Need some help

[BearDown]

Can anyone please take the time to help me with what blinds, small blinds, and big blinds are, and what they do and mean?

[Letswinalot]

forced action every hand. One player will be small blind each hand and one BB each hand. After that hand the small blind becomes the BB and the BB will get to wait a round of action before he is forced to put in blinds. Just play poker for free play money and you'll pick it up fast.

[BearDown]

What do you mean by forced to put in blinds?

Here is the deal. I won a squares game on my sportsbook and ended up winning a trip to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic which also came with a entry into a poker tournament. I'm not a card player but I'm learning to become one real quick, and playing online doesn't give me all the in's and outs of the game. Just like I found out that if you win a hand without everyone folding you have to show your two pocket cards. If you fail to do so you lose the pot. I have to cram a lot in, in a short time frame cause the whole thing starts on the 10th and runs to the 14th.

I really appreciate any help or advice that you or anyone can give me.

[Letswinalot]

Say 10 people are at the table... A dealer button is out therre and the person to the left of the button is the small blind, the person 2 seats to the left of the button is the Big blind. afte that hand the button moves to the person on the left and small blind and big blind move over one spot. Blinds in tournaments start out small and will raise after at certain time limit, these are called levels... Say small blind starts at 10 chips big blind starts at 20, well 30 minutes later the blinds would doube to 20/40. If it werent for blinds, who wouldn't just sit back and wait for big hands. Its a little hard to explain in text, itd be easier to show you live haha.

[BearDown]

So in other words the small blind is the first person to bet in a new game?

[tech fan]

Here is the best advice i can give you in a quick time.

Ok every game you are dealt 2 cards fold unless the 2 cards are

any 2 of these combinations
ak,aq,aj,a,10
kq,kj,
j,10,
or any combination of pocket pair in the hole

or an ace and any other card suited.

If i get k9 i fold
if i get a,9 i fold

in that hand if you have a pocket pair i would bet really high when its your time hoping to push everyone off.even if you have only 2,2 u still have a better hand than ak.

If you have pocket pair and push in alot of chips with 2,2 and someone calls you that means someone has probably kq or ak or maybe q 10.this helps you when the flop comes.if the flop comes 3 small cards bet real high and he will probably fold.if high cards come then put a small ammount in trying to scare him off but not enough that it hurts you because you dont have a great hand but u want them to think u do.

Even if you have 2,2 and he has qj and flop comes a,4,j he has you beat with 2 jacks and you only have 2 3's.but if you bet high enough then he will think you hit with the ace and him fold if you check then he knows you have nothing and he will bet high pushing you off.

I know i am going on and on sorry just trying to let you know that any 2 cards you get can be a winning hand if played right.but my sugestion to you is play only hands
that are 2 face cards
that are 2 of the same
that are ace of a suit and any other card of same suit

if you stay by those rules you will do ok.if you are in the hand and when they flop the 3 cards if you pair up one of those 3 on the board u are good if not then get out and wait for the next time.

A good poker player folds about 78 % of the time.remember that 8 of every 10 hands dealt you should only be playing.

I know this is a crash course just trying to help out.

[tech fan]

You might wanna google texas holdem table ettiquette this will keep u from upsetting other players.

Like talking with cards still on the table."dont say damn i had a king but folded when others are still playing.there is alot of things like that but truth is hell have fun with it you are not expecting to win have fun with it.look at it this way you want to last as long as possible.if you play safe only playing the cards i said above u never know you might play so safe you finish in the $$$$$$


good luck man wish i could trade places with ya

[BearDown]

Thanks for the help Tech and winalot. I'm going to take your advise and apply it to my game strategy which for me is making sure I play with a lot of patience.

I get it that if my 2 down cards are say a 2 and a 8, or a 3 and a 6 that I fold, but Let me ask you guy's this though. Say I'm dealt a 8 9 or a 4 5 or even a 7 5 or a 6 8 as my down cards. As long as no one throws in a bunch of chips in the first round of betting shouldn't I at least take a look at the first 3 flop cards to see if a straight is possible?
Or to see if maybe on the 3 flop cards that I might get 1, 2, or maybe 3 of the same cards that will match one or both of my down cards that I have?

