I have been playing in poker tournaments online for about 6 or 7 years and cash games for about the same. I have to say that when you are playing in a tournament you have to play tight and try really hard not to lose chips. Chips are so valuable in online poker tournaments that you shouldn’t play hands that you can play in a cash game. Hands like 10J suited under the gun or even AJ suited should be folded in an online poker tournament, but I would easily consider raising with them in a cash game (depending on the play of opponents at the table of course).

The biggest difference is that if you lose your chips unnecessarily in a tournament you can’t reload them like you can in a cash game!

While the luxury of cash game poker is that you can make a questionable call, or an instincts call, and if you get stacked, you can reload; you dont want to take advantage of this perk. 

One of the best online poker secrets I can give you is, if you have lost 2 full buy-ins in one session, leave that table!  Sure, you have lost 2 buy-ins and that completely sucks; but by this time, either the cards are just not running well for you, you cant beat the fish, or you are going to go on tilt! 

Either take a break, or find a poker table with a different dynamic so that you can take advantage and win the money back without letting emotions get to you.

I think a lot of new players in poker make the mistake of using aggression when it’s just not necessary.  Its easy to fall into this trap when watching players like Brian Townsend 3 bet with 6 high, but the reality is:

1.  He is playing 100/200 NL Plus!
2. He is a master of online poker
3. He knows how to fold when his instincts tell him to

Dont try to be Brian!  Learn your own game, get yourself comfortable.  Play ABC poker and then make your moves when you feel they are right.  Get paid on your hands by using aggression and be passive when you need to!  Poker is a multi-faceted game – aggression only is not going to make you a winning player.

We all will get steamed at some point or another when playing online poker.  But learn to control how often you get upset.  When you are getting frustrated every time that someone sucks out or you lose your set to a straight etc. – you may not realize it, but it is affecting your game.

I constantly hear poker players saying “It doesnt affect my game” yet the next 3 hands they are pushing preflop with rubbish, trying to say they are just continuing their aggression, lol. 

Train yourself not to get upset over the small things that are always going to continue to happen in poker.  Find what makes you calm, be it music, tv, meditation, smoking, drinking, getting away from the computer – whatever it is – find it and stick to it.  There is nothing possitive that will come out of your constant outbursts regarding the idiocies of every day poker!

Bad eating habits can be a big problem for online poker players.  Its easy to fall into the trap of fast food, junk food and comfort eating.  Make sure you have a somewhat healthy diet if you are going to be taking Online Poker Seriously!  Your brain is your instrument – and you need it to be in top notch shape!