Learn How to Play Poker
While poker is one of those games that can be learned quickly, it can also take a lifetime to master. This article will hopefully get you up to speed a little bit quicker than that!
We will help you break it the game of poker down step by step, and show you what to focus on at each stage of your learning. Follow the links at each stage as you go along, and you will find more information on each subject.
There are 3 steps to learning poker.
1. Learn the rules
You will need to know what beats what in the particular game you are playing. If you are playing Texas Hold’em for example, you need to know the different hands that you can make. You can have a look at the Hand Rands for Texas Hold’em here.
Then you will need to find out how the game works, ie: the betting, raising, folding, the blind structure, and that sort of thing. If you have never played a game of poker before, it might take a little while to absorb it all, but it is actually more simple than it seems. To find out how the game is played, read How Texas Hold’em is Played.
2. Gain experience playing free poker
After you know what the different hands are, and also how the game progresses from one betting round to another, you should jump into a game, and see how you go! It’s important not to play for real money at this stage. You are still learning, and risking cash straight away probably won’t work out well. If you can organise a casual game with friends, that’s a good way to get some practice in. If that doesn’t suit you, try playing one of the free online poker sites. There are plenty to choose from, and you can read about all of them here: Free Online Poker Sites.
We recommend Carbon Poker, as they are an excellent site for playing free poker online, and they are also available to players in the USA. Here is their link:
3. Learn the numbers
After you have had a bit of practice playing free poker, it’s a good idea to learn a bit about the numbers behind the game. Learning a bit about the basic mathematics and odds will not only make the game a more interesting for you, it will also significantly improve your chances of winning!
You don’t really need to know the exact mathematical chances for every single eventuality, but you will benefit greatly from a general understanding about your odds in certain common situations. In some cases simply knowing whether you are the favourite or the underdog is good enough.
You can find a list of important concepts and Poker Odds here. If you are involved in a big hand, you can review it afterwards to see whether you made the right decision or not.
4. Learn the people
Knowing the rules and the numbers is only part of the game. Different players will play the game with their own individual style. Some players will play tight, some players will play loose, some players will always try to bluff, and some players have never bluffed in their whole life. Being able to adapt to the way other people on the table play is one of the best skills to master in poker.
No matter what style a person plays in, chances are that they have some weakness in their game that you will be able to exploit. If they always fold when they don’t have a strong hand, you can bet and raise them constantly. If they tend to call all the way to the river even with weak hands, then you can get paid well when you hit a strong hand.
If you play against a similar group of people all the time (at a home game or a casino for example) knowing how each player plays will make a huge difference to your chances of winning.
The most common type of player that you will run into when playing free poker or low stakes poker is the Recreational Player. It’s a good idea to learn how they play, as they will make up the majority of your opponents when you start out.
