How to be good at Texas hold'em or less horrible: A beginner's guide

 How to get better at Texas hold 'em, or at least less awful: A novice's guide

It's not surprising that, despite our national lockdown, online gambling has seen an increase of 43% and 255% in new players in the past month. I'm one among the rookies and my game of Texas hold'em. I joined Pokerstars with a few friends to play poker. Some were beginners like me and others were experienced players who had played poker professionally. Because I was familiar with the game and its rules, it didn't feel like hold'em was a new experience for me. Despite knowing the rules and winning a few games, I lost many of my games in the first few days. . . um . . . I lost almost 40 dollars by spending fake dollars perpiece . . Fake . . dollars. Although it was cheaper than eating out or going to the movies in that time frame, it was still frustrating. Although I consider myself to be a smart man, it was hard for me to admit that my performance was poor. There was no way around it. I quit the job after a particularly terrible performance one night.

One problem: as bad as I was, it intrigued me. It was maddening that I couldn’t get it right. I refused to believe it was too difficult or too stupid. I became friends with two very skilled poker players and decided to ask them for their tips. I also watched more closely their play. Within a matter of minutes, I was able to have a series if revelations that totally changed my view on the game. Even more important, it transformed my performance.

I don't want to pretend I can hold 'em well after a month. I'm not. I'm now a decent player. I went from being down $40 (fake), up $63(fake), and this was against the exact same group of players. It happened in just four weeks. I won many tournaments, placed second or third in others. At the end of it all, I felt confident that I could win or close to win every time I sat at a nine-person table. It was even more satisfying to realize that I had finally grasped the game with all its nuances.

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I'm not a mathematician or a poker expert. I'm still learning the lingo. These tips are intended for beginners and will help you to move beyond the "very bad" stage to become a "decent" poker player. Here are ten tips I found helpful. These tips are great for anyone who is in lockdown and has adopted hold 'em poker as their entertainment.

(I assume that you have a basic knowledge about the game. If not, please study the rules. These tips are applicable to tournament play, but I believe they can also be applied to cash games. poker basics how to play lowest pair high card and bluff