Absolute Beginner Tips? (1 Viewer)

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I run some micro stakes games with a rotating cast of friends and friends of friends. A few of the regulars are familiar with basic poker strategy, but I'd say about half the players are more or less completely new to hold em and have never viewed any strategy content. One or two of them have asked me for basic advice in what's generally a pretty loose and passive game (the regs are getting drunk and having fun trying to punt, the newbs are somehow donating anyways). What would do you think are some very concise digestible tips for players who don't know much terminology and just want to have an okay time playing? I figure fairly tight play is good for people who just want to sit and participate without busting or reloading often. Obviously you can assume they understand the most basic rules like betting orders and hand rankings, and these tips don't have to be anywhere near optimal play. This is strictly for micro stakes cash (.05/.10, .25/.25), 5 to 8 handed.

Some I've thought of myself:
  1. Avoid limping unless multiple players have already limped in front of you. If there are a lot of limpers, increase your opening bet. (We get more family pots than we should, but there are usually 2~3 players willing to spoil the fun with a big raise)
  2. Raise strong hands (88+, KJs+ ATo+) before the flop, fold all other hands. Call raises with more or less the same range, 3 bet JJ+ and AQo+. This is a rough guide because they probably won't remember exact ranges. Trying to explain ranges by position is probably too much.
  3. Bet sizing should almost be between 1/4x and 1x pot. (Not joking, people will bet 50 cents into a $5 pot on the river)
  4. If you're betting 3/4+ of your stack, you should probably just be going all-in. (Not uncommon to make a $4~5 bet with 50 cents left behind)
  5. Check or bet small when there are multiple players in the hand after the flop (almost always)
  6. Don't try to bluff into multiple players. Consider not bluffing at all because people will call with a bottom pair they don't even know they have.
  7. Bet small on the flop, larger on the turn, largest on the river.
  8. Only bet with Top Pair+ or combo draws. Only call with decent pairs or OESDs and Flush Draws.
Non strategy tips
  1. Budget losing up to 3 buy-ins if you want to play the whole session.
  2. When you're in the hand make sure you pay attention to when the action is on you.
  3. Don't talk about your cards until the hand is over, ever.
Or am I just wasting my time? Maybe what's best for players who are new is just a limp-fest where you see if you can smash the flop. I'm just trying to bridge the gap a little between players who enjoy the strategy aspect at least a bit, and people who are just getting started. Sadly I don't have a limit set and I'm not looking to pick up 800 new chips to play limit hold em with lol.
 
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Most beginners look at poker like any casino table game…put your bets down and see who wins when the last card appears. That’s why there’s so many limpers. You’ll also likely hear a groan from them when you raise pre-flop. Generally, I'll say something like, "I raise when I have better cards, because I'm putting my money in when the odds are with me." It takes time.
They fail to initially grasp that bets are there for a variety of reasons. However, they’ll only get it if they want to get it. Some just don’t understand and do care to.

Another great piece of advice I heard early on was, "You need better cards to call than you do to bet."
 
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Another great piece of advice I heard early on was, "You need better cards to call than you do to bet."
Honestly, that's a great line. Not only is good advice, but it's the kind of saying a beginner will remember (JT? ranges? Bro, speak English).

And yeah I don't expect them to improve a whole lot, I'm just trying to think of a few guidelines that may be helpful. Most of the stuff in my post is not easily digestible enough I think.
 
I think setting standards preflop is the absolute best way to help beginners…I agree with you to not bring up position or any of that jazz…

If someone only plays better hands pre, it’ll go a long way to help them win (or at least not lose as often)

The hard part is folding isn’t fun! You see all the action and you want to be part of it, even with crappy cards!

You can only help those who want to be helped…maybe have them get to the game 30 mins early and pick one thing for them to work on for the game….maybe it’s fold more often pre, maybe it’s try only betting pot or folding, whatever it may be, you’ll start to see those who really want to learn a bit more about strategy and not waste your time on those who really don’t care. (Plus, in my experience, teaching others really improved leaks in my game)

Good luck!! Sounds like a fun game!!
 
Also, the worst thing a beginner sees is their crappy cards that they folded hit the board. They think,"If only I had held on to them."
It's difficult trying to teach them not to look at that one hand...that crappy cards are that way because they usually DONT win...but sometimes they do.
I have said something like, "Yeah it would have won this hand, but you'll lose far more that that pot over time if you keep playing that way."
 
