POKER

BEGINNERS GUIDE TO
 LEARN
You and I are the same - every
successful Poker player starts out as a
beginner. When I started playing Poker,

OREWOR I would learn the game and improve my

skills by playing freerolls and low buy-
in tournaments every day, and I would
continue to improve these skills by
watching videos and reading articles.

P L AY
By playing tournaments daily, I could
test out strategies, improve my game
and learn from my mistakes. Playing
regularly is a great way to improve your
game and to build up confidence.

PRACTICE
The more you practice and improve your
game, the greater opportunity you have
to win. This led me on an incredible
path, where I was fortunate enough
to freeroll into the PSPC ($25,000
PokerStars Players Championship).
My goal for the tournament was only
to play well and make it into the money
but, once I had achieved this, I knew
that it was time to dream…

Anyone can learn the game of Poker,

but if you dedicate time to improving
your game and have a competitive
nature, you too could one day be
sitting at a PokerStars final table.

Hopefully this book is the start

of that journey.

RAMÓN COLILLAS
PokerStars Team Pro
CONTENTS
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK: 001 GETTING TO KNOW THE GAME

CHAPTERS
If you’re new to poker or just wanting 002 TEXAS HOLD’EM RULES
to improve your game then download
this book, store it on your phone or 003 POKER HAND RATINGS
tablet, then study and restudy the 004 TABLE POSITION
content whenever you can.
005 ENTERING THE POT
Let’s get started! 006 BET SIZING
007 CALCULATING OUTS
008 POKER BANKROLL MANAGEMENT
009 WHAT’S THE BEST POKER GAME FOR ME?
010 FINAL TIPS

3
CHAPTER 001

GETTING  “ONE OF THE

T O K N O W
Before we get on with the Poker Basics,
which will guide you through everything
G R E AT E S T G A M E S
you need to know as a new player, there
are a few fundamentals about the game
O N E A R T H .”
that will aid your general understanding.

T H E G A M E
In particular you should have an idea
of the numerous variants of the game,
What you learn in these early stages will
be explained in greater depth throughout
including the differences between No- the many courses. You can progress
limit and Fixed limit, and between “cash” at your own pace and should get in the
and “tournament” poker. habit of going back to re-read articles to
refresh your memory.

4
CHAPTER 001

P O K E R VA R I A N T S NO LIMIT OR FIXED LIMIT

There are many different variants of All of the rules and mechanics of the As stated above, the beginner’s Crucially, you are not allowed to bet any
the game of poker, some of which game will be explained as this course courses at PokerStars School focus more than you have in front of you. You
seem similar but have specific quirks progresses, but bear in mind that when almost exclusively on no limit Texas cannot reach into your pocket, or visit
and different strategies. In old-school we are talking about “poker”, we are Hold’em. It is therefore important to the PokerStars Cashier, when you are in
gangster movies, for example, they almost always talking about no limit understand what “no limit” means the middle of a hand. But if you have the
might be playing games known as five- Texas Hold’em, unless otherwise stated. in a poker context. chips on the table, you can wager them
card draw or seven-card stud, while It is the easiest variant to learn and is all at any time in a no limit game.
some of today’s more advanced players justifiably the most popular. In some games - known as “fixed limit”
could be playing Omaha hi-lo, with any or “pot limit” - players are permitted As a result of this betting freedom,
number of their own personal rules Most televised tournaments are NLHE to bet only a very specific amount, no limit games can be quite volatile.
tagged on. competitions, including main events on determined by the pre-arranged level Players can lose all their chips - or
the European Poker Tour (EPT), and all of the game. But “no limit” means that double their stack - in only one hand.
But let’s forget about all of those for other regional PokerStars Live tours. there are no betting restrictions: no Later in the course, we deal with
a moment. By far the most common matter how many chips you have in the crucial concepts of bankroll
poker variant is no limit Texas Hold’em front of you during a no limit game, management, which will ensure you
- sometimes abbreviated to NLHE. you are allowed to bet them all do not go broke. But for the time
Specifically, this is the game where whenever it is your turn. being remember that a no limit game
each player receives two personal means that all your chips are in play
“hole” cards and can bet all of their all the time. Be careful and learn at the
chips at any time. play money or low-limit tables before
tackling no limit games.

