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POKER TIPS FOR THE BEGINNER                

By Tina Bergstrom

Thursday, January 4, 2007


With thousands of players a month entering the online poker sites and casino poker rooms, there is a big demand for beginners to learn the do’s and don’ts of poker etiquette and table rules.  Whether you are a seasoned or first time player, these helpful hints will be appreciated by everyone you play with in practice, online and live play.

1.  Always play in turn.  Never fold your hand out of turn or make a motion indicating your intentions.  This action gives information to all the players that are yet to act, and is an unfair advantage.  Players who have already acted are discounted without the benefit of the tell or play out of turn.

2.  Making a bet or raise 2-3 times the big blind.  This is a basic betting guide, more than a rule.  For next level players, the guide is expanded and explored in more detail.  Calls are equal to the big blind.  Typical raises are 2-3 times the big blind depending on the hand, position and style of play.  

3.  Most beginners play way too many hands.  Concentrate on playing higher valued hands listed as follows.  Any top pocket pairs and combinations of these top cards. AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AK, AQ, AJ, KQ, KJ, QJ.  You should already have in mind your strategy of play and position play.  There are three positions of play, early position, middle position and late position.  First three players to the left of the dealer are in early position, second three players are in the middle position and last three players are in late position. When you are in early position the action starts with you first.  Hands to play in this position would be AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, AK, AQ suited and unsuited to call or raise.  Middle position hands, raise with AA, KK, QQ, JJ, TT, AK, AQ, and add these hands AJ, KQ, QJ KJ, 99, 88 suited and off suit.  Late position hand plays all the listed above, raise with no action in front of you these hands, 77, A/rag, or high connectors such as J/10, Q/10, K/10.  When you are in late position, you see the other player’s actions. This is most helpful for making assumptions about the strength of pocket cards of your opponents.  Your decision making becomes systematic.


4.  Never criticize another player’s play of a hand.  Everyone is playing at their own personal level.  Be it beginner, advanced or intermediate.  Poker is a game of skill and luck.  It takes 5 minutes to learn and a lifetime to master.  Practice of good sportsmanship and respect should be observed at the table at all times.

5.  Never be afraid to fold.  When you determine your hand pre-flop is not a playable hand, fold.  Never play poker in fear, and never play your hand out in your head after a pre-flop fold.  There are no crystal balls in this game.  You must become confident in your play and learn from your mistakes.

6.  Bluffing is not a move I encourage for beginners.  Seasoned players will pick up on a tell of a bluff from a beginner simply put because of the poor bluff maneuver.  You first must master your own game and style before adding advanced moves to your game.

7.  Protect your hand at all times.  Drop a chip or keep a card guard handy to protect your hand from being raked to the muck.  This is especially important in live play in relation to seats one and nine, on each side of the dealer.

8.  Watching the other players betting patterns.  This element of the game should constantly be practiced in both live and online play.  Tells are most difficult to determine in online play.  But a constant observance of betting patterns and shown cards can help your assumptions of strength and weakness of a player’s hand.  Big bets usually reflect a weak hand and small out of the ordinary bets usually reflect a strong hand.

9.  Poker is a learning process.  Read as many articles and books that you can and put what you absorb to work for you.  Play and practice on line and live play.  Remember, the two have different styles of play which you must learn to differentiate.

10.  Lastly, showing good sportsmanship on a win is paramount.  Remembering the element of respect for the player exiting the game shows both your professionalism and skill in the game of poker.  That player just played his/her last hand of the tournament and has earned your respect.  A fair comment to an exiting player is “good game”.  Please remember NOT to over celebrate a win in this respect.