One other thought, you could run this as spread limit or capped bet, would make it hurt less when people make mistakes but still teach them strategy (obviously not perfect NLHE strategy since “all-in” isn’t a threat, but all the basics can still be learned)
 
I run some micro stakes games with a rotating cast of friends and friends of friends.
Enjoy the game for what it is- a social event. Not everyone cares and you can’t force it. Folks that are interested will research and learn at their own pace.

If you’re looking for a serious game, you’ll need to start a second. Which means more poker!
 
If you try to educate your weaker players never ever do it at the table.
Nothing stops the fun dead in it's tracks like telling someone they played their hand wrong.
I've had a few players come up to me and asking for some educational material on youtube before the next game and I pointed them towards Jonathan Little and Bart Hanson and let them learn at their own pace. The others just weren't interested in learning outside of playing and that's fine as well.
 
Play rounds! NLH and some Omaha!

I'd explain Hold'em is about being bored while you wait for 1 of 5 hands, fold everything else if you are looking for a winning night. If you wanna have fun play break even hands. I'd explain the basics of hands and expected value, then show them a Range Chart, talk about AAs vs K8 and chasm that is the gap between them, and the subtly of A10 vs A9

Then I would show them Omaha and explain its a game of taking draws to outs!
 
Absolute beginner? My advice is have fun! Play your cards however you want. We are here to have a few hours with our friends having a good time. No hand ranges, strategy tips or any similar nonsense. ( obviously the strategy stuff is needed to keep losses to a minimum, but don't let it get in the way of fun. )

Sure, the new player might ask how to do better. I would certainly offer my assistance but at the start the focus is only have fun.

Good advice to consider fixed limit. That ups the luck factor / shrinks the skill factor and keeps the beginner from busting out so fast. Even the greenest player is going to have a winning session now and then in a limit game.
 
A lot of your numbered items address the mechanics of the game but when I'm playing live figuring out the player and their biases is just as important as what hands I'm choosing to limp behind with. We had our home game last month and had a new guy who maybe had played a handful of times - he was calling down to the river with K-high, so dont bluff into that guy but go big with value like TPGK (it got so bad I actually felt bad for him)! At the same time my friend Steve was on my right and he played some online a year ago and knows what a range is, etc. and he is super tight so I can 3! if he opens in late position (he also has a sizing tell when RFI which helps decide when to 3!) Figure out who's consistently doing what so that you can exploit them.
 
And for the most part when they're making big bets on turn or river and they're not a regular casino or online poker player (meaning not really capable of making big bluffs) ... #theyalwayshaveit. A bad fold is a better mistake than a bad call IMHO. Again look at the cards at showdown to see if they are capable of bluffing
 
The first thing I do for people interested in learning more about poker is to have them watch The Big Game seasons 1 and 2. It's entertaining, and if they pay attention to the commentary they can learn quite a bit. If they cruise through that and continue to ask for more, then I warn them it starts to get more boring but recommend watching Critical Fundamentals of Preflop Play on youtube (crushlivepoker but it's not Bart presenting). Generally they start watching some of the crushlivepoker call ins if they make it through that and then they're well on their way.
 
The first thing I do for people interested in learning more about poker is to have them watch The Big Game seasons 1 and 2. It's entertaining, and if they pay attention to the commentary they can learn quite a bit. If they cruise through that and continue to ask for more, then I warn them it starts to get more boring but recommend watching Critical Fundamentals of Preflop Play on youtube (crushlivepoker but it's not Bart presenting). Generally they start watching some of the crushlivepoker call ins if they make it through that and then they're well on their way.
Any idea where The Big Game is available? Like what streaming service? Thx!
 
https://spinettisgaming.com/collections/poker-supplies/products/basic-strategy-card-for-texas-holdem

I have that card and hand it out to anyone who is an absolute beginner. Most think it's a joke, but it comes in handy when someone brings a SO who's bored of watching from the rail and wants to join and play.

