When it comes time to really jump into the world of online poker, chances are good that you already have a few ideas on how to make your game the best ever. We don’t mind your enthusiasm at all, but the question that has to be asked is simple: is it really worth it? Indeed, the question is something you need to hear, even though you might not want to actually hear the question asked openly. This is because you have to step back and realize that you will be spending money. Now, if you are the child of Daddy Warbucks and money isn’t really an issue, then don’t mind us at all. However, if you are like most people, poker is something that you’re doing on a budget. Therefore there are a few things that you need to think about before you just plunge into the world of poker, especially buying software.
The first thing that you will want to think about is what type of return can you expect? If you’re playing low level games like 5$NL, then you need to make sure that your software buy makes sense. If the software is $100, then you should realize that it’s actually a 20-blind purchase. Are you really willing to commit that much of your bankroll to a piece of software?
Make sure that you are looking into poker software reviews and even free trials. You should never buy software that you can’t review. In addition, you want to also look into free software online that can replicate the things that the big software packages can do.
Tracking your results is something that is worth paying for — if you’re going to pay constantly at the big poker outlets, then feeding into a tracker that can catch your stats is definitely a good idea.
However, we’re against the idea that software will ever be able to replace good common sense and a solid foundation in poker theory. You don’t want to get too worked up if software isn’t in your budget. Keep playing hands, keep sharing your notes with other poker players, and don’t give up — you will become a better poker player over time, even if you don’t use software!