(Distributed Oct. 10, 2006)
WOULD-BE POKER PLAYER ASKS HOW TO GET STARTED
Butch H. of Illinois says he’s ready to give poker a try, but isn’t sure what to do first.
(SET ITAL) Hey LuckyDog: Poker on television is fun to watch, and quite a few of my friends are playing at home, on the Internet and in the local card room. I think I’m ready to start playing, too. How do I get started? (END ITAL)
Welcome, Butch, to the ranks of an estimated 70 million people who play poker for fun or money in the United States! Here are some things you should know before you jump into action.
* FORGET TV — Sure, it’s cool to watch pros and amateurs mix it up in big tournaments on television. But that’s not the game you’ll be playing at first, so forget about copying their strategies and mannerisms.
The most obvious difference, of course, is the high stakes involved in televised events. This guarantees plenty of pressure and top-notch competition. Players sometimes take forever to bet or fold, get melodramatic to attract attention, or ruin the fun with boorish behavior. That’s not for you.
* READ A BOOK — You said you read LuckyDog each week (thanks!), but to get more instruction faster you also should read a good beginner’s poker book.
Start with “Poker for Dummies” by Richard D. Harroch and Lou Krieger. It’s cheap, has tons of basic information and strategies for playing Texas hold’em and other forms of poker, and it’s easy to understand. A confession: Although I’ve been playing for decades and have read more than a dozen poker books, I bought “Dummies” about a year ago as a refresher manual.
My first poker book — a present in 1992 from a friend — was “Winning Poker for the Serious Player” by Edwin Silberstang. He may not be a household name in poker circles, but this book covers a lot of ground you’d find useful. Another good starter book is “The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Tournament Poker” by David Apostolico.
* PLAY WITH FRIENDS — While you may be itching to mix it up with strangers in a real card room after reading a book or two, start by playing at home with friends and family. Buy a cheap set of poker chips, two good decks of cards and clear off the dining room table on a Saturday night.
Hold’em is what everyone wants to play these days, so you’ll need a dealer “button” — any small object will do — to move clockwise from player to player after each hand. To get started, shuffle the deck and deal everyone one card face-up. The player receiving the highest card by rank (the ace) and by suit (spades are highest, then hearts, diamonds and clubs) is the first dealer.
Play just for fun and set the value of the chips at $1 for whites, $5 for reds, $25 for greens and $100 for blacks. If you decide to play limit hold’em, start everyone with $1,000 in chips and make the betting structure $10-$20, with a $2 small blind and $5 big blind.
Remember, in limit hold’em before the flop, players can either “limp in” for the big blind amount ($5 in this example) or “complete” the bet to $10. Bets are $10 after the flop and $20 after the fourth and fifth community cards are dealt. Set a limit of four raises on any single betting round.
If you play no-limit hold’em, divvy up all the chips equally among players and declare both white and red chips as worth $5 each. Set the blinds at $5 and $10. Since you can bet any amount at any time, try not to go broke on the first hand, OK?
* PLAY ON THE INTERNET — Even though President Bush is expected this week to sign the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act passed Sept. 30 by Congress, free poker at many established online poker sites apparently won’t be affected. It’s easy to set up an account and you can get a fresh supply of free chips anytime you need them.
Although free online poker is played fast and loose — not an ideal strategy for a beginner — the upside is that you’ll get to play tons of hands from the comfort of your home with little time invested. It’s like a crash learning course that quickly will build your familiarity with the game’s dynamics and players’ tendencies.
* START LOW — When you’re comfortable with your knowledge of the game, head for your local card room and sign up for the lowest-limit game available. In many poker rooms, that will be $3-$6 limit hold’em. Buy in for $50 to $100, take your seat and play the way LuckyDog and the poker books suggest.
Take a friend with you to share the experience and set a limit in advance of how much money you’ll risk. Never play with money you can’t afford to lose, just in case.
E-mail your poker questions and comments to russ@luckydogpoker.com for use in future columns. To find out more about Russ Scott and read previous LuckyDog Poker columns, visit www.creators.com or www.luckydogpoker.com.
COPYRIGHT 2006 RUSS SCOTT
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE INC.