In Approval

So you saw the World Series of Poker on ESPN the other day, and you told yourself it looked boring and wasn’t for you, and then two hours later you were still on the couch yelling at the screen about pre-flops and the river.

And now you want to play. Trouble is, the adrenaline has worn off from watching some schlub win half a million dollars with an A-2 bluff, and you realize you have no idea how the game works. Texas Holdem? Might as well be a Clint Eastwood Spaghetti Western. The river? Wasn’t that a Meryl Streep flick? Finding the nut? Are wesquirrels?!

It doesn’t have to be this way. There is skill involved in poker, no matter what your friends say, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get the basics under your belt. Hopefully these tips will give you the confidence you need to hit the felt and pile up a chip stack of your own. Not $500,000, of course, but a little something to get started.

First up, you have to remember that poker never plays out like it does in the movies. Matt Damon and Edward Norton made Holdem look fast and easy in Rounders, but that’s not how it works in the real world. Rule one is you don’t have to play every hand. If the hand you’re dealt (called the pocket cards) stinks, don’t be afraid to throw it away (that’s called “folding”). If you’re still having trouble, try playing only those hands that contain high cards at first, and folding the rest. Veteran players at the table will grumble at your cautiousness, but you might find your chip stack staying high and healthy this way, at least at first. Playing more doesn’t always mean winning more.

Next up, where are you sitting? Online poker and live events both feature round, oval affairs, and how you play a hand is influenced by the seat you’re in. This has nothing to do with the comfort of your backside, and everything to do with the Dealer. Where are they? (hint: find the seat with the “button” in front of it, which says “Dealer”) How many seats away? If there are a high number of seats, you can happily consider yourself in the “Late Position,” meaning you have the luxury of watching your opponents’ actions before making your own. If there are a small number of seats, you’re in the “Early Position”, and will be forced to act before most of your opponents. As you become more aware of your poker playing style, you’ll find that either position has its strengths and weaknesses.

OK, so you’re seated now. Take a look at those two facedown cards the Dealer tossed your way. Take a peek. Memorize what they are, because nothing says “newbie” like a someone who checks their cards ten times a hand, and look for part 2 of this tips and tricks beginner’s primer around the Net sometime soon.

Until next time!