5
CHAPTER 001

T O U R N A M E N T V C A S H P L AY
Even at this very early stage in your By contrast a tournament is played in The champion - i.e., the player who is Things are markedly different in a cash
poker career, it is worth understanding accordance with a very strict and pre- never knocked out and accumulates game, where there is no fixed moment
the difference between “cash” and defined structure, costing a specific all the others’ chips - takes the biggest at which it must end, nor a pre-defined
“tournament” poker. PokerStars School entrance fee. Any number of players slice of a prize pool, with money also fee. Players can typically buy back in
covers both in depth in later courses, can enter, and players in a tournament going to an agreed percentage of the to a cash game if they lose their chips,
but it is important to know what are spread across as many tables as top-placed finishers. Second place a practice that only applies in some
separates the two. it takes to fit them in. will win an agreed amount; third place re-buy tournaments.
slightly less, and so on.
In short: a cash game is played with A tournament is completed when a
chips that have a real cash value and player has either lost all their chips When you see poker champions
players join and leave the game as or has won everyone else’s. waving a huge check at the end of a
they please. Essentially a cash game is tournament, their prize comprises the
endless, with the participants changing At the beginning of a tournament, all lion’s share of the total money wagered
continually as play progresses. the players exchange an entry fee for a by all the players who were knocked out
number of tournament chips. Everyone along the way.
Cash games take place around only one is charged the same amount to enter,
table. You play a cash game against the and everyone gets the same number of Tournaments follow an agreed format,
players beside whom you are seated, chips. From then on, these chips are the and the key factor is the advertised
and if you don’t like those opponents, only currency that matters. Tournament entry fee. A $3 tournament might
you can get up and find another game. chips have no cash value from the follow the same structure as a $300
(Note: there is not any actual cash on moment the tournament begins. tournament: entrants might get, say,
the table. All poker is played using 3,000 tournament chips for their
chips, or online where your balance original investment and play would
is indicated on the screen.) proceed in precisely the same manner.

6
CHAPTER 002

TEXAS
H O L D ’ E M
R U L E STexas Hold’em is played using a
 “YOU’VE GOT
TO KNOW WHEN
TO HOLD’EM,
KNOW WHEN TO
standard 52 card deck, and between
two and ten players on a given table. F O L D ’ E M .”
Big tournaments may include many
hundreds of players but during any
one hand, the player is only competing
against others on his or her table.

7
CHAPTER 002

Before every hand, one player is

designated the nominal “dealer”,
identified by a marker known as the
dealer button or “button”. This person
does not actually deal the cards -
especially not online, where it is done UTG+1
automatically - but the position of the Early Position
dealer determines which two players
UTG MP
have to post the “blind” bets that get
Early Position Middle Position
the action started.

The two players to the left of the

red dealer button must post these
compulsory “blinds” - so called because
they are placed before anyone even sees
BB LJ
their cards. The player on the dealer’s
Early Position Middle Position
immediate left posts the “small blind”
and the player one further seat around
the table posts the “big blind”, which is
usually twice the size of the small blind.
SB HJ
In the illustration, the dealer is in seat
Early Position Middle Position
five with the button in front of them.
The two seats to his left are “in the
blinds”.
BTN CO
Late Position Late Position

8
CHAPTER 002

After every hand is complete, the dealer

button moves clockwise one position
around the table, which means that
players take turns to be the dealer,
the small blind and the big blind.

After the blinds have been posted, all

players are dealt two cards face down.
These are known as “hole” cards, and
can only be seen and used by one
player. By the end of the hand, five more
“community” cards may have been dealt,
face up in the middle of the table, which
are available for all players to use.

The first three community cards are

exposed together (known as the “flop”),
then a fourth card (known as the “turn”)
is dealt individually, and then a fifth
(known as the “river”) is exposed. A
betting round separates each deal.

The aim of poker is to make the

best five-card hand out of the seven
available - two in an individual’s hand
and the five community cards.
THE FOUR BETTING ROUNDS
If a hand of poker is played all the way to its
conclusion, there will be four betting rounds
- or four periods during which players can
commit their chips to the pot. A player can
also “fold” their cards and leave the action at
any time.

A betting round must be concluded

satisfactorily before the remaining players see
more cards and another betting round begins.

9
CHAPTER 002
UTG+1
Early Position

UTG MP
Early Position Middle Position
PRE-FLOP
THE FIRST ROUND OF BETTING
The first betting round takes place
before the first three community cards
(the “flop”) are dealt. This action is BB LJ
described as “pre-flop” and at this Early Position Middle Position
stage players are wagering based solely
on the strength of their two concealed
“hole” cards.

