How to play poker

Texas hold em is one of the most popular forms of gambling today. It doesn’t require any special equipment; just two people (or more), some cards, dice, chips, and everyone has their own “hand.”  It’s easy to learn, fun to play, and great way to make money when done properly. However, there are many things you need to consider before starting out on this path to success. It’s one of the best times in history to learn how to play poker. There are strategies, rules, laws, etiquette, etc., so let’s go over what we’ll need to keep in mind while playing our favorite card game…

2) Know who you’re dealing with- This should really come first because it determines everything else. Don’t assume that every person you meet is going to be nice, honest, friendly, smart, whatever – treat everyone like they might actually try something illegal. In reality, most won’t but you never know until you ask questions. Also, don’t expect anyone to give up information easily. They may tell you something, but only after much prodding from you. Be prepared to walk away from these situations without finding anything useful.

3) Never talk smack about other players- Even though you feel confident about winning, remember that others could still win very important games. Nobody likes being called names by losers, even if they did deserve it. Keep your mouth shut unless asked to comment on another persons’ hand. That includes telling stories about previous hands. Most importantly, don’t trash talk opponents or offer advice on how to beat them. Remember, nobody knows what cards they have until the showdown. No matter how badly you want to beat somebody, respect their privacy and leave them alone. This is a huge part of learning to play poker, good rooms are the key to a good time and good money, you don’t want to ruin your reputation.

4) Always bet big.- When you enter into a pot, always raise large amounts of money early. People generally fold small bets when they see the action coming from the big stacks. Once again, nobody knows what cards they have until the showdown. By raising early and often, you guarantee yourself good pots throughout the match. Plus, you’ll also attract attention to your table which means that sooner rather than later, either you or someone else will notice your presence. Accuracy in betting is key to learning how to play poker.

5) Play tight/tight/loose- Whenever possible, avoid putting your entire stack into one pot. While it may seem advantageous to put all of your chips in the middle of the table, this method makes you vulnerable to other players calling larger bets against you. Instead, spread your chips around evenly among several different blinds. A loose approach would mean spreading your chips between the largest blinds. Tight strategy would place your chips closer together near the smaller ones. This keeps you safe from aggressive attacks from other players. And lastly, stay away from folding whenever possible. Folded hands create dead space in the center of the table where other less fortunate players will pile up their chips. Avoid getting stuck in such positions.

6) Watch out for bad beats- Bad beats happen regularly during Texas hold em tournaments. Sometimes dealers drop cards accidentally, players hit each other accidentially, and sometimes players intentionally throw their cards down. Pay close attention to dealer procedures to prevent this from happening. If you suspect foul play, insist on a new deck immediately and report it to tournament officials. To protect yourself further, wear a wristwatch with a stop watch feature to record exact times. Accidental events usually occur quickly and involve little movement. Therefore, you shouldn’t miss significant details. On the other hand, intentional acts tend to take longer thus giving you enough time to react.

7) Read lips- Since you rarely hear voices above background noise, lip readers are exceptionally effective. Try to pick up subtle clues off of someone’s face once he begins talking. These include eye movements, eyebrow twitches, head tilts, facial contortions, and blinks. All of these signals indicate what cards someone holds. For example, if a man leans his head back slightly and closes his eyes when making comments, he probably folded. Or maybe he stares straight ahead past the flop and moves his eyebrows upward when describing what happened. He likely made a huge mistake and lost all his chips. Another thing worth noting is that women aren’t as adept at detecting such signs as men are. Women use verbal cues instead. Listen closely and pay attention to her words. She may say something like,” I’m sorry” or “I didn’t catch that”. Such statements indicate she hasn’t caught what was said.

8) Use communication tools- Communication is essential to winning Texas hold em matches. Make sure that both parties involved understand exactly what kind of deal they are receiving. Have clear agreements on how to communicate effectively. Some common methods of communication used in Texas hold em include yelling, pointing gestures, writing notes, whispering, and gesturing. Unfortunately, some people suffer from hearing impairment and rely heavily on visual cues. So, if you find yourself missing key points in conversations, look directly at the speaker or write something down. Otherwise, you risk misinterpreting vague messages based solely upon nonverbal cues.

