In the latest video for the Paul Phua Poker School, we asked three top poker pros to give their tips for beginners.
Whether you’re just starting out, or have been playing poker for a long time, I know you’ll find their advice useful. For more visit https://www.paulphuapoker.com/poker-t…
What are your top tips for beginners?
Timofey Kuznetsov: I think you can only start considering playing poker professionally now if you have, like, a real passion for the game. If you like to play a lot, if you enjoy thinking about the game, playing the game, then you can start. I think if you don’t have that you have no shot to succeed. It’s, like, no easy money anymore in poker, l would say, no free money. So l think that’s the main, main, main thing. If you have passion and you work a little bit in the right direction then it will be OK. I mean, l think the best way to improve is just, like, playing focused and really think about every small action you take and what it leads to, what your opponents might think about, like during the hand, what they might think of you and stuff like that. Yeah, yeah, you’ve got to invest a lot of time if you want to get good nowadays. You cannot get good by playing, like, 50 hours a month; like, no shot.
What are your top tips for beginners?
Wai Kin Yong: I think listening to advice. Talk to top professionals – I mean, if you have a chance, talk to people that you think play better than you. Listen and always learn from your mistakes. Never think that it’s just bad luck, because l think poker involves more skill than luck in the long term.
What are your top tips for beginners?
Winfred Yu: First, l think that picking the starting hand, what starting hand you… a premium starting hand for beginners. Not to be tricky, picking group A, that means better cards like Ace-King, of course everybody now is going to play Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, pocket pairs, bigger suited connectors – King-Queen suited, King-Jack suited – those kinds of hands for beginners. Secondly l think position of the game is one of the most important things about this game. At the earlier positions, which means that you are closer to the big and the small blinds, like under-the-gun, middle positions, you should play a little bit more selectively with your hands, more premium hands. Very small pocket pairs, small suited connectors, or like… a lot of people are thinking ‘Wow! How can l fold two face cards?’ like Jack-Queen, King-10. Those are not premium hands for early positions and especially inexperienced players. You might get caught in early position: other players will raise or, you know, get more premium hands, or stronger players might dominate behind you. This game is all about… it’s very important about the positions and where you are, in this game. And very lastly, as l said, I think it is the decision making: take time, do your decision making, be concentrated and try to read what other players have, or analyse, try to remember the history of the hands up in play, and analyse from that. I think those are the three important elements that take you to become a better player.
More videos with Winfred Yu:
https://youtu.be/qWMLb-hoEsU
More videos with Wai Kin Yong:
https://youtu.be/cWFW1tqdmQo
https://youtu.be/ybf1rB-9xdM
https://youtu.be/FTzHpr7VJYk
More videos with Timofey Kuznetsov:
https://youtu.be/CPDoFXLaT4Y
https://youtu.be/Dc5HqnKA6EE