Poker Strategy: Beginner Poker
Basic strategy concepts to teach new players how to play poker.
Whether you’re new to poker, a beginner player looking to sharpen your skills, or just new to FlopTurnRiver.com, this beginner’s section will get you acquainted with all of the above. Poker is different from other forms of casino gambling games because you play against the other players, not the house. The house takes a rake out of every pot, and that’s how they make their money. They couldn’t care less how each player plays their hand or how much each player wins or loses. Out of this unique structure, strategy is born. If you make fewer mistakes than your opponents, over the long run, you will make money. It’s as simple as that.
If you’re new, everything may seem overwhelming. But the best way to approach becoming a poker shark is to take it one step and one hand at a time. Browse all of our beginner poker strategy articles below, or signup for our poker forum and introduce yourself in the Beginners Circle. There are many winning players who are willing to give you advice to help plug your leaks and improve your game. Poker is a game of skill, anyone can get lucky in one hand or session. But it takes the people who become students of the game to become a consistent winner. Start your poker education now!
Featured Beginner Poker Articles
Most Recent Beginner Poker Articles
Texas Holdem Poker Hands Position (Full Ring)
Depending on your position, your poker hands order will change; this is especially true when the table is full. The later you are to act, the more liberal you can be with the order of the hands you choose to play. The closer you are to being first to act, the more conservative you’ll need to be.
Freeroll Finesse
Freeroll tournaments are a fine way to increase your bankroll without risking any of your funds. Many players play too loosely and crazily in these events, but you should resist the temptation to do so yourself. Make sure that the prizes offered are sufficient to interest you.
Tactics vs. Strategy (Part 4): Practical Use of Strategy
In our final installment of this series, we look at how strategic and tactics are related and other resources for continuing your study.
The $6,000,000 Poker Player
There is a growing debate in today’s poker world over who is the best player around. Many names get offered as the best of the best but there is truly no way to know who the best Texas Hold’em player in the world is. As the game of poker has grown...
Poker Hands Order | Poker Hands for Omaha Hi/Lo
Limit Omaha Hi/Lo has become popular due to its prevalence not only at dedicated Omaha Hi/Lo tables, but also in mixed games like HORSE. Half the pot is awarded at showdown to the high hand, and half is awarded to the best qualifying low hand.
How to Make Actual Adjustments While Playing
Talking about making adjustments to your play is easier than actually making them at the table. Read through this example of how to make an adjustment to learn how to pull them off when you’re playing. Studying examples of successful adjustments will help you learn to execute them under pressure.
Pointers for Micro Stakes No Limit Holdem
(This is a post I wrote a while back which I hope will be useful for newcomers to micro-stakes NL. It should be useful up to 25NL, but it’s specifically aimed at the player of a few weeks’ experience, who understands the basics, but doesn’t know much...
No Limit Betting
Beginners generally have trouble knowing how much to bet when they hit a hand. For the most part they know to “take away the other guy’s pot odds,” but there’s more to betting than that. Because… tell me if this happens to you… You...
NLHE Foundations #06: Putting Opponents on Pre-Flop Ranges (Part 3)
Introduction This is the sixth part of the free NLHE Foundations Series that I’m running here on FTR. This series is designed to give you a very clear set of tools that will teach you how to study what will really make you a better NLHE poker player. If you want...
An Introduction to Abstract Thought in Poker
Following this system of training your brain to think about poker on a deeper level will raise your game up in a way that you can count on.
The Best Time to Bluff
Ever wonder what differentiates good bluffs from bad ones? This article explains the conditions that are the most ideal for you to pull off a bluff and the situations in which you’re least likely to succeed at bluffing. Your playing image and other factors determine when bluffing is a wise move.
Beginner’s List of Poker Leaks
Poker is a complex, difficult game, so it’s only natural for beginners to make a lot of errors. The problem is in identifying these errors — if you knew what they were, you wouldn’t be making them! Take a look at these common leaks to see if any of them are present in your game.
Bankroll Management: A Basic Concept Revisited
Every serious poker player knows that bankroll management is a huge part of the game regardless of what variant they’re playing. What are the keys to it? Playing at the highest stakes you can beat and ensuring your bankroll is large enough to give you a reasonable shot at winning over the long haul.
NLHE Foundations #02: Basic No-Limit Hold’em Bluffing Analysis
NLHE Foundations Course This is the second lesson in the free No-Limit Hold’em foundations course, and all you have to do to sign up is create an account (if you haven’t already) and post in the forum thread I just linked to saying you want in. I’ll...
Bust-Out Blues
It’s happened to all of us at one point or another. Even the great Phil Ivey went bust several times before hitting his stride. Rather than beating yourself up over it, take your bust-out as an opportunity to learn. But before you leap right back into the action, take a few minutes to consider how you want your comeback to go down. Will you make the same mistakes you did the first time around?
