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
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...
An Introduction to Game Theory in Poker
A reader-friendly, easy to understand explanation of game theory and its applications in poker. Explaining the differences between theoretical terms such as strategy, strategic options, domination and exploitation, the article teaches players how to use these principles to maximize their winnings.
How to Decide Which Hands to 3-Bet for Value Pre-Flop
If you want to learn about how to 3-bet for value before you see the flop, you’ve found the right article. This will teach you how to 3-bet and when it’s appropriate to do so. You’ll also learn about your 3-betting range, calling range, folding range and why they are critical to your success.
The Delicate Nature of Pot Odds and Implied Odds
We have the three major weaknesses that players have when dealing with pot odds and implied odds, but we’ll also show you how to correct them.
Transitioning from Online to Live Play
If you’ve only played poker online, you will need to make some changes to your game before you play live in a brick-and-mortar casino. For instance, you’ll need to manually track your opponents’ stacks and the pots, abide by the casino’s house rules, tip your dealers and adapt to slower play.
The Essential Poker Tactics for New Players
We have four tactics here in this week’s column that all players should learn about on a very high level.
Building Your Bankroll
Even if you’re an experienced player, you should still give some thought to how you can build your bankroll so you can move up in stakes and increase your winnings. From avoiding tilt to taking advantage of bonuses and rakeback, this article gives meaningful advice about building your bankroll.
Adjusting to PokerStars Buy-in Levels
Recently the world’s largest poker site, PokerStars, announced the way they were handling the minimum/maximum buy-in amounts at their cash game tables. This mainly affects NL/PL Hold’em as well as Pot-Limit Omaha games as shallow/deep stacks in limit games...
Tactics vs. Strategy (Part 1): The Study of Tactics in Poker
The study of tactical play in poker is about figuring out which plays are likely to work well against certain player types and against the field as a whole.
Playing Long Sessions
By learning how to play longer sessions at the poker tables more effectively, you can increase the amount of money you win. By carefully choosing the right tables and using lobby filters to your advantage, you can keep yourself in good +EV situations for extended periods of time.
Mindfulness and the Manifestation of Mental Weakness in Poker
Entering poker games alert and with the right attitude can improve your game-play and bring you success. Learn how to reduce distractions and employ the proper level of mindfulness. Eventually, your good habits will spill over into other areas of your life.
Bluffing Frequencies and Exploiting Opponents
Appropriate for lower stakes players, this article demonstrates how to calculate your unexploitable bluffing frequency and your competitor’s unexploitable folding frequency. It also explains how and when to apply these unexploitable strategies to your advantage to maximize your winnings!
NLHE Foundations #05: Putting Opponents on Pre-Flop Ranges (Part 2)
Introduction This is the fifth part of the NLHE Foundations Series. This series is designed to give a clear set of topics to study and methods for studying that will bring players up to the intermediate levels in no-limit hold’em. People who are signed up in the...
Essential Examples of Blockers in Poker
A good place to start working with ranges is looking at blockers, why they matter, how they work and what you can do with them.
Taking the Next Step
In poker, it’s important to keep improving your game so that you can move up in stakes. By carefully considering bankroll management, studying the player pool at your new level and approaching the bigger game with the right mindset, you can increase your chances for success.
