C(r)ash course for the First Time Poker Player

This poker crash course or poker quick guide is meant for those who are going to play poker for the first time and want to learn how to play poker quickly before taking a seat at the poker table. It will also be helpful for those who need to refresh their memory after not playing for quite some time. The poker crash course consists of three steps in which you will be made familiar with the basic poker rules, poker hand rankings and some poker tips that should give you a kick start as a beginning poker player. You can find information about the two most popular poker variants played today: Texas hold'em and Omaha (high).

Crash course step 1: the basic poker rules

Learning how to play poker starts by learning the basic poker rules. By clicking the buttons below you will be taken to the basic poker rules of either Texas hold'em or Omaha. Both poker rules pages are also provided in pdf-file format for you to print and take a peek at while playing poker. Poker tip: you could change the poker variant to play every couple of hands to make for an even more interesting game!

For a short description of the different betting limits in poker you can take a look at 'betting limits' section on the page about different poker games.

Crash course step 2: the poker hand rankings

The second step in learning how to play poker is to learn the poker hand rankings. The button below will take you to the poker hand rankings page. The poker hand rankings are also available in pdf-file format so you can print them and use the overview as a reference during your poker game. This way you don't necessarily have to learn them by heart. The poker hand rankings are the same for both Texas hold'em and Omaha.

Crash course step 3: some poker tips

Well, actually you already know how to play poker now you have learned the poker rules and hand rankings. However, some poker tips might come in handy at this stage to learn how to play poker a little bit better. It is recommended that you read the general poker tips no matter which game you choose to play. In addition you could also read some poker tips specifically for Texas hold'em and Omaha.

(Psst! Can't get enough of them? Here are some more poker tips.)

To the First Time Poker Player

Have fun! And if you become just as hooked on this game after following this crash course in poker like me and millions of other people and want to know how to start playing poker online or how to develop a solid poker strategy, then take a look at some of the other pages at First Time Poker Player.