* Playing Home Games vs. Playing Online

Most people meet up at a friendís house to play poker for fun. The ante would be a fixed amount of chips, and an example of the betting spread would a minimum of five chips to a maximum of twenty chips per round.

Playing casual games like these are simple: bet then call or bet, raise, then call. What does anyone really care? These home games are simply for bragging rights. Even though the person with the hottest cards wins at the showdown, it doesnít necessarily mean that person played his/her hands well at all.

There are three ways that make playing online different from the casual home game: the ante structure, the betting structures, and the skill levels.

* Ante Structure
----------------
First of all, this is a trick paragraph. There is no ante unless you are playing 7-card stud. The betting is made according to blinds or forced bets where the person to the left of the dealer button must pay the small blind and the subsequent person must pay the big blind. The button, the small blind, and the big blind rotate from person to person at the table.

This ensures that everyone pays a little something to participate in the game. Otherwise any wuss could fold throughout the entire game and not lose a penny. All other players are not forced to bet to receive cards after the flop, but they must match the big blind or any raise to stay in the game and to see the flop.

* Betting Structures
--------------------
What separates the maximum amount a player could bet per round in an online game is called big bet poker, such as no-limit. Youíd still have to bet the minimum, but the maximum is restricted only to the number of chips youíre holding.

Although you may be limited in the amount of chips you have, I must debunk a common no-limit myth. Just because someone bets with more chips than you actually have, does not mean you must fold. Take this case where Player 2 and 3 each have $100:
- You have only $25 to call (and to go all-in).
- Player 2 bets $50.
- And Player 3 calls $50.
- The main pot would be $75 ($25 from your maximum call times the three players).
- The extra $25 from both Player 2 and 3 would total a $50 side pot.
- If you came up with the best hand youíd take down the $75 main pot.
- And if Player 2 had the second best hand, heíd swallow the $50 from the side pot.
- However if Player 2 had the best hand, heíd grab all the pots for a grand total of $125.

In the online world there is also a style of betting that somewhat resembles the no-limit which is called the pot-limit. In this structure, you can bet any amount from the minimum bet to the actual size of the pot.

A more popular form of betting is known as fixed-limit. For example a four-round game also known as a $20/$40 limit could specify that the beginning two rounds require $20 bets while each bet in the third and fourth rounds require $40. Also to limit the amount of raises, the player who begins the betting is commonly the one who caps it in each round.

* Skill Levels
--------------
Skill plays a larger role online than luck does when playing against a bunch of your friends. While you may know how skilled your friends are at poker, the skill level of other people from around the world is unknown to you. Another reality check is to assume that they are actually trying to win because there is real money at stake online. Donít fool around and call at the river just to see what your opponent has. You may get lucky once or twice while playing your home game style, however if you want to win in the long run, build and stick to a solid strategy. The world is huge place to play against. With a higher degree of practice, and therefore skill, the world can be your oyster for the taking.

Know Your Limits

So you think there are already enough decisions you had to make playing poker, but you've guessed it, there are more. Winning at the table a few times is great but things become more challenging as you climb up on the totem pole. There are two meanings to this article title and heed them well. These are the little things you should patiently come to notice about yourself, so you don't rush in and foolishly burn your cash away.

* Choosing Your Limit Levels
----------------------------
Generally speaking you should choose which limit to play based on your financial standing, your poker abilities, and your risk tolerance.

No matter how filthy rich you are, it's always best to start out at the lower limits, not only because of lighter competition, but to get the hang of the game. So what if you're name is Chris Moneymaker? If you're playing online no one will know that, so there's no "woo"-factor for others to stop and think they're playing with some sort of demigod.

Nevertheless when it comes to choosing a limit, the hardest part of that choice is to know when to move up or down in the type of limit game. If you think you can handle seven or more sessions at a certain limit level, you're probably skilled enough to jump up a notch. However, you do not want to move up so high that when you play it actually scares you. Fear is one of those high-ranking decision killers which causes a sort of analysis paralysis, along with building a false sense of courage if you're shooting for the stars without a plan. You're not likely to have the bankroll to survive a night at the tables with these traits.

If you do take some hard knocks you ought to move down. On the other side of the emotional spectrum, you don't want to move down so steep that you feel like it is child's play or that there's simply no challenge. For example, if you're playing up at the $25-50 limit you wouldn't want to fall back to a $1-2 game. Fall a little closer to something like the $10-20 games. Take "the middle path" to keep a steady feeling of challenge. That way you don't whipsaw your motivation (or lack thereof) to play in a random mess.

* Calling It Quits for the Day
------------------------------
Even the best poker players in the world have their down days. Knowing when to quit will keep you from a drained bank account, especially when you feel that greed or that sense of desperation setting in. As a general rule of thumb, it's best to quit if you have a swing of 40 big bets in either direction. If you want to break this 40 big-bet rule, proceed with caution. Know if the game is really good or if you're just pushing it.

Here are some mental signs to consider when you might be tilting:

1. You always think your opponents are bluffing.
2. You feel anxious for a high-action game.
3. You're struggling to break even for the day.

Here are other signs to look out for if you've just played way too much:

1. You've played more than eight hours for one game during your day. (Don't drain yourself by playing long sessions. It's better to play many short sessions than a few long ones to keep your mind fresh each time.)
2. You're no longer paying attention to your opponents' moves.
3. You're dozing off at the table.