Help starting to learn Poker

Hi All,

I will be googling this but...

Would anyone be kind enough to point me to basic tuition and maybe practice sites where I can learn poker from scratch?

I enjoy Blackjack and though I grasp the maths and basic strategy of that game, I'm totally at a loss with the concept of playing the more psychological, people skills of poker, where a good player can beat a bad player with a bad hand against a good one..

Thanks in advance.

Quote: OnceDear

Hi All,

I will be googling this but...

Would anyone be kind enough to point me to basic tuition and maybe practice sites where I can learn poker from scratch?

I enjoy Blackjack and though I grasp the maths and basic strategy of that game, I'm totally at a loss with the concept of playing the more psychological, people skills of poker, where a good player can beat a bad player with a bad hand against a good one..

Thanks in advance.

I don't know that a "site" is going to be of great help, for poker you probably need to read some full books. The math is easy, learn to count your outs and then learn the rule of 4/2. Meaning at the turn multiply outs by 4 and on the river by 2, that is your % chance of hitting.

So 8 outs at the turn is 32% chance of hitting turn or river and 16% chance of hitting on just the river. This one thing is well over half the "math" I find I need.

The "psychological" part you just have to practice. And practice. Then some practice. Take a break, come back and practice. Then when you are done with that, more practice.............

Quote: OnceDear

Hi All,

I will be googling this but...

Would anyone be kind enough to point me to basic tuition and maybe practice sites where I can learn poker from scratch?

I enjoy Blackjack and though I grasp the maths and basic strategy of that game, I'm totally at a loss with the concept of playing the more psychological, people skills of poker, where a good player can beat a bad player with a bad hand against a good one..

Thanks in advance.

Sign up for online Bovada casino.
Play the 3 cent 5 cent cash game or cheap 3 buck tournaments.
Read some books and play a ton of cheap poker.
Tons of expereience helps your game.

Hi all, I have the same problem as op. Everyone says to read a good book on the subject, but no one actually says what the good books are. So who are the Stanford Wongs of the poker world and what books did they write? Suggestions please!

Quote: Avincow

Hi all, I have the same problem as op. Everyone says to read a good book on the subject, but no one actually says what the good books are. So who are the Stanford Wongs of the poker world and what books did they write? Suggestions please!

I like Dan Harrington's books. I think there are five.
Amazon should carry them all.

Quote: terapined

Sign up for online Bovada casino. Play the 3 cent 5 cent cash game or cheap 3 buck tournaments

Thanks. I'll see if they let me sign up (I'm in UK).
If I do find and enter such low stakes games, will I be shark food for players that will play differently or gang up on me when I show a weak game?

Quote: OnceDear

Would anyone be kind enough to point me to basic tuition and maybe practice sites where I can learn poker from scratch?

You can play online, but don't expect to learn anything of value.

The deals are suspect, and most of the players are poorly skilled.

Your best bet is to find a software product that teaches the game from every position, and against any number of players.

Years ago, I purchased "Turbo Texas Hold'em" from Wilson Software, and it helped me trmendously.

I own three of their products.

After every session, a character named Sidewinder Sid would evaluate as many hands that I played and advise where I should have done something different.

"You called. You should have raised."

I came in the money in three of the four tournaments I entered after using that software.

It paid for itself many times over.

Unfortunately, Wilson is no longer in business, but you might find their procucts on E-Bay.

Quote: Tanko

You can play online, but don't expect to learn anything of value.

.

I disagree.
Getting a ton of experience under your belt is a key factor of getting better at poker.
Lots of internet players have done well at live tournaments.
Many old time pros lament at the fact that their 20 to 30 years of poker experience can get crammed into a year or 2 for an online player.

Quote: OnceDear

Hi All,

I will be googling this but...

Would anyone be kind enough to point me to basic tuition and maybe practice sites where I can learn poker from scratch?

I enjoy Blackjack and though I grasp the maths and basic strategy of that game, I'm totally at a loss with the concept of playing the more psychological, people skills of poker, where a good player can beat a bad player with a bad hand against a good one..

Thanks in advance.

From scratch start here. http://www.pokertips.org/strategy/strategy.php Its free.


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Join a poker league. There are many nationwide. Do a Google search in your area. Most play at a pub or restaurant, with no fees other than a request to patronize the venue.

Unlike a sports league, in poker leagues there is no requirement to play any specific day or number of times. They often have some method of tracking performance, with prizes including trips to Las Vegas or a local casino. While frequent participation makes it is easier to win the big prize that they offer, most leagues have methods where a player can win prizes even when playing infrequently.

Also, to keep it legal and non-gambling, in most cases there is no fee. The league makes money from the venue, the same way the venue would pay DJs and other entertainers. If it brings in business, the venue is happy, so be sure to patronize the venue while you play.

Unlike in a poker room, where it may be good advice to believe the exact opposite of what people tell you, the players in poker leagues tend to be friendly, open, and will offer honest answers to poker questions. Many poker league players use it as a way to tune up their game in between their trips to the casino's poker room.

For the price of a burger and a beer, poker leagues are a great way to learn the game


Last, when you think you're ready to play in a casino, read this article:
https://wizardofvegas.com/forum/gambling/poker/7713-introduction-to-poker-in-a-casino-poker-room/

Quote: Avincow

Hi all, I have the same problem as op. Everyone says to read a good book on the subject, but no one actually says what the good books are. So who are the Stanford Wongs of the poker world and what books did they write? Suggestions please!

I had one called "Why You Lose at Poker" but be prepared as it says do not play tourney at all as they make you lose money.

The thing on books is most are going to be the same and what you like will be personal. My suggestion is find a used book store and skim a few pages, see if you like the writing style. Seriously, there is little difference in most books in the end.

If you're a recreational player I would recommend you stick to blackjack and learn basic strategy which is very simple.

Unless you dedicate some serious time to learning poker the edge you're giving up at poker is much MUCH higher than the edge you're giving up with basic strategy blackjack.

Quote: sc15

If you're a recreational player I would recommend you stick to blackjack and learn basic strategy which is very simple.

Unless you dedicate some serious time to learning poker the edge you're giving up at poker is much MUCH higher than the edge you're giving up with basic strategy blackjack.

There's a million reasons why you should learn poker over BJ.

Quote: AxelWolf

There's a million reasons why you should learn poker over BJ.

I tend to agree. BJ is just knowing the cards and probabilities. Poker seems to have so much more to it, some maths and some human behaviour interpretation . It's not about edge: The financial aspects are unlikely ever to matter to me.

Small Stakes Texas Hold'em by Ed Miller. I've read several books, but that one gave me the best advice in terms of return at the tables. Tye value from the low buy in tournament section made me an overall winner... but also made me realize that my hourly rate was not worth it. I stopped playing after I decide the grind was not worth my time, and I did not want to invest to get to higher stakes.

Try your local library. Get several books and read. David Sklansky and Doyle Brunson are good writers.

I haven't read the Harrington on Hold em' cash game books, but the HoH tournament series is one of few books I actually learned anything from.

If you want to learn poker join a forum, play poker, post hand histories, reply to others hand histories, and generally be active in that forum.

Play poker and discuss it.

Also, I'd encourage you to play online even if you want to excel at live games. Playing against tougher competition will teach you how to think about poker. You'll learn what matters faster.

Also, its less about psychology and more about repetition. Over time you learn under what circumstances players are likely to have certain hands.