Top 3 best advice for a first time poker player

October 8th, 2007

For a new player playing poker can be overwhelming, there are many factors to consider before betting and most newbies will rely too much on luck… Luck is part of the game but there are ways to calculate odds which over time will make you a winner !

For an OFFLINE Player …

1. Patience young “padawan”
Patience pays off most in head-to-head playing if you don’t have a lot of experience. Head to head battles often have one player significantly weaker in chips than the other, and will therefore often have several all-in calls. Experienced players can trust their luck, and their read of their opponents, and will call an all-in hand with less than stellar cards in the hole, knowing that the flop, turn and river can often make for surprising finishes. Waiting until you have a solid high pair or ace-and-face combo in the hole gives the highest odds to winning an all-in call head to head.

2. No seriously, be patient !
Only play pocket pairs and hands that add up to 20 or 21. Playing too many hands is poor play.
Large starting hands have a higher percentage of success and will keep you from getting into kicker trouble. Limit your starting hands to this list. As your game improves, you will graduate to playing more types of hands, bluffing and other strategies.

3. Practice makes perfect
Set up a weekly home game. Get your buddies together and play once a week. It’s a comfortable atmosphere to test your skills. Learning can snowball when some friends share your interest. It’s also cheaper than going out on the town. Play with or without money , I would recommend WITH money but only play 5$ games or 2$ games at first, this allow you to play alot of games without losing all your money ( you will be most likely losing the first few times ) Becoming a winning poker player requires many hours of play. Reading is important, but like everything else, practical application - on the job training

For an ONLINE Player …

1. Yep, you guessed it, More patience !
Waiting until you have a strong hand means less participation but a better winning percentage and more chips if you bet appropriately. Texas hold’em poker competitions on TV mislead people into thinking that every hand is filled with action, but let’s be honest: rounds of people folding aren’t very exciting and don’t make good TV viewing so are often edited out. When you have an ace in hand, you really should go in to see the flop, especially if your off card is either of the same suit or even relatively high, a seven or higher. The ace is the highest card on the flop, so the best to pair up or to have as a kicker.

2. Concentrate on reading players
Since in online poker you cant see a person it doesnt mean there arent any “tells” ( sign) , it just takes alot more concentration to be able to spot when a player is scared or bluffing. Be aware of the betting patterns of your opponents. Alot of people try to play 2 or Learn how to calculate outs and pot odds.

3. Pratice
Well the truth is online and offline is pretty much the same, the easiest way to get better is with practice. Luck is always a factor in any card game, but with practice you get experience, and with experience you can learn to maximize your winnings and minimize your losses.