Poker Road Test: How to Try Before You Buy
Category: Poker
When you start out playing poker, it would perhaps be unwise to play for real money. You may feel that luck will decide whether you win any money or not, but there is much more to it than that.
In the long run, more experienced players are much more likely to win the money than you are, although you may get lucky on the night. If you are happy to gamble on that occurence then that’s fine, but there are avenues available that allow you to learn the game without risking a lot of capital. the most obvious of these are the play money tables in online poker rooms. These involve players gambling with fake money, and provide an easy way for beginners to grasp the basics of the game.
Despite the advantages of being able to learn the game in this way, you should be aware that if you play for reasonable amounts of money, there will be key differences in the way people play. For this reason, I would gradually move from play money, onto micro stakes, then reasonable sized stakes, to give yourself a chance to adapt to real money play.
The simple fact is, when people play for fake money, they throw it into the pot without a care. This all but eliminates any opportunity to bluff, and leads to multi way pots very often. As you progress through the stakes, you should find that players become much more careful and conservative with their money. In this environment you can begin to understand the skill of the game much better, and bluffing can be used to a greater effect.
Most online poker rooms have a poker school, and as I mentioned, the play money tables are good for gaining a basic understanding of poker. Always be prepared for the change in play as you progress to real money games though.