TexasHoldem-Poker.com Forum

Hey guys, I've been writing these Beginner's Tips on my other blog, and I thought I'd share them here as well. Mind you, I'm a beginner myself, and these are some of the things I've learned while playing online Holdem. Hopefully they'll help!

For more beginner's resources, visit my blog! Follow me on my one-and-a-half year challenge to become a poker pro!

* Tip #1: The trick in being successful in Poker is not just about winning. More importantly, it's about not losing.

Here's the thing -- sometimes I could win a gigantic pot of money and get really excited. But then after 30 more minutes of playing, somehow I'd find myself barely breaking even again. I'm definitely not the first person to experience this. Odds are if you've played Hold'em, you know exactly what I'm talking about

* The golden question is: Why does it feel like I lose so much and win so little?

Poker is a game of chance -- it's all about odds. And guess what? Odds are, you aren't usually going to get a good hand. But that's just how the game is. Once you can accept the fact that you aren't going to win every hand you get, your game will already improve dramatically.

* So what am I supposed to do then?

If you find that you aren't doing very well in the beginning, just do what I did. Play on the lowest stakes possible, keep an open mind to learning, and just keep playing. There is no other way to get better than to just keep playing. You shouldn't worry about winning money in the beginning, you should only be focused on losing as little as possible.

* Here are some specifics:

1. Fold, Fold, Fold! Know when you need to fold. If you get dealt a shitty hand, you usually should not call to see what the flop gives you. Look here to find out what hands you should fold on almost every time. It is better to fold and lose a little than to call and lose a lot. You should only bet when you know you're going to win.
2. Play Logically, not Emotionally. Hold'em is based on odds and numbers, not feelings and emotion. If you are playing with the latter, odds are you're losing money. Develop ways to control your emotions while playing -- if you're upset about losing, learn not to be. It's going to happen in Hold'em, you just need to learn how to win more than you lose.
3. Don't worry about the money. What you should be focused on in the beginning is gaining skill, not money. You may get lucky sometimes and win a good pot, but without basic skill, you are guaranteed to lose it again if you keep playing. Focus on skill first -- the money will soon follow.
4. Don't get discouraged! If it's anything you need to know about learning Hold'em, it's that you can't let yourself be discouraged! Losing is a part of the game just as much as winning. The second you get discouraged and never play again is the second you stop winning. As long as you keep playing and learning, you will always do well in Poker.

If you keep aiming to get better and take it step by step, the money will take care of itself. I started out with $25, lost every game I played down to $11, and am now up to $21 again. The best part is that every time I play, I learn something new about the game and I hardly ever end up losing money after a day's session. As long as you develop your skills in Poker, you are bound for success somewhere along the road.