Where did you learn to play?

Funnily enough, I learnt to play online, using a tutorial I found on holdempoker.com quite a while ago... since then I've progressed from playing with play money chips onto real money.... also playing some games for some decent money with friends. How about you? Where did you learn?

playing with friends
i started with play money as well - i think this can seriously hurt your game in the short term

problem being is that you spend a few weeks playing the play tables your brain starts to think that you need to play that loose to win - and obviously when you actually start playing the cash tables you get your ass kicked
id always reccomend new players to hit the 1 cent tables if they were really wanted to learn the game

I started off watching Late Night Poker on channel 4 years ago, then learnt playing with play money online.

Like fonz pointed out though the play money tables aren't really akin to your real money players.

I would recommend starting out either on the micro limits like suggested, or on the other hand what I did was to play in freeroll tournaments that had prize money. You still got the jokers who played overly loose and aggressive but after they got knocked out, the play is pretty much the same as what I find in tournaments with an entry fee.

I also liked to play on the play money sit and go tables, essentially one table tournaments and found I did rather well in those after playing a few. This is a much better idea than play money ring tables (cash games), it means the players can't just reload on chips when they have blown the lot.

actually, thats where i learned as well (well i had saw rounders too)

didnt play for real and fully understand all the rules etc until i started playing regularly with friends etc

i learn to play poker in #poker ;P

Ahhh good old IRC eh... not a bad way to learn really as there are plenty of people willing to help out.

Played with friends until I discovered online tournaments. Been playing free rolls and tourneys based on what I win in the free rolls.

i learned to play online aswell

fonz: i learned to play with demo money, and although im not a great player, it hasnt seemed to put me at that much of a disadvantage.
i played for real money for the first time today (free $10 at noblepoker lol )
and made it up to like $15 in micro games
im no power player but at least the play money taught me the basics

I won 1.75 my past two free rolls at Noble Poker and now I'm up to around 30 bucks playing in .2/.4 NL games. I just go to the table with only a dollar and try to play carefully and work up from there. Playing with play money is nothing like real money though. Play money users tend to go all in with anything. Real money users are way more conservative and more competitive. If you want to learn but have no money, just play the freerolls.

i also learned to play online just by myself i only got confused in the Omaha high/low games at first but learned it after playing a lot of games.I first played at party poker . I made some real money deposits there won some on first and eventually lost at the end.I also made some real money at casinos and also lost. Now im just playing only when they offer some free money first and also at free rolls only. im thinking that when you make a deposit it will most probably go to nothing.

there is plenty of money to be made in omaha hilo though it requires more disipline than holdem

I learned watching the many replays of the Main Event on TV. After watching many re-runs I decided to try it out. I went online and did a search for Texas Holdem poker and was amazed at what came up. Wow, I had no idea. At that time I had remembered the 888.com (Pacific Poker) get up that Dan Harrington had worn and decided to try that. I've since played at Noble.com as well and like them both.

Have always played 7 card stud at casinos. However - learned hold-em on line for play money. Took me a good year before I decided to go for the real thing.

my friends and i started our own house games about 3 years a go. we started of playing limit hold em at .05/.10 cent blinds with 2 dollar max buy in. in fact, back then we didnt have chips so we used coins. its funny, in our early years playing for a $10 pot seemed like so much. "wow, he raised .20 over? i fold" now our house games are at $20 min - $50max buy in for NL holdem. also $25 buy in tournies every weekend and we go to casinos to play in $100 NL games.

I saw the WPT on television and then i was hooked..
Started to look at the rules and strategies on diffrent pages.
Then i started playing some freerolls, now i play several hours a day

watching on the tube, alot of the travel channel, and playing alot of home games.

Kind of self taught with the help of great forums like this !

After learning that a favourite local pub of mine was offering free Texas Hold'em games, I knew I wanted to play. But I didn't want to go in as a complete newbie, 'cuz those bitches are mean (its a pretty tough lesbian bar)! And I hate losing money. So I did an online search and found texasholdem.com, where I learned how to play. A link from there took me to PacificPoker where I started playing the demo tables. After taking $1000.00 to $1600.00 in two short weeks, I thought I was ready for real money. HA!

I discovered in very short order that people play quite differently when its real money they're playing with. I kicked ass at the demo tables, but when I lost $12.00 in one hour at the real money tables, I backed off and had to re-think my strategy. I realized I had a LOT to learn. I have since been scouring the Internet for as much information as I can find.

That's why I'm here, after all!

I have yet to go play at the bar.

In high school, my friends and I used to play *all sorts* of poker home games on a regular basis.

Real money only (nickels and dimes...but with the right game, you saw the green start flying).

It's one of the things that we still get together every now and then to do, even years later. I think I learned the basics from playing with them, and then trying my hand in Reno a few times.

I learned off the internet (I don't remember what site).

got into late night poker on tv about 3or 4 years back.jumped straight into real money games on pacific and william hills and lost a bundle!!!took time off to actually learn the game and now i do ok

I never knew anything about poker until i was introduced to online poker. Since the summer of 2004 til now ive really built a liking to the game.

i started watching wpt and after that i also learnt to play on holdempoker.com

I learned through a combination of a experienced player at work and through playing freerolls online.

when i was 7 or 8 my dad and some of his friends were playing and i watched and lerned and they all whould tell me a lil here and there untill i got the game down pat and from there i been playing were ever i can find someone who likes poker

i'm learned playing online. pp np etc

I learnt to play with a guy from work he had a party poker at his place one nite and I went and I was pretty drunk but I got the hang of it. Since then we have regular tourneys at his place with 2 of his mates and we play online together too.

i saw a party poker commercial on tv and decided to try it and i won about $300 and have been playing ever since nobody really showed me how to play i just learned off my mistakes

i'm still learning..

I learned by gettin my ass handed to me by my friends

i think the best lessons are just the PLAYING ones... not through books and tutorials

Actually check that...

I like books like Brunson's but i think there more of a add on then a guide or teacher!!

Knaaaamean!!

I first learned to play sitting in the county jail. after that I started watching the tourneys on TV. I met a couple of friends who play and then found PokerRoom.com and have been playing ever since...




Remeber Never under Estimate the IMPOSSIBLE!!!

I do not know how to play poker yet, I am here for Pinochle freeroll on the 23rd or Nextober. I hope for one of you to teach me how to play.. See you on the tables


HarringtonJ

to be serious though I learned in the clubs of northern Cali, Oregon and Washing ton..

i a bar with my friend play on video poker