Part One: Learning the Game
written by BeatTheFish.com
Online poker has been experiencing a
huge boom over the past couple of years, and thousands of new
players are joining the game every day. Not only can it be a lot of
fun to play against real people from all over the globe, but you can
turn it into a profitable hobby.
What should be your first step? Learn
the game. If you're completely new to poker or have just watched a
few tournaments on TV, you should review our
poker hand rankings and
poker rules. These sections will help
to give you a solid understanding of how the game is played. Most of
our sections, including this guide, is focused on Texas Hold 'em
because it is not only our favorite poker game, but is also the most
popular form of poker online and offline. Instead of learning the
game as you start to play online, we recommend taking the time to
read the basics before you dive in.
What's next? You should also understand
the basic online poker etiquette before you venture into a game for
real or play money. First of all, you're expected to make decisions
in a reasonable amount of time. While you might need a bit of extra
thinking time as a beginner, try to prepare your moves in advance in
order to speed up play. Everyone at the table appreciates a game
that moves along at a fast pace.
Also, you should always be polite to the
other players at the table if you choose to use the built-in chat
box. Remember, you're playing against real people and not a
computer. Many people compliment others on their winning hands by
saying "Nice hand" or just "nh" for short. A standard response would
be a simple "Thanks" or "ty". If someone does criticize you, be the
bigger person and let it go. Beside being childish, a poker chat
feud can get you banned from using the poker room's chat feature
altogether. Just be courteous and try to encourage a pleasant
atmosphere at the table. If you can't, just stay off the chat
altogether.
Finally, don't discuss your own or
anyone else's hole cards during the hand in play - especially if you
aren't holding cards. If you can't resist the urge to speculate on
your opponent's hands, wait until after the hand in questions.
Learning the basic rules and etiquette
should help to get you started playing poker online. Getting ready
to play and choosing a site to sign up for a poker account with
should be your next step...
Continue to Part Two: Choosing an Online Poker Room
Back to Poker
Strategy
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