Man walking on a tight rope with playing cards around him.

Want to boost your bankroll by playing real money poker online in Australia? Well, by finding Ignition Casino, you’ve already overcome the hurdle of gaining access to poker in Australia. Now it’s time to focus on mastering your craft so you can conquer the felt.

A key part of doing just that is refining one crucial aspect of real money poker: risk-taking. Whether you’re a brand-new player or a seasoned pro, you likely know that risk-taking is part of the fun (not to mention, necessary if you hope to reap any rewards). In comparison to traditional brick-and-mortar poker, there are even more unique risks in online poker. You don’t have the advantage of picking up on your opponents’ physical tells, you can only play one game at a time meaning your eggs are all in one basket – the list goes on and on.

With that said, there are plenty of ways to enhance your risk-taking techniques in online poker. Here at Ignition Casino, we pride ourselves not only on offering the best poker in Australia but the best advice and tips for bettering your strategies – and this guide is a perfect example.

In this article, we break down the best tactics to integrate into your gameplay. By doing so, you’ll feel more confident when you pull up a chair at the virtual felt and, in turn, enjoy the game even more than you thought possible.

PUSH YOURSELF (WITHIN REASON)

Familiarity is a powerful thing. It’s comforting, it’s safe – all things that we as human beings are programmed to want.

But in online poker, familiarity can be your worst enemy.

To score some big wins and see next-level rewards, you need to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. As the saying goes, that’s where the most growth happens – both as a player and in your bank account.

Poker champion Dan Cates – who has amassed over $11 million in winnings throughout his career – has been a staunch advocate for this exact practice. “You want to push yourself a little, but not too far,” he told CNBC Make It. “This is always true in everything.”

According to Cates, if you ever feel like you are doubting yourself or your abilities, it’s a clear-cut sign to push yourself a bit further. On the other hand, he also encourages players to be strategic in taking these risks. It’s crucial to know when to pull back because, if you don’t, the results could be disastrous.

DO THE MATHS

Before you start stressing, we’re not asking you to create complex formulas or anything. Cue the sigh of relief.

This tip is all about assessing your odds and approaching risk-taking from an analytical standpoint. No matter what game you play or how big of a wager you put down, your odds are going to come down to what is laid out on the table.

With that in mind, do your research on different gameplay scenarios and what your odds of winning would be in each of them. By arming yourself with this information, you’ll feel more confident heading into your next game. Not only that, but you’ll be much savvier when it comes to making the tough decisions like going all-in or folding.

To start familiarising yourself with these concepts, check out our resources on poker odds and general poker strategy.

START SMALL & WORK YOUR WAY UP

It’s a saying we’ve all heard countless times: practice makes perfect. But it couldn’t be truer when it comes to mastering the art of risk-taking.

If you’re a relatively new player, start small. Place smaller bets more often; this will give you more experience to learn from and you can apply your learnings to your next game.

The more comfortable and confident you get, the higher your risk threshold will become. As a result, you’ll find yourself feeling more capable of placing higher wagers in the face of uncertainty – the mark of any great poker player.

After all, placing small bets is better than placing no bet at all. In the wise words of Billy Murphy, serial entrepreneur and former poker pro: “It’s riskier to never risk anything and guarantee you’ll lose the game.”

Patience is Your Best Friend

A photo of an hourglass on a table.

That’s right – patience isn’t just a virtue when it comes to playing poker, but it’s your best mate.

To see the wins you want, you need to be patient and measured. You don’t have to play every single hand. You don’t have to go all in. You don’t have to feel any shame in folding and waiting for your time to come.

Seasoned poker player, Tom Popomaronis, shared that this principle was key to his success in the 2015 World Series of Poker (where he placed seventh). When his chips were down, he shares, he had to exercise restraint and patience until the right moment came for him to re-enter the game.

Popomaronis isn’t alone in seeing the value of patience. In his article, he references Phil Gordon’s book Poker: The Real Deal. In it, Gordon highlights that we need to use the HALT method before taking risks to assess the four human states that could lead to poor decision-making: hunger, anger, loneliness, and/or tiredness. By being patient and acknowledging our emotions, we can separate our risk-taking practices.

 

PLAY POKER NOW AT IGNITION CASINO

Looking for a safe, reputable, and incredibly fun place to practise your risk-taking? You’ve come to the right place.

At Ignition Casino, you won’t just get access to poker in Australia – you’ll get access to the best poker in Australia. With a variety of poker games – including Texas Hold’Em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo, and more – available at your fingertips, the fun and freedom never end.

When you play real money poker at Ignition Casino, you’ll also have access to our incredible $3,000 Poker & Casino Welcome Bonus, as well as epic competitions like the Weekly Crypto Depositor’s Freeroll and the $2,500 Weekly Poker Freerolls.

Play poker now at Ignition Casino to get in on the action!