The player sitting to the left of the big SB HJ

blind acts first - a position known as Early Position Middle Position
“under the gun”. Players then act in turn,
moving clockwise around the table.
BTN CO
You have the following options Late Position Late Position
when it is your turn to act:

FOLD CALL RAISE

• FOLD: This means that • CALL: This means that you • RAISE : This means that • If you are sitting in the
you no longer want to want to play the hand by you want to raise the big blind and no else has
play the hand, and are matching the size of the size of the current bet. raised before you, you
throwing your cards current bet. Pre-flop, this have the option to check.
away. You no longer have will be at least the size This means that you do
any claim to the money of the big blind, and may not wish to commit any
in the pot, even if you be greater if any other more chips to the pot.
paid one of the blinds player has raised You can only check pre-
flop if you are in the big
blind and no one else
has raised

The betting round is complete when all players have either folded, indicating they no
10 longer wish to continue in the hand, or committed the same amount of chips to the pot.
CHAPTER 002

THE FLOP next player without committing any

THE TURN THE RIVER
chips to the pot.) Otherwise you have
THE SECOND ROUND OF BETTING the same options as you did pre-flop: THE THIRD ROUND OF BETTING THE FOURTH ROUND OF BETTING
After the first round of betting is fold, call or raise. When all bets have been made in the When all bets have been made in the
complete, the first three community second betting round, and at least third round of betting, the fifth and final
cards are dealt face up in the middle of Again, the betting round is complete two players still have cards, the fourth community card is dealt. This is known
the table. This is known as the “flop”. when all players have either folded, community card is dealt. This is known as the “river”. A final round of betting
indicating they no longer wish to as the “turn”. Another round of betting begins, again starting with the first
Another round of betting begins with continue in the hand, or committed begins, starting with the first player player to the left of the button.
the first player still with cards to the the same amount of chips to the pot. still in the hand to the left of the dealer.
left of the dealer. Play progresses exactly as it did after Any players still with cards
the flop. go to a “showdown”.
If no one has bet, you have the option
to check (i.e., to move the action to the

UTG+1
Early Position

UTG MP
Early Position Middle Position

BB LJ
Early Position Middle Position

SB HJ
Early Position Middle Position

BTN CO
Late Position Late Position

11
CHAPTER 002
SHOWDOWN
After the last round of betting is
complete, each player must form
the best possible five-card poker
hand, made from a combination of
their two hole cards and the five
community cards.
UTG+1
Early Position
At this point, all players remaining
must show their hands, so that the UTG MP
best hand can be determined. The Early Position Middle Position
player who has the highest ranked
poker hand at showdown wins the pot.

In the example pictured, Player 7 has

two pair: kings and queens, with a
seven. The five best cards available to BB LJ
them are the two kings on the flop, the Early Position Middle Position
two queens (their own hole cards), and
the seven. (Remember: all poker hands
have five cards.)

Player 5 has three of a kind. They have SB HJ

one king “in the hole” which they match Early Position Middle Position
with the two kings on the flop. Their
other cards are the seven and the six,
which were the turn and river. BTN CO
Late Position Late Position
Three of a kind is better than two pair
and so player BB (Big Blind) wins.

If more than one player has the

same winning hand, the pot is split
evenly among all the players with the
winning hand.

When the current hand is complete,

the dealer button is passed one position
to the left and the next hand begins.

12
CHAPTER 003  “AT S H O W D O W N ,
THE BEST HAND
A LWAY S W I N S .”

POKER
H A N D
You can win a hand of poker two ways:
either by forcing all of your opponents
to fold their cards or by having the best
hand at showdown. You therefore need
to know the ranking of poker hands, i.e.
what beats what.

R A N K I N G S
In Texas Hold’em, players make the best If the community cards,
hand using their two hole cards and for example, were
the five community cards. A poker hand
must consist of five cards, and it does
not matter how many of your hole cards
you use. Sometimes you will use both, then all remaining players will have
sometimes only one and on some a royal flush. It is impossible to beat
occasions, none of your hole cards this hand with any hole cards. All the
will be used. suits in poker are of equal value. It
makes no difference whether someone
has the ace of clubs or the ace of
diamonds. If remaining players have
the same hand at showdown, only in
different suits, the pot is split.

13
CHAPTER 003
HAND RANKINGS
The value of poker hands is determined by how rare or common it is to be dealt them, with the most common hands valued lower than
the rarer hands. The complete list of poker hands is as follows, in increasing order of scarcity:

HIGH CARD ONE PAIR TWO PAIR THREE OF A KIND STRAIGHT

Any hand that does not qualify Two cards of matching rank, Two cards of matching Three cards of the same Five non-suited cards in
under the categories listed. In and three unrelated side rank, two cards of different rank, and two unrelated side sequence. In the event of a tie,
the event of a tie, the highest cards. In the event of a tie, the matching rank, and one cards. In the event of a tie, the the highest ranking card at the
card wins, such as ‘ace-high’. player with the highest, and kicker. If both players have an player with the highest, and top of the sequence wins.
if necessary, second or third- identical Two Pair, the highest if necessary, second-highest
highest side card wins. kicker wins. side card (‘kicker’) wins.

