Learning to Play Poker

Texas Hold'em has quickly become a staple on TV, in casinos, and in living rooms around the country.

You must know how to play, and how to play well. Whether you want to beat your friends in a friendly home game, or make some money playing online or at a brick and mortar casino, or compete in a tournament, the following tips will show you how you can begin a journey which can be fun and rewarding.

You can begin by...

PLAYING FOR FREE

Admittedly, playing poker free without anything at stake is usually boring and unrewarding.

However, the majority of online poker sites still offer the option to play poker using free money. Anyone who opens an account receives a small sum of play money he or she can use at the play money tables. There they can play in the same manner that the real money tables use.

Now clearly the level of competition and the quality of the strategies are not those you will usually find at a real money table. That is not to say that the free tables are not without purpose. Since the site will keep records of the amount of free money you win, there will be a steady increase in the level of play as you start entering into tables where the stakes are higher. For instance, if you were to start out with 1,000 dollars and slowly work your way up to a sum of 20,000 dollars, allowing you to enter into tournaments where the buy-in is 3,000 and up, then you would be playing against higher caliber opponents. As a result online poker for free does have its own level of competition and depth.

When you have mastered the play money tables, you can then begin playing at the real money tables. Take the time to play for free and think of the decisive advantages it presents:

Gain a knowledge of the best starting hands in Texas Hold em.
You learned to harness the power of position at the poker table.
You have grown in your understanding of betting and the various betting strategies
Grasped the ability to speak poker slang without looking like an idiot at the tables.
You understand there is a proper code of conduct known as poker etiquette.

So what are you waiting on? Do a search on online poker reviews and find the poker-client that best suits your needs. While you begin learning to play poker for free, you should...

BUY THE BEST POKER BOOKS

A large number of poker players find their introduction to the game of Texas Holdem through some of the best poker books.

With Texas Hold'em experiencing such a rapid growth in the past several years, there are more poker books than ever before, however you want in your possession the best poker books. Read poker book reviews and find the top poker books especially for beginning poker players. However, take the time to search the Internet for information on how to play poker and the different Texas Hold em starting hands before starting out.

Good poker books can help you improve techniques to your game that you may have not known or have ignored. You also might find that during a bad poker run, re-reading your favorite poker book can help you return to the essentials and point out some probable weaknesses in your game.

Do yourself a favor and read nothing but the best poker books that will help you to learn how to play poker. Now there is one other tip you should utilize if you want to learn how to play...

FIND A POKER COACH

If you are serious about learning to play poker and wanting to win money, you should consider a poker coach. You are aware every professional athlete has a "go to person."

Hank Haney tutors the prolific Tiger Woods to keep him in check and perfect his swing. Heck, even Michael Jordan himself had a mentor. Every paid athlete regardless of the sport has a tutor or a trainer to maintain his or her discipline... Always helping with strategy and perfecting the game.

Poker is a people game and coaching is a people thing. A poker coach can see what you are doing wrong and immediately correct you. That is hard and perhaps impossible to do on your own.

If you're serious about playing poker then you should take playing poker serious enough to find a good poker coach. Having someone to critique your play may save your bankroll down the road.

Learning to play poker takes a minute to learn and a life-time to master. With the aforementioned tips it will make learning to play easier. Good luck at the tables.

James Rice is an avid writer and a knowledgeable Texas Holdem player providing valuable tips and advice for those interested in playing online Texas Holdem and online Texas Holdem strategies. His frequent articles found on the web, provide useful and accurate Texas Holdem information and insight.

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