Online Poker - From Beginners to Sharks: The Ultimate Guide

Kia ora, I'm Kim Birch, a poker pro with over two decades of experience. Since 2002, I've been playing Texas Hold'em No-Limit online poker professionally. I've penned a couple of books and worked as a poker writer for Tipsbladet.

Poker, especially Texas Hold'em, has always been a crowd-pleaser. It's the game you'd see in old Westerns, with cowboys bluffing or cheating their way through.

These days, millions are wagered weekly, with matches broadcast on telly and streamed from top live casinos worldwide.

There are poker tourneys galore, including World Cup battles. The European Championships draw punters in droves, and the best players have reached near-celebrity status.
Poker's evolving rapidly. Everyone from uni students to CEOs is keen on online poker, either to sharpen their skills or, like me, chase the dream of making a living from it. I've been lucky, but I often see new players making the same mistakes I did, copping expensive lessons they can't afford.

Just like with my book "Online Poker", I want to give everyone a fair go with this poker guide. My aim is to help punters progress from novice to master in this brilliant card game that I've been fortunate to call my job for over a decade.

This Texas Poker section on BETO offers practical tips, tricks, and strategies for online poker that'll boost your odds of winning more than you lose.

Learn to dominate at poker and do it with style.

Online poker, especially Texas Holdem NL, has taken off in New Zealand and worldwide. Heaps of Kiwis are opting for online poker tables over home games with mates, as you can find tournaments or cash games any time you fancy.

So if you're bored on a Wednesday night and your partner or friends aren't up for a game, you can hop on your computer where over a million players are ready to go in online poker for casino cash.

The online spots for playing are called poker rooms. You download software for your computer or an app for your mobile, and sign up with your details. No need to put real money in straight away. It's smart to start by playing for fun against other players with 'play money' - sort of like online Monopoly cash.

For free apps and poker sites that either focus solely on free online poker or have decent play money options, check out:

• Pokerstars (poker room).
• Governor of Poker 3 (all platforms).
• Zynga Poker (Facebook)
• WSOP - World Series of PokerApp (iOS, Android).
• Pokerist (iOS, Android).

But let's be honest, play money games aren't quite the same as real poker. People always play differently when there's something on the line. When you reckon you're ready for real money online poker, there are plenty of options, even for small stakes.

Online poker offers loads of choices, but most punters love money tournaments where anyone can join. Just make sure you know the poker rules before you start betting real dosh. It's also a good idea to play for fun first to get the hang of the app or software.

Use free online poker to learn the basics - how to check, bet, raise, and fold when you're not in luck. Keep in mind that sometimes everything's in English, so brush up on your poker lingo before challenging others online.

The biggest mistake new online poker players make is jumping straight into money tournaments. Many get a shock when they realise online games are nothing like the friendly matches they won last week.

I've seen it loads of times: people losing game after game, confused about what they're doing wrong. A top poker tip that could've saved me heaps in online poker would be to watch plenty of tournaments before even sitting at the virtual tables.

Most online poker rooms let you spectate ongoing tournaments and games without playing. It's good practice to guess what different players have while watching.

This simple exercise can save you money and help you realise that online players send different signals than what you're used to from TV or games with mates.

Next step is getting to know the poker rules better and studying poker odds and other info to up your game.

Texas Hold'em is hands down the most popular poker variant in New Zealand and worldwide, both online and at the local pub. It's the main event at the World Series of Poker (WSOP), where the top player can pocket around 10 million dollars. Not a bad day at the office, eh?

If you're keen to brush up on the rules, check out this article.

The game's pretty straightforward, and the rules aren't too tricky. As they say, Hold'em's easy to pick up but a real challenge to master. Give it a go and see how you fare!

At a poker table, whether online or in person, you'll find up to 10 players. As the game kicks off, each punter gets two cards that are kept hidden from the others. These personal cards are known as 'hole' or 'pocket' cards.

The next five cards are laid out face-up in the middle of the table for all to see. These are called the 'board' or 'community' cards.

Using a mix of their hole cards and the community cards, each player aims to create the strongest five-card hand possible. It's up to you which combo you reckon is best, but remember, you can only use your own hole cards and the shared cards on the table.

In online poker, the 'button' marks the theoretical dealer's position. The player with the button acts last in each round. After a hand finishes, the button moves to the next player on the left.

Before cards are dealt, two players must make 'blind bets'. These are called 'blind' because the players bet without seeing their cards.

The player to the left of the button gets their cards first and must post the small blind.

Each player then receives two pocket cards, starting with the small blind. The player to the left of the small blind must post the big blind. The small blind is typically half the big blind. For example, if the big blind is $2, the small blind would be $1.

At the poker table, all punters need to place their bets before the next card is revealed. If no one's raised the stakes, you can opt to 'check' when it's your turn, essentially passing without putting any money in. Once you've checked, play moves to the next person.

Basically, if you're not behind in the pot, you can check. If everyone checks, you all get to see the next card without spending a cent.

