How To Get Started Playing Poker
Hey, thanks for checking out my new site. What I want to do here is create a quick step by step guide for people who are new to playing online poker. I'll be explaining how to get started, the best places to play, and how to develop your game and hopefully win a few dollars along the way.
If you already know all about online poker or you're a seasoned player, then this site probably isn't for you. But if you're just starting out and maybe you're confused by all the jargon, then hopefully you will find this useful. I'm planning to cut through the jargon and just explain everything in normal, everyday language.
Playing poker online is a bit different to the poker you may have seen on TV or in the movies. From a game play perspective, the main difference is that you can't see your opponents. All you see are some computer generated graphics, and a user name which is usually pretty meaningless. Your real opponent is sitting in their bedroom or living room somewhere in the world (heck, you don't even know what country they come from) or even playing via their iPhone. You know nothing about them, they could be anyone.
So is that a good or a bad thing? Well, it's a double edged sword. Because just as you know nothing about your poker playing opponents, likewise they know nothing about you! So if you're a beginner or you lack confidence, this is a major advantage. Nobody will be able to tell if you hesitate, ask for help or even check your list of hand rankings next to your computer!
That is why, for newcomers, I think it's way easier to get started playing online than it would be at a face to face game. You can also use (perfectly legal) software tools to help you out - but we'll come to that later. For now, it's enough to realize that if you want to learn how to play this great game, the internet is by far and away the best place to do it!
If you already know all about online poker or you're a seasoned player, then this site probably isn't for you. But if you're just starting out and maybe you're confused by all the jargon, then hopefully you will find this useful. I'm planning to cut through the jargon and just explain everything in normal, everyday language.
Playing poker online is a bit different to the poker you may have seen on TV or in the movies. From a game play perspective, the main difference is that you can't see your opponents. All you see are some computer generated graphics, and a user name which is usually pretty meaningless. Your real opponent is sitting in their bedroom or living room somewhere in the world (heck, you don't even know what country they come from) or even playing via their iPhone. You know nothing about them, they could be anyone.
So is that a good or a bad thing? Well, it's a double edged sword. Because just as you know nothing about your poker playing opponents, likewise they know nothing about you! So if you're a beginner or you lack confidence, this is a major advantage. Nobody will be able to tell if you hesitate, ask for help or even check your list of hand rankings next to your computer!
That is why, for newcomers, I think it's way easier to get started playing online than it would be at a face to face game. You can also use (perfectly legal) software tools to help you out - but we'll come to that later. For now, it's enough to realize that if you want to learn how to play this great game, the internet is by far and away the best place to do it!
Your First Steps - Find Somewhere To Play
No doubt you're eager to get started, and I don't blame you. In fact, whereas many people urge newcomers to curb their enthusiasm and take things slowly, I actually believe that the best way to learn something is by doing it. And with that in mind, I'd actually recommend that you take your first steps sooner rather than later. But before you can do anything, you need to choose an online poker room to play at.
For some this may be a daunting decision, because there is such a vast array of poker rooms to choose from. But really, it needn't be. If for some reason you don't like the poker room you choose, it's always a quick and easy job to move on and find another. And there are other good reasons for joining multiple poker rooms as well.
For instance, you might be aware that whenever you open a new account with an online poker room, they will give you what's known as a poker bonus. This is basically an introductory offer for new players, as a way of saying thanks for joining (and also of attracting you to join them rather than their competitors). Now most sites offer poker bonuses, and they're generally pretty generous. You can get as much as $2000 from some places, which comes in the form of free chips to play with.
Normally you have to deposit some of your own money to get a bonus, but the reward can be as much as 200% of your deposit. For example, you might deposit $1000 and end up with $3000 in your account to play with, which is not a bad deal at all. What this means is that if you make a mistake and lose a couple of hands while you are learning, it's no big deal, as you have loads of free money to play with. If you win straight away then that's even better of course - but this certainly takes the pressure off!
So one way of choosing a poker room is to read some reviews, or simply see who is offering the biggest bonus! There are plenty of websites around that offer reviews and bonus comparison. The following link takes you to the poker bonus website, which is my personal pick as they have some good offers and, like this site, it's easy to read and aimed at beginners. But you could choose another site if you prefer.
For some this may be a daunting decision, because there is such a vast array of poker rooms to choose from. But really, it needn't be. If for some reason you don't like the poker room you choose, it's always a quick and easy job to move on and find another. And there are other good reasons for joining multiple poker rooms as well.
For instance, you might be aware that whenever you open a new account with an online poker room, they will give you what's known as a poker bonus. This is basically an introductory offer for new players, as a way of saying thanks for joining (and also of attracting you to join them rather than their competitors). Now most sites offer poker bonuses, and they're generally pretty generous. You can get as much as $2000 from some places, which comes in the form of free chips to play with.
Normally you have to deposit some of your own money to get a bonus, but the reward can be as much as 200% of your deposit. For example, you might deposit $1000 and end up with $3000 in your account to play with, which is not a bad deal at all. What this means is that if you make a mistake and lose a couple of hands while you are learning, it's no big deal, as you have loads of free money to play with. If you win straight away then that's even better of course - but this certainly takes the pressure off!
So one way of choosing a poker room is to read some reviews, or simply see who is offering the biggest bonus! There are plenty of websites around that offer reviews and bonus comparison. The following link takes you to the poker bonus website, which is my personal pick as they have some good offers and, like this site, it's easy to read and aimed at beginners. But you could choose another site if you prefer.
Next, Learn The Basics....
OK, so you have somewhere to play, but before you actually get involved in a hand, you need to learn the basics, i.e. the actual rules of the game. Now many poker rooms actually have a free poker school for beginners which you can use to learn the ropes, however again these may not always be all that easy to understand.
So on this site, I'll explain to you how the game works, what the various hands are and how the hands rank (i.e. which ones are better than others) and also how the betting works.
When you've got your account sorted, let's dive in and cover the basics so you can get playing as soon as possible....
So on this site, I'll explain to you how the game works, what the various hands are and how the hands rank (i.e. which ones are better than others) and also how the betting works.
When you've got your account sorted, let's dive in and cover the basics so you can get playing as soon as possible....