Haha, I have something similar but it's much more basic. There's always one player who looks at their cards and asks a very telling question like 'is a straight better than a flush?' The rules side isn't too helpful, but a small hand ranking chart seems appreciated.

rankofhands_2400x.png




The first thing I do for people interested in learning more about poker is to have them watch The Big Game seasons 1 and 2. It's entertaining, and if they pay attention to the commentary they can learn quite a bit. If they cruise through that and continue to ask for more, then I warn them it starts to get more boring but recommend watching Critical Fundamentals of Preflop Play on youtube (crushlivepoker but it's not Bart presenting). Generally they start watching some of the crushlivepoker call ins if they make it through that and then they're well on their way.
The Big Game is probably some of my favorite poker content. Wish they still made it. Actually what initially got me and some friends into poker was watching old WPT tournaments on youtube. I definitely don't think anyone's gonna start watching actual strategy videos, but I may get them to watch some more fun content. I'd suggest they watch Celebrity Poker Showdown but I think that'd make their play worse :x
 
Haha, I have something similar but it's much more basic. There's always one player who looks at their cards and asks a very telling question like 'is a straight better than a flush?' The rules side isn't too helpful, but a small hand ranking chart seems appreciated.

View attachment 1072645




The Big Game is probably some of my favorite poker content. Wish they still made it. Actually what initially got me and some friends into poker was watching old WPT tournaments on youtube. I definitely don't think anyone's gonna start watching actual strategy videos, but I may get them to watch some more fun content. I'd suggest they watch Celebrity Poker Showdown but I think that'd make their play worse :x
Yeah bought these cards after a session of 6 people with the hand rankings on their phone. Very helpful, need to make the game more approachable.
 
The first thing I do for people interested in learning more about poker is to have them watch The Big Game seasons 1 and 2. It's entertaining, and if they pay attention to the commentary they can learn quite a bit. If they cruise through that and continue to ask for more, then I warn them it starts to get more boring but recommend watching Critical Fundamentals of Preflop Play on youtube (crushlivepoker but it's not Bart presenting). Generally they start watching some of the crushlivepoker call ins if they make it through that and then they're well on their way.
are the seasons long? my friends are interested, but not as much as me and i'm afraid of boring them to death lol
 
are the seasons long? my friends are interested, but not as much as me and i'm afraid of boring them to death lol
I think each episode is maybe 40 minutes, and I think they had 5 or 6 amateurs per season, ~5 episodes per game (I think they called them weeks, but they clearly just played one session and split it up for tv). All on youtube.
 
The concept of position is pretty important in Holdem. I realize a lot of home games play loose and limpy and dumb and it looks like position matters less, but understanding position really is key to understanding Holdem and how not to screw yourself. I would find a way to get them to start thinking about position.
 
Important to be flexible based on who is in the hand. Try to note what % of hands each player is playing, and their general level of aggression. That way, close decisions can be better decided based on adjustments to their play style
 
As a beginner, it is almost harder to develop when playing with other beginners -- you might try to find a game with more experienced players and just play very conservatively, if nothing else than to watch proper practice for betting, folding, positions, etc.
 
That’s a lot for a beginner to remember. I would break it down to these three things that have improved my poker.

1. Focus on my preflop hand ranges. Throwing away bad hands

2. Focus on my position. BB, SB, Button

3. Bet sizing. My primary focus is, if I have a good hand, I want to make people pay to play. Raise pre-flop, raise hard when I think I have top hand. And I am not afraid to go big if I have the nuts.

After this, just remember, it’s a learning game. During a game I’ll make a mental note or a note on my phone. I have something I want to learn more about. Like playing low, suited connectors. then, instead of trying to learn everything about poker I’ll focus on two or three videos, and some simulations on that scenario and just try to understand it better. Baby steps one at a time.
 
The concept of position is pretty important in Holdem. I realize a lot of home games play loose and limpy and dumb and it looks like position matters less, but understanding position really is key to understanding Holdem and how not to screw yourself. I would find a way to get them to start thinking about position.

This ^. Position is the easiest thing to learn and it’s the most important.
Just ask them “do you want to know what’s everyone’s doing before you bet, or would you rather bet not knowing what the people behind you are going to do?”
For starters I’d tell them to consider not playing any hand in early position that doesn’t add up to 20 or 21 (I know it’s not blackjack, but those top ten hands are 20 or 21). It’s a rudimentary guideline but easy to remember. But remind them constantly it’s a guideline, not a rule.

Here is another simple one to help determine hand strength - how many cards make your best hand?
1 card (high card) weak
2 cards (pair) weak
3-4 cards (two pair, trips) stronger
5 cards (straight, flush, full house) powerful
 
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