Before you do what just about every new online player does, which I have come to learn the process as "The Newbie Circle of Death," I have 5 very basic ideas that you should take into consideration. (This article just isn't for advanced players or people that want to tweak their game. This guide is designed as nothing but to help new players avoid the mistakes I have made. I do not take credit for all of these ideas, and I have learned them as I went along; but I describe everything in a way that makes the most sense to me.)

You don't know what you do not know. This was my biggest problem, I simply just did not know. You may not be within the same position I was, but if I had to guess, I would think you are. You probably have seen poker on tv and thought, "wow, if he can be on television I can too!" or "I crush my home game every week, I want to quit my job and play!" This was my attitude as I was getting started and I came to realize it was my biggest downfall.

It really is great to have confidence in your game and also to believe you are a winning player. Alternatively, belief and facts are two completely different things. Let's take a look at my personal situation. I started to play poker after I watched the 2003 World Series of Poker on ESPN. I saw the bad beats, the big bluffs, and bear in mind, the cash. I wanted in. I knew nothing about the game except there was a lot of money on the line. But let's look just a little closer.

Do you know why televised poker is so successful? Because they choose what you watch. What a lot of people don't realize, is that one hour poker program you just watched was actually a 10 hour long final table battle. Before that 10 hour long final table, it was a 3 day event of hundreds (sometimes thousands) of individuals playing for 10-12 hours every day.

Essentially, after saying that consider this. Remember I said they choose what you watch? Well, they decide to show you the most exciting confrontations. Those big bluffs, the amazing call downs with bottom pair, the one-outers on the river; sure they are a part of the game, but not a really large one. Nevertheless, if you are anything like I was, I wanted to do just that! I wanted to feel that I pushed someone around, or that I earned a pot. It felt good to me, and when it worked, I was the top. But when it did not work, "How could he call me with that?!?"

In addition, let's look at your house game. Have you ever stopped to evaluate the caliber of your friends play? The people you are playing with are probably so bad to the point where you may think you are good. In my experience, I have played with a lot of people who did not know what blinds were, played just about every hand, did not know you can raise preflop, etc. You can notice these things and not be great yourself, just better than the worst. Do not let this go to your head thinking you are a poker God.

Especially, when people start out playing online poker they start small. All online poker rooms have cash game as little as $.05 - $.10 blinds, and tournaments which you can play for a little as $1. Let me share with you a little secret; you need not be fancy when playing low stakes. I have beaten low and mid stakes no-limit hold'em for years, and I would not even consider myself a top notch player. You simply need to have an ABC method of what direction to go. Learn basic preflop strategy, learn basic postflop strategy, and find out about position. These are 3 very basic principles and in my opinion will be the foundation to a good poker game. I will vaguely touch base with them, but not in detail, which is for a different article. Also, if I went into every possible situation or hand, this will be a very long read.

Basic Strategy. Learn to fold. Folding will be so boring though isn't it? I folded that 45 and the flop came A23, and I just knew that rookie with AJ could have given me his stack. Now I need to get tricky. I look down at that T4 and I know it is not a great hand, but it really is suited. I could flop two pair or trips, and that guy only doubled the blind. Two people already called and I have often heard of something called pot odds, maybe I should call? I call. Oh man, now the button just raised 3x more. Wow, every else called, and there is that pot odds thing even though I don't really determine what it really is, I guess I will call and only put more chips in if I flop big. Oh wow now what, the flop came T 3 2. I possess the top pair but there was a great deal of raising preflop. It checks to me, I better check. Wow, the button bet 3/4 of the pot! Every else folded, what do I do? I do not want to let it go, I mean he could possibly be bluffing and I do have top pair, I have to call. The turn is a 5! Wow! Now I have top pair and also a straight draw! I will check again to be fancy. What?! I was not expecting him to go allin!! Well, I may be behind but there is just no way I can fold, and bear in mind, he could be bluffing. I call. The river is a 9, well I didn't hit my straight but I possess the top pair. OMG! He had AA! I can't believe he got pocket Aces! Whenever I get AA it always gets outdrawn. Whatever, I quit.

Basically, to some beginners that will seem just a little dramatized, which it is. But there are actually some people who just can't wait to play online with that mindset. I know this since they will be the ones who I absolutely love to have at my table. If you re-look at that situation, everything could have been avoiding by folding preflop.

