When just starting out playing Poker, many beginners fall into the trap of wanting to instantly specialise in a particular variety of the game. A much better way to go about things, particularly when days are early and experience levels are low, is to get a firm grip on the basics in general.

Follow our Poker for beginners starting strategy and you’ll be ready to play along with the best of them before you know it.

Learn The Rankings Off By Heart

While its tempting to want to launch right into studying more advanced strategies and hands, begin instead by learning and truly understanding what we mean when we refer to “Poker hand rankings”.

This will help you avoid landing up in the middle of a hand thinking you’re well on your way towards beating your opponent when in actual fact, you’re holding a terrible hand of cards.

For example, know that a Royal Flush is the best possible hand in the game, or that a Flush is a five-hand of the same suit. Failing to learn off by heart how hands are ranked in Poker will only see you losing your entire bankroll without you ever having seen it coming in the first place.

Don’t Be Ashamed To Start Small

There’s a lot to be said for starting small instead of leaping in huge but wobbly.

There are many reasons for why no player should ever feel ashamed of starting small. The most important of these are:

• Skill typically increases over time. Starting small will see you competing against “weaker” players while learning the ropes and the rules of the game, as opposed to losing instantly against the big guns and not ever even as much as finding out why you lost off the bat in the first place.
• Less spend = more comfort. Stressing about the massive sum of cash you’ve just wagered on a game you’re not yet entirely sure of will only lead to mistakes being made around the Poker table. Every single player started out somewhere. Let that place always remain within your control and in the limits of your available bankroll.
• Starting small will reveal the bigger picture. Playing at low denomination bets when starting out will create a space for learning and growing. You’ll be able to focus much more on understanding positions, Poker hand rankings, bluffs, etc. when not constantly worrying about your rapidly shrinking bankroll.

Know Your Limits

When starting out and new to the game, be sure to find the best possible games suitable to your level of experience.

Forget about trying to go up against the best of the best when you’re just a beginner. This will only lead to major losses and demotivation to continue.

Only Play When You’re Ready

Only playing when you’re “ready” refers to your state of mind. When seated around the Poker player, no matte the level of experience or size of bankroll you’re faced with, your emotions, as well as the emotions of others, are your worst enemy.

For this reason, never play when you’re feeling sad, angry, or even just under the weather. It will cost you dearly in the end.