Good Beginner Practice?

[ThisBeEvan]

I was wondering, what does everyone think is the best practice for a beginner? I play nickel poker with abunch of my friends. I also play online with fake money at pokerroom.com because I'm ony 17 and can't play for real money.

If I want to get really good at my game should I stay away from online poker with fake money? It seems to me that no one really cares about folding or anything because it just fake money anyways? Should I get away from my friends who could care less if they loose two dollars in nickels and dimes also?

I just don't want to make any bad habits for when I'm older.

[dave0044]

The problem with free and really low limit games is that everyone tends to play loose. If you don't play loose with them you'll probably find that it can get really boring, as you'll just be watching everyone else play most of the time. I would suggest trying to raise the limits slowly in the games you play with your friends. Try moving to a quarters game, and then dollars if everyone can afford it. You don't need to move so high that your friends are risking their college funds, but just make it enough so that the money has some meaning.

As for the free online games, I would stay away or only play your good (usually tight) game. It will probably become pretty boring, but you can at least prove to yourself that your game is solid by making steady (although often slow) gains in your point total. Just remember that it won't be as easy when there's money on the line.

[HalfSugar]

I would suggest trying to raise the limits slowly in the games you play with your friends. Try moving to a quarters game, and then dollars if everyone can afford it. You don't need to move so high that your friends are risking their college funds, but just make it enough so that the money has some meaning.

I'd agree here definitely. I think it might be best to talk to ur friends and see who of them are serious about playing. I think that perhaps a weekly game for higher stakes with some games in between where it's not for money but people treat it properly is a good idea. Those who won't take 'free' games seriously should not play them. I think playing for no money with friends who want to get better is much, much better than playing online with fake money as it teaches u next to nothing other than the absolute basics.

[karasz]

what me and my friends do is buy-in for like 3 or 5 bucks...

then grab a set amount of chips.... give them values...

blue - $5
reds - $10
white - $20

get 15 of each... then play until someone has all of them...

$575 to start... blinds start at 5-10, then 10-20, 25-50, 50-100, 1-200, 2-400, 5-1000 if we reach that... increase every 30 minutes...

and we cash in the blues for whites after the blinds hit 50-100

then at 200-400 cash in everything for just white chips... making them worth 100 bucks each...

and dont forget the mininum bet is the big blind... AND you have to increase every half hour... thats the most important cuz if you forget and play 5-10 for like an hour... its going to take forever...

[Katchem]

One way to get them to take it serious is have everyone buy in same amount. Say 5 bucks if your playing for nickels. First one out of the game has to play waiter/waitress to everyone else. Give them an apron! Slap em on the butt! People will get real serious real fast. Next person out gets similar treatment and so on. Make it fun but get them serious. Have a prize for overall winner. Make everyone chip in for the prize $5 x 6 people is $30 bucks - buy a trophy or something.

I don't care if the stakes are nickels or $$$$ I play serious always. I just hate to lose!

[mindgame]

Here's what I did...

Went to the casino and got spanked, losing 6 times in a row at the lowest game they had ($5-10) after spending a couple months studying both of Sklansky's books on hold'em, plus his poker theory book.

Figured I just hadn't seen enough of the game, so I started organizing little 10-man tournaments. The buy-ins were only $25-35 for everyone and we only played 4 hours--high chip man takes the whole $250. Well my friends don't much care to loose more than $50-100 a night playing poker, but I had no trouble finding dozens of people who'd take a shot at $250 with only a tenth of that risk. And nobody wanted to be an idiot by busting out early by playing too loose, so the games were tight. I only won once out of 6 tourneys, but I got 24 hours of experience and still made a little money. After that I went back to the casino (that was in August). Now I'm averaging a 5 wins out of 6 visits and I was up over $3800 when the year ended. Nothing beats practice. Find a way to get it cheaply and it will pay off.