FLUSH FULL HOUSE FOUR OF A KIND STRAIGHT FLUSH R O YA L F L U S H

Five cards of the same suit, Three cards of the same rank, Four cards of the same rank, Five cards in sequence, of the Poker’s most famous hand, a
not in sequence. In the event and two cards of a different, and one side card or ‘kicker’. same suit. In the event of a tie, royal flush, cannot be beaten.
of a tie, the player holding the matching rank. In the event In the event of a tie, the player the highest rank at the top of It consists of the ace, king,
highest ranked cards wins. of a tie, the highest three with the highest side card the sequence wins queen, jack and ten of a single
matching cards wins. (‘kicker’) wins. suit.

14
CHAPTER 003
HIGH CARD HIGH CARD ACE, KING KICKER: TWO PAIR THREE OF A KIND
Player 1 has

If you have no pair, three of a kind, If you have two different pairs in your Three cards of the same rank is known
straight, flush, full house, etc., then Player 2 has hand, then you have “two pair”. In the as “three of a kind” - sometimes
the highest card in your hand is hand above, you have two pair, kings known as “trips” or “a set”, depending
considered to be decisive. The hand and queens. on the precise formation of the hand.
above, in which the best card is an ace
and there is no other combination of The ranking of the cards is important. You have a set when your hole
poker hand, is known as “ace high”. Two pair, kings and queens, beats cards contain a pair and one of the
The board is queens and jacks, for example. And community cards is of the same rank.
Ace high beats king high. King high the biggest pair is always decisive.
beats queen high, and so on. Two pair, aces and threes, beats two If you have
If the high cards in two players’ hands pair, kings and queens.
is the same, the second-highest card
becomes decisive. If these cards are
also the same, the third-highest card Both players have an ace, but Player
plays and so on. These cards are 1 wins, because they have a king as
known as the kicker. their second highest card (kicker). and the board is
Their opponent only has a queen. is better than

ONE PAIR
then you have a set with
If two players have the same two
pairs, then the fifth card in the
hand is decisive.
If you can form a hand containing two
cards of the same value, you have a
pair. The hand above contains a pair Trips is when there is already a pair
of aces, with a king kicker. A pair of on the board and one of your hole
aces beats any other hand containing cards is of the same rank.
only a pair in NLHE (aces are high in beats
poker). The king would be decisive if A set is preferable to trips, because
an opponent also had a pair of aces. with trips you have the problem that
one of your opponents may have the
same three of a kind, but with a better
kicker or even as a full house.
Because the fifth card, the Ace
15 is a higher ranking than a Ten.
CHAPTER 003
STRAIGHT FULL HOUSE STRAIGHT FLUSH
If two players have a Flush, the player
with the highest card wins. If both
players have the same high card,
the second-highest card wins, etc.

A straight consists of five consecutive If Player 1 has A full house consists of three of a kind A straight flush is five consecutive
cards of different suits. The hand above plus a pair. The hand above is called cards of the same suit. If two players
is a “king high straight” as the highest “aces full of sevens” because the player have a straight flush then the highest
card is a king. If two players have a has three aces and two sevens. card wins.
straight, then the highest card wins.
The rank of the card in the The highest possible straight flush,
three-of-a-kind is decisive, so and the best hand in poker, is an ace
FLUSH and Player 2 has
high straight flush, also known as a...

R O YA L F L U S H

on a board of beats
A flush consists of five non-consecutive
cards of the same suit. It doesn’t matter
which suit you are holding, and the rank
of the cards is only important if you are A royal flush consists of a straight from
up against another flush. ten to the ace with all five cards of the
same suit. A royal flush is exceptionally
then Player 2 wins with In poker jargon, a full house
The “nut flush” is the name given to rare and is therefore the most coveted
a flush containing the is also known as a “boat”.
the highest possible flush, typically hand in poker.
ace high. If your hole cards are
FOUR OF A KIND

which is ahead of Player 1’s

and the flop comes

Four of a kind, also known as quads,
consists of four cards of the same rank
and one card of another rank. If two
players have four of a kind, which is very
rare, then the four of a kind with the
you have flopped the nut flush. highest card rank wins. If two players
have the same four of a kind, then the
kicker card is decisive.

16
CHAPTER 003
SPLIT POT The pot would also be split in the
THE KICKER Another example if Player 1 has
following example:
If two or more players reach showdown As already mentioned in some previous
with a hand that is of equal value, then examples, a kicker determines who wins
Player 1 is holding
the pot is split and each remaining a showdown if two players have the
player gets the same amount. same hand. It is not a key component in
building the hand, but it can decide who
and Player 2 has
For example, if Player 1 has wins if two players have similar hands.

and Player 2 has

A hand consists of five cards, but only
a straight, flush, full house and straight
flush use all five cards. However, with
hands where not all of the cards are
with the board showing
and Player 2 is holding required to make the hand, such as three
on a board of
of a kind or two pair, the remaining cards
can be the decision maker.

