Beginners Guide to Joining the W.W.P.
General
In this section you will find some things that a player really should know before joining this league. Since a big part of No-Limit Texas Hold'em Poker tournaments is the speed of the game I thought I would bring some of the most common issues that slow the game down.
With Texas Hold'em Poker being in the public's eye so much now the game is increasing in popularity. People watch it on TV and want to play. This is great. We encourage you to watch it on TV to get pointers, tips, strategies and game instructions. I highly recommend watching to get familiar with game flow too.
Use this page as a guide to see where you are at in your own game. Some of the topics I will talk about may seem silly, but often hamper the game flow. If you are unaware of too many of these topics then you might want to consider geting in a little poker practice with some friends or try some FREE bar poker before joining the WWP for a season. This is for your own enjoyment as well as the other players. Don't be intimidated by all the reading it'sjust a guide. Our league has all sorts of skill levels so if you have any questions at all, please contact us and we'll sort it all out for you. Everyone has to start somewhere, right?
For additional question that have been asked in the past, please visit our F.A.Q. page.
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Shuffling, Cutting & Dealing Cards
Do you know how to shuffle a single deck of cards?
In the WWP we deal to ourselves. We use two single decks of cards. While the dealer is dealing one deck, the small blind (player to the left of the dealer) is shuffling the cards for the next round. We do this so that there is no lag between hands. It is in everyone's best interest to get in as many hands as possible between blinds.
Do you know what it means to cut the cards?
Cutting the cards simply means that after you shuffle them you allow a player to pick up a portion of the deck and put it to the bottom. This eliminates cheating by the dealer and other players from knowing what cards are at the bottom of the deck if they have been exposed in suffling. If you have an official dealer you do not need to cut the cards, the dealer will do this. In the WWP we do not have dealers so we have the player sitting to the dealer's right cut the cards for that round. Take the plastic cut card and set it on the table. Set the deck of cards next to it - NOT ON IT. The player cutting the cards will then take a top portion and set it on the plastic cut card. Either player can then take the remaining cards and put them on top of that. The dealer will then carefully pick up the whole thing - leaving the cut card on the bottom - and carefully deal out the cards.
Do you know how to deal out cards for Texas Hold'em Poker?
From the dealer position each player, starting with the small blind, will get two cards face down. These cards are dealt one each all the way around and then a second card each going all the way around. There is then a round of betting on these first two cards. After the "pot is good" (betting is completed) the dealer will then "burn" (bury a single card face down) and then "turn" (flip over) three cards face up. There is a round of betting on these cards. After the pot is good another card is burned and a single card is turned up. There is a round of betting on this card. After the pot is good another card is burned and a single card is turned up again. There is a final round of betting and then all players left in the hand will show thier hands to delcare the winner.
Important Do's and Don'ts of dealing Texas Hold'em Poker?
After the cards have been shuffled DO allow the player to the right of the dealer to cut the cards before the first one is dealt.
Keep the cards low and DON'T allow any of them to be exposed prematurely.
DO pay attention to the action as not to hold up the game.
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The Game of Poker
Do you know how to play any type of poker?
If you have ever played poker before and understand the basic principals of the rank of hand and betting then learning Texas Hold'em Poker will take you just moments to learn. Learning the strategies might take a lifetime though. Because Texas Hold'em uses 5 community cards and only 2 hole cards you can use different strategies to win a pot. Betting and bluffing are a big part of no-limit hold'em. I recommend that you pick up a book or two on it or watch it on TV. You probably could join the WWP and have no problem acclimating to the Texas Hold'em style of poker.
Do you know what the rank of hands is?
The rank of hands tells you what hand beats what in any poker game. When playing any poker one should be aware of the order of the rank of hands. Many websites offer a rank of hands with definition. I'm just going to list them in order from highest to lowest:
Royal Flush
Straight Flush
Four-of-a-Kind
Full House
Flush
Straight
Three-of-a-Kind
Two Pair
One Pair
High Card
Do you know what a kicker is?
