If you are completely new to poker or are about to play in a real brick and mortar casino for the first time, this blog is for you.
There is already a lot of information available online for beginning poker players. Instead of repeating in my blog what is already out there I will direct you to some good poker sites where you can find the information you need.
First thing you have to realise is that there are many different kinds of poker games. In the old Hollywood movies you usually see people play 5-Card Draw poker. Other poker variations are 5-Card Stud, Razz, Pineapple, Badugi and lots more. Also popular in movies and home games is the variant of Dealer’s choice where you play a different kind of poker game each hand. If you have never played poker before, I recommend you start with the most popular game at this moment, No Limit Texas Hold’em.
On the website of pokernews you can find a good introduction to the rules of Texas Holdem.
Now you know the rules of the game it is time to practice. I prefer to play in a real brick and mortar casino but to practice I find it easier and cheaper to play online.
There are many online poker-rooms and depending on where you live it is legal or illegal to play online. Sometimes you are only allowed to play at certain online casino’s. So you have to check the laws of you’re own country whether it is legal or not to play online and whether you have to pay any taxes on you’re winnings.
To learn the game it is best to start with playing small tournaments or sit and go's. If you want to play a tournament you only have to pay a single entry fee, for which you get a standard amount of chips to play with. The amount of chips you start with is equal for all players. Because you only pay one entry fee you know exactly the amount of money it will cost you to play. On pokerstars.com you can play tournaments for as low as $0,02. So it is a very cheap way to start learning the game.
On the Hendon mob website you can find more information about poker tournaments.
Once you have learned the basic poker rules I recommend you start playing cash games or ring games as they are also called. I prefer cash games over tournaments because with cash games it is easier to earn some money, there are no set times of when you have to start or stop playing and if you want to play in a real brick and mortar casino there is always a cash game you can join. Tournaments are much rarer to find in a real casino and when you do happen to find one, you are not free to leave when you are tired, have to do something else or just don't like the company you are playing with. With cash games you can come and go as you please, if you don’t like your seat or table, you can simple move. And when you have just won a really big pot you can just take your money and leave.
After you have practiced your skills online it is time to make your first trip to a real brick and mortar casino. The amount of money you have to take with you depends on the blind level you want to play and of course the amount of money you have available in your poker bankroll.
Before you go, visit the website of the casino and see what kind of cash games they have to offer. Most casino’s have cash games with blinds of $2 and $5. But there are also casino’s where you can play for as low as $0,25 and as high as $1000 blinds. If I go to play a cash game I usually take about 300 big blinds in cash with me. I buy in for 150 big blinds so i have enough to buy in twice. If i loose my buy in twice in one night it is usually a sign that something is wrong with my play or that my opponents are playing better then me. Whatever is the case, it is better to go home, count your loses and try again on another night.
Going to a real casino for the first time can be a little intimidating. To make it a little less intimidating it can help to familiarize yourself with the rules for playing at a real casino. That way you know what to expect and don’t look to much as a newbie.
If you are going to play in a tournament you can find the most used set of poker rules on the website of the international poker association.
A lot of these rules also count for playing cash games.
Also go to the website of the casino you are going to visit. There you can find the casino’s house rules and poker rules. Some casino’s require certain clothing standards, age requirements or methods of identification before you are allowed to enter.
On poker news you can find a great series of articles by Robert Woolley, Casino poker for beginners, telling you everything else you need to know before you go to a casino for the first time.
After all this information, I hope you feel comfortable enough to visit a casino and have some fun. Good luck at the tables!
No comments:
Post a Comment