For example, If Player 1 has a hand such as

Both players have the identical straight. then Player 1 wins. Although both
on a board of
The pair of aces doesn’t play, since it players have three queens, Player 1’s
doesn’t contribute to building the best
possible five-card poker hand.
and Player 2
Split pots often occur in Hold’em, because
five of the available seven cards are
then both players have two pair
identical for all players. If the last two out kicks their opponents.
(aces and eights) with a queen kicker.
cards are of same rank as well, or aren’t
required to form the best possible hand,
The
then the pot is split automatically. When
the
both players start with similar hands, e.g.

is higher than the

against
in Player 2’s hand wins the
hand for Player 2.

but it doesn’t play, because only the best

five-card poker hand counts.
the result is almost always a split pot.
It is a split pot.

17
CHAPTER 004

TA B L E
P O S I T I O N “ S E AT
O P E N .”
Good poker players are obsessed with the last person to act, which means he
“position” - specifically, their position or she has been able to accrue the most
relative to the dealer button during any information on the strength of the other
hand of play. The dealer button not only players’ hands.
determines which players post the two
blinds (in the two seats immediately left If the opponents have all shown
of the button), but also the order of the weakness, by checking for example,
action on all subsequent betting rounds the dealer can bet and potentially pick
up small pots. If any of the opponents
Action in poker moves clockwise, have shown strength, with big bets or
away from the dealer. The player to the raises, the dealer can fold and lose the
dealer’s immediate left acts first and minimum from weaker hands.
betting progresses all the way round the
table until it reaches the dealer again. Playing strategy alters depending on
table position, with a nine-handed table
It follows that it is always best to be the being divided into early, middle, late
dealer. On most of the betting rounds position and “the blinds”.
(and all of those post-flop) the dealer is

18
CHAPTER 004

E A R LY P O S I T I O N MIDDLE POSITION L AT E P O S I T I O N THE BLINDS

“Early Position” describes players to the “Middle position” (MP) is defined as “Late position” is by far the strongest The players in the two blind seats – the
left of the big blind. Immediately to the those seats between the player UTG+1 position to be in. The seat to the small blind (SB) and the big blind (BB)
left is said to be “under the gun” (UTG) and the seat to the dealer’s immediate immediate right of the dealer is known as – are simultaneously in early and late
because the player is the first to act in right. Players in middle position can the “cut off” (CO). The dealer is said to be position. This is due to them acting last
the pre-flop betting round and has no have marginally looser starting hand “on the button” (BTN). before the flop – having already paid into
information at all on what their opponents requirements than those in early position the pot blindly – but, should they see the
intend to do. The player to their left, also because there are fewer players to their These are the best seats to have because flop, they’ll be first to act. This might see
in early position, is UTG+1. left to act behind them. you can see all the action ahead and can the blind positions play a wider ranger of
gather the most information. It follows hands, as a player in late position would,
Players in early position need to have However, it is still risky to enter a pot that you can have significantly weaker but they’ll have to consider how to play in
extremely strong hands to enter a pot. from this position as the players in later holdings in these positions because you the following rounds as one of the first to
They will be forced to act earliest and will position will have an advantage. have the best opportunity to judge the act.
have minimal information from strength of the hands you are facing.
their opponents.

SUMMARY
Position is important because being able to act after other players gives you critical information. If several players have
already entered the hand, you know that you need a much stronger holding to play. Conversely, if everyone has folded
around to you, any two cards might be enough to raise the blinds.

Generally, you should play more hands from late position than from middle position, and more from middle position than
from early position.

19
CHAPTER 005
“RAISING
C H I P S .”

ENTERING
T H E
POT
We saw in the hand ranking lesson how
you go about assessing the value of
Your decision here determines much
about how the rest of the hand plays
hands, and once you have figured out out, and will likely depend upon three
their strength, you need to decide how crucial factors:
you want to play them.
• Your hand strength
Very little is ever cut-and-dried in poker.
• Your position at the table
General rules can be bent many times,
depending on the circumstances. But • Your opponents’ action
your options pre-flop are always the in front of you
same: to play (call or raise) or not to
play (fold).

20
CHAPTER 005
G R O U P I N G S TA R T I N G H A N D S Many experts also consider a suited ace-
G R O U P 3 : S P E C U L AT I V E H A N D S Crucially all of these hands have the
king to be a monster hand. It is connected, potential to make something much
As we have seen, various factors combine Any pair from
both in suit and rank, and these are the stronger, but are not particularly strong
to make one starting hand stronger than
highest two cards you can have without on their own. In early position you should
another - namely whether it is paired, suited
a pair. Under most circumstances it can probably fold them, because someone is
or close in rank. As a result, poker hands
be regarded as a monster and played likely to raise in later position and put you
can subsequently be sorted into loose
accordingly. But be aware that it is actually under pressure.
groups and you can begin thinking about the
only ace high if it does not connect with
strategy for playing each. to
a flop. For some experts, it belongs only By contrast, in late position you could
with the other very strong hands described consider a raise, especially when all
We’ll call the strongest hands “monsters”
below. opponents in front of you have folded. If
and the weakest “trash”, with a couple of
someone calls, you know that you have the
categories in between.
GROUP 2: VERY STRONG HANDS potential to make something significantly
stronger.
GROUP 1: MONSTERS any ace with a kicker lower between a jack
and nine, any suited ace, two suited cards
The most important lesson to learn about
ranked 10 or higher
speculative hands is that they should
be folded if someone else shows much
greater strength, or if the hands’ potential
(e.g. )
is not realized.

