Free online poker is definitely easier to win at than real money games. I get a kick out of people who boast about how good they are because they won over $300,000 pretend dollars online. The action is easier to beat because the play is so loose. Most pots have five or six players still in the hand for the river card, so even the smallest amount of starting-hand selection strategy will give you an advantage over the game.

It’s loose because it doesn’t really matter to the players whether they win or lose. When the game has your money at stake, it takes on a whole new attitude. Your opponents care about how they play and they work hard at being good players. So to compete, you must try and improve your game as well. If you don’t, the real money games will be difficult for you to beat.