Can Poker Be Taught?

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April 21st, 2017
Back Can Poker Be Taught?

'Dear Geno,' a member writes, 'my husband is an avid poker player and wants to teach me how to play. I am afraid I would embarrass him or myself at the table since I don't react well in small groups. Are poker players born or made and what can you tell me to encourage me to become my husband's student? Anne G., Savannah, GA.

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Anne's question is a beaut that opens up a can of worms.

I know a lot of poker players who would argue that poker cannot be taught -- that you either have an instinct for the game or you will be a constant loser.

There is no question that some people seem to have an instinct for cards, power and intimidation -- qualities that determine your luck at a poker table. They seem to have been given the right genes at birth to take advantage of all their human skills to win at this complex game.

I happen to agree with your husband that poker can be taught. I encourage you to set time aside to learn the game. It could turn out to be the best investment in time that you ever made.

There is something called beginner's luck that seems to be a part of poker. In my case, I started out winning. I was aggressive, stubborn and tried to overpower the other players. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't. But I always made sure the other players knew I was in the game.

A beginning player needs to learn the basic strategy for determining which hands to play and which should be tossed into the muck. You husband should know those hands and you need to pay attention to what he tells you.

There are 52 cards in a deck and most of them will be worthless in your attempts to win. When a good hand comes along, capitalize on it. Draw the maximum benefits from the hand. This includes raising at the proper time, folding if you feel or know you are beat, and then doing the same thing over and over until you get it right.

Develop a stubborn trait and never give up.

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Read books and strategy articles about poker. Deal out hands to yourself and other non-existent players in the privacy of your home to get a feeling for the cards. Practice this over and over until you get a sense for which cards work and which cards fail.

It will take days and even weeks for you to develop confidence. But once you have it, you should test your luck in a poker room setting. Limit the time of your first poker playing session to under four hours. You will be nervous, but that should disappear after a while. Before long you will be playing like a pro.

Learn from your mistakes. And never push the cards. That is generally a losing proposition.

Get to know the other players and play them -- not the cards. Some players are obvious bluffers and must be called with any reasonable hand. Others rarely bluff and must be given serious consideration when they bet or raise.

Ask questions. The dealer will be happy to help you as will most of the other players. But above all, learn to develop your own good instinct. A player who pushes his bet with drama, for example, is probably on a bluff. A player who acts timidly generally has the cards.

Women need to use their feminine instincts to sniff out the bluffers and the braggarts. This is something your husband cannot teach you, but that is the gift only women seem to have. Good luck. Let me know how your game turns out.

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