Planet Mark's Blog. Thoughts, News And Strategy For Poker Tournaments Of All Size

5 Ways To Beat The Summer Poker Blues

I started writing this post for one of my other blogs, then realized it would be a good fit for the many beginning players who visit SNG Planet. With a couple of adjustments to make it fit, here are my 5 tips to beat the summer lull in online poker!Summer is the slowest time in the world of online poker. This makes sense of course – vacation time, sunny days and outdoor activity are great reasons to get away from our computers and enjoy life outside of poker. For those readers who want to use the summer lull as a period of taking their game (and profits!) to the next level I have put together this list of 5 ways to beat the summer poker blues. Remember, while each one will help you move forward, it is the combination of these factors which will see you reach the big money!

1 – Find The Fish

There are huge differences in the average skills and experience of the opponents you will find on different poker sites. Specialist ‘poker only’ sites are often not known by players until they have already gained experience, while poker sites attached to big sports-betting or casino brands see new players crossing over into the poker area for the first time every day. This makes a BIG difference to your profits – remember that even the ‘good’ players are going to loosen up in order to isolate and take money from the fish! 888 Poker is my current recommendation, this site are part of the group which includes the biggest online casino (used to be called 'Casino-On-Net', now branded as the 888 casino). They have cool software, the easiest games anywhere online and some great offers too! Check out 888 Poker for yourself here.

888-poker

2 – Specialize In One Game

If you want to have a real edge at the tables in 2012 then you have to specialize. Instead of mixing tournaments and cash games, holdem and Omaha or 1 and 5 table SNGs – I recommend you pick a game and grab yourself a real edge. Learn the math, get into hand ranges and specific situations. Work on your bet sizing and knowing when you are beaten by different types of opponent. Find out who the ‘regulars’ are on your site and make notes on how they play… read a book specializing in your game. The list is endless but the message the same… specialists can give themselves a big edge – so go and grab it!

3 – Take A New Bonus

There are so many bonuses around that it makes no sense to stick to your old site just because this is easy. Sure, loyalty and rakeback deals are cool, but mathematically speaking nothing can beat a welcome bonus for percentage returns – a great starting point is my Poker Coupons and Special Offers page.

4 – Get Trained (for free!)

With so many players enjoying poker training from online pros, you need to keep up! There are many sites which offer online training these days, some specializing in one poker format, some giving more general advice. If the fees look expensive then you might want to check out Carbon Poker’s special offer. They give you 1 month at pro training outfit ‘drag the bar’ for just 1 ‘player point’ (which you will earn in your first session of real money poker). Carbon also offer a 150% welcome bonus, free poker calculator (with heads-up display) and for SNG Planet readers I will add an extra bonus of a free $11 SNG token on top… all this with coupon code SNGPLANET. Check out the awesome US-friendly Carbon Poker now! (Carbon are no longer running...)

5 – Tool Up Your Poker Game

Software to track opponents and help you make great decisions at the table can turn many players profitable overnight. There are a lot of poker tools to choose from, some more suited to beginners and others for professional ‘grinders’. My 2012 favorites are all created by the super-cool Poker Pro Labs, with tournament and cash game tools and combo packages available (look out for their ‘Super-HUD’) this is the cutting edge of poker software and well worth a look. GL at the tables! Mark

Updated some out of date links... if you are reading this a few years later, then make sure you check out my Titan Poker Bonus Code page instead (or Titan Bet if you are from the UK)

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