Getting Started at Online Poker
The most popular online poker game is Texas Hold’em and if you are about to embark into playing poker online then you are recommended to make this your game of choice. The reason for this is that it is one of the simplest poker games to understand and that, with a little effort, you can quickly become a moderately skilled player.
We will not attempt to spell out the rules; there are plenty of places where you can discover these. Instead we will look at some of the key features of the game knowledge of which should help a beginner make headway in this casino game.
An important poker mindset is patience. Poker is a game at which you should plan to profit in the long term rather than to make a quick killing. However good you get at the game, there will be times when you win and times when you lose. Poker is a game of skill, so the better you get, the more you will win in the long term.
For the beginner one of the most important decisions is when to open your hand and when to fold. As there seem to be many opportunities to improve your hand, the temptation is to open weak hands that it would be better to fold.
There are times when you can play weak hands, but as a beginner you should only play strong ones. By strong hands we mean pairs face cards and tens and two face cards of the same suit plus Ace King of different suits. You should fold everything else.
What if you get a pair of nines? Surely you shouldn’t fold that! In fact you should fold a pair of nines; with a pair of nines the odds are against you winning.
The next issue is bluffing. As a beginner there is a simple bluffing rule: Don’t Bluff. Although bluffing is an important element in poker, for a beginner it is far better to concentrate on playing your hand optimally than trying to bluff.
Next you should learn the implications of position, by which we mean where you are seated with respect to the button. The optimal way to play when in a late position is very different from when you are in an early position.
Other things to address are calculating pot odds and adjusting your betting accordingly. Once and only once you have covered all these topics you can begin to think about stepping up to the next level.