Handy and helpful hints on how to play Texas Hold’em poker for newcomers and novices
1. If you are totally new to the game, start by playing with play-money. The tables where play-money is used are marked “play-money” or similar. Here you only play in order to learn how the poker software works or getting used to reading the cards at the table. You might also play just for the fun of it.
2. Do not play too long with play-money if you later are planning to play with real money later. Why? Because the game will be completely different when real money gets involved. Playing for pounds can be an expensive education!
3. Read as much as you can from the mountains of information online or from books or even tap the knowledge of anybody you know who is good at Texas Hold’em and who plays online. Join him/her and observe the way he/she is acting. Ask questions.
4. Make use of the bonuses on offer from the numerous online companies in order to start playing! In order to use this maximally you always should deposit the amount of money to ensure you get the maximum bonus possible on (provided you can afford this at this very moment).
Most players lose money in the beginning and that’s why it is important to use all the bonuses you can get.
5. Do not become power mad! Just because of the fact that you have managed to win £100 this does not mean that you are prepared for larger tables than the smallest ones. When you feel that you cannot lose at the smallest tables have a large bankroll, which allows a somewhat bigger game, then you are ready for your first attempt at playing the bigger tables and thus placing larger bets.
It is generally understood that your financial capacity should minimum be 150-300 times the big bet (maximum allowed bet) if the table is supposed to be suitable for you. Even if you are a good poker player there has to be room for possible losses. The most important thing is that you win in the long run.
6. The best piece of advice anyone can give is to only play good hole cards (the two cards you are dealt). Remember that there will be times where you will be followed by bad luck and lose money. Luck effects even the best players. Your profit should also cover these periods. Therefore you should play tightly even when you win. Never think: ” I can afford to play worse hands now when I have been winning a lot”.
7. If you are sitting at a table losing money without understanding why the reason probably is that you are a worse player than the others. Changing tables might be a good idea.
If you on the other hand understand why you have lost and your opinion is that this only is due to bad luck you should stay at the table if you think you can change the game. This might however not be the case as you are rookie (beginner) and you might have missed some important factors, which make you lose. It is said that if you cannot figure out who is the “fish” (the one or those that pay the other players) at the table it is probably you.
8. Never play when you are tired or have a mental lack of concentration or start to chase your losses (playing on tilt). Do not play when you are drunk. If you stick to the tilt rule you will probably do quite well. Playing on tilt is nearly impossible to avoid although it sounds quite easy.
9. Are you surrounded by bad players? Do not complain if they win with bad hands now and then. They are the ones who pay you. Therefore it is clumsy of you if you upset them and make them leave the table.
10. Keep records of the way you play, for how long and the result. By doing this you will see that it pays off to play strictly. You will in other words get more motivated to get rid of your bad hands. Tips: Pokertracker.com
11. Know your opponents. You can save or win a lot of money by knowing roughly how your opponent acts in different situations and what starting hands he plays. It is easily done that you surf around the internet if you get tired. If you cannot stay away from such behaviour you will lose important information.
And finally, good luck!
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