Looking to download Holdem - so I can learn the game

I'm a newbie who has played poker in casual home games but not on-line. I watch poker on TV with enthusiasm. I am analytical by nature (but I also have some good qualities!).

I'm looking for a Texas Holdem game I can play on my computer but not with other people - yet. Don't see the point of playing in the free games (showdown games with nothing at stake?) and I don't want to muck up the works playing on-line with other people - yet.

Are there any free games that would be good to download? Or, if all the free games are useless, are there then any games worth purchasing that are worthwhile (i.e. educational and somewhat realistic)?

I like free, but I guess I'd rather pay $19.95 for a good game than waste time playing a useless game for free.

THANKS!

I've never tried them before, but there are playstation/xbox poker games that I have seen. Thats probably your best option if you dont want to do the play money games on a regular sight. You could always play the freerolls at any site and just play SUPER tight and hold out for an hour or so till most of the donks are out.

There are several good ones. But don't get the Hoyle's Casino game because it's skewed to your favor.

I'd recommend World Championship Poker 2 and WSOP 2008 Video Games available on PC and on those Nintendo Video Station Wii Pod thingys.

Try PokerAcademy. Poker play by the University of Alberta which develops the poker bots that challenge the pros on occasion.

I find my version believes too much in implied odds, or doesn't adjust it's strategy for no limit as opposed to limit, but Sticker likes his. Still, worth the money, imo.

Why not just play freerolls? It's free and there is actually at stake.

Party Poker have free software you can try, but its for limit poker. Dont even think you have to have an account just launches in a browser

It give you advice on when to bet and percentages etc

http://www.partypoker.com/how_to_pla...r_trainer.html

FWIW, Wilson Software (just Google it) makes really great PC poker software. The not so good part is that they're around $60.00 a pop last time I checked. Need to make sure you get the right one. They have LHE; NLHE; Tournament NLHE; 7 Stud; Omaha Hi; and Omaha Hi/Lo. They're really pretty sophisticated and have a hand anlysis function with a little guy that actually talks you throught hands where you made moves at variance with the TAG standards built into the software. I know the Stud software improved my game about 1000% and the Limit Hold 'em software was almost as helpful.

DISCLAIMER: I do not work for, nor am I paid by, nor do I have any financial or other interest in the aforementioned company.

Have you found anything yet?

the ones you buy are geered for you to win, you might think your great until you play with other people, i suggest you play the play money games and freerolls and get to learn that way, got someone i know doyles casino, she was knocking them dead, then when she played at a site for play money she lost all the time, she said what happened, and i told her them casino games you buy are made so you will win, All the sites have play money and freeroll games, start there,,,,,,,,,,,,,buck

I agree with buck. You should really use the freerolls to get close to real money play. It's going to be a bit laggier than real money in most cases, but it's as good as you'll get for training. If you don't want to play drawn out freerolls you can always download Carbon poker and play the Fun Step SnG's.

In the fun steps you play 6 max tables in step 1 and 2 and then full ring in step 3. If you make it through step 1 and 2 and then win step 3 you win a dollar. Not much in terms of money, but the play is pretty good in steps 2 and 3, and you can go through all three steps in a little over an hour and a half.

I would have too say if you do not want too put money on, download full tilt poker. www.fulltiltpoker.com they have 100$ freerolls u can play almost every hour. But if you want too put money on the best site i would say is www.sportsbook.com, they too have good freerolls. best of luck too ya

No matter where you decide to start an account make sure that you that sign up for rakeback!

I just recently bought Poker Academy Pro. It's kinda pricey $85 but using that and reading books (I've only read poker for dummies and phil gordon's little green book so far.. I'm reading the harrington on hold em series now) has helped me improve my game a ton in the past month that I've started playing. I got into NLHE playing with a friend over the weekend before that I had never played and they dominated me. Now I'm holding my own. I'm still a donk but I'm progressing slowly but surely. You may want to look into that piece of software. Not sure what the good players on cardschat think about poker academy though.

Another vote for Playmoney.

All the poker sites, (Pokerstars, Full Tilt etc) offer playmoney games.

Also Facebook, Myspace and other sites offer cash, tourney and special format games.

The one thing you have to realize is Playmoney strategy is somewhat different than money strategy since the quality of player is inevitably lower, and the nature of the game makes it a lot more about implied odds (winning big all in bets) than the fine art of pot odd play. But to learn this you could play playmoney Limit Holdem.

play moneys really not a bad move especially to learn, it s a major donk fest at the lowest limit but improves as u move up in levels, also ive seen post on selling play chips,{ I havent done it so dont ask specifics} but i think a million play chips are worth like 10 bucks or something

THANKS VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE ADVICE!

