MULTI-TABLE

Playing online poker on one table is fine. But if you want to maximize your wins, you should be learning to play on multiple tables at the same time. Don’t try to rush this. Build up the number of tables you play at slowly, getting comfortable with say four, before you move on to eight. Do bear in mind that if you play fast games, like Turbos, it can get harder to multi-table. You should also have a clear strategy for what hands you will and won’t play in each position to cut down on decision time.

3. LEARN POT ODDS

Poker is a game of decisions. Learning pot odds will help you make profitable ones. The math might seem complicated at first glance, but is surprisingly simple – and there are plenty of short cuts to use. It is well worth investing the time to learn this skill as it will save you a great deal of money as you stop chasing pots that will rarely pay you off.

4. BECOME THE MASTER OF TILT

Tilt happens when you let your emotions get the better of you. You may become frustrated while playing, especially after a bad beat, and this can cause you to make bad decisions. Poker is a game that requires self-control and making good decisions. Bad decisions are what cost you the most money. Figure out what gets under your skin, and then find ways to stop it interfering with your play – even if it means getting up from the table.

5. STAY WITHIN YOUR BANKROLL LEVEL

Okay, where do we begin? Online poker saves you time, energy, and money. Instead of getting dressed, pumping your car with gas, driving all the way to a casino, plunking down cash on food and booze, and then driving all the way back home, you can just grab your laptop, plop down on the couch, and start playing poker in a matter of minutes.

6. STUDY YOUR PLAY

Many poker players suffer painful losses because they do not stay within their bankroll. Poker is a game about long term wins – not short term gains. If you do have a series of wins, it can be tempting to play at higher stake levels. The logic is that you can win even more money. However, understand that you can lose a lot more too, and often you will be entering games with better players. Make sure you have a big cushion to land on before you risk your bankroll by levelling up.

7. UNDERSTAND POSITION

One of the terms you will hear the most in the game of poker is “position”. In poker, position refers to where one player is sitting in reference to the others. Mostly, it is used to explain where a player is sitting relative to the dealer. Some hands are stronger in certain positions. Know what those positions are and how to use them to win more pots.

8. MORE ABOUT YOUR OPPONENT THAN YOUR CARDS

Many new poker players put a lot of emphasis on their cards. However, poker is a game of people. Watch your opponents and look for patterns in their play. Many players will play the same hand in the same way from the same position. Some players might be auto-folding and are not paying attention to the game. Figuring out these little details can give you a big edge.

9. GET LOTS OF EXPERIENCE

Online poker is much, much faster than live play. You can see over 100 hands an hour at an online table, while live you might see 20. Add in the fact that you can play 10 or 12 tables online simultaneously and you can rack up a year’s experience in just a few weeks. That also means that online opponents are generally going to have more experience than regular players. Adjust your game to match that.

10. LOOK AT THE LONG TERM

When you start playing poker you want to look at the long term. Don’t be in a rush to win every tournament or table you sit down at. Mastery comes slowly. Take your time, focus on keeping your losses low, don’t jump in to high stakes games too quickly, and master tilt. You should then see your winnings pile increase steadily. Go too fast, and you’ll be on the express train to Brokesville.