Also lets say I'm dealt 2 hearts or clubs or diamonds on my down cards, again, as long as no one throws in a lot on the first round of betting shouldn't I take a look at the first 3 flop cards to see if a flush is possible?

Thanks again for all your help and advise.

[Letswinalot]

Early in the tournament Id try to see a cheap flop with small pocket pair trying to flop a set. Risking a lot is not good advice, cuz the worst situation you can be in is your 55 vs. a higher pair. If you get short stacked then itd be ok to push with ones. I been doing alright on poker, I cashed out 6000 bucks on Full Tilt lately. I hate pocket J's, Id fold em if it were for all my chips.

Sharkscope.com and my name is VolsRGood on fulltilt you can check my stats. Be sure to select all games haha.

[jcindaville]

Watch the WOrld series of poker. It's on espn a lot

I would join a site and play for free to get comfortable

[tech fan]

I would fold all hands that are not pocket pair or 2 face cards.Simple as that.If u have Ace anything else always play and hope 3 of that suit hit the board.If u have K anything and u have alot of chips then play it.

reason i say this is because with ace suited if the flush comes u win no doubt.If u have King high only the ace can beat u.If you play a 67 of diamonds and 3 diamonds do flop u still could get beat by someone having a higher flush.Playing only strong starting hands will limit your chances of having a good hand and someone having a better hand.

[tech fan]

Another quick thing Even if this is your first time playing does not mean u cant pick up on some things that will help.Here is one quick thing i do so hope it helps.When the dealer is passing out the cards look at everyone else and see how they act or look with body language when they look at thier cards.Some people get real happy on good cards if u see that and most of the time they show no reaction fold.If someone just lost a big pot with a good but losing hand and they play the next hand big sometimes they are frustrated and u can catch them in a meltdown.Also look for players that keep peeking back at thier cards to me this usually means they dont have a made hand already they are chasing so stay in the hand bet high and get thier chips.Usually if someone has pocket pair they know whats underneath so why look after the flop.But if someone has lets say 2 clubs and then 2 clubs hit the board its only natural to look at your hold cars just to make sure u did not make a mistake.SIMPLE THINGS LIKE THIS COULD MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINNING $$$$ OR GETTING KNOCKED OUT EARLY.good luck to ya i know this is a lot to take in all at once but a crash course is better than no course at all.

[ULikeApples]

I would suggest reading two books before you go. First read "Play Poker Like the Pros" by Phil Hellmuth. Just read the no limit hold em parts. It's really good for a beginner. After that read "Harrington on Hold Em" by Dan Harrington. There are 3 volumes to that series, but Volume should be suffice. Unfortunately with little or no experience you probably just need to hope to get lucky, haha. Poker is mostly feel and reading, and if you have no experience it won't be easy. Best of luck though!

[ULikeApples]

Another quick thing Even if this is your first time playing does not mean u cant pick up on some things that will help.Here is one quick thing i do so hope it helps.When the dealer is passing out the cards look at everyone else and see how they act or look with body language when they look at thier cards.Some people get real happy on good cards if u see that and most of the time they show no reaction fold.If someone just lost a big pot with a good but losing hand and they play the next hand big sometimes they are frustrated and u can catch them in a meltdown.Also look for players that keep peeking back at thier cards to me this usually means they dont have a made hand already they are chasing so stay in the hand bet high and get thier chips.Usually if someone has pocket pair they know whats underneath so why look after the flop.But if someone has lets say 2 clubs and then 2 clubs hit the board its only natural to look at your hold cars just to make sure u did not make a mistake.SIMPLE THINGS LIKE THIS COULD MEAN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WINNING $$$$ OR GETTING KNOCKED OUT EARLY.good luck to ya i know this is a lot to take in all at once but a crash course is better than no course at all.

This is VERy good advice. I would also to look at your cards once, put them under your card protector (or a chip), and then don't look at them again. This way you won't give away some of the tells he mentions. I NEVER look back at my cards. All you have to do is look at them and think to yourself/remember, for example "Ace of diamonds, King of spades." If you can just remember that and don't look back you'll have a heads up on alot of people.