Poker Guide for Beginners

Poker is the most popular card game in the world, it is played in all casinos around the world and you can even play it online today. Many people have the illusion that poker is a game of chance and if you are lucky you can win a lot of money, in this poker guide for beginners you will learn that luck has very little to do with it. Many people are afraid to start playing because they think that they are going to lose all their money, if you play poker according to the right strategy you can never lose all your money. Often you can read about professional poker players winning millions of dollars on this game, but even these players lose money sometimes, but they would never risk their entire bankroll. Knowing the right strategy is crucial in the game of poker, you need the skill to know when to play and when not to play in a poker game. If you apply the right strategy and play disciplined you will see your chip stack grow on the tables, but remember that you cannot win every game. A good poker player with the right strategy knows when it is time to back out of the game; he also analyses and learns from his mistakes.     

Before you have the basic knowledge that you need to play poker you should not play for real money, remember that poker is a game of skill and you need to know what you are doing. In this poker guide for beginners we will give you the basic knowledge and the basic rules of the most famous poker game of them all, Texas Hold’em. But you should know that it will take much more to make you a good poker player.

Basic Texas Hold’em Rules

Poker includes many different forms of card games; the most famous of them all is Texas Hold’em.

Below we will give you a basic guide to the rules of Texas Hold’em and the explanation to the terms used:

Terms used for forced bets:

Ante: 

-        Forced bet in that opens the game, all the players have to put an equal amount of chips on the table before the dealing of cards begin.

In Texas Hold’em there are two kinds of blinds, forced bets by the players sitting on left side of the dealer:

-        Small Blind, smaller one of the two forced bets. This is usually 1/2 the minimum opening bet amount.

-        Big Blind, larger of the two forced bets. This is usually equal to the minimum opening bet  amount.

The Playing Round:

Player gets two personal blind cards, which will not be revealed to the other players until the final showdown, after that the ante’s have been dealt with.

Three community cards are turned over on the table at the flop and the first round of betting takes place, at every betting round you will have to decide if you want to stay in the game or fold. After that comes to more rounds of betting when the turn card is exposed at the turn, and the river card is exposed at the river.

Now it is time for the showdown, the players left in the game has to make the highest ranked five card combination with the personal blind cards that has not been revealed to the other players and the community cards on the table that every player can see.

The dealing of cards rotates clockwise among the players after each hand, also changing position of the blinds. 

There are 3 ways of playing Texas Hold’em:

No limit: This means that you can bet any amount of the chips in your stack at any time in the game.

Limit: In Limit Hold’em you can only bet a fixed amount of your chips at all times.

Pot limit: Pot Limit Texas Hold’em is very seldom played, but it means that you can never bet more than there is in the pot at any time.

It is also important to know the rank of hands in poker games.

Facts you need to know and strategy tips:

Like I have told you before in this guide, nobody should play poker for real money until they have the basic knowledge and some experience. So please take my advice here below and don’t waste your hard earned money, losing money will easily destroy your opportunity and possibility to enjoy the game of poker.

• Search the web for information and read as much as you can about poker, there are many sites that have a free online poker school. Observe poker games and hands that have been played, you will always learn something new by observing games. Entering cash games directly will surely result in you losing your money, there are better ways to learn to play poker. There are many free poker software that you can use before you begin to play for money, or you can play some friendly games with your buddies. Get some experience before you sit down at the tables at a casino or online.
• When you feel that you have built up the basic knowledge that you need, and have gained some experience, it is time to move to the cash tables. Begin at the lowest level of table and work your way up, remember that the competition gets harder the higher the stake is. When you sign up to poker rooms and make a first time deposit you normally get a poker signup bonus, something that you will not get at a live casino. Take advantage of all the bonus offers that you can get, this is something that will get your bankroll building a jump start.
• Last but not the least, play poker in the proportion that will not damage your economy or social life. Many people get addicted to the thrill of the game; a big part of poker strategy is to play the game in a disciplined way.

 Usefull Poker Tips:

• Many beginners are eager to learn and eager to play every hand, this is not the right way, and the number of hands played is not a measurement of importance. The important thing is that you learn to understand the game; the player that not plays every hand understands the game. New players want to be a part of the action and follow the other players in every betting round, a big mistake that can cost a lot of money. You should learn to have patience and know when to fold; or else you will surely see the bottom of your bankroll pretty soon.
• Timing is crucial in poker; make as much money that you can on your good hands. You should always plan your bets carefully, win big and loose small. Play with caution, but when you are sitting with the killer hand you should get as many chips as you can from your opponents.
• Bluffing in poker is when the player with the weaker hand forces a player with the stronger hand to fold in the game. To be able to bluff in poker you need to have the basic understanding of poker psychology, you need to be able to read the signals that your opponent send and manipulate the signals you send. Bluffing in poker is and art, it is not something that you must do but it can be a very useful weapon to have in your arsenal. But you should not use this weapon until you feel confident doing so.
• Fold in the right time; never stay in the game because some of the chips in the pot belong to you. If you feel that you cannot win a hand, fold as fast as you can. Other vice you will only increase the amount of money you put in the pot and lose.
• Don’t play poker when you are in the wrong state of mind, poker demands focus and concentration. Poker is a strategy game that demands discipline, playing in the wrong state of mind or under the influence of alcohol will cloud your judgment. If you are not at your best state of mind, don’t play poker. Other players will pick up on it and take advantage of the situation.
• Watch your opponents and register their behavior, knowing your opponents can do a great deal for your game. Knowing your opponents will give you the upper hand in many parts of the game, especially when it comes to the bluff. Remember their nick and behavior; this can be of great help.
• When you have registered player’s behavior, adjust to your poker opponents it and play the way suited for the game. No one poker game is like the other, to take optimal advantage of every poker game you need to adapt to the circumstances.
• Remember that your players are reading your game to, do not play the same game every time. Make it as hard as possible for your players to read your game, wary the time that it takes for you to bet and the sizes of your bets. If you manage to confuse your opponent player they will never be able to predict your action, this will give you the upper hand in many situation.  
• Have your mind set on playing your game and the way that suits you the best; don’t jump in to the shark pool if you are a fish. Your bankroll and skill level should determine what table you should play on, knowing your limitations is an important aspect of the game. Don’t sit down at the table if you don’t seriously think that you are the best player there, or if you are not sure that your bankroll is built for the stake.
• A poker player should always learn from his mistakes. Nobody is perfect but you won’t get any better at anything if you don’t learn from your mistakes. Always analyze your play after the game and think of what you could have done better and how it would have impacted the outcome. Somebody will always lose, and sometimes it will be you, be humble in your behavior and always look back and learn from your mistakes.

Poker Games

Poker games can either be played in the form of poker tournaments or cash poker games, but as I stated before you have to know what you are doing before you play for real money. Always begin with free games or friendly games among your buddies. Poker tournaments can be a great way to start playing for real money when you feel confident enough, here you only risk a limited amount of money (the buy-in). Free and friendly poker game will not the same aggression as poker games that involve real money, be prepared for this. Begin to play for real money online where you can take advantage of the many bonus offers that you can find, this will give you a great start and boost your bankroll. Remember the facts and tip that has been presented to you in this poker guide for beginners, stick to your strategy and play disciplined. Last but not the least; enjoy the game of poker the way it is supposed to be played.