9) Do NOT count cards- Unless absolutely necessary, refrain from counting your cards while watching the rest of the table. Counting allows you to gain valuable insight regarding what other people have, especially those sitting behind you. Other players may share private information amongst themselves that isn’t readily apparent. Furthermore, counting gives you additional opportunities to cheat since you can simply glance at someone else’s cards. Finally, it creates distractions that slow the pace of play.

10) Study basic probability- Everyone understands odds right? Well, understanding the basics of probability goes beyond knowing what 1 in 2 equals. Knowing the chances of drawing certain hands helps to determine whether it’s wise to continue participating in the current hand. Generally speaking, the higher ranked the hand, the lower its chance of occurring. But there are exceptions to this rule. For instance, having AA versus KK. With AA, you’d typically have a 60% chance of holding a pair, 20% chance of having three of a kind, 10% chance of four of a kind, 8% chance of five of a kind, 6% chance of six of a kind, 4% chance of seven of a kind, 3% chance of eight of a kind, and 0.5% of hitting nine of a kind. Compare this list to the same probabilities with KK. You now have 30%, 25%, 15%, 5%, 1%. Now compare that to a random hand like 9D. Your chances of having 9D are roughly 0.01 percent. Thus, despite having better odds, it wouldn’t be prudent to participate in this hand compared to AA.

11) Slow down- Playing fast puts unnecessary pressure on yourself and slows down gameplay. Allow time for decisions to naturally arise. If you rush through plays like crazy, you run the risk of losing concentration and possibly making mistakes. Take breaks to relax and rejuvenate. Rest assured, nothing happens faster than Texas hold em anyway.

12) Look sharp- Appearance matters in life, and it definitely applies to Texas hold em. Dress appropriately. Wear clean clothes without holes, stains, wrinkles, tears, rips, blemishes, or excessive odor. Shave and cut hair neatly. Clean teeth, nails, ears, nose, fingernails, and toenails. Carry minimal personal items like cell phones, cameras, watches, wallets, purses, and sunglasses. Leave weapons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco products, firearms, and knives at home. Wearing jewelry attracts unwanted attention. Lastly, don’t smoke, chew gum, eat spicy foods, drink coffee, soda pop, or alcoholic beverages. Smoking distracts you from concentrating on what’s happening in front of you. Chewing gum causes indigestion. Spicy food irritates sensitive noses. Alcoholic drinks impair judgment. Coffee stimulates alertness. Soda pop dehydrates. Eating hot peppers burns the tongue. Drinking beer leads to poor decision making. Tobacco products cause lung problems. Drugs dull mental acuity. Firearms intimidate. Knives result in injury. Guns lead to accidents. Drugs lead to addiction. Alcoholism results in death. Cigarette smoking kills. Drug abuse destroys lives. Firearm injuries destroy lives. Suicide ends lives. Natural disasters devastate communities. Floods kill families. Tornadoes wreak havoc. Hurricanes damage homes. Earthquakes destroy cities. Nuclear explosions injure civilians. Bombs blow up buildings. Wars ravage populations. Terrorism endangers citizens. Violence harms the innocent. Crime endangers society. Man-made global warming pollutes ecosystems. Pollution depletes resources. Global poverty hurts people. Disease infects millions. Negligence leads to tragedy. Misfortunes abound everywhere. Yet, despite all of this destruction, we choose to ignore the warning signs of impending doom and remain complacent. We fail to act decisively. Our inaction breeds apathy. Apathy encourages indifference. Indifference invites despair. Despair compels hopelessness. Hopelessness prompts suicide. Death comes unexpectedly. Sadly, none of us live forever. We must accept responsibility for our actions and prepare accordingly. Life is short. Let’s make the best of it.