PLAYING
a game
Knowing the
(Virtual) Territory
While it's always
important in poker to know your opponents, in Internet poker
it's just as important - if not more so - to know the virtual
territory. If you don't know how to quickly and without
confusion replenish your chip stack, ask for a hand history
or your games statistics, observe a game you're waiting for
while playing in another, take notes on-site that remain
in your hard drive, adjust audio and visual options, or
monitor the lobby to spot more desirable games, you'll be
at a disadvantage to those who can.
Therefore, before playing at a site, explore all options
available to you on both the individual games screen and
the lobby screen. This will be much easier if you've already
oriented yourself to the site's programming and features
in play-money games. If you take a seat in a cash games and
you're new to the site, at least sit out a round or two
before playing to make sure you know how everything works.
What you don't know can cost you money.
Clicking on the dealer's tray at some sites brings up an
option screen whereby you can do such things as replenish
your stack by buying more chips, request a four-color deck,
make adjustments in sound or graphics, ask for one or more
hand histories, ask to have your all-in allotment reset,
or request further assistance.
If clicking on the
dealer's tray doesn't bring up an option command list -
or if you're at a site where the table looks more like a
home games table lacking a dealer box - just look around
the games screen for a link labeled "Options" or
the equivalent. If you don't see such a link, click back
to the lobby and look for it there. Then examine each command
on the link's pull-down list to see what it does.
At some sites, even if there's an "Options" link
on the games screen, many other important options, such as
games sounds and chat features, the decision to always muck
losing hands without showing them, or to add or remove various
types of animation, are available from the lobby screen
rather than from the virtual table screen.
In short, explore!
And don't forget those innocuous-looking little symbols
tucked away in the corners: Clicking that small "%"
symbol in the upper left-hand corner of the games screen
may yield valuable games statistics. Also, try right-clicking
rather than left-clicking, especially above opponents: Right-clicking
on an opponent's oval, picture, or avatar may bring up a
note-taking screen, for example. You won't know if you don't
explore. While you should read as much as you can about
the features before playing - and all sites have a "Help"
link to an online manual explaining everything about features
and procedures - there's just no substitute for hands-on
experience.
Tip: Graphics and
features - not to mention all-in rules, betting limits and
structures, games selection, and ease of play - differ widely
from site to site. If you're trying out several online casinos,
take time to familiarize yourself with the nuances of each
one before risking your money.