I played a little on AOL's free hold'em games and learned a lot about fish and donks and implied odds and the dangers of playing against people playing with free money. Especially implied odds - if the pot is at $10 and you raise $50 with AK suited (or some other reasonably good starting hand under most any circumstance) you can be sure four more people are going to call you. Now, that is bad because some joker will hit a ten on the river to make a jack high straight after having bet $200 in a $2/$4 blind game holding 97o. But that's life, when that happens I only lost play money too. Anyway, there is something to learn there - one of the things is to move to a better forum at a great rate of speed!


FWIW, Wilson Software (just Google it) makes really great PC poker software.
OK

The not so good part is that they're around $60.00 a pop last time I checked.
No Problem

Need to make sure you get the right one. They have LHE; NLHE; Tournament NLHE; 7 Stud; Omaha Hi; and Omaha Hi/Lo.
Good advice. Out of curiosity, what is the diff. between NLHE and Tournament NLHE? NLHE could be a cash game and TNLHE would have a fixed buy-in and you play until you loose it or win the tourney?

They're really pretty sophisticated and have a hand anlysis function with a little guy that actually talks you throught hands where you made moves at variance with the TAG standards built into the software.

Now that's what I'm talking about!


I see Poker Academy Pro has a similar feature.



I'm semi-retired (wife works for big corp. that sent us to Europe) and my goal is not to make money but to enjoy the game socially and play a tournament now and then. Any game is more fun if you win, but my thought is a $20 or $50 buy-in hold'em tournament has to be more fun if you play for two hours and lose - than if you play 20 minutes and lose!

People pay money for video games - $60 for hold'em software that actually teaches you something while you play doesn't sound like a bad idea.

Thanks again for the responses and advice.

"i think a million play chips are worth like 10 bucks or something"

I meant to comment:
It seems to me, if a site only weeded out all the "players" who don't have a credit card, the standard of (beginner's) play would increase significantly. Is there such a site where you get gobs of chips (so you can play and learn) for a nominal fee?

Pokerstars Fulltilt and reeferpoker there good sites. Downloadem and learn from their playmoney...

Well really there is only one way to do this IMO. You have to risk actual money.

You can get a lot of bang for your penny at Stars playing their 01/02 tables. It's still gonna be pretty chaotic and full of crazy players, but the play is far better than any playmoney I know of.

There is a fun site http://gpokr.com which has a month long playmoney tourney. It's the worst thing you've ever had to endure at the lower limits, but once you get up to the bigger tables the players are better since they are defending chips that were hard to earn.

You a guitar player I gather?? I am a drummer and studio owner

I would agree with Carbon poker's Fun steps. Step one is a total shove fest for the first two minutes, but if you sit tight, you will find yourself three handed and the play improves from that point. Costs 500 in play money for a ticket and you can play in as many as you have play money for. There is a limit on Carbon on how many times you can reload your play money, so the play in thes is actually pretty decent.

And once you get your 50 posts, the free-rolls on here are a great way to work on your game. Post your questionable hands after for analysis.

Best of luck.

"You a guitar player I gather?? I am a drummer and studio owner"

Aside:

The girl in the photo is Allison Robertson of The Donnas. (Female Guitarist of the Year, maybe two or three years running...) There are better bands out there who write better (more subtle) lyrics, but the band is killer live - and the girls are all more than competent musicians. The Donnas are one of my all-time favorite live bands - if a person likes music with a '70's era guitar sound, played by pretty girls (none of whom were a year old when 1980 rolled around), then this is the band for them. Photo: http://a8.ac-images.cdnmyspace.cn/im...c41812b1c8.jpg
[If you want a couple of youtube links, PM me and I'll shoot them to you.]

I love music and have seen/heard (since 1975) many of the bands most people would classify as worth seeing. Many, many bands! In the late '70's I bought a '68 Gibson SG (for $100) that I still have - sadly I spent more time fixing it up than learning how to play well.

- Now, back to our regularly scheduled program. -


Oh, wait!
Of interest to drummers, or anyone else (attention: online poker players) who spends tons of time sitting... in front of a computer, I have one of these seats and they are superior. I've no financial interest in this company, but they make a great product:

http://www.soundseat.com/models.html

I am, as I type, sitting in the Soundseat MP with back and arms; the owner recommended it to me and I love it, even though I weigh 200 lbs and not 300 lbs.