Are their any sites to teach you how to play poker?

Best thing to do is watch a few tables, try some Play Money tables then dive straight into low stakes. Don't risk anything you can afford to lose but a £20 deposit will get you 15 x $2.50 single table tournaments (minimum - assuming you lose them all which you won't) and if you do well, each game will last over an hour.

There's plenty of info on the net on hand rankings etc. have a quick flick through these.

There are training site but I think these are geared above learning the basics, not sure how much they cost.

As I said, practice on the play money tables until you get the feel for the rules, don't be scared to ask any questions.

One famous pro said, Texas Holdem is an easy game to learn but takes a lifetime to master.

Ovalman thanks a lot for that pal i really appreciate it

if you're just starting, while it's a bit out of date, Harrington on Hold'em is a good couple of books. vols 1 and 2 will teach you the basics around which you can develop your own style.

good luck and remember to enjoy yourself :)

and it's "there" btw :D

I preferred super system 2 by Doyle Brunson rather than the Harrington books

Thanks a lot dibble and keith. Yes im completely new to poker. I don't even understand the cards really or the flop and that. Obviously im not aiming to be a pro or anything like that i'd just like to be able to play it and maybe win a game or two

It,s ok for cheap entertainment if you stick to low STT but the time involved to get good would be better put to use in understanding the exchange and it,s more interesting less time demanding. Deffo an imo, you knows you may love the game.

I don't really understand that flatliner

he's suggesting tht poker is a waste of time and you should learn the betting exchange.

and super system 2 is utter **** :D

Oh right. I know how the betting exchanges work you don't have to worry about that. I would just like to be able to have a basic understanding of poker

Thanks for that pal

play money is without doubt the worst place ever to learn poker imo

As I said, practice on the play money tables until you get the feel for the rules, don't be scared to ask any questions.

I should add, don't hang around on the play money tables, players don't respect your bets because if they lose, its not real money and they can just reload. Even a 10 cents STT (single table tournament) is better than playing play money.

I would also advise you to stick to STT's and MTT's (multi table tournaments) also play the freeroll tournaments (real prizes for no cost) but avoid cash tables until you have more than the basics behind you. Cash is very volatile, you may win very quickly but you can also lose the lot very quickly, the last thing you want to do is lose a lot of money, it will put you off the game.

Its a short term game of luck but a long term game of skill, try and find out what your doing right and more importantly what your doing wrong.

You will pick the rules up in an hour BTW.

There's a freeroll tournament every hour on Betfair, it opens for registration at 1.50pm. There's only 100 people allowed so you have to be quick to get into it. Finish in the top 9 and you win a seat into the weekly final, this has a $2,000 prize fund which is a decent amount for nothing. Try entering this for starters.

Soap, he wants to learn the rules, not play in the WSOP.

like it

soap is right. poker is only really poker when people care about the amounts they are playing with. Can't really run a bluff in play money can you

Ovalman I think it is much better to learn on stakes that mean nothing to you but may to someone else,

think they have 1$ sit and gos and in my opinion a few ofthese 1$ with no return is money well spent.

play money tables evryone all in pre flop every hand etc etc does not help.

^^^ spot on.

Yes,dibble, I don,t exactly think poker is a waste of time, its if you play poker seriously its a similar effort to the exchanges ie hard work at the end of it. wasn,t much of a chioce for me as I,m 52 I can,t do an auto poker routine,I,d have to think all the time.

where at the exchanges I have the time.

Just learn how to type 'ffs' and 'fish' repeatedly into the chatbox, while watching your bank steadily eroded by bad beats....

stu has it sussed.