Getting Started
Many of you are new to the game of poker or just joining this phenomenal Texas Holdem popularity explosion. But whether
you're new to poker, Texas Holdem, or just new to FlopTurnRiver.com, this is the section to get you acquainted with
all of the above.
But first off, here's my story - I'm a low-stakes online Texas hold'em poker player.
I used to love onling gaming (Unreal Tournament, Counter-Strike), and have always been a big fan of card games.
I can't remember what prompted me, but I decided to give online poker a shot - this was before the poker craze really boomed.
I was immediately hooked, and found online poker to be even more entertaining
than any of my online computer games.
I was a little nervous at first, not really knowing what I was getting into... Are these games rigged? Will I get my money
back? Can I trust this online poker room to be here tomorrow? Well, after joining and playing at about 20 different online
poker rooms, I can honestly tell you that the games are not rigged, you can get your money back at any time, and online
poker is absolutely flourishing, so your online poker room will still be dealing hands tomorrow.
The first online poker room I ever joined was
and I chose Paradise because I found that they were reviewed and audited by Price Waterhouse Coopers, which is one of the
major accounting firms in the world, so I felt a little more comfortable knowing that fact.
I started playing the $.50-$1.00 limit Texas holdem poker game. I read one book by Sklansky and thought I was ready to take
everyone's money. I lost my bankroll. LOL.
Over the next few months, my holdem strategies and tactics continued their development, and the best move I would ever
make for my own poker game - I switched to NO LIMIT HOLD'EM!
I started playing low-stakes, no limit Texas hold'em tournaments at
and then I moved to the regular
low-stakes no limit Texas holdem cash game where I played the $.25-.50
blinds table. Here is where my no limit Texas holdem strategy really started to develop.
Then I became a member and played at
,
,
and
,
collecting free bonus dollars while developing my no limit game.
Anyway, I'm here to tell you that online poker is a profitable venture. I am making a profit.
I am consistently making money at online poker, I have since recovered all the money that I initially invested learning Texas hold'em,
and now, I am just adding to my profits. Every month. Every year. In fact, I've recently quit my job (March 2005) and am enjoying all the
benefits of being a free man - online poker played an important role in that decision.
You can follow my poker cash flow yourself. The proof is in the profit. Check out
My Holdem Profits By Month.
Now, to get YOU started - there's much to learn about the poker universe, but you can get through the basics quickly and easily. If you are completely
new to poker, the first thing to understand is the ranking of winning poker hands. Check out our
Poker Hands article
with pictures to understand what a "flush" is, and what hands beat what!
The poker world also has its own vernacular. Learning the poker lingo will help you understand the articles and
discussions on this site. If you are new to Texas Holdem, be sure to review our
Texas Holdem Poker Lingo Glossary!
If you'd like to learn about the basic rules to various online poker games such as 7 Card Stud, Omaha, Razz, and of course, Texas Holdem,
review our
Poker Rules article.
This essay serves as a brief introduction to the rules and gameplay of these online poker variations.
And for a discussion of the rules for just Texas Holdem poker, along with pictures of the action, check out our
Basics of Texas Holdem.
Texas Holdem actually has some variations within its own game determined by the betting rules - there is Limit Texas Holdem, No-Limit Texas Holdem, and Pot-Limit Texas
Holdem. On top of that, most online poker rooms offer ring/cash games in each of these versions, single table tournaments (Sit-N-Go's or SNG's)
in each of these versions, and multi-table tournaments (MTT's) in each of these versions. And guess what, one playing style may
succeed in one of these scenarios, but not the other. Don't worry, you'll learn all about the intricacies
in strategies as you get better acquainted with these
games.
I personally play the No-Limit Ring game most predominantly, and certainly favor No-Limit to the Limit variation of
holdem. That's not to say that No Limit Texas Holdem is better for everyone, it's just that No Limit Holdem suits me
better and I enjoy that version of the poker game much more.
Of course, we have plenty of visitors and members that prefer
Limit over No-Limit and you can read all about the ongoing debates in our
Poker Forum, where we have dedicated discussion areas for both these popular variations!
Unfortunately for the limit fans, this is my site and I get to rant and rave about the advatanges of No-Limit Texas Holdem ;-)
so click here to read my take on the differences between
No-Limit and Limit Texas Holdem.
Finally, included in this Beginner's Guide is our own users/members contributions to the influx of newbies! Toasty (long time forum
member) has written
Toasty's Beginner's Guide for players new to FTR and online poker.
Other members have also contributed their
thoughts and experiences about poker, you can
read those here!
And, of course, our Poker Forum has a specific section for all of you, our own
Beginner's Circle where you don't have to be
intimidated to ask that rookie question. We were all there once. Our more experienced regulars (and myself) are happy to help you out.
Well you beginners, welcome to FTR, hopefully I'll see you in the more advanced strategy sections soon!
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