When someone's bet and it's your go, you've got a few choices. If you reckon you're out of the running, you can 'fold' and bow out of the round without losing more dosh.

But if you fancy your chances, you can 'call' by matching the bet of the players to your right. Just remember, the round keeps going until everyone's either matched the bet, folded, or gone all in.

Reckon you've got a shot with your hand, or keen to put the wind up the other players and make them fold? You can bump up the bet - that's called 'raising'.

No limit poker's the most popular, where you can chuck in your whole stack if you fancy it - that's going 'all in'. The other punters at the virtual table have to match your bet or go all in themselves. If they can't hack it, they'll have to fold and sit out the round.

1. Dealer hands out two cards to each player. (hole cards)
2. First round of betting kicks off.
3. Dealer reveals three community cards on the table. (the flop)
4. Second round of betting begins.
5. Dealer turns over one more card. (the turn)
6. Third round of betting starts.
7. Final community card is revealed. (the river)
8. Last round of betting takes place.
9. Showdown time.

At the showdown, remaining players must create their best five-card hand using any combo of their two hole cards and the five community cards on the table.

It's all about making the strongest hand possible from these seven cards.

To come out on top in online poker, you've got to have a solid grasp of poker hands and know which ones pack the most punch. That's why it's crucial to get your head around the poker hands in Holdem. You don't want to be constantly checking the rules while you're playing - it'll throw you off your game and mess with your focus.

Royal Flush - The crème de la crème of poker hands. It's made up of an ace, king, queen, jack and 10, all in the same suit. This unbeatable combo is also known as an Ace High Straight Flush. If you're lucky enough to land this, you're in for a good night at the pokies.

Straight Flush - In online poker, a straight flush is the second-best hand you can land. To get this, you need 5 cards of the same suit in sequence (like hearts 8,7,6,5,4). The ace can play high or low, so A,2,3,4,5 counts too. It's a rare hand that'll give most punters a decent shot at the pot.

Four of a Kind - A hand with four cards of the same rank (e.g. four queens or four kings). In online poker, if multiple players have this hand, the one with the highest-ranked four of a kind takes the pot.

Full house - In poker, a full house is when you've got three of a kind plus a pair. For instance, you might have three 3s and two kings. If multiple players land a full house, the one with the highest three-of-a-kind takes the pot.

Flush - A flush happens when you've got five cards of the same suit in your hand. Picture five hearts or five spades. If multiple players end up with a flush, the one with the highest card in their flush takes the pot. For instance, an ace-high flush beats a king-high flush every time.

Straight - In poker, a straight is five cards in sequence, regardless of suit. The ace can be high or low, but not both. For example, you can't use K, A, 2, 3, 4 as a straight.

When multiple players have straights, the one with the highest card takes the pot. It's a solid hand that can give you a decent chance at winning, especially in games like Texas Hold'em.

Three of a Kind - A hand with three cards of the same rank (like three queens). Also known as trips or a set. If multiple players have three of a kind, the highest-ranking set takes the pot.

Two Pair - This hand features two sets of matching cards, like two 9s and two 5s. When multiple players have two pairs, the one with the highest-ranking pair takes the pot.

Pair - In poker, a pair consists of two cards of the same rank, like two aces. When multiple players have the same pair, the pot is typically split evenly between them. This scenario is common in many poker variants played in New Zealand card rooms and online platforms.

High Card - When no other poker hands are made, the punter holding the highest card takes the pot. If multiple players share the highest community card, the second-highest card determines the winner.

Often, multiple players end up with identical poker hands. When this happens, the highest card not shared by everyone (known as the kicker) determines who takes the pot at the table.

If the kickers are also the same, the pot is split evenly among those players.

When you're playing Hold'em or any poker game, you'll hear a lot of lingo. Online poker rooms and players use heaps of clever terms. If you don't know these, you might come across as a bit green.

So, I've put together a list of the most common poker terms. This way, newbies to online poker can sound like old hands.

Allin

Betting all your chips on the current pot.

Big Blind

The larger of the two forced bets at the start of a hand.

Big Slick

Starting hand of Ace, King.

Blinded out

When the blinds take your last chips.

Boat

Another name for a full house.

Buying the pot

Trying to win the pot with a large bet.

Chasing

Needing just one card to complete a hand.

First position

The player who acts first.

Feeler bet

A small bet to gauge others' hands.

Heads Up

When only two players remain at the table.

Hooks

Starting with two Jacks.

Maniac

A reckless punter who consistently bets high.

Outs

The remaining cards that could win you the pot.

Pot Committed

Staying in because you've already invested too much.

Rockets

The top starting hand - Two Aces.

The Nuts

Having the best possible hand for the current board.

When I first dipped my toes into online poker, I made a rookie mistake: backing the wrong hands. I'd bet on combinations with next to no chance of turning into anything decent.

Keep an eye on my Beto.com articles - both the ones already up and those in the pipeline. They'll give you a solid grounding to level up your poker game and maybe even turn your hobby into a bit of a money-spinner.

Here's hoping your online poker pots are massive!