A kicker is a deciding card in a five card hand. In Texas Hold'em there are a lot of times where players end up with the same hand and only a kicker makes the difference between winning, losing, or splitting the hand. For example: if you have an A-10 in your hand and the other player has A-J in their hand. If the board has an A-6-6 on it, you both have two pair; aces and sixes....but your opponent has a Jack kicker...one higher than your ten. Sometimes it doesn't matter what you have in your hand though. Remember a kicker only plays as part of a FIVE card hand. An example of this is same situation as above only the hand continues to play out. The board has A-6-6-K-9. Your best five card hand is A-A-6-6-K. Guess what? So is your opponents hand. The kicker doesn't play because the King on the board is the best card for both of you. This explanation is probably confusing for now, but will make perfect sense later when you're playing and in fact may even play into your strategies. The last thing you want to do is get "out-kicked" when you're in a hand.
Do you know what suited means?
Suited simply means that the cards are of the same suit. All hearts, clubs, diamonds, or spades. There are more value in suited cards than unsuited cards if you are working towards a flush.
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Betting
Do you know what the Small Blind and Big Blind are?
This seems to be the number one piece of confusion where betting concerned. A lot of people have played Texas Hold'em at home games and still don't know what the blinds are. Most easily defined....blinds are antes for the whole table prior to a hand starting. They are called blinds because they are posted before the hand or any cards are dealt, therefore the players that are posting the small and big blinds are in the dark to what their cards are....they are "blind" to them. There is usually some sort of blind schedule pre-posted for any no-limit Texas Hold'em tournament. This schedule will reflect the cost of the small blind and the big blind and how long before increasing to the next level. The blinds rotate around the table clockwise as does the dealer button after each hand.
The small blind sits one seat to the left of the dealer button and is required to put chips out in front of them prior to cards being dealt. This amount is the designated small blind amount on the blind schedule (this is usually half the amount of the big blind).
The big blind sits two seats to the left of the dealer button and is required to put chips out in front of them prior to cards being dealt. This amount is the designated big blind amount on the blind schedule (this is usually double the amount of the small blind).
After the cards are dealt out the player to the left of the big blind will act first. To make it more clear here is what sort of happened. The small blind bet $10 and the big blind raised to $20 (these were forced bets remember) so now, the player to the left of the big blind has to call (match) the $20 to stay in the hand. This player can raise (increase) the bet or fold as other options.
Not knowing how the blinds work should not discourage you from joining the league. It's actually a lot simpler than it sounds and any of the ladies will let you know when it is your turn to post your blinds and what they are until you get the hang of it. General poker betting knowledge would be helpful though. For example, if the terms "call", "raise", "re-raise", and "fold" make sense to you, then you should have no trouble adapting to blinds instead of antes.
Do you know what pot splashing is?
In Texas Hold'em poker (along with other poker games) you are required to place your bet in front of you instead of just throwing it towards the pot. This is because everyone needs to be able to match each other in the betting. If you throw your chips into the main pot how can anyone tell how much you bet? You could say $500 and only throw in $400. If there is enough chips in the main pot no one could tell differently. This act is called pot splashing. Only after a round of betting is completed will the chips be scooped into the main pot. Along with preventing cheating, stacking your chips in front of you when betting allows the next player to see what they need to match. It also helps show where the action is.
To avoid pot splashing simply place your bet out in front of you in neat organized stack(s). Usually the more expensive chips are on the bottom and are in some sort of order so that the total bet has easy recognition to other players.
Do you know what string bet is?
A string bet is when you put your chips in front of you in two motions or more instead of one when you are trying to make a raise. A common thing for a new player to do is say "I call your $25 and raise you $50". This is a verbal example of a string bet. You've made a call and now you are trying to raise. You cannot do one action and then add to it with another action. Even if you aren't saying it if you set out chips in front of you and then reach back to get more you are string betting.
