Posted Thu Feb 19, 2004 11:50 pm GMT by p0cketr0cket
Im new to poker (NL texas hold'em) - I've been playin for about a half a year and im 15 years old. I like to play home games with my friends for not very much money and im interested in learning more about the game. I'd like to get good enough to hit the casinos when im older and make some extra money...Please anyone who has any thoughts or suggestions if I should take poker seriously or just play for fun.
Adults have told me before that I should give up trying to learn because I could loose alot of money later on. Any first steps I should take to become a better player ex: What books should I read?
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Posted Fri Feb 20, 2004 6:47 am GMT by Damian
Hi there...
It's true, poker can lose you a lot of money, but it could also make you a fair bit. There are two main things you need to make sure you win more often than not: patience, and mathematical ability.
Most people make lots of mistakes at poker - they get bored and will play more hands than they should, or they look for that miracle last card far too often, when the odds of getting it are not favourable.
Buy yourself a beginner's book first - look up "How To Play Poker And Win" on Amazon (can't remember the author). It's nice and simple, with fundamental tactics you'll easily be able to understand. Concentrate very much on learning odds: how many out cards you have to complete your hand/total amount of cards left, and how to compare this to how much you're being asked to bet vs the total amount of the pot. This is the key. A lot of people wait for a "feeling" they're going to land the card they need - you will beat these people. Once you've fully digested a learning book like this, move on to something more advanced - David Sklansky has written many (though check that it's a NL book - the game is very different to Limit), and Doyle Brunson's Super/System is my personal favourite.
One important thing NOT to do, if you don't have much money, is play with a sum larger than you're comfortable with. You can't make correct decisions when you're worrying what you're going to eat with for the rest of the week.
Best of luck...
Posted Fri Feb 20, 2004 12:13 pm GMT by BeerWench13
Excellent advice, Damian. You covered all of the bases except one.....know your opponents. Learn their betting habits, strategies and tells and you won't have to have the best cards to win.
Posted Sat Feb 21, 2004 2:44 pm GMT by Bates0202
| Damian wrote: | One important thing NOT to do, if you don't have much money, is play with a sum larger than you're comfortable with. You can't make correct decisions when you're worrying what you're going to eat with for the rest of the week.
Best of luck... |
LOL, i must agree....
Although one plus about being a young player is you dont have to worry about paying for your own stuff (food, clothes and whatnot) for the most part. I am a 17 yr old player and I play in NL games that are anywhere from $5.00- $50.00 buy ins. I play for the love of poker in that i get more enjoyment playing poker for any amount of money than i would spending it whether i win or lose.
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