The first time I played casino poker against live opponents for real money, they went through me like a freight train through the wind. The next time wasn’t much better: I felt like a rag doll in a dog’s mouth. But the third time I played in a public card room, I finally found my feet. With a little bit of confidence and a little bit of luck, I was able to walk away from the game with a few more beans than I had when I began.
That’s called education.
And education isn’t free.
But it’s close. In the poker world, at least, it’s pretty darn close indeed these days.
When I started out in public card Slot Online rooms, there were no computer simulations to help me learn how to play. Heck, there were barely computers. Needless to say, the internet and all its wondrous resources were still a gleam in some geeks’ eyes. Even poker books (good, simple, useful ones at least) were few and far between. Nor could I turn to magazines like this one to fill in the blanks. I had to learn as I went along.
But it’s a new age now, and you don’t have to struggle like that. If you’re interested in casino poker, you can learn everything you need to know, and play hundreds of hours in simulated games, before you ever take a seat in a real cardroom against live opponents. What follows is a list of some sources you can turn to for more information about how to play poker, how to play it well, and how to get the most out of your poker playing experience.
First, the books. Since most casinos offer seven-card stud as their least expensive (and thus entry-level) game, I recommend George Percy’s Seven …