Surviving Your First Poker Game
Written on August 15, 2008 – 10:37 am | by Poker Guru
Before I tried my hands in poker, I read articles and tips on the Internet to get myself prepared for my very first 5 card stud game. The experience was so unforgettable. I was so nervous I can’t concentrate the whole game. At the end of the night, I lost half my money and my dignity. Kidding! I didn’t lost my dignity. Poker is not such a bad game. It’s actually fun if you know the ins and outs of the game.
Anyway, whenever I play Holdem in a casino, I can’t help but feel pity to the beginners in the room who are losing their money table after table. They obviously don’t realize the situation they are plunging into. Hovering all over them are scavengers wanting to sit in their table and take all their money. Watching these beginners lose their money flashes old memories to my mind. I can still see myself sitting in this Poker Room for the first time playing all excited and nervous only to find out at the end of the night that I didn’t earn any money. And so I told myself, I will put an end to this scavenging. I will blog about survival guide for first time poker players.
But I have to admit, whenever I play poker for money I always look for weak or new players. I’m a scavenger at times. But I don’t always take everyone’s money. When I know I earned enough, I go home and sleep over my winnings. Anyhow, here are my helpful tips to first time poker players. Beginners read up!
Play small. Casino or Online Poker is very much different to the poker you play with your family. Everything is much faster and tighter. No matter how good you are at playing No Limit Texas Holdem with your uncles and friends, you’ll find that your skills are not enough to winning in a real poker game. So, my advice is to start small. There’s no reason for you to lose a lot of money for your first few games. It’s better if your observe first and play a few to get you warmed up and acquainted with all the poker rules, procedures, and techniques.
Play few but aggressive hands. For a beginner, it’s always better to play only few hands. But you need to play aggressively when you know that you have good hands. When you are in a casino, you may want to stand back for a while and observe the players. Watch the kinds of hands they play and their betting strategies. You can use this knowledge to outplay them whenever you eventually decide to play against them.
Keep learning. Even though you already know the basic on playing successful poker, it’s always a good idea to keep yourself informed. Everyday there are always new rules and strategies in poker. You can read books, join a Poker Blog, or read articles on the Internet to stay informed. You need not rush in learning everything. Take baby steps to learn all there is to know and eventually you’ll hone yourself to the best poker player you can be.
Remember, money is at stake at poker. So, don’t rush yourself to playing poker when you don’t know everything yet.
Tags: holdem, No Limit Texas Hold'em, online poker, poker, poker forum
