Do you know how to play at all? Assuming you don’t, you’ll need to start off by learning the rules and mechanics of the game. A good introductory book such as Winning Low-Limit Hold 'Em by Lee Jones is the way to start off. Most beginning books have a how-to chapter that goes into detail about rules, etiquette, terminology, etc. For example, you're dealt two cards only, then a flop of three cards, then a turn, then a river. Also, you'll want to make sure you know what beats what, such as a full house beats a flush, while they both beat a straight.
Your next step is to practice playing the game against live players with no money at stake. Nearly all the many online poker rooms have a play-for-free feature. We recommend two excellent rooms, UltimateBet and Empire Poker. Click through from our links, download the software, and register for free. Then you can play the free-money games. This is an excellent opportunity to learn the game at no risk.
Lots of casinos in Las Vegas and around the country also provide poker lessons for beginners in their poker rooms. Call the poker rooms to find out if they do and what time they take place. They're almost always free.
Once you’re familiar with the basics and aren’t intimidated by sitting down to play, you’ll need to learn how to win. The book with the best beginning strategy for winning in Texas hold ‘em tournaments is our new release, Kill Phil. Click here for the whole rundown on why this is the book you need to get good, fast, at hold ‘em.
Once you’ve mastered the beginning 'Kill Phil' strategy, you can go on to become proficient at the advanced strategies; you can find a number of other books in our online store, ShopLVA.com, which will all teach you something of value.
Finally, plan on practicing, practicing, and practicing some more. Experience is the best poker teacher. Nothing can replace table time. Spend a lot of time at low-stakes games — online tournaments, poker-room ring games, and small-buy-in casino tournaments. When you start getting really good, you can play in bigger games.
But remember. Poker is like chess or golf or pool or bridge. Getting really good is a life-long quest. The main thing is to enjoy — and be able to afford — the journey.
