First of all, let me give you my credentials. I am a member of the largest and most successful online poker site in the world. In the last six months I have banked over $12,000 whilst still maintaining a sizable stack in the game itself. Whilst this is not a huge amount of money, I’m sure each of you could use it as extra income. Here are some tips to make that possible.

Learn The Game

Sounds obvious, I know. But you’d be amazed at the number of people who make stupid bets thinking their hands are better than they actually are.

Poker Sites

These are multi-million dollar organizations, they do not rip you off. But you must understand that it is impossible for them to be completely random. They make money by finishing tournaments in a timely manner and getting the defeated to enter another tournament.

Do’s & Don’ts

Do start small. Enter low level tournaments until you feel confident about your game play and strategy. The higher the entry fee, the better the player in my experience. Learn how the winners bet.

Do play Sit & Go’s. These are 1 table tournaments which typically pay the top 3 finishers and are ideal training grounds to prepare you for larger tournaments. Start winning these and you are on the right track.

Do not, under any circumstance, play on the cash tables on these sites. Despite assurances from the sites themselves, there are syndicates operating here and it is possible to lose a lot of money in a short space of time.

Do not indulge in the banter which goes on via the chat facility. This can only result in a loss of focus.

Most Importantly: Be Patient!

You will find that, those who force the issue and bet big from the off, will eventually be found out and out of the running very quickly. A good bluff is an important part of poker strategy but must be used very sparingly. Similarly, slow playing excellent hands will get you caught on the turn and river from time to time – this is very frustrating.

Lastly, have the courage of your convictions. If you believe that you have the best hand, then back it. We can’t all win all the time, but following these guidelines will give you a head start.

Good Luck (unless you’re at my table of course…)