It really is fairly difficult to describe what sort of cards people should play, because with poker a great deal of questions may be answered with "it depends." On the other hand, let me just run through some really basic instances of some hands beginners have trouble with:

AX - AX means an Ace with just a little card, usually 8 or lower. At a 9 person table, this is an extremely weak hand. You are not going to hit anything worth while, like top pair or two pair sufficient to play this hand. Even when you do happen to hit your Ace, it's important to be worried about your kicker, which is your second card. Someone with AK, AQ, or AJ may have you dominated and you will not know what to if the A hits. For novices, I would just avoid this hand.

QJ - But they are pictures! I could even flop a straight! Well, QJ is just one of the hardest hands to play in my opinion. Say for example the flop comes J T 2. Cool you've got top pair, but it really is fairly weak. The obvious hands you are afraid of are JT, JK, and AJ which all have you in a world of trouble. In the event you are facing aggression, what now? Hope he has a Jack with a 9 or lower? This is one of the reasons I just don't like to play this hand, and recommend beginners fold it preflop.

KJ - Now surely KJ will be good online poker gambling if QJ is not! Conversely, that usually isn't the situation. Here is a fact that a lot of people don't know - whenever you see a flop, the odds that you pair anything is 1/3 or 33%. So if you're playing your KJ after someone raised, you will miss the flop 2/3 times. And also if you hit, what do you need to do if there is an Ace in addition to a King? I wouldn't become too attached to hands with big pictures when just starting out.

Big/Little - Big little may be everything from K3 to T4 as with the example, suited or unsuited. These will be your biggest losers by far and will hardly ever connect to win you the pot. Even when they do, it really is unlikely you will win anything from the others involved, just pitch 'em.

Trash - Even a bad player knows to fold trash. The same as 94, 32, as well as the ever popular 72. Just avoid these at all costs.

Like stated earlier, you will find times when I will play hands like KJ and QJ, as well as AX. Everything in poker is situational. On the flip side, if there is a raise in front of me generally I will almost always fold the aforementioned hands. In the event you do not have the initiative, they're simply not worth it.

Because of this, what are you suppose to play? I mentioned some hands that will be tough and should be avoided, now I will mention a few of the hands I love playing:

QQ, KK, AA - These are what you will call monsters. These three pairs will be the three biggest winning hands in my lifetime stats since I have started playing, and non-coincidentally they're the 3 best starting hands in hold'em. There are several ways to play them but let me just give you some basic advice. Don't get fancy, do not get greedy, and do not anticipate to win all of the time. When you have big pairs, many individuals get so excited and do not want to scare off other players. For the most part, it's true that you want action but you should almost always raise preflop with them. Don't attempt to be fancy and limp in; these big hands play well against 1-2 players, but are very dangerous against 3 or even more. If you are first to act, raise. If someone raised in front of you, re-raise around 3x the bet depending upon how many players are in the hand. Just on a basic level, play them strong like you would play any normal hand and pray someone re-raises you preflop.

TT, JJ - These two pair hands remain good, and also are lifetime winners for me also, but are trickier to play. You do not want to become too attached to them simply because you have a pair, and there are times the place you would fold them preflop if there can be very aggressive action. Most of the time, I will raise if I am first to act, and either call or re-raise (according to the player) when someone raises in front.

22-99 - These eight pairs may be difficult to play, but for the most part whenever you are just starting out try to live by a rule; set it or forget it. A set is when you have three of a kind, when you hold a pair and one comes on the flop (when you hold 44 and also the board is 4 7 Q.) Sets will be the money hands in no-limit hold'em, so these pairs can rake in some big bucks if they hit. For the most part, I will limp based on my table position, and call a raise in front. Like TT and JJ, don't become too attached.

AK and AQ - These may be tricky hands at a cash table while they are not made hands yet. AK and AQ look very good when you are dealt them, but miss the flop much like every other hand 2/3 of the time. I more often than not play these hands, and they are winners for me, but it really depends on the table. I always open them for a raise. A lot of people advocate re-raising them in place of calling a raise since it gives you the initiative to take away the pot if you happen to miss. I often switch it up, and can do either or but remember, they are both unmade hands.

AJ, KQ - I thought about putting these in the above section, while they may be tricky hands to play, but they are still playable. The reason AJ/KQ are separated from AK and AQ is really because I almost never just flat call a raise with them, and almost always fold. I will however raise if it is folded to me, but AJ can trap you fairly bad when someone opens with AK and also the flop comes A 3 4, as well as the same with KQ should the flop comes K high. Raising and calling are two different things.

You can find situations where I will play more hands, but in my opinion, those are the best hands for a new player to start out with. I'm sure you have heard pros say their favorite hands are suited connectors like 76 suited, or hands like QT suited, and they can be fun and profitable to play. On the flip side, they may play them properly as a result of their knowledge and experience.

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