Tigergaming - the promised land for online poker

Tigergaming Today - October 06, 2008

So I began to change my online tigergaming strategy more freely. I began to follow open-ended straight draws, sometimes betting my pocket K's pre flop, sometimes slow playing them, and occasionally falsely representing A's or K's, with some success. So now with a bit more variation and technique in my game I felt quite sure that I was harder to read and I felt I was getting more respect at the tigergaming tables.

So after playing texas holdum for money for just over a week and being pushed off pots, with my confidence ebbing and flowing, I knew I needed some sort of poker game plan if I was to improve my poker game. I was getting very annoyed and frustrated at players raising, and then flashing 2-3 in my face after I had mucked a better hand.

Variation...This is the missing element I felt I should implement in my tournaments strategy. I got the feeling online poker players took me for somebody who would only check or bet if I had something and to a large degree they were right. I felt my opponents were reading me and picking up my tiger gaming tells, of which there were and probably still are many.

Somehow I won the game and my silent euphoric moment of victory was abruptly interrupted by my brother wanting to get online to check his email (back to the real world)! I was delighted with that tigergaming win because it proved to me that I can sit and win with texas holdum players who more than likely have been playing for years in home games, and possibly casinos, not to mention online tigergaming. Although perhaps they could be newbie's like me or even long time poor poker players.

I was back to my $3 or $5 online poker games with varying success, when I then realised I always seemed to be playing without any sort of game plan. I found myself just playing the tiger gaming cards haphazardly and making moves without thinking things through, and often getting burnt as a result.

When the money was paid I found a whole new meaning to the term 'knee trembler'! Even though it was only $10, I was quite nervous sitting down at a tournament as the chips clunked and the first cards were dealt. Maybe I also showed too much respect early on for raises by mucking my tigergaming cards, when I sometimes had reasonable hands. Yet I was still alive and kicking after several hands and this gave me renewed confidence.

However the general play was far too loose and it was typically raise/re-raise stuff all the way to the river. I knew I was learning nothing in these online games so I soon graduated to the 50c/$1 heads up, speed and turbo NL games. Even though these stakes are very small the betting and raising wasn't as helter skelter as the play money games. I also like the constant involvement in the heads up games.

I found myself spending close to 3 hours a night playing heads up NL tigergaming games and I was giving as good as I was getting. The gambling nature in me urged me to play in 'bigger games', so early on in the small money games I decided in a rich vein of form and a state of confidence to sit in on a $10 heads up set of tigergaming tournaments.

I first came across online poker by watching Channel 4's Late Night Tigergaming Series, and I liked it instantly. I bet with Paddy Power Bookmakers and when they recently launched their own online poker website I thought it would be a good idea to sign up. After all, I have several years of armchair experience watching Phil Helmuth, the Devilfish, etc. Besides, how difficult could this game be?

In truth I was very nervous at signing up for texas holdum, and the thoughts of pitting myself against players who quite likely have years of playing experience behind them was very scary. After signing up I started the first few days in the 'play money' NL poker tables and enjoyed it.