What is the best way of starting off poker?

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Question by Dr Drop Dead: What is the best way of starting off poker?
Hi there, I have not been playing poker for long and I am quite enthusiastic about it, but I am rubbish at the moment, any tips on how to start off to become a successful poker player and any websites or games or free online poker with pretend money. Thanks a lot.

Best answer:

Answer by kathie0309
if you want to be really good, you may want to get a book, or take a course in how to play poker. there’s more things you need to know to become a good poker player than meets the eye. also game sites by yahoo and msn also have multiplayer games in which you can play poker with other players online. good luck!

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16 comments — post a comment

DoctorJohn —

party poker.com has a play chip room

ALLEN B —

Learn how to work out odds in your head for each hand taking in to consideration of all visible cards; that will give you a good advantage

ZCT —

Pick a good poker web site, and start playing. Even if it is play money, some sites have ‘high stakes’ play money rooms, that are at least as tough as micro stakes real money.

Get in some practice and keep reading the books.

Vegas Matt —

Check the library for poker books. Ours has about a million, but I don’t know how it is in other areas. Anyway, it’s a good way to get a lot of different perspectives without having to buy anything.

benbumper —

To improve at poker, you need to follow a few simple steps:

1) Decide what kind of poker you want to play. Start with just one game. Also, decide whether you want to play cash games or tournaments.

2) Find somewhere to play regularly. There are great free poker games on sites like FullTiltPoker.net and Pokerstars.net where you can play. Even better, find a group of friends to play with.

3) Get a book. Tom McEvoy has some great books for starting players. Phil Gordon’s books are really good for a beginning player as well.

4) Get feedback. Either a poker coach or a group of friends who talk about the game can move your poker playing up in a big way. Even inexperienced friends may see things that can help your game. The more feedback you get, the more you can improve. Make sure you understand the “Why” of the feedback, rather than just what to do differently. You will find that giving feedback helps as well. The more you think about poker situations, the better you can get.

5) Have fun with it. Don’t let it consume you or take away from time with family and friends. This is really important because when poker goes bad (and it does for everyone), you don’t want to be taking it out on them.

6) Manage your bankroll. Whatever money you use for poker should be just that: poker money. Do not mix that money with other money – especially money you play at games like Blackjack and things like that. I recommend keeping records of wins and losses to help you track how you play and to observe the progress you have made.

7) Understand that losing and bad beats are just part of the game. Be polite when someone gets lucky against you, and be cool when you beat someone else. Remember, act like you have been there before and like it is no big deal.

dunhate235 —

1. Start playing with “play money”. The best sites are either pokerstars or fulltiltpoker. AFter you get a feel of the game you may want to progress to the 25/50 cent tables where books and other concepts are much more imporartant than in play money games.
2. Read a book. The most reccomended book is called “The theory of poker. Heres a link: http://www.amazon.com/Theory-Poker-David-Sklansky/dp/1880685000/ref=pd_sim_b_5/002-5423259-0431230?ie=UTF8&qid=1179439097&sr=1-1
After you read this book you have to choose between no limit or limit. For limit here is my book reccomedation: Ace on a river, heres a link : http://www.amazon.com/Ace-River-Advanced-Poker-Guide/dp/0972044221/ref=sr_1_1/002-5423259-0431230?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185477369&sr=1-1 For no limit heres a link: http://www.amazon.com/Harrington-Expert-Strategy-Limit-Tournaments/dp/1880685337/ref=pd_sim_b_1/002-5423259-0431230?ie=UTF8&qid=1185477369&sr=1-1
3. There are many concepts that must be mastered to become a succesful poker player. You have to know when to bluff, when to slowplay, when to check raise, when to contiuation bet, learn to be for the most part very agressive yet be able after you put lots of money in the pot, when to semibluff, when to check call your draw, when to actaully pursue your draw (pot odds), must know implied pot odds (in nl holdem), when a good time to call is (rarely), how to play suuted connectors, know how to use position effectively, and many other things. Yea, its a handful. I have a yahoo answers link where i talk about this stuff here it is (just scroll down and you will see a very long passage its mine) : http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=ApvIpwkDimkSBqTcEeWpojzty6IX?qid=20070724131233AA4CMQS&show=7#profile-info-5u3arGBnaa
5. O i forgot, when you first start you want to play a tight game. Resist the temptation to call with K9. Get in the habit of doing this EVEN in play money tables. Eventaully in play money you can play a little more loose because it wont be really fun. However, once you start playing real money you have to be tight again. (and agressive)
6. Practice.

Its a lengthy column I know..
Edit: I just noticed this very good site that explains many basici concepts of poker strategy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poker_strategy

pigletblue —

Start playing like 1$ sit and go tournaments. I think Pokerstars is a pretty good site.
After testing it out for a little while get some good books like, Dan Harrington`s “Harrington on Hold`em 1-3″, which is my favorite tournament books. And if you to read some entertaining and enlightening anecdotes about gambler philosophy and lifestyle get Doyle Brunson`s ” Poker Wisdom of a Champion”.
This will keep you busy for a while!

Nommo —

buy Doyle Brunson book called Super System it’s the bible of poker.

David W —

The best place to play poker for free is at Full Tilt Poker; the play money games there are much higher quality then others (if the other players don’t take it seriously and just call everything, the game is worthless as practice).

Jen w —

Pacific poker is good as they have avatars now as you the player and you are credited with 1000 free play in the play for fun section,also they do real tournaments done by the star but for that you need to register for real play.

Also you can chat with other players i use it my self.

Ps they even have a poker school.

colin c —

I f you know the basic rules etc, you would be better playing very small stake tournaments (maybe 10 seaters) as u will get more idea of whats required where as playing ‘fun’ money tables are just like like bingo as no one has anything to ‘lose’

Willie E —

Try http://www.freepoker4cash.com/.

you can play there for free for real money and you don’t need a credit card or to make a deposit.

Prizes are paid by sponsors and advertisers so it’s totally free.

Plus it’s better than playing at a play money table because the other players are actually playing FOR something. Not just screwing around at a play money table going all in all the time.

You won’t learn poker and get better playing against those players.

Hope this helps….maybe I’ll see you there.

mosub1980 —

Vegas Matt, you have lots of poker books in your library, lol crap tell me where you live.

Anyway, what i have done is to buy the Harrington on hold em series, Vol. 1-3. Without doubt the best tournament poker books around. I really don;t rate Super System 1 or 2 for texas hold em. They are not in depth enough to be a serioud player.

Also watch lots of poker tournaments on tv so you can learn how to play play from the pros. If i see anything interesting that is a good play, i make a note of it on paper so i can refer back to it when i need to.

lastly, i study poker everyday like it’s a degree, im studing for. There so much to learn about poker, your going to forget alot of stuff and dont forget to play ALOT. Nothing will give you experience like playing, in a casino or online.