Poker is a game of skill. It is similar to chess in the sense that knowing how the pieces move does not actually mean that you know how to play the game. Knowing what hand beats what is only the tip of the iceberg. There is a world of difference between knowing the hand rankings and being an expert player. However, this gap is well hidden to the novice player. Most people know there is skill involved in poker, yet they fancy their luck and they truly believe they have a fair chance at winning. This myth is what keeps the recreational players at the tables. The truth is that an expert player will always win the novice’s money in the long run.
In order to make money playing poker you will need to properly learn the game. There are many excellent books out there on poker strategy and poker theory. We have read most of them and will tell you which ones are the most helpful, informative, and profitable to read.
The most popular poker game right now is Texas Hold ‘em. The information on this website specializes in this particular game. Down the road you may find that you want to learn other poker games, such as Omaha and Seven Card Stud. We will provide you with suggestions for expanding your knowledge later on. For now, let’s start with Hold ‘Em since it is the most common game played in the online poker rooms.
The first book you should read is:
(This is one of several excellent poker books by 2+2 publishing. All of their books pay for themselves in no time – sometimes just one session of poker using the ideas you learn can win you several times the cost of the book! These books are money well spent. )
Getting Started in Hold ‘em covers the basics of Texas Hold’em and has sections that cover No Limit Hold’em, Limit Hold’em and Tournaments. You should read each section and then practice applying the concepts in a real online game of that type. When you are new to the game we recommend splitting your time 50/50 between reading and practicing. A good formula is 1 hour of reading followed by 1 hour of play.
As soon as you have the book in your hands, you are ready for Step 3.
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