A Note For Beginners

Written by Nigel

I was thinking about that other night when I taught Texas Hold Em to some guys.  I think I shared that story with you already.  Anyhow, I was thinking about how beginners can make their share of mistakes if not guided properly.  One major thing I was thinking about is how beginners should wait more than their share at the table.  What do I mean by this?

That night I was playing with all newbies, I noticed that they rarely folded – if they did at all.  Even if they had bad cards, they just went ahead and tried to bluff their way through it.  They won sometimes but they lost as well.  It might have worked for that night but I doubt that it would work if they start to play poker in the long run.

Seasoned poker players would know that there is always a time to fold.  I think this is one of the hardest things to learn in this game.  Deep down inside, we think that folding is the cowardly way out.  The truth is, however, folding is something that we use to win in the long run.  We do not always get good cards –that is for sure.  The only thing that we can do during the times that we get bad cards is to fold and wait for good cards.

This is where patience comes in – the “P” word that is used a lot when it comes to poker.  This is what beginners should learn on the outset.