TechTheDay

Online poker is experiencing a boom in the US at the moment, which means many more novices are finding their way to poker providers.

Driven not only by the recent pandemic, which closed physical poker rooms and casinos but also by relaxing legislation, poker is becoming fashionable again. Back in 2003, a man called Chris Moneymaker won the World Series of Poker, which helped fuel the original poker boom along with a film called Rounders. In 2020, the film Molly’s Game had a similar effect and coupled with the other events, a new poker boom is underway.

However, simply loading up a provider and starting to play is not enough; you must understand the developing technology people use online to get ahead. 2021 is a year for tech trends across all walks of life, and online poker is not exempt from such developments. You might well find a provider, sit down to a game of poker, and find yourself constantly getting beaten, and it might not be your fault. So, here are some ways online poker professionals leverage technology to stay one step ahead.

Multi-Table

Multi-tabling is where a player has several games going all at once, increasing their chances of winning. It is quite common; poker providers offer multi-tabling across poker variants such as Omaha and Texas Hold’em, putting players in a better position to win hands. It may be the people you are sitting around the table with are playing several hands at once. The technology isn’t new, but consider this – those players may also have several screens with games going on, utilize keyboards with hotkeys for raising and folding, and even a wired mouse that won’t lose battery through an intense session. All are small technological aids to help increase the odds of success.

Odds and Equity Calculator

Whilst poker is a game of skill, it is also a game of chance and math. If one approaches it as a mathematical equation, you can further your chances of winning, or at least assess them with some accuracy, using an odds and equity calculator. A poker calculator operates in-game; you enter your cards, the community cards, and any of the other player’s cards that you know. The software will then give you the odds of winning the hand, influencing the decisions you make. They can also be used out of the game to understand better how strong a certain hand is. That is out of game training using a tech aid that the very best online players will do regularly.

Tracking Software

If you need one piece of tech for online poker in 2021, it is tracking software and an accompanying HUD. A ‘HUD’ is a heads-up display, and it works with the software to give you an overview of the opponents you are set to face and your own hands and play style. It analyses data from opponents to create a picture of their overall playing style. How often do they play a hand? Are they loose or tight? How often do they raise? This will be useful in real-time when sat across the virtual table from them, as you’ll understand what to expect if they raise or play a hand. This is a tool that many consider vital to online poker players wishing to make a living from the game. It is especially helpful when paired with multi-table technology, as it might be the only way to track several tables and multiple opponents quickly and efficiently.