Today’s poker tip involves your attention span. The internet is a really big place that you can move around in very quickly. A person who has just discovered all that cyberspace has to offer must feel a lot like Zaphod Beeblebrox from the book “Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” when he figured out the Infinite Improbability Drive could get him anywhere in the galaxy in just seconds. Not only is the internet a big place, but it is packed with the sort of stuff that can short out your brain from an overload of pleasure. Where else can you simultaneously listen to music, shop, and watch actress Mary Carey do the sort of things that probably gives her mother intestinal cramps at the very thought of it. In short it is very easy to get distracted when playing poker online.
Poker at a brick and mortar casino does not include the wall to wall distractions that internet poker has. You may occasionally order a drink, or take a lingering look at the cocktail waitress while she walks away, but that is about it. Playing Texas Hold'em online requires a sort of discipline that goes beyond the cards. You need to be able to shut out all other distractions and simply concentrate on playing poker.
The best tip I can give here is to shut off all browsers while you are playing, turn off your messenger, ignore MySpace, save your Ebay activities for later, and stay away from any sites that may feature the talents of the aforementioned Ms. Carey or Joclyn Stone. This is all easier said than done, and (like telecommuting) playing poker amid the internet distractions is not for everyone. If you see a noticeable lapse in quality between what you can do at a proper casino, and your results in cyberspace, perhaps you should just avoid online poker rooms.
That is the poker tip for today.