These are all very strong hands, but

and sometimes
considerably less valuable than the hands
in Group 1. This group contains paired two cards of the same suit with a
cards slightly lower than the out-and-out maximum gap of two ranks
monsters described above, or high-ranked
connecting cards that are not quite the very
best. An unsuited ace-king, for instance, ( and ).
Huge pairs are the best starting hands in
is marginally less valuable than a suited
Texas Hold’em poker, with aces the best
version. A suited ace-queen is not quite as
of them all. These are “monster” hands
closely connected. The most important factors in assessing
and should always be played, even from
your starting hand are whether your hole
early and middle position or against an
Nevertheless, you should play and raise cards are paired, connected, or high in
opponent’s raise. It is advantageous to
with these very strong hands in most cases. rank. “Speculative” hands are typically
play these hands very aggressively, so you
However, if there is a raise and a re-raise in missing one or two of these things: they’re
should definitely raise when you have a
front of you, you should be very wary that an a pair, but not a particularly high pair;
monster. See a monster, raise it up.
opponent may have a better hand. You may they’re suited, but not especially close in
consider folding. The raiser or re-raiser could rank, etc.
easily have a hand from Group 1, which will
be beating yours.

21
CHAPTER 005

GROUP 4: WEAK/TRASH CONSIDERING POSITION CONCLUSION

S TA R T I N G H A N D S As ever in poker, your position at the The first decision you should make
All other hands are considered weak table is a crucial factor to consider. when receiving your hole cards is
starting hands. They are trash. They are This applies especially in your pre-flop whether they are strong enough to
neither highly ranked, nor connected in decision making. If a large number justify entering the pot. Good starting
any meaningful way. Even something like of players can act behind you, you hands often make good showdown
need to be very selective with your hands, so the decision you make
starting hands. immediately can affect everything
that follows.

TRACKING THE ACTION As a beginner, you should probably play

is weak. It may look like it has potential Another important factor to consider only the hands considered to be strong
to make a flush or a straight, but it is so pre-flop is the action in front of you. and fold all others. There is no shame in
low that it could often still be losing. If an opponent has already entered the folding consistently - another hand will
pot, you know that they like their hand be along very soon.
You should not play this kind of hand to some degree. It’s your job to figure
without a very good reason. You’ll see out what type of hand this player has. But once you have decided to play,
more experienced players play them, you should play aggressively and
when they know their opponents well You need to adapt your starting consistently. You must also factor
and have the correct odds to call. hand selection to this new information. table position into your assessment
You may need to tighten up and only of how strong your hand is, and you
play hands that are strong enough to must make sure you pay attention to
compete against their hand. You never others at the table. They are giving you
know exactly what hand your opponent information about the strength of their
holds but often you can narrow down hands when they bet or raise. Make
the range of possible holdings and sure you are watching.
get a better understanding of what
you are facing.

22
CHAPTER 006

BET
S I Z I N G
If you decide to bet, it is very important Although fashions in bet sizing This applies in cash games or
to wager the right amount. The most are always changing, and advanced tournaments. In the former, the pot
important thing to know is that the size players have different reasons for will be real money, while in the latter
of a bet is measured relative to the pot. betting different sizes, the following it will comprise tournament chips.
All players should be aware of how big are widely accepted definitions: But the general guidelines apply in
the pot is so they know how much they both instances.
could potentially win by continuing with Small bet: about half the pot.
their hand.

If you bet $10 into a pot that only

Medium-sized bet: between half
and three quarters of the pot. “SIZE UP
Y O U R B E T S .”
stands at $5, you are risking a lot to
gain a little. It is a huge bet. On the Large bet: more than three
other hand, if you bet $100 into a pot quarters of the pot.
that is already at $1,000, the bet is
tiny compared with the pot.

23
CHAPTER 006

SMALL BETS
The size you want to bet will always On the river - If all the community On a draw heavy board - In contrast Pre-flop - Before any community cards
depend on the specific situation, but cards are out already, no one can to a “dry board” described above, you have been dealt, even a very strong hand
typically players might want to make outdraw your hand. It follows that it should bet big when there are many can be vulnerable against a significantly
small bets on a dry board (i.e., where is no longer necessary to protect a big ways in which your strong hand can weaker one. Even if you hold
there are few connecting cards), on the hand. Therefore, the situation is similar be outdrawn. Suppose you are holding
river (when all community cards have to an extremely dry board and bets on
been exposed) or as a continuation bet the river tend to be smaller than bets
(i.e., following up a pre-flop raise). on other streets.

