Top Rated Online Poker Games

Hands down, No Limit Texas Hold 'em is king in the world of poker. It is the easiest game to learn to play, regardless of the fact that it is the hardest game to learn to play well. It's easy to put a hand together, but any experienced Texas Hold 'em player knows there are so many possibilities of what you can do from hand to hand. So getting this game out of the way, let's delve into the other possibilities of top rated online poker games.

A great place to check out what the best poker games are and where you can find them is at the poker goldmine, PokerListings (www.pokerlistings.com). Whether you're looking for a poker site to get in the action, news on the World Series of Poker, or which sites offer which poker games, you can find it all here. Not to mention some excellent poker tips and rules for how each of these top rated games is played.

Moving along in considering the top games; zipping in right behind the Texas Hold 'em varieties is Omaha Hi and Omaha Hi/Lo. Almost all of the top poker sites offer these two variations of Omaha in ring play. If you're a fan of the WSOP events, you'll know that these are also sanctioned events that have launched several of poker's top players into the bracelet winning. If you're not familiar; these are games of tight play and patience!

Next would be the varieties of 7 Card Stud. This is probably a game than many people first enjoyed in the world of poker. A couple different varieties are often offered at the best online sites, and depending on where you might choose to play this game, you might find a lot or very little action. It doesn't get much television coverage and for that fact, most people aren't looking for it when they come to play online.

The final game that could be considered top rated would have to be the classic 5 Card Draw. It's another game that probably introduced many to the word poker, and a game that combines the skill of knowing percentages with the luck of the draw. 5 Card Draw isn't readily offered on all of the sites, but you can definitely find some action. Again, PokerListings would be a good place to check out an online poker room's breakdown and see if they offer this poker classic.

Regardless of what game you want to play online, do realize that the vast majority of players that come to play at online poker sites are looking for action at either a Texas Hold 'em table, or in a Texas Hold 'em tournament. If you're looking for soft competition, your best bet would be to find it in this Hold 'em variety. Moving down the line you will find fewer beginners and poor players, and more individuals who miss playing their game of choice; most of their buddies have jumped ship to join the Texas Hold 'em mayhem. Just remember; the more games you can master, the more you increase your earning potential!

Online Poker Strategy: Reading your opponents by raising

Reading opponents has nothing to do with gut feelings, magic, or having a 6th sense! Reading opponents is purely based on an analytical exercise, where you use facts gathered over time to reach a conclusion and make a decision. Reading opponents is not only critical to determine if an opponent is trying to bluff you, it also enables you to determine if you can bluff them.

A lot of new poker players are intrigued by the art of reading your opponents. In live poker games, where you play face to face, you actually have more tools at your disposal to read opponents. You can analyze the way they sit, the way they talk, where they look, etc. Unfortunately, most of these classic indicators can't be used at online poker. Is that a bad thing? Not really, because everyone has the same disadvantage when playing online so the playing field is even for everyone. Remember, the lack of physical indicators doesn't make it impossible to read opponents. On the contrary, the opportunity to make good reads at online poker is very much real and there are various techniques you can use. In fact, being able to read opponents online is a great preparation for reading opponents in live games, which can be more challenging since you have more variables to consider when you play face to face.

This poker article will focus on how you can use the "raise" action to get information and make better reads. There are many other indicators and methods that can be used in online poker, but the raise is the easiest to learn, and it often gives the most information. Regardless of what cards you have in your hands, reading with a raise is accomplished by determining how people react to your raise. There are four important factors that influence the effectiveness of your raise, and they should be considered in your read.

Table position

When you raise in early position, normally that indicates a strong hand. When you raise in late position, that could also indicate a strong hand, but it is often viewed as a move to try and steal the blinds or the pot. Your raise will have less credibility when it is used in late position, thus you will generally find more callers, especially if you are viewed as an aggressive player.

Pre flop vs post flop

In addition to table position, your raise will be significantly influenced by the community cards on the board, so consider them in your poker strategy. If you raise pre-flop, people with a really strong hand will be tempted to call because they don't want to reraise you and get you to fold. They want you to invest more chips and they don't want scare you. People with average hands will also be tempted to call (suited connectors, small pair) because they want to see if the flop will turn their average hand into a monster hand. Beware of players who keep calling raises one betting round after another. That either means they have a huge hand, or they are chasing a card. Opponents who fold obviously had a crappy starting hand, and opponents who reraise often try to steal the pot, but not always. That's when other elements outlined in this article help determine if you're facing a bluff or not.

A continuation bet, meaning you raise pre flop, and raise again post flop, indicates strength. Sometimes, this is a great way to get people to fold, but if someone is sticking around and you have nothing, your gig is up! They likely have you beat. Keep raising if you think you can make them fold, but if you're not sure, don't risk losing your shirt. There will be other hands!

Table Image

A is component of analyzing how opponents react to your raise is the consideration of their table image. To keep things simple, let's consider loose aggressive players vs tight conservative players. When the aggressive player calls your raise, he's often chasing cards. When the conservative player calls, he probably has a strong hand already. When an aggressive player reraises, there's a good chance he's trying to bluff you, but once in a while they'll also have huge hands and take advantage of their table image to get a call. Consider their table position and chip stack (vs yours) to determine if they are acting out of desperation, if they are solid, or if they are just trying to pick on you. Tight players who reraise you have you beat most of the time, but that doesn't mean they can't try and bluff on occasion. In general, raises by conservative players should be taken more seriously than raises by aggressive players.

Chip count and blinds

As a general rule, big stacks like to pressure small stacks. Small stacks can only put pressure by going all in before someone puts them all in, and often they do this out of desperation, especially when the blinds are expensive. If you raise a small stack and they go all in, often it's because they want you to fold. An aggressive player is bound to go all in with pretty much any hand when they run low while tight players often try to be more patient and wait for an ace, a pair, or two face cards.

Remember that when you're involved in a hand and you have no idea where you stand, you're unsure about the strength of your opponents, investing a little money with a raise can go a long way. How people react to your raise will give you information, and give you a sense of where you stand in this hand. That in turn will tell you if you should invest more, or get out. And remember to consider all four factors mentioned above when raising, or when faced with a raise. More importantly, remember that you're not the only player who will use a raise to find out information from other players. When faced with a raise, it may mean that the raiser has no clue where he stands in the hand.

Courtesy of MyPokerCorner.com