In the meantime, throughout my one month of online play, I have often discovered stuff which would have been beneficial, had I known it before I started, but is now of less use than it would have been. I'll just record it here so anyone who's keen on starting online could at least have the head start I didn't.
First off, marketing codes. When you first create your online account, you are generally requested to key in marketing codes that the site's affiliates provide. These codes generally give benefits from $50 bonus to free subscriptions to their sites contents or software. $50 might not seem like much, but when you're grinding it out on the lower stakes, any leg up to building your bankroll is invaluable. One of the better sites that I've discovered is PokerStrategy.com. Not only do they give you a free startup bankroll of $50+$100, they also teach you how best to play so that you don't end up in the red. Something to note though, if you already have an existing account, do not attempt to create a second one to take advantage of this. It is extremely likely that both the accounts get locked. I learnt this the hard way.
Another thing you should definitely know about is rakeback. All online poker rooms rake a percentage off the pot for profit. Rakeback programs give you up to a possible 40% in rake money back, so the higher your stakes, the more money you save. Some online rooms like PokerStars do not support rakeback, but they compensate with a frequent player programme of their own which gives comparable benefits. Rakeback.com is a good example of a rakeback programme that offers good returns. Check it out, and mark me (Entropy) as your referrer if you do sign up.
Tracking software is also a huge part of online poker. These software costs quite a bit, but when you move your way up the stakes, your income should generally be able to pay for the software. Tracking software help you profile opponents you have played in the past so when you play them again, you have a rough idea of how tight / loose, aggressive / passive they play, and adjust your play accordingly. This is especially useful when you multi-table and don't have time to focus on analyzing your opponents. Most software include other features like profit charts, hand stats, and even hand replay options so you can review your play. Profit charts like the one I posted a couple of days earlier shows you information on your play trends, which you can use to deduce your game play weaknesses and strengths. Extremely essential.
Finally, before you completely lose your initial bankroll, do not, I repeat, do not play higher stakes till you're ready for it. Bankroll management is crucial if you intend to play poker professionally, and until you have enough in your bankroll to support higher stakes, leave well alone. I will be writing more about this in later articles, but its enough to mention for now that poker is a game of variance, and like it or not, no matter how good you play, you will run into bad streaks and beats. There are many sites online, including PokerStrategy.com which help you better your game online. Research and read up on the game, before even attempting to start, or believe me, you will go broke faster than you can say "all in".
Damn, I really need my account back!
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