On a dry board - If there are few to no A continuation bet means to bet on and your opponent holds
draws possible - for example a flop of the flop after raising pre-flop. You are in the big blind. Several players call
continuing your aggression, hence the and nobody raises, so you see a flop
name. This is a good way to pick up the for free. It comes
pot if your opponent missed the flop.
It’s not necessary to make a big bet to
do so as your opponent should already you are less than a two-to-one favourite.
- then it is not possible to have a flush be convinced of the strength of your If you raise pre-flop it should almost
draw or an open-ended straight draw. hand from your pre-flop aggression. certainly be a large raise to force out
Therefore, it is not as important to giving you two pair. holdings that might beat you.
protect a big hand because the chances BIG BETS
of it being outdrawn are slim. It is OK You hand is strong at this stage, but a lot With the nuts - If you are lucky enough
In certain situations, big bets can be
to bet relatively small, in the hope of of cards are dangerous. Your opponents to have the best possible hand, you
a very strong weapon. They will put a
attracting a call to increase the size of could easily make a flush, a straight or might want to bet big in order to build
lot of pressure on your opponents and
the pot. (Remember: if you typically bet a better two pair on the turn or river. You a gigantic pot. (Sometimes you might
force them into decisions that can cost
small with a good hand then you should should make a big bet here, just enough also want to pretend to have the nuts
them a lot of their chips. Big bets can be
typically bluff small as well. Good to keep your opponent in the hand but so and make a huge bluff.)
useful to bluff people off decent hands,
opponents can spot changes in patterns much to punish them for chasing their
gain huge value with strong hands or to
and can figure out when you are bluffing
protect against strong draws.
draw. MEDIUM BETS
and when you are not.)
If you have decided that a bet is
Two pair is a hand that often calls for
Here are typical situations when to necessary, but the situation isn’t
big bets because although it is strong
make a big bet: listed above, then a medium-sized
enough to be ahead most of the time, it
bet is probably in order.
is weak enough that it can be outdrawn
on turn and river. (This only holds true if
there is no pair on the board. Otherwise
a lot of players might have two pair and
your hand is usually not strong enough
to make a huge bet.)
24
CHAPTER 006
BET SIZING EXAMPLES
A decent pocket pair pre-flop A monster on the river A marginal hand on the river A terrible hand on the river
You are holding You are holding Consider the same board again Yet again the same board with your
lone opponent. Unfortunately, you
are holding

in the cut off seat. Two players in front and the board is This time you are holding
of you call. It is important to make a
big raise, up to five or six big blinds You had a nice draw but it missed
here. You are pretty confident you are (a “busted” draw) and now you have
holding the best hand and you want an nothing more than nine high. This is
opponent to pay dearly if they want to a good spot for a bluff. Usually you
out-flop you. You have a Straight, which is the nuts. for third pair. This is a hand you should should bet small and represent an
You have one opponent, who checked just check behind. Remember that ace. Occasionally it’s OK to make
Protecting your hand on the flop to you. It is OK to bet big here. Maybe you always need a purpose to bet. a big bluff, representing a straight.
In the same scenario as above, both he caught an ace on the river and wants You shouldn’t go for a value bet here
limpers call after you raise to five big to see the showdown. because your hand is not strong enough
blinds. The flop is for that. It’s obviously not necessary to
A decent hand on the river protect your hand from draws because
On the same board as above and all cards are out already. Bluffing is
with the same opponent, but this not necessary either because if you
time you have opponent has a weak hand, you will
win the showdown anyway. And there
The board is pretty dry but your hand is is no need to bet for information
vulnerable to over-cards, and you could either. If you check, the cards will get
be outdrawn if an ace, king or queen turned over, which will give you all the
comes on the turn or river. You should information you need.
definitely protect your hand by betting. You were trying to hit a flush after the
A medium sized bet will do the job. flop but made two pair on turn and river
instead. When he checks to you, you
should make a small bet. If he has a
queen or a jack, for example, or even
a hand like

he might call you to see if you have

a busted flush draw.

25
CHAPTER 007

C A L C U L AT I N G
OUTS
W H AT A R E O U T S
We have already seen how the relative If you have a hand that is probably
strength of a poker hand can increase
or decrease as flop, turn and river is
losing, but has the potential to improve
to a winner, (i.e., a drawing hand) you “A LWAY S L E AV E
dealt. For example need to decide whether it is worth
continuing with it through the various YOURSELF
stages of the pot.
O U T S .”
is a big favourite against In short, you need to identify the
cards that will improve your
hand - known as “outs”.

pre-flop, but becomes a huge The best definition is simple: “outs” are
underdog if the flop comes. the cards left in the deck that improve
your hand, ideally to make it strong
enough to win the pot at showdown.

