The single most important thing to learn as a beginner

If you could pick one or two things that are absolutely crucial to learn as a beginner poker player to get a good head start in the game what would it/they be?

In this example the player in question knows all the basics. I am talking about EV, Pot odds etc.

Many thanks,

Ps. If you haven't guessed, this question is directly aimed at me.
:smile:

Learn how to play within your br first of all because if you cant get through that you will never achieve what you want to get out of the game and wont be playing that long. Good Luck!

do not play every hand

Im thinking long term here, not learning how to play AA, AK, AQ.

Currently playing a VPIP of 20% AF 2.5% PFR 15%

I like JD's advice, BR Management is something I'm going to study for the next while. Trying to get my head around EV and how to apply it at the table in such a short amount of time.

Some people have told me to get a HUD which I did for a while but I want to learn how to play raw first to give me a better advantage live when it happens.

Have played two live tournaments and made it 50% through the field both tournaments, which isn't great. I played far too tight and wasn't paying enough attention to the players or the button.

Looking forward to the evolution of my game, and delighted to be a member of the community.

Of course it depends on whether you are playing tournament poker or cash poker but typically I have found that weak or new players tend to call too much preflop with marginal hands (K10, Q10, A9 etc) out of position and this gets them in big trouble if they flop top pair with no real draw. It's difficult to get a weak player to lay down top pair no matter how big the bets get so the best advice is just to fold it preflop before you get yourself in trouble. Fixing that one leak will save weak players lots of money. Think about your position FIRST and your hand second. K10 is certainly a playable hand in position but it's too ofter a firing squad from UTG if you can't lay it down. You didn't hear it from me though.

Don't play every hand, you just can't hit every flop.

a bunch of good answers I say it is simple just play a lot of hands and learn what you can from them good luck

mz 2cent advice . Play loads of games , grind grind n grind . but with good bank roll Management. rest you will learn from experience

FSI fast selectivity index

Play for fun until you learn the game. Consider it an education and determine how much you can afford to invest...

Thanks alot guys!!

Participation in the community
You came to play online poker. Hard work, I tell you. I failed, but I now see these processes from the inside. If you get stuck on your game, there will be trouble. You can not lose contact with people, you need to leave the place in your schedule for communicating. Not directly here at 14:00 to talk, and floating a time. Chat on the forum, visit the poker event, with someone to meet you. It all contributed to its own capitalization, do not be afraid and do not be lazy to do it. Whether you're meeting your forum or RPT party in Kiev. Everywhere there is a useful grain, it is necessary to find it. Continuing non-stop about something to think about, with someone to contact. Maybe online poker just an intermediate step? Maybe everything.
Image
I would recommend to think about your own image from the very beginning of the path. Do not tell yourself that you will not know, and therefore not watching, it is not. Easy to behave at the poker tables, poker adequately communicate on forums - a good way. Absolutely I can not say that the creators of the project are constantly looking for new people. Always. And the trail of bad reputation to spoil the "thistles". Do not let down the people who have started to trust you, strive to improve contacts with them. This is how active the world.
Available arguments
What have I said? Yes, perhaps, nothing. Quite simply, at a glance, but often it does not. The world does not end in our kitchen, it does not begin with the monitor. I do not know the boundaries of the world. I am glad that every day I wake up and learn something new. I do not know what could be nicer than to make your life be what you want. Just take and make. Get up, go out and start! Do not engage in endless planning and practice. If you come into a new environment for themselves, apply in the first place, you have learned the skills to understand it. And later, open up new possibilities. Put them together and see what happens. It will be interesting.

Pick one or two ? Hmmmm... I'll have to pick 2 then

1. Position is everything ! I read this and heard it over and over but never really got it at first... but it really is quite important. When I check my HUD stats I have won more BBs from the button than any other position closely followed by the cut off...

2. I think also you need to learn and memorize a lot of the probabilities/odds/percentages etc of hitting draws and likelihood that other players have hit a paired board etc... It took me a while to realize two pairs on the board and my ace in the hole as top kicker was probably not the best hand as I surrendered my chips to Full Houses LOL

Also... Do get a HUD... you can look back at all your hands particularly the ones you played badly and figure out where you went wrong and you can see all kinds of other stuff like how well you do with starting hands, how well in certain positions etc... It is a tool that can help you understand and hopefully improve your game !

Play your A game and NO TILT!

Huge interest to the game - to be able to play all days long while learning.
And ability to learn, change your usual mentality. It's harder then it seems.

Tosh_67 said:

Pick one or two ? Hmmmm... I'll have to pick 2 then

1. Position is everything ! I read this and heard it over and over but never really got it at first... but it really is quite important. When I check my HUD stats I have won more BBs from the button than any other position closely followed by the cut off...

2. I think also you need to learn and memorize a lot of the probabilities/odds/percentages etc of hitting draws and likelihood that other players have hit a paired board etc... It took me a while to realize two pairs on the board and my ace in the hole as top kicker was probably not the best hand as I surrendered my chips to Full Houses LOL

Also... Do get a HUD... you can look back at all your hands particularly the ones you played badly and figure out where you went wrong and you can see all kinds of other stuff like how well you do with starting hands, how well in certain positions etc... It is a tool that can help you understand and hopefully improve your game !

Click to expand...

Thanks alot, I have the Poker Tracker trial running at the moment, its good going to buy it at the end. Its all jibberish to me at the moment, I understand the stats like VPIP, AF etc but I don't know how to go back over my hands like you were saying. Is there any good videos outlining how to make the most of it?

Have definitely seen an improvement in my game from playing in position. Its amazing what it can do for it. Absolutely loving my poker at the moment. Had a disgusting bad beat on the bubble of a 1000 player MTT yesterday, was so pissed off but thats poker I guess.

I don't know which HUD you use but I have Holdem Manager 2 and their website has tutorials and stuff... whichever you use you can probably find videos on you tube for it... Some of these Poker HUDs are free if you join certain poker rooms... So if you are savvy you may be able to join a room, get some bonus money and a free HUD !

bankroll management, patience, and position
start with strong hands only and open your range as you feel confident or know the player types youre against
gl

forexbrat said:

If you could pick one or two things that are absolutely crucial to learn as a beginner poker player to get a good head start in the game what would it/they be?



In this example the player in question knows all the basics. I am talking about EV, Pot Odds etc.



Many thanks,



Ps. If you haven't guessed, this question is directly aimed at me.

:smile:

Click to expand...

You could do worse by never calling preflop. With very few exceptions either raise or fold. This will cut your Vpip way down and you'll be amazed how many hands you'll take down without ever seeing a turn card.

position position position

very simple concept but not give enough importance imo

patience cant win the tournament early only late so have to last the first rule if you never go all in you do not lose