New Poker Player?

Heres what I suggest:

1) State specific questions in our Shark Forum Strategy area. Help us out and register to become part of our great Forum group.

What game are you working on? Limit ring, Sit n gos, tourneys, No limit ring?

2) I think the best game to learn first is limit ring holdem. Here's how I suggest new players start.

A. Read Lee Jones "low limit holdem"

B. Set up neteller and start playing .10/.20 or ,05/.10 (play chips are bad for your game)

C. Subscribe to Cardrunners.com In referral box clik Shark Poker. Study the videos there. You will learn sit n gos, ring, tourneys,low limit, hi limit, all the games. This is the most fun you will have learning the game.

D. Read Ed Millers "Small Stakes Holdem"

E. Continue asking questions in our Forum.

F. Move up in levels as you start to crush the players that are not reading and learning the game. Most never take the time to read or learn strategy. You should be up to $1/2 in about a month. Then move up as you have 300-400 BB (big bets) in your BR (bankroll). So to play 2/4 you should have at least $1200.

G. Add more tables for add'l. profit as you move up. If you are playing 3 tables of 1/2 go with the 400 BB rule since you will have down weeks (variance) even if you are better then your opponents.

H. Read more books. My favs are posted here down the right side of this column.

I. Subscribe to Real Poker Training. Continue to use profits from your play to learn different styles and ideas. Watch pro Tourney player Todd Arnold play and describe the action.

J. Get a Personal Coach. There are many good ones out there. Email me for suggestions.

K. This kinda looks like i'm shooting my own foot but don't play too many freerolls. Its not the best thing for your game. Sure, ours are better then most but the money is in ring. I play 6 man (or less) ring limit. I play many more hands then tourney players and 4 tables are no problem. Thats 400-500 hands per hour of which I play about 100 hands each hr. Thats a ton of experience each hr. In a 6 hour tourney I will play about 45 hands. Tourneys are not a good way to gain experience. They also are much higher variance for your BR when you start playing tourneys with buyins.

A new 1 tabling, 6 man ring player will play more hands in 75 minutes then they would play in the 6 hour tourney. Who is going to improve faster? Who is going to get in more tough situations?

When I suggest the above to my friends they often say "hey, I don't want to spend a bunch of money!" "Why do that when I can play for FREE!" Yes, there are a ton of freerolls and play chips available.

You will not become a great player playing freerolls and play chips. Play free long enough and you may never become a good player. It's not real poker until you (and your opponents) cash is in the middle. Thats when you start becoming a player.

After a month or 3 purchase Pokertracker software. Do this before too many bad habits have set in. You can dissect your game and fix leaks with PT. Get it here. Free to try (1000 hands) but don't mess around. Spend $55 and get the full version. We discuss PT often here. Check out some of the old articles and ask questions as they come up.

Great Strategy Thread going on in our Forum here "Tournament Strategy: Play to win or fold for $?"

Online Coach Todd Arnold Interview Part 1

Part 2

#1 Online Tourney Player in World JohnnyBax Interview

The Circuit Podcasts. Interviews with many top pros

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Big Freeroll Weekend Upcoming!

3 Freerolls, $300 added PLUS 7 Satellite Seats are up for grabs! Here is the Calendar Go Here Shark Tour or here Online Shark Satellite Tour

We have 25 Events scheduled this month including Omaha 8/b on 3/26, Ladies Only Nite 3/29, and our road game every Thursday at Absolute Poker 9PM EST.

Support your Tour and enter a low buyin event this weekend also.

What are you doing to improve your game? Do you have a plan? Post in our Forum for help and ideas.