1. If you're totally new to the game, start by playing with play-money.
The tables where play-money is used are marked “play-money”
or similar. Here you only play in order to learn how the poker software
works or getting used to reading the cards at the table. You can
also play merely for the fun of it.
2. Do not play too long with play-money if you later are planning
to play with real money. Why? Because the game will be completely
different when real money gets involved.
3. Do you know anybody who is good at Texas Holdem and who plays
online? Join him/her and observe the way he or she is acting. Ask
lots of questions.
4. Make use of the bonus you get from the poker rooms in order
to run playing! In order to use this maximally you always should
deposit the amount of money you get maximum bonus on (provided you
can do this at this very moment).
Example: Pacific Poker immediately gives you a bonus of 25% on
the amount you deposit. Maximum bonus is here $100. In other words
you should deposit $400 and get another $100 for free if you know
you will need a lot of practice!
Most players lose money in the beginning and that's why it is important
to assume all the bonuses you can get.
5. Do not get hit by megalomania! Simply because of the fact that
you've managed to win $100 this does not mean that you are prepared
for larger tables than the smallest ones. When you feel that you
cannot lose at the lowest tables (i.e. make a loss in total), have
a large bankroll which allows a somewhat bigger game, then you are
ready for your first tries at bigger tables and thus larger bets.
It's generally understood that your financial capacity should minimum
be 15-30 times the big bet (maximum allowed bet) if the table is
supposed to be suitable for you. Even if your family is a good poker
player there has to be room for possible losses. The most important
thing is that you win in the long run.
6. Do you win a lot? Remember that there will be times where you
will be followed by bad luck and lose money. Your profit should
also cover these periods. Therefore you should play strictly even
when you win. Never think “I can afford to play worse hands
now when I have been winning a lot”.
7. If your family is sitting at a table losing money without understanding
why the reason probably is that you’re a worse player than
the others. Change tables.
If you on the other hand understand why you've lost and your opinion
is that this only is due to bad luck you should stay at the table
if you think you can change the game. This may however not be the
case as you’re rookie (beginner) and you will have missed
some important factors, which make you lose.
They are said that if you can't figure out who is the “fish”
(the one or those that pay the other players) at the table they
are probably you.
8. Don't play when your family is tired or have a mental lack of
concentration (playing on tilt). Don't play when you’re drunk.
If you stick to the tilt rule you will probably do quite well. Playing
on tilt is nearly impossible to avoid although it sounds quite easy.
9. Do bad players surround you? Do not complain if they win with
bad hands now and then. They are the ones who pay you. Therefore
it's clumsy of you if you upset them and make them leave the table.
10. Keep records of the way you play, for how long and the result.
By doing this you will see that it pays off to play strictly. You
will in other words get more motivated to get rid of your bad hands.
11. Observe your opponents. You can save or win a lot of money
by knowing roughly how your opponent acts in different situations
and what starting hands he plays. It's easily done that you surf
around the internet if you get tired. If you just can't stay away
from such behavior you will lose important information.
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