How to Optimize Your Online Poker Playing Experience

optimize poker playing

When you play poker online, the software gives you many options to customize and optimize your playing experience. Tweaking certain settings can help you enhance your efficiency, decision-making, and win rate at the tables. Let’s take a look at some key ways to fine tune the online poker client for your best advantage.

Remove Distracting Animations and Graphics

Most online poker sites have flashy graphics and animations for things like dealing cards, chip stacks, avatars, and more. But all these visual frills can be distracting when you need to focus. The constant motion and colors can fatigue your eyes and divert attention from the critical action. I know this happens with me! Checking the client settings to disable animations and keep the tables clean allows you to focus purely on the gameplay and data that matters. The same can be said for Bitcoin live casino platforms where you can customize easily.

Adjust the Table Layout to Your Liking

You can likely modify the table layout in the poker client to optimize the way you view key info. Consider moving the chatbox out of the way, enlarging the community cards area, making player name boxes smaller, or adapting it for your maximum comfort. Without customizing, you may need to strain your eyes or have trouble clicking buttons. Adjusting the layout to suit your needs avoids this unnecessary hassle.

Display Chip Amounts as Big Blinds

Rather than showing absolute chip counts, switch the client to display all stacks, bets, and pots in terms of big blinds. This is easy to do on sites like GGPoker but simply clicking your stack. Showing the big blinds makes it easier to quickly gauge stack depths and pot sizes relative to the blinds rather than doing mental math. Failing to do this can mean calculating and converting chip counts manually every time you need to make a decision.

Use Auto-Top Up to Maximize Tables

For cash games, enable auto-top up in the client settings so you can auto-refill your stack between hands up to the max buy-in. This lets you play more tables while avoiding sitting out. Make sure your bankroll supports max-buying though. Disabling this means you’ll have to manually rebuy and top up, costing you valuable time and potentially winning a bigger pot. Sitting with the maximum big blinds is considered optimum strategy for deep stacked games.

Take Advantage of Colour Coding and Tags

Online poker software allows colour coding players or adding tags so you can quickly identify previous hands or opponents. Use this to mark maniacs, sharks, calling stations, bluffers, or anyone else worth tracking. Without utilizing tags and colours, you have to rely entirely on memory when opponents reappear at your tables.

Adjust Sound Alerts for Key Events

To avoid missing anything while multi-tabling, configure sound alerts in the client for significant events like all-ins, a hand being dealt, someone joining your table, private messages, etc. Lacking these custom alerts means having to watch every table closely to avoid overlooking a key moment.

Fine-tuning an online poker client to your preferences and playing style can give you an edge over the competition. So be sure to fully explore and customize the software for the optimal experience. With these key tweaks, you’ll be primed for poker success.

Narciso Baldo is the Director and Head Coach of Texas Hold'em Questions. He has been playing poker for over 16 years. After spending many years as a professional, he now runs UK poker training site Texas Hold'em Questions. Narciso regularly writes poker articles sharing tips, strategy, news and experience with gambling enthusiasts. Narciso also writes for reputable gambling portal Casino City Times, (bio here). Contact: info@texasholdemquestions.com