Albert Einstein once said, “Information is not knowledge; the only true source of knowledge is experience.” That knowledge is not necessarily derived from your own experience, but can be gained through the experience of others. Applying the experience of professional poker players can save you years of frustration and put you on the fast track to winning online poker.

Online poker differs greatly in many ways from live poker, and because of those variations, a different set of rules must be applied on how to win in online poker than those normally used in live play. The differences can be measured in the dealing of the cards, the actions of the players and your playing style.

the deal

In online poker tournaments and cash games, the deal is regulated by a set of computer programs and algorithms, primarily the main program that selects randomness from a deck is called the Pseudo Random Number Generator (PRNG or RNG). Along with the RNG is a set of specific algorithms that make deterministic decisions based on the players in the game.

Additional poker algorithms are what will deliver the turn and river cards and, in many cases, produce action-inducing hands and bad beats. Quite often, in online Texas Hold’em, draws are common on the flop and turn, prompting players into action. Although draw heavy boards are seen in live play, the fact remains that draws are more likely to occur online due to RNG blemishes and glitches.

The action

Another factor in internet poker is action. Action created by heavy draw tables, as well as action created by players chasing those draws or trying to bluff big pots. The fact that online texas holdem is overwhelmed with novice players and those who do not understand the advanced techniques of the game is one of the reasons why their chips are on the line far too often.

Your style

Depending on your playing style, you may need to adjust your style to compensate for inexperienced players and online poker computer generated codes. If your style is aggressive in live play, you may want to mix it up with some passive play, as action players will chase your draws and you’ll have a hard time getting them off your hands.

Also, the fact that true randomness is not at play in a computer generated poker game, you may want to wait until you are sure you will win the hand before committing too many chips. The culprit behind most bad beats in online poker is more computer generated programs that induce action than bad players who can’t fold.

The experience of playing hundreds and even thousands of hands in online poker should begin to show you what is wrong with your game and why you keep losing. Leaks in your game are more easily identified if you carefully and subjectively review all the action on your hands.

Although it is generally accepted that internet poker is the same as live poker, and you are excellent at playing live while fighting online it may indicate that the problem is with the programs and players rather than your game. Knowing this, it is in your best interest to learn more about poker algorithms and software to improve your odds and start winning at online poker.