This also applies to tournament players online, as the profiling dynamics and personality issues remain the same. A former office buddy who I’ve played with at a couple of cash games at different Brick and Mortars is a decent player but has often complained to me that he doesn’t like the online game. He says he feels like its not as “real” as live games and is less fun. Maybe it’s less fun because he lost his entire online BR in one tilt filled afternoon. Which led me wondering, what attributes do online players have that make them successful, compared to other online players who are successful? (Other than the fact that someone has to lose?) What makes a good online player good?

Others may not agree but I think there’s more to the online game than just skill and instinct. It’s of course very important to have all the classic poker player’s tools - starting hand selection, knowledge of pot odds, hand odds, percentage of hands and flops, reading opponents, mental toughness, etc.

Other than those classic skills there’s also mental preparation, note keeping, which is important because you can’t see online player’s tells, jus their tendencies. There’s also tilt control, which is extremely important. I’ve seen many players play great for a week and win $400 but then lose most of it overnight.

There is also time management. My buddy who plays a good offline game seems to me to fail to see the online game as the same as a real game. For example, he'll sit at a sit and go poker tournament, but knows he needs to bail an hour later. He complains about not being able to read the players and their tendencies but he completely ignores his Poker Tracker and completely ignores his own stats, which may give him a clue about his own style.

Preparation I think is key to the online game. You don’t play tired, or angry or emotional at a live game, and carry that over the online game. Just because you don’t have other players around you, doesn’t mean what you feel personally wont affect your play. Never play tired. Never play mentally drained. If you take your offline game seriously, then take your online game seriously as well. Obviously, do things that raise +EV before your session.

Another thing that I notice is that as confident as you are about your offline game, it may not translate well online. You can have your confidence shaken because you ran into players well above your level because you just didn’t prepare, research and study your opponents. If you know the players, you can choose your games more wisely. You know all the players in your scene, get to know the online personalities so you don’t run into a cement wall and lose your whole BR.