Many, if not most, of the people who get interested in online poker know little or nothing about poker.
Perhaps they played a few hands years of poker ago in college or the military, or on a trip to a casino or they’ve seen poker on TV and in the movies. Either way, these people know little or nothing about poker. They know only a few things about poker and when they actually try to play online, they loose their shirts. That’s exactly what the online poker rooms and professional players want; they want you to loose your money.
Fortunately, it’s never been easier to learn poker and become a good player. There are lots of incredible resources out there that can help you learn how to play poker.
A good place to start is to read a few poker books; Doyle Brunson’s Super System: A Course in Power Poker is still considered the best. Many of the top players have written poker books and have shared a lot of their secrets.
Another great resource a lot of players don’t take advantage of is poker lessons. Many casinos and most online poker rooms have free poker lessons available. There are also streaming video and DVD poker lessons available from some of the best players in the game including Phil Hellmuth, the winner of 11 World Series of Poker titles. Lessons can familiarize you with the basics of the game and help you improve your player.
You should familiarize yourself with poker slang or lingo but don’t get caught up on it. Reading a few good poker books will tell what you need. Concentrate on the game itself, learn the strategy, the plays and the cards.
Remember using a lot of poker slang you’re not familiar with will brand you as a newbie or neophyte player. The sharks will smell this and start circling so don’t do it.
The best way to learn how to play poker is to play a lot of poker. Start playing the free online games as soon as you can and play them a lot. This will familiarize you with the game and give you actual hands on experience. There are also poker computer games that you can play poker against. Some of these are designed to teach you poker, and they can help you get familiar with the basics.
Online players should also play offline. See if you can locate a weekly poker game in your area and join it. If you can’t, see if you can get a game going among your friends and others. If you can afford it, occasionally go and play at a casino or card room. Playing off line will teach you important lessons about the game you can’t get from books or online.