The start of any poker journey is tricky isn’t it? You’re not sure the best place to start, what site to play on, the rules or what’s good advice. You can take some comfort that even the best poker players were once at the start too. Fortunately for you, we have broken down the first four steps you need to take in this post. By the end of this article, you’ll have the plan ready for you to start your journey into online poker.
1] Learn the Rules (for free)
Before even considering sitting at the poker table, you have to know the rules. Texas Hold’em is not an especially hard game to learn the basic rules to. But, there is far more to it than just knowing the hand rankings. You’ll need to familiarise yourself with key concepts like hand strength, what hands to play and fold and basic appreciation of the odds involved. Rather than learning from experience as you go and likely losing in the process. We recommend using a free poker cheat sheet. These are excellent poker guides that help micro and low stakes poker player understand the fundamentals of Texas hold’em. The best poker coaching sites offer these for free so have a look around, print them off and keep nearby when you play.
2] Start Small
It’s just common sense really isn’t it? There is no sense risking much money when you start out in poker. Otherwise, your destined for failure. A big loss can harm your bankroll and your mentality to play which might mean you never return. Instead, start small, playing very low stakes games to appreciate how the games play. Once you are regularly beating the low games you can consider moving up and challenging yourself but initially, please be wise and limit how much you are wagering.
3] Learn from Experts
Its always a good idea to learn from those who are more experienced and winners. You can do this in various ways, chatting to people, investing in poker coaching or even just frequenting some poker forums. You can gain some invaluable advice from experts. One or two tips could significantly help your win rate and have taken you months or even years to learn yourself via experience. Learning from experts doesn’t have to be costly either. Most coaching sites have a training video section where you can access excellent video content for a modest monthly subscription.
4] Play Two Tables Max
Online poker is great that it allows players the option to play loads of tables at once. However, as a new player with limited experience, this not a perk. On the contrary, playing lots of tables is likely to confuse you, make you rush your decisions and ultimately hinder your chances of making any money at all. Instead, stick with one or two tables initially. Dedicate yourself properly to ensuring you are observing and paying attention to opponents’ tendencies before considering adding more tables. There is always time in the future to learn to master more tables, but starting out it’s better to be careful.