Here are some tips for executing a proper bet so that you do not string bet. First verbally declare what you are doing. If you are calling, then say "call". If you want to raise simply say "raise" or "raising" or even "i'm going to raise". Anything that lets other players know what you are intending to do. This way, no matter what your physical actions are you have declared what you are doing. If you say "rasie" then you should follow that up with the amount of the raise. Like "raise....$200". You could set out one chips at a time if you want after you verbally announce your intentions thus elimnating the potential for a string bet.
What you don't want to do is reach back and forth between your stack and the playing area. Right in front of you there is an unwritten area that is yours to stack your chips, count them, and contemplate your chip stacks. In some casinos this area is defined by a oval circle on the table. On our tables we do not have this so we use common sense as to when a player makes a move. Once the gesture to push your chips in is made you have made a decision. This is why verbally communicating your actions is so important.
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Strategies
Do you know when to hold 'em?
This is a question that has many answers. I have heard that you will never play the same hand the same way with the same outcome. I think this is very true in this game. There are too many variables to consider. When I teach this game to people and they ask what are good starting hands I try to lead them direction of what are standardly good starting hands. Of course everyone will play differently and have their favorite starting hands there has to be some sort of teaching curve.
Any hand can change in value after a flop, turn, or river are exposed but if we're just talking about starting hands obviously a pair of aces on is the best. Pair especially high pairs (Kings, Queens, Jacks, and Tens) are good too. Higher cards in general are good if you have two of them like A-K, A-Q, K-Q, etc....if you have something like A-7, it's an O.K. hand, but don't get married to the Ace if someone else is betting a lot your 7 is a weaker kicker (see above for kicker). Hands like this could get you into trouble, at the same time if it's cheap enough to see a flop, it might be worth it. You're also looking for suited connectors...like 8-9 of hearts...something that can be made into a solid hand with a good board. Here you have a potential for a straight or a flush or if it's your lucky day...a straight flush. Any two cards CAN be a winner, but some have better odds of being winners.
Strategies on what to keep, what to throw away, what to raise with, how to bet, how much to bet, when to bet, etc...can all be found on TV, DVDs, the internet, poker books, by playing, and by listening to other players. There is no right or wrong in poker, but there are guidelines that will improve your game.
Do you know when to fold 'em?
As in above it's hard to know what to fold when all you have to look at is two cards. There are a few hands that are normally tossed out right away. The 7-2 is the worst hand in hold'em. You can't make anything out of it and it's low. It's a good example of what to not play. Now granted, you could flop 7-7-2 or even 7-7-7 and have a killer hand...but the odds are not in your favor on this. Stay away from low cards - even suited ones. Stay away from cards with too much of a spread and unsuited...a J-5 is not a good hand even if you flop a Jack it's possible that someone else has stayed in on J-Q and you'll end up wasting chips on a hand that you are destined to get out kicked on. It's better to throw it away before you have any chips vested in the hand then to just try and get lucky.
The number one thing I see when I teach this game is that players love their pocket pairs. They match and are pretty to look at, but if you aren't careful can bite you in the chip stack. Say you have a pair of 9's...that's a pretty okay starting hand. Now the flop comes out A-K-3. This is horrible for you, because you can pretty much count on the fact that someone has an Ace or a King in their hand. Your 9's are no good now. If you can get away with it stay in the hand for as cheap as possible otherwise if there is a player or players that are betting heavy on that flop give your 9's a little kiss and send them packing to the muck (discard) pile.....a pair of 9's doesn't beat a pair of Aces, does it?
I can't tell you how to play poker. Lord knows I am not the best player, but over the years I've taught enough of it to beginners to know what the biggest mistakes are. Since there are a lot of factors to consider in every hand there is a lot of room for big plays, bluffs, small hands turning into monsters, and lucky breaks. That is all stuff you will learn as you play.