Learn Poker in Five Easy Steps

Are you one of the millions of followers of the game poker? I can definitely say I’m one of them. Maybe you are like me who started liking poker because of the movie “Rounders.” I love the way Matt Damon starred in the movie with all its twists that made poker very interesting for me. Or maybe you just love casino games and you are a constant player in almost all casino games because you are looking to make money playing there. Whatever your motivation is, I know you are reading this because you want to learn how to play poker, a time-tested card game that has the distinction of being one of the earliest card games. Before you throw down your life's savings on poker, you’re going to have to know when to hold 'em and know when to fold 'em. Read on and learn five easy steps to learn poker.

1. Understand the cards and their values

Poker is played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards. The cards are ranked from highest to lowest in the following order: ace, king, queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. The cards are also separated into four suits: clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds. Each player is dealt five cards. The object of the game is to end up with the highest-valued hand.

From best to worst, hands are ranked in the following order: (1) Royal Flush (2) Straight Flush (3) Four of a Kind (4) Full House (5) Flush (6) Straight (7) Three of a Kind (8) Two Pair (9) One Pair (10) High Card

2. Learn the basic rules of the game

We don't feel comfortable releasing you to the card sharks without further stepping up your poker savvinness. So, after knowing the cards and their values, you need to learn the basic rules of a poker game. You need to know when to give an ante or token bet. You need to know how many cards the dealer will first deal to you. You need to learn when to open, check, see, raise and fold. You need to know when to throw down or draw another card. And lastly, you need to know how some win and how can you be that someone. On our next articles, we will definitely let you know how you can do this all, plus some strategies on how to do this well.

3. Learn the lingo

In order to fully learn poker and don’t get beaten up by other players, you must first learn the lingo of the game. Be sure to study up on the following terms: bluff, aggressive play, conservative play, action and tell. These are the most common terms used in poker.

4. Tell what your poker enemy “tell” is

A "tell" is a mannerism that you inadvertently repeat that lets the other players have an idea how good or bad your hand is. No one EVER wants other people to know their tell, but everyone has one. When you lie, you inadvertently give little clues. A player may wipe his brow when he has a good hand, trying to contain excitement. Another player may grit her teeth when she has a low hand, a nervous reaction to the bluff she's about to make. Whatever it is, you should always try to figure out what the other players' tells are, and you should always try to hide yours.

5. Bet smartly

Betting smartly may sound like an oxymoron, but there are some tricks to minimizing how much you lose and maximizing how much you win at the poker table. After all, a good poker player can still win even if he has bad cards, all because he knows how to bet correctly. Keep in mind that while poker is great fun, many people get completely out of control while playing. They might have drank too much while playing poker or just plainly bet so high on a not so sure win. Many people also bet way more than they can afford. Better learn a thing or two about money management first before getting yourself involved in any kind of gambling.

Poker, at its very essence, is a simple game. Its countless versions can be quite complex though, so better master one type of poker game first before shifting to another one. To learn poker is as easy as these five easy steps with additional practice of low bets or free bets in poker. So if you are starting to play, you should find a place where you can practice poker. Find online sites that offer low stakes only or will even give you free bets.