The majority of new members are new to the game. In the last week ive seen the same questions and statements arising. I thought it would be best to try and make a thread giving answers to these common problems which newbies may have.
Such and such a site are con artists - Their cards arent random!!
I read a post a few days ago. In short the post went on to say that a specific poker site cheats by making all players have great hands which means that everyone bets and the poker site gets more money.
A while later i then read a post stating that another poker site was rigged as they hadnt had a good hand today!!
So let me get this right - the poker companies paid an advanced programmer to design a system where players get great hands and poor hands simultaneously.
It really isnt in the best interests of any poker site not to have everything legit - for a start they dont design the systems themselves anyway. There are about 8 or 9 major software solutions for poker companies through different companies - for example cryptlogic. Thats why some sites look very similar to others at the tables.
Poker sites make money by rake or by a fee. In tournaments youve probably noticed that the price is something like $5+$0.50. The $5 goes directly into the pot, the $0.50 is the fee and goes directly to the poker company. In ring games there is a rake (usually 5%) which is applied to the final pot. They poker site really couldnt care if you win or lose a particular hand as they still get their rake - remember though, they arent gonna fix it for you to lose all your money or win a lot, as in the long term theyll lose players which means they lose more rakes!!
To summarise - if your losing a lot, start looking at the way your playing instead of conspiaracy theories about poker companies.
My Pair of Aces got beat by 8 6 offsuit
Now this is something all newbies have problems with. The most important thing to remember that when the flop misses you, your hand isnt as strong as it once was
For example say pre flop you have
:Ah:Ac
and the flop comes
:2d:6d:10d
any raise here youd be better folding - you may already have lost with someone sitting there with the flush but there is also the chance of players getting the the flush on the turn or river. In short, you cnanot bet with any confidence if the flop comes down.
Alternatively if you have
:Ad:Ac
you can bet with confidence as if another diamond does fall, youll have the nuts (unless of course a pairs on the board). All youd have to worry about was another diamond not falling and getting beat by someone who had made the flush at the flop.
The hardest thing that you will learn is to fold good starting hands - but once you do youll find your poker sessions more profitable. There may be times when you fold and you did have the best hand but dont let this discourage you if you did the right play.
Learn & Play at the Limit tables before playing at no limit
The majority of players who are new to the game choose no limit as their first cash game.....more times than not the first deposit gets busted out.
Remember not to get too cocky if youve won a few pots - it can dissapear faster than you think.
Read up on Lee Jones Low Limit Poker - an excellent guide to newbies and experienced players alike in poker. When you want to learn more advanced theories and strategies get something like Slankys Theory of Poker or something similar.
Collusion / Cheating....Yawn!!!
It is very difficult for people to cheat - it does exist (players talking on the phone or whatever) but its such a small percentage i wouldnt even think about it(plus the actual advantage they get is minimal). If players do look like their cheating send an email to the poker support telling them the players, the table and any other info you think they may need. They take these things very seriously.
Dont blame the cards - Blame yourself
I personally think that people that spend time blaming the cards wont improve. Statistically your gonna lose a certain amount of hands - what you have to do is maximise your pots and reduce your losses - eg calling hands youve no intention of seeing to the river etc. If you lose blame yourself - this forces you to analyse your play.
When learning i think sometimes its important to lose - i went through a spell of winning with kings all the time - but in the one session i lost with aces and kings about 3 times. Statistically it does happen - obviously i was a bit pissed but i think its saved me more money in the long run as i now have no problem dropping a great pre flop hand if its clear someones got me beat. As i said, learning to fold is one of the hardest aspects of poker - but it will come with more games under your belt.
In poker you can do the right play and lose and do the wrong play and win - but think of poker as a war and not a battle, you want to always make the right play as in the long run youll make much more money
Patience is a virtue
Ive read a few people saying they get bored when playing tight. If you just want to play poker for a laugh and you have the money to lose then play loose and get inolved in more hands - but if you want to win money you need to learn patience. You need to know when to sit out of hands, when to not get drawn in a raising war and dropping hands straight away which are just ok
these are just a few things i could think of but there are loads more tips
hopefully we can all help each other improve (except when im opposite you at the table....grrrrrrrrrrrrrr :mad:)
You can comment on this article at http://www.texasholdemforums.com/showpost.php?p=5337
good luck :):)
Kevin Muldoon plays poker around 20+ hours per week and is the owner of http://www.texasholdemforums.com. TexasHoldemForums is a large online texas holdem poker community with thousands of players and dozens of private tournaments and games for members every week. They have a large group of players who play poker professionally and several of the members have played at the World Series of Poker. This wealth of experience ensures every member can improve their game in some respect.