26
CHAPTER 007
E X A M P L E W I T H A F L U S H D R AW E X A MPL E W I T H A S T R A IGH T DR AW One of the four queens in the deck will E X A M P L E W I T H A S T R A I G H T D R AW
make you a straight. If your opponent has
You are holding You have
a middle pocket pair, e.g. A N D A F L U S H D R AW
You hold

and the flop is

and the flop is:
then you have additional outs,
as any king or any jack would and the board is
give you a higher pair.

Now any ace or nine will complete your

In this case, the number of your outs
straight. There are four aces and four nines
would increase to ten (four queens, three
Although in some circumstances your ace in the deck, so you have eight outs.
kings, and three jacks).
high might be winning already, you do not If one card is missing to complete a You have both an open-ended straight
actually have a very strong hand. Not yet, straight, you have four outs. For example,
at least. if your hole cards were EXAMPLE WITH A SET draw and a flush draw. This means you
have nine outs to make the flush and eight
A G A I N S T A F L U S H D R AW outs to make the straight. At the same
However if another heart appears on the If you hold time, you have to consider that two cards
turn or river, you make a flush, and unless are counted twice
another player has a full house or better,
you will win the hand. (The board isn’t and the flop was
paired, so none of our opponents can have (in this case the and the ),
a full house yet.)
and hit a set on a board showing
There are 13 cards of each suit in the which have to be subtracted.
deck. You hold two of them, and another your outs would be Therefore you have a total of 15 outs.
two are on the board. Four of the 13
hearts have therefore already been dealt,
meaning that there are still nine hearts SUMMARY
left in the deck. Learning to calculate your outs gives you
you have a pretty strong hand. But it is not
a much firmer grasp on how poker hands
definitely a winner and could already be
This means there are nine cards that can E X A M P L E W I T H A S T R A I G H T D R AW behind to any opponent
can play out, and swing from one way to
improve your hand to a (probable) winner. AND OVERCARDS with two spades in his hand.
another as the cards are revealed.
You have nine outs.
You have
However, you still have the chance here of
improving your hand even further. There
are seven cards that could make you a full
house or better (a seven, three remaining
and the board is twos and three remaining jacks), or the turn
and river could be the same rank, which
would also give you a full house.

27
CHAPTER 008 “DON’T LET
YOUR BANKROLL
M A N A G E Y O U .”

POKER
B A N K R O L L
MANAGEMENT
Managing a bankroll carefully is a
vital skill for a successful player to
W H AT I S A B A N K R O L L?
The term “bankroll” refers to the amount
learn, no matter at what level you play
of money you set aside exclusively to
the game. Here are some pointers on
play poker - for example the money you
bankroll management, which will help
have online at PokerStars. It is separate
ensure poker is an enjoyable as well as
from all the other finances in your life.
profitable pastime.

No matter how big your bankroll

may be, there is always a risk that you
could lose it all and this should not risk
at all on any of your other
day-to-day financial obligations. To
keep this risk as low as possible, good
bankroll management is required.

28
CHAPTER 008

B A S I C R U L E S OF
BANKROLL MANAGEMENT
1. Never play for more money • Recreational players are playing mainly In tournament poker, you should look For cash games, you should budget for a
than you can afford to lose for fun and have other to have around 100 buy-ins. This might bare minimum of 25 full buy-ins (eg. $2
This is the most important rule. It is sources of income besides poker. sound like a lot, but there are many times at the $0.01/0.02 stakes), and over 40 to
always possible to lose money playing If they lose their bankroll they can fund during a tournament that you have to put be truly comfortable. If you drop below 25
poker, even if you play every hand it with fresh money from their regular your entire tournament survival on the line buy-ins, move down a level.
perfectly. Therefore you should NEVER source of income before the payouts begin, and you can’t
risk an amount of money that could get expect to win every time you’re ahead! The truth is, bankroll management is
• Serious players are good and profitable
you into financial trouble away from unique for everyone and poker players will
players but do not depend only on
the poker table, especially if you are For larger tournaments, try and satellite disagree on the exact number you should
poker for their income. It is not the end
experiencing a downswing. your way in – if you don’t make it, maybe have in mind. What is widely agreed is
of the world if they lose their poker
it wasn’t meant to be. that you should have a considerable
bankroll, but it will hurt
Similarly you should never put yourself in safety net if the cards don’t fall your way.
a position where your entire bankroll is on • Professional players depend on poker For Sit & Go and Spin & Go tournaments,
the table in a single tournