Complete Guide to Poker
Not only is poker one of the most popular card games of all time but it's also a very popular form of gambling. It's certainly one that we enjoy and we've produced this poker guide to help make sure that you do too. With information and advice provided by experienced players, we're confident it's one of the most useful poker resources around.
This guide can be beneficial for both beginners and experienced players. It includes information on the most basic aspects of the game, advanced strategy advice, and just about everything in between. We'll teach you how to play and we can help you become a more profitable player, if that's your goal. We'll also help you find the very best poker sites if you're interested in playing online.
We obviously can't promise that we'll turn you into the best poker player in the world, but what we will do is give you all the tools you need to enjoy the game and be successful at it. On this page we've explained everything our guide has to offer, organized in such a way so that you can easily find what you're looking for.
In our beginner's guide to poker, you'll find a collection of articles covering everything you need to know to enjoy this game.
This section explains everything you need to know about playing online poker, including how it differs from playing live and how to get started.
Our poker strategy section is an incredibly useful resource for anyone wishing to improve their poker playing skills. It contains a ton of articles covering a comprehensive range of strategies from the simplest right up to the most advanced concepts. Learning these strategies is essential if you want to become a winner. The following are just a few examples.
In addition to the above sections, our poker guide also includes a very useful glossary and a beneficial FAQ. The glossary contains detailed definitions for the wide variety of terms and phrases used in poker, along with explanations of the many acronyms and abbreviations you'll come across. There's a list of commonly used slang terms for specific hands too. The FAQ answers a number of commonly asked questions relating to poker in general and to online poker specifically.
We don't stop there either, as our guide has even more features that will benefit you. You'll find recommendations of the best places to play online, rules on the different variations of poker. and information on the major live tournaments and tours taking place around the world. There's also some advice on taking the step from playing for fun to playing to win and a deeper look at what it takes to play poker professionally. Please read on to find out more information.
If you're reading this, then you obviously have at least some interest in playing poker. You might be wondering if poker is really the game for you. There's no need to worry if you do have these concerns, as it's very common for people to have doubts about starting to play poker. It's a form of gambling after all and that means it comes with the risk of losing money.
One of the first pieces of advice we'll offer you is to only begin playing poker if you're comfortable with the risks involved. You don't need a lot of money to get started, as you can play for very low stakes, but you should only play with money you can afford to lose. As long as you abide to that concept, there's really no other reason why you shouldn't try poker. It's an extremely popular game and there's always a chance you might really enjoy it.
A great deal of time and effort has gone into putting this guide together, with contributions from experienced poker players who know what they're talking about. The purpose of this guide is simple; we want to make sure that we give you all the information and advice you could possibly need to have a great experience playing poker. That's why we've done our very best to make it as comprehensive as we can.
If you're a complete beginner who has never played before, we'll help you get started. If you're an experienced player looking to take their game to the next level, we can help with that too. We've also got you covered if you're simply looking for the best places to play online. In essence, this guide is for anyone that has an interest in playing poker.
Poker is very entertaining, providing plenty of fun and excitement to those who play. There's also a social aspect to the game, as a poker table is often filled with players enjoying each other's company.
You're unlikely to ever get bored playing poker. It's played in a wide range of variants and formats, so there's always something different you can play if you prefer a change.
Poker can be a difficult game to master, but the basic rules are quite simple for the most part. It doesn't take a long time to learn the rules and to get started playing.
Unlike casino games, there's no house edge in poker. If you can learn how to play better than your opponents, then it's possible to be a consistent winner.
Getting Started
If you do decide to try poker, please take the time to go through our beginner's guide. We mentioned this near the top of this page and it's especially a great resource for new players. You should check out our poker games section too, as this includes the rules for a variety of different poker variants that you may be interested in. We'd recommend starting with Texas Hold'em, as this is the most widely played and probably the easiest to learn.
Playing Poker Online
Our poker guide contains plenty of information that's specifically applicable to online poker. If you've never played the game on the internet before, then please take a look at our section on playing poker online that we mentioned earlier. This serves as a great introduction to what playing online is all about and we have included some additional advice on choosing where to play and how to sign up for your convenience as well.
If you're simply looking for somewhere to join right now, then we suggest using one of our top ranked sites. These all come highly recommended by us and you can rest assured that they are very reputable and offer a high quality experience all around.
Making Money From Poker
One of the most appealing aspects of poker is that you can make some money from it if you're good enough. There's also some element of luck involved in the game, but if you have the necessary skills you don't need to rely on it to win. If you are better than your opponents, then luck won't be as important in the long run. This is what sets poker apart from some other forms of gambling where you are completely reliant on good fortune to win.
It's certainly not easy to consistently turn a profit from poker, but it is possible. It takes a lot of time and effort and you'll need to be committed. Many players believe that learning as much as possible about the strategy involved will guarantee a victory, but it's really not that simple either. For starters, the very concept of poker strategy can be difficult to grasp if you are new to the game or only used to playing recreationally.
Making the transition from being a recreational player who plays mostly for fun to becoming one who takes the game seriously is more challenging than you might think. There are several basic concepts that you need to fully understand that will probably change your whole outlook on the game itself. Playing to win requires a completely different approach to playing for fun.
That's why we've put together a step by step guide to becoming a winning poker player. This isn't some magic recipe that's guaranteed to turn you into an extremely successful player, but it'll definitely help you get on the right path.
We can also help if you want to take your game even further and are considering playing poker full time. There are many people who have taken this step and have been successful, but it's a significant step and you need to carefully consider the potential consequences before making any decisions. In the following article we take a deeper look into what's required and the various factors you should take into account before making such a big decision. We also offer some useful advice for playing full time.
More Poker Information
We're almost finished with telling you about everything that our poker guide has to offer, with just a few more sections to cover. These are listed below, with some additional information about each one.
Useful Poker Resources
In this section of our guide we provide information on a number of other resources that you may find useful. These include strategy books, training sites, coaches, online forums, and various tools and pieces of software. Some of these can really help you to improve your game, so this section is definitely worth your time.
Online Poker Networks
In basic terms, an online poker network connects players from different sites and allows them to play against each other. A network can help to ensure that the tables are always busy by effectively creating larger player pools than many poker sites would otherwise have. In this section we explain more about these networks and provide details on all of the major networks as well.
Live Poker Tournaments & Tours
There are thousands of live tournaments taking place all over the world every year, many of which form official poker tours. Some of these tournaments attract a wide variety of players and can have massive prize pools. We've provided details of some of the biggest tournaments and tours in this section.
Poker Laws & Legislation
Please be aware that the laws relating to playing poker, particularly the ones that relate to playing online, as they vary from one part of the world to the next. Although gambling laws are generally focused on those providing gambling services rather than those who actually gamble, it's advisable to find out what is and isn't legal in your exact location.
Our gambling laws section contains detailed information on gambling related legislation all over the world.