OK computer

Pretty much every game or sport you can think of has changed due to technological advances over the last 30 years. From video replays in rugby to a chip-and-pin edition of Monopoly, every game is moving forward as time passes.

Poker, clearly, is no different. Online poker has changed the face of the game forever, but it doesn’t end there. The new generation of players schooled on the internet has embraced a whole range of other technological enhancements that are changing the very way the game is played. The question is, are you keeping up? Are you tracking your opponents, mining databases, watching training videos and using odds calculators? If not, you may be giving a huge edge to your more plugged-in foes.

One man who’s been a pioneer in this field is CardRunners.com co-founder and Full Tilt pro Taylor Caby. Sites such as Cardrunners have helped train players in online cash games and the tables have got increasingly harder as a result.

But if you’re a bit hard up amid the credit crunch debacle and can’t afford to subscribe to the likes of CardRunners, there are still plenty of resources out there that can help your game immeasurably and that you shouldn’t be without. Have a search on the intermet for programs such as PokerStove that will add a new dimension to your game.

Bricks and mortar

Should you wish to take the skills you’ve acquired online to the live arena then it’s worth knowing a bit more about the etiquette of live poker. If all you know of live poker is what you’ve seen on TV, you’re in for a shock. The vast majority of TV poker is there for entertainment, not educational purposes. So breaking into a Hevad Khan-style dance or launching a Scotty Nguyen foul-mouthed tirade at the nearest person just because you’re out of beer is not advised. In fact, the only thing worse would be trying to emulate the playing style of the known pros that you see in the made-for-TV crapshoots. Stick to your own game and be a gentleman, not an idiot, at all times.