I always recommend that anyone who wants to learn a new casino game take advantage of the free lessons offered by the casinos. During the lesson, you are given a brief description of the game and the procedures involved in playing. Sitting in on a lesson gives you a chance to play the game using non-value chips. The instructor will point out if you make a mistake and advise you how to play correctly. Players can gain confidence before ever sitting down in a real game. When I saw that Foxwoods offered lessons for Texas Hold’em, I thought sitting down for a lesson would be a perfect opportunity for me to become acquainted with playing in a casino poker room. This way I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable when the time came to join a live game.

It was a Saturday afternoon and I sat down at the training table joining five other people who were interested in learning to play Texas Hold’em. Our instructor was a fellow named Jerry who is a regular dealer in the poker room. We all introduced ourselves and the lesson got underway. Like myself, all of the other students had played some kitchen-table poker but none of us had every played Hold’em. Having been studying the game and playing on my computer, I felt light years ahead of the others, but I refrained from any comments as I sat there listening to the lesson.

Jerry handed out a stack of non-denomination chips to everyone and proceeded to explain how the game is played. He explained the reasons why Texas Hold’em was different from seven-card stud, which most of the others had played before.

He then went on to tell us a little about the betting procedures of the game, explaining about the blind bets to begin each hand. He told us that all casino poker is played for table stakes. This means the money you buy in with and have on the table is the money you play with. You are not allowed to reach into your pocket in the middle of a hand for more money. If the bet
is more money than what you have on the table you can go “all in” which means that you will be playing for the pot your money is in. The rest of the players can continue betting. This money is put in a side pot and will be given to the player with the winning hand of those involved in the side pot. Players may purchase additional chips between hands.

After his explanation of the game, he discussed a little strategy, advising us to play only strong starting hands especially from the early positions. He told us that he sees too many players who sit down at the table and expect to bet every hand they are given. He said these are the players that go broke very quickly.

Now it was time to play a few hands to get the feel of the game. One person was selected as the dealer and the players to the left of the dealer button posted the small and big blinds. Jerry explained that a new player sitting down to a game that is in progress has to either post a bet equal to the big blind or wait until the big blind gets around to his position before entering the game. He also explained that the big blind is a live bet. If other players call without raising, the big blind has the option to check or raise. Too often a new player will inadvertently throw his hand in without realizing that he has already bet that round. We played a few rounds until everyone felt comfortable with the procedures involved in playing the game.

Not all casinos offer poker lessons. If you are planning on visiting a casino, you can call ahead to the poker room and see if they have lessons available. The Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas is another casino that has offered lessons to players over the years. If the casino you visit doesn’t offer lessons, you can get a feel for the game by watching from the rail and observing the players.

After the lesson was over, Jerry suggested that we might want to practice by playing in the low-limit tournament that is held weekly on Saturday mornings. I joked that it was probably filled with sharks waiting to devour unsuspecting players that dare venture into
their territory. He laughed and said it was a low-limit tournament that attracted players of all skill levels. He said because of the low entry fee many of the players were beginners or average players just out to have a good time without risking a lot of money in a live game. After investigating this, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity for me to gain some practical playing experience and get the feel of a live game.

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In some casinos, the area for the poker tables is separated from the main casino floor by a railing or some other physical barrier. This keeps the spectators out of the way of the players but allows them to watch the action. Because spectators line up along the rail to watch, they are sometimes referred to as "railbirds."

I wanted to watch a few games to get an idea of the table procedures and protocols so I decided to take a ride to the casino and become a railbird for a few hours. I visited Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut. Foxwoods is the world's largest casino and has a first-class poker room. Many casinos now have the poker tables in a separate room. There is enough space to allow spectators to walk around the tables instead of being limited to watching from a rail.

I looked at the sign-in board at the registration desk and found out which tables were hosting the low-limit Texas Hold'em games. I walked over to a spot where I could observe the action at one of the tables while being out of the way. I stood about mid table so I could get a clear view of the board.

In the beginning, I worked on reading the board as the dealer turned over the cards. After a few hands, I started concentrating on the players. I wanted to observe the types of hands they were playing. I noticed that many of them seemed to be playing any two cards without any regard to position. I saw players turning over hands that I would not have played from any position.

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As part of my training program, I advise new players to watch a videotape about the game they want to learn. Watching videotapes can help teach you the mechanics of the game. You will actually see how the game is dealt and the bets are made so you will be familiar with the procedures and protocols when you sit down at a table. Videotapes can help reinforce what you have read and perhaps clear up any questions by visually showing you how the game is played. As they say, a picture is worth a thousand words.

There are not as many videos about poker as there are for other casino games. I did purchase two Texas Hold'em tapes to incorporate into my training session.

Texas Hold'em Poker (Fundamentals for Winning) by Fifth Street Video

This was the first tape I viewed and it is a good tape for beginners. It explained how the game is played. This included explaining the blinds, dealer button, and betting procedures. Although all of the mechanics of the game were covered, it showed the game being played in a home environment rather than in a cardroom. This tape also discussed in detail how to choose a starting hand and how to play it after the flop.

How to Beat Winning Hold'em Players by Ben Tracy and Joe Marks
This was the second tape I viewed and I found it more advanced than the first one. It states on the cover that it is not a tape for beginners or first-time Hold'em players. It does not spend a lot of time on the mechanics of the game but covers more of the strategy involved with playing winning Hold'em. The tape recommends playing with a tight-aggressive strategy and suggests limiting starting hands to develop the discipline needed to win. The tape also covers, in part, patterns of winning players; compares the skill vs. luck factors; and talks about the importance of money management and discipline.

Both of these tapes stressed the importance of playing quality starting hands and solid play after the flop, but neither showed the game being played in a casino cardroom. Even though I felt that I had a good understanding of the mechanics, I decided to take a ride down to the casino and actually watch a live game being played.

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I attended elementary school back in the Stone Age around 15 BC. That is, Before Calculators. All math problems were solved using longhand calculations with paper and pencil. To accomplish this it was required that we learn the multiplication and division tables by heart. We had to learn the tables by repetition, practicing them over and over until we had them memorized. To aid us in our learning efforts the teacher employed one of the oldest learning tools: the flashcard.

A flashcard was a big card (usually about 4"x6") with a problem on the front and the answer on the back. For example: "3×3" would be written on the front and the answer "9" would be printed on the back. One student would stand in front of the class and display the cards over and over as the class called out the answer in unison. Later a test was given and those failing found themselves in the corner with the flashcards for some solo practice or, worse, a one-on-one with the teacher after school.

Flashcards weren't fancy and seem pretty primitive by today's standards but they were effective in teaching rudimentary math skills and anything else that required memorizing information. I have used them in my adult life on many occasions.

When I learned to play blackjack the personal computer was barely affordable and all of the software programs were business related. To aid me in learning basic strategy, I resorted to the learning tool of my youth. I made flashcards with my starting hand front and the proper playing decision on the back based on the dealer's up card. I found that this was an excellent way to learn basic strategy.

The Arrow Chart of starting hands I designed was good as a quick reference to the position that certain hands could be played from but it did lack additional information as to how to play them. I then made the quick reference list that explains how to play the hands from each position. These are the lists shown after the section for each playing position. As I studied this list, I immediately thought of using flash cards to help me learn the proper play of each hand.

I took a sheet of pre-perforated business cards that I purchased from the office supply store and printed the starting hand on the front and the position and playing information on the back.

Having made the cards I could now shuffle them and glance through them at random. I would read the front of the card and note the position and playing criteria. If I were unsure of how to play a particular hand I would check the back of the card.

Now I realize that the playing of any poker hand is not set in stone as it is in blackjack. You do not want to play each hand automatically the same way every time. If you did a sharp opponent could easily read you and know how you would play in any given situation. I made these flashcards to give me a general guideline for playing each hand. I wanted to be able to quickly recognize the correct position for general circumstances only.

I found that the flashcards were extremely helpful for learning the Hold'em starting hands, just as they were in learning blackjack basic strategy. I carried them with me for about a week, running through the deck when I had a spare moment. The flashcards are easy to make and I recommend this approach for others who may be looking for a more effective way to remember the general guidelines for starting hands and the respective positions from which to play them.

Let me state again that the flashcards were used for learning the general guidelines for starting hands and I am not advocating playing each hand the same way in all circumstances.

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If you want an even more detailed critique of your play, you can use Wilson's add on program called Sidewinder Sid, After any number of hands you can click on the Analysis button and Sid will pop up and review your play. The Sidewinder Sid Analysis Program provides a detailed hand by hand review of any errors you may have committed during your play. Sidewinder Sid is a cartoon character that uses Microsoft Text-to-Speech Technology to come to life. You can receive a detailed review of each hand. You can also get an overall review of your play before the flop, after the flop, on the turn and on the river.
When you use Sidewinder Sid it is like having your own personal coach. This detailed analysis has helped me immensely in learning to make the correct playing decisions. I use Sid in conjunction with my daily Challenge Mike sessions. The program will also run high-speed simulations. Some of the results of these simulations appear elsewhere in this book.

Some players I talked to said they doubted that poker could be learned with a software program because in live poker you are playing against real people with unique personalities who play their hand differently. Turbo Texas Hold'em by Wilson Software showed me that this line of reasoning was outdated.

Wilson software solved this problem by programming profiles and traits in each of the virtual opponents you will face when playing. There are numerous sets of line-ups of players you can choose from to challenge. Some of these mirror aggressive, loose, low limit, moderate, or tight playing styles. You can even program your own opponents with the traits and playing style of anyone you might meet in the poker room. In a real game, players bet, call, raise, reraise, and fold based on the value of their hands, the cards showing on the table, and their playing style. The computer players in Wilson's software act like real players and do this as well.

Although you won't be able to pick up physical tells, you will be able to ascertain certain patterns in playing style and starting hand selection. Many players are starting to play live poker at various Internet Web sites. When playing on these sites, you don't have the opportunity to see your opponents. If you are experienced in detecting patterns from your computer practice, it may actually be an advantage if you do decide to play online.

The other point that is often brought up about learning from computer software is the fact that a player is not risking real money and may get into a habit of playing too many hands. I think an intelligent player who is determined to improve his game will not have this problem. While practicing, I have experimented with playing bad hands and certain hands out of position to find out the consequences of my action. If anything, it reinforces the reasoning for not playing this way.

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After reading about the game the next step in my training program was to practice on the computer. I believe the best way to learn a casino game is to use tutorial software. I regularly recommend this approach to players who want to learn to play casino games. This allows players to learn the game before they risk real money in the casino. When I made the decision to learn how to casino poker I wanted to find a software program that would allow me to learn the basics of the game. Turbo Texas Hold'em by Wilson Software had all the features I was looking for and more.

When you begin the program you can modify the game settings to set up the game to match any rules or betting limits you will find in the casino. There are several other options to choose table display, how the cards are dealt during play and when new players will be introduced, along with sound and animation choices. I set the options to play a $3 / $6 game and spent my first few hours with the program just getting a feel for how the game was played. The program has an automatic advisor that will assist you in making correct decisions. Before the flop, it will advise you as to which hands are playable for your position. You can chose the quick advise that advises you to check, call, raise, or fold or click on the more detailed advice screen that will show you:

Type of Hand: pair, connector, gapped Your Position: early middle late Pot Status: How many callers Recommendation: check, call, raise, or fold n.tic are nine sets of strategies based on the number of opponents. The advisor may show multiple recommendations in many situations. As with before the flop, it will advise you of the proper decision to make.
There is a button that will allow you to access a screen to show you the odds at any time, either before or after the flop. This display screen shows you the pot odds and also your odds of making any particular hand based on the cards you are holding. As I became more familiar with the importance of odds, I started accessing this screen more to see the reasoning behind the advice given by the program.

One feature of the program that is helpful is the option to "zip" to the beginning of a new hand after you fold. If you are practicing your starting hands only and not working on reading the board, you don't have to wait until the whole hand is played out. This is a real time saver and will enable you to play hundreds of hands in a short amount of time.
After playing awhile you can evaluate your play. The program has a built-in analyzer that keeps track of all the hands played. When you click the "Stat" button you see statistical data for 12 different categories including play evaluation. Bar charts show if you have been playing too tight, too aggressive, too loose, or too passive.

Turbo Texas Hold'em has another feature called Challenge Mike. Mike is the name given to the virtual player who plays according to the correct strategy programmed by the computer. You chose to have Mike play 50, 100, or 200 hands. You then play the same hands and see if you can win more or lose less than Mike. This option is an excellent way to judge your play. If you lose $30 and Mike wins $70 then you have committed some severe errors. No matter how long my practice sessions last with the computer, I always end them by challenging Mike to 50 hands. I make it a practice to do this daily even if I have don't have time for a longer session.

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I believe that reading is the fundamental key to learning anything new. Of course, merely reading about a subject will not teach you everything you need to know, but it will give you the basic foundation you need to build on. It has been said that a person who reads about a given subject for 30 minutes a day for a year will know more about that subject than 95 percent of the population. While there is no way to actually measure this number, I'm sure there is quite a bit of truth to it. Imagine sitting at the poker table and knowing more about the game than most of your opponents!

This is not as far-fetched as it may seem, especially at the low-limit level. There are many players sitting down to play every day who have never read one single book about Texas Hold'em. If they have read any books, it seems they must have skipped the chapter about selecting starting hands. And playing position.

It was only natural that the first step of my poker education would begin with reading. The first book I read was David Sklansky's Hold'em Poker. It was written in 1976 and updated in 1997. Sklansky is considered to be one of the foremost poker strategists. The ranking of starting hands he set forth has become a standard for most winning players. The hands listed in my arrow chart are based in part on his rankings although adjusted for low-limit games.

Sklansky's book started my poker education. My poker library quickly grew as I searched for more information to improve my game. Since that time, I have read numerous books about the game and some of them are listed in the reference section at the end of this book. I make it a point to read a little every day. Poker books are not like novels. I have re-read many of them as I gained experience. There are some situations that I did not fully understand until I came across them in a live game. Going back to the books allowed me to fully comprehend what happened during my playing session and gave me insight on how to handle the situation the next time I encountered it.

The first few months I spent at least an hour a day reading about Texas Hold'em. Books were not the only source of my reading material about the game. At the time, there were two good magazines published with articles by some of the top players and experts. Free copies of Poker Digest and Card Player were available at both the Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Casinos where I did most of my early playing. Poker Digest is no longer published.

The Internet is another source of poker articles and information. The news group RGP, rec.gambling.poker, is an interactive forum of thousands of players whose skill level runs from professional to novice. The Two Plus Two Web site (www.twoplustwo.com) also has an excellent forum. You will find some unique strategies and ideas discussed there. If you have a question, you can post it to the group and receive many different answers. There are also many excellent Web sites devoted strictly to poker. Part of my duties as the Guide for the About Casino Gambling site is to search for the best sites offering relevant information about my topic. Searching for poker sites afforded me an opportunity to read a lot of information about Texas Hold'em online. You can find more poker links on my site at: www.casinogatn-bling.about.com.

Reading is a vital part of learning but I'm not saying you should take everything you read at face value. Many times there will be conflicting opinions. This is especially true of some of the information you will read online. The more you read about a subject, the more views you will be exposed to. By reading a lot of different views about Hold'em, you will gain insight and be able to assimilate the information while weeding out the fiction from the facts. Some information works better in higher-limit games than in the games with lower limits.

When I wasn't reading about the game, I spent many hours just thinking about the information that I had read. I then put this information to practical use when I started playing hands of Texas Hold'em on my computer.

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