But there are clues to pick up on during an online game. Hoppmann says he pays attention to how his opponents have been known to bet or raise in previously played hands and then applies the information to the current hand.

Playing poker online, however, changes more than the visibility of your opponents. Sometimes, an online player will encounter technical difficulties.

“A month or so ago, I was in the middle of a really big no-limit Hold ‘em hand where I had the nuts on the turn and timed out because my mouse froze when my opponent had made a huge raise,” Hoppmann says. “That probably cost me $25,000, and was the sickest I’ve ever felt before. I couldn’t play for three days.”

Another issue unique to online play is the use of “bots,” or computer programs posing as human players. Popular poker site fulltiltpoker.com was in the news earlier this year because of allegations they were using poker bots on their site.

“Everyone has small fears [about poker bots], but I have been very successful,” Hoppmann says. “As long as I keep my eyes out for certain weird-looking things and don’t notice anything shady, I feel pretty comfortable.”

As more people join the online game, more may try to cheat the system. The sites’ owners regulate activity to some degree, but Hoppmann would prefer unbiased regulation by a group independent of the poker sites.

“It would be nice if it was regulated by the government or something, so there was some oversight or consequences for any ill-advised activities on the part of the poker sites or players,” Hoppmann says.

Knowing when to hold ‘em and when to fold ‘em

Today, Hoppmann says he plays predominantly limit Hold ‘em, along with mixed games.

“Mixed games have become relatively popular, so being able to play them all is important,” Hoppmann says. “Online, this new ‘7’ game is becoming popular, which is HORSE and no-limit Hold ‘em and pot-limit Omaha. Most of the bigger action these days is in mixed games.”

Because he has never had more than a few months to play seriously, Hammerling sticks mostly to no-limit Hold ‘em and hasn’t gotten past the mid-level games.

“That might be a good thing because playing for that level of money can be pretty stressful,” Hammerling says.

Hammerling says his biggest one-day win was about $1,500, and his biggest loss was $1,100, playing at mid-level tables.

But others, like Hoppmann, who says his biggest winning day was around $60,000, play for higher stakes.

Anyone who has seen televised poker probably wonders about those famous bad beats and exciting all-in moments. Hoppmann doesn’t see too many Casino Royale-style hands, since he predominantly plays limit Hold ‘em and he says there aren’t any “epic, huge all-ins.”

But Hammerling, who plays mostly mid-level no-limit Hold ‘em games, sees his fair share of intense all-in action.

“I’ve faced a huge number of ridiculous hands,” Hammerling says. “It’s hard to pick out any one hand because I’ve had things like lower four-of-a-kind versus higher four-of-a-kind happen more than once.”

Bad beats are more easily recalled.

“The worst poker night I ever had, I experienced a nut flush versus a full house, two higher full houses versus lower full houses, and one quads versus full house, all within five minutes of each other,” Hammerling says. “Naturally, I was on the losing end of all of those. I don’t think I played for a week after that.”

Beating the game

Though the cards have not changed, the increasing number of well-versed online players has made the game harder to beat.

“The biggest change is just the quality of the players,” Hammerling says. “Four years ago, at the peak of the ‘poker boom,’ you didn’t even have to be a good player to make money. There were endless drooling idiots who may or may not have even fully understood the rules just waiting to throw their money at you. Now, you actually need skill to win, and not only at the higher levels. Even the [lower level] tables take some small degree of skill to beat. If I was as good four years ago as I am now, I would have no student debt.”

Hoppmann says he would not recommend many people start playing online for profit, especially people his age.

“It can be very stressful,” Hoppmann says. “The games have gotten much tougher, and it is hard to become successful.”

But for those itching to try out the online poker scene, Hoppmann has some pointers.

“Start off playing smaller games,” Hoppmann says. “Get used to the software and the feel for playing online. I would recommend they play a little smaller than they normally play, and do as much as they can to avoid tilting, or getting very involved emotionally.”

Hoppmann says it is very easy to do foolish things in online games because you don’t physically have to handle money.

“It is just digits on a computer,” Hoppmann says. “So coming up with a strategy to control your emotions when playing is crucial to being successful playing online.”

For a How-to-Play No limit Texas Hold ’em Photo Slideshow, click here.