Choosing the Right Online Poker Opponents

Online poker has different challenges than playing poker in person, not the least of which is the difficulty in sizing up opponent strengths. There are, however, ways of determining which online opponents will increase your odds of success but this requires different tools from a regular, in-person game.

Inexperience is Key

One of the most important things you can do is look for the playing history of your opponents. A quick measure of someone's experience is the length of time they have been playing online. Though not fool-proof, new, inexperienced players are often easier to beat than people who have been playing for a lengthy period of time. Similarly, if you can see instantly from given statistics that someone has a poor track record of winning, they are still likely in a learning stage or may be habitually poor players making them easier targets to try to beat. Read through the comments sections and anyone asking questions on rules of play or commenting on their recent bad luck are good people to play against.

Additional Factors

Also in the discussion forums, look for those who seem frustrated, or confused, or who seem to apologize to others for their performance. These signs of weakness can mean the players are easy to exploit as they may be distracted. Watch the trends of players; if you notice someone usually auto checks on the flop but changes their strategy and takes their time bidding, assume a change means they have a good hand and adjust accordingly. As you would in person, if you notice someone has a small stack of chips and is overly aggressive, it might suggest they are bluffing in the hopes of making a quick win.

Whenever you play poker it is important to size up your opponents, and online poker is no different. Be sure to use the tools you have available to increase your odds of success.