online poker strategy

Chances of making
So let's assume you've got a little something to build on. Every beginning player wants to know whether they should hold a kicker and a Pair, or just the Pair. Same with Trips. As you'll see in the following, the odds almost always favor tossing the kicker:
HAND
any improvement
2 pair
3 of a kind
Full House
4 of a kind
Drawing three cards to a Pair
1 in 2.5
1 in 5
1 in 8
1 in 97
1 in 360
Drawing two to a Pair with kicker
1 in 3
1 in 5
1 in 12
1 in 120
1 in 1100
Drawing two to Three of a Kind
1 in 8.5
--
--
1 in 15.5
1 in 22.5
Drawing one to Three of a Kind with kicker
1 in 11
--
--
1 in 15
1 in 46
Needless to say, the better your opener, the better your chances of improving it. But forget about trying to build something out of a three card Flush or Straight: your odds are 1 in 23 and 1 in 150 respectively. It's highly unlikely that the pot would ever justify that kind of risk.
On the upside, observe the following chances if you hold four cards to build on:
Chances of completion:
when drawing one card to
ODDS
Four cards of a Flush
1 in 4.5
Straight open at both ends
1 in 5
Straight open at one end
1 in 11
Straight open on the inside
1 in 11
Straight Flush open at both ends
1 in 23
Straight Flush open at one end
1 in 46
Straight Flush open on the inside
1 in 46
In the end, it's these odds that must advise you on your Poker betting decisions. If you've got a four-card Flush and it'll cost you $20 to stay in, the question is "yes or no"?
First question: what are your chances of completion on the draw? 1 in 4.5 So if you're going to stay in, that pot better pay you $90 or better (4.5 x $20), after you deduct your ante and bets thus far. Anything else is blind faith in beating the odds and the sidelines are full of players who tried that as their betting policy. Look where it got them.
Of course, Poker wouldn't be Poker if that was all there was to it. Bluffing, intimidation, body language and all the rest of it come into the game if you're playing your opponents across a table instead of across cyberspace. If that's your game I suggest you do some serious reading.
There are many, many books on the Poker subject and your first tough choice will be picking one. But remember, Poker has been around a long time. Anyone that tries to sell you a "hot new strategy" is beating you at the book counter, not the Poker table. Go with the pros.