Getting started in low-limit hold'em

by Michael Engel

Before one can walk a mile, they have to take that first step - this is true in any activity. You simply have to start somewhere or you won’t get anywhere. For most new poker players, the first step they take into the poker world is through the game popularized by the World Poker Tour and ESPN’s World Series of Poker coverage: Texas Hold’em. This article will provide a basic framework with which to take that first step into playing hold’em regularly - either as a profitable hobby or a future profession.

The Guidelines

Where to start

First, you have to decide the environment in which you’ll play. For most, the convenience of the internet provides their poker playing experience. But for many, especially professionals, their surroundings are the numerous casinos throughout the world.

These two environments are not mutually exclusive. A successful internet player can, with the proper adjustments, become a profitable live player in “brick and mortar” poker rooms. Likewise, a live player can usually apply their experience to the internet games and succeed (though it is important to remember than live and online poker are like two members of the same family - very similar but with their own unique aspects). Most important to the beginning player is to choose the game that they feel most comfortable in.

Be comfortable

Online poker rooms win the majority of players in the game’s current standing. This is due to a few factors:

1. Accessibility - Many players live far from access to a casino. For some, a forty minute drive can be a reasonable distance to play cards; for others it’s out of the question. Online poker brings the poker room to you with open games anywhere, anytime.

2. Varied limits - Generally, I’ve seen only five different games spread at my area casinos. Online players can choose from games ranging from $100-$200 limit hold’em to .01-.02 hold’em. Simply put, if you have only $150 to use for testing your newfound hobby, you’ll get a lot more play out of your money online (in most cases, when used judiciously).

Most new players will be in that category with a smaller bankroll and unable to put a large amount of resources towards casino games. So you’ll want to find a game where you can settle in, get used to the pace, learn what works and what doesn’t and develop your skills. To do that you have to be comfortable with the stakes.

Perspective

Every major poker book stresses the idea that your first hand is just one part of a lifelong poker game. Poker is a game of statistics just as much as it is a game of people.

You WILL have days where you lose. You will have days when you play for six hours and make just over a dollar. In between, you’ll have big hands, big wins, and (hopefully) moderate losses. It’s the natural swing of the odds. Your goal as a poker player is to make the best decision for the given situation and act accordingly. This is why players like Sam Farha, Gus Hansen, and Daniel Negreanu can play odd hands and win. They know the odds and are skilled and finding situations where it’s profitable for them to play, if they manipulate the situation correctly. (Note: we’ll look at analyzing styles of play in a later article and weigh the benefits of each.)

These are just the basics of starting a poker hobby. Where you play and what you play are simply details. The real meat is the actual mechanics of the game - getting in the middle of the action. Still, without the correct approach to the start of your poker career, everything else means nothing. You can’t walk a mile if you don’t know which way to start walking.