Transitioning from playing live poker to playing online poker can be quite difficult, and irrespective of how skilled you are at the local card game; that novel feeling can creep into your gameplay.

Poker and online poker have witnessed massive growth all around the world, particularly North America—with Canada being home to the largest and most successful poker website in the world.The advantage of being able to play games such as Texas Hold'em, Limit Hold'em, Tournaments, Omaha Hi-Lo Split, No Limit Texas Hold'em, Pot Limit Omaha, 7 Card Stud, Mexican Poker, Omaha, Mixed Games, Electronic Tables and many more in the comfort of one’s private space has contributed to this growth.

However, there are many various tools and techniques that can help ease the transition from playing poker locally to playing online. Here are a few tips to help players improve their games and win consistently at poker.

1.  Learn about all the aspects of online poker

Playing online poker for the first time can present quite a number of hurdles on the first few sessions. This includes aspects unique to online poker, such as using the time-bank feature. Having a fixed amount of time to act can be a major adjustment from the live cash world for some novices—especially where a player generally has a least a few minutes to make a decision before being in danger of having the clock called.

Some additional aspects that a new player should spend some time understanding includes: the layout and lobby of the site, the cashier page, betting features, rake-back offers, and other bonuses. Games such as Europa Casino offers players bonus codes that can be used to join live poker games.

Furthermore, taking time out to understand the online environment will help acquaint the novice with many of the unique parts of online poker. One such aspect that differs significantly from live poker is the large number of poker hands one witnesses per hour. The speed can become quite overwhelming to new comers, and requires a bit of getting used to.

2.  Start out by playing low-stakes poker

It is advisable to always start online poker games with lower-stakes, even for a person who consistently plays high-stakes. This is because the main goal of these first few sessions—apart from enjoying the game of poker—is to familiarize one's self with the differences associated with playing online.

Starting your game play using low stakes gives players a better chance at winning a game of online poker on the long run. It also allows beginners to playing online with a smaller bankroll—invariable eliminating the accompanying stress with losing sessions—and keeps the player focused on the long-term goal of becoming a successful online poker player.

Additionally, when making a comparison between the fields of the same stakes while playing online and live, the online game tends to contain more difficult opposition. Therefore, gradually progressing through the stakes should help an amateur become familiar with the gameplay, and eventually get a full understanding of these differences.

3.  Begin by playing one table of poker

The urge to jump straight into a multi-tabling game can be quite tempting, as one of the numerous benefits of playing online is the ability to play more than one table at a time (though in recent times, some live tournaments have begun including multi-tabling too).

However, first getting a robust understanding of the technical aspects of online poker will great assist the player in the future. Thus, it is best to use the ‘slow but steady’ approach by playing consistently on one table. Once you feel confident overcoming a single table consistently, you can then begin adding one table at a time, applying whichever amount you’re comfortable with.

4.  Create a distraction-free environment for playing online poker games

A lot of online players are easily lured into the trap of distractions while playing online poker games. Activities such as surfing the web, chatting with friends, making phone calls, watching television and many others are typical diversions that often lead a player to make mistakes, either by missing out on vital information or making poor judgement while playing a hand.

Therefore, it is very important to create an environment that is free from all forms of distractions if one is to succeed at online poker.Additionally, little things such as healthy snacks, a playlist of a player’s favourite songs, a cheerful room color can help in achieving the goal of creating and maintaining the ideal playing environment.

5. Making considerable updates to your hardware

Creating an ideal environment for playing online poker can also be related to your current hardware. Playing in an office space, enclosed from the rest of the living space can create fewer distractions and helpplayers maintain a professional attitude while playing online poker.

Additionally, investing in items such as an ergonomic chair can reduce issues with back pain. While further upgrades such as a large, high resolution monitor and a high-quality mouse can reduce eye-strain, make multi-tabling less tedious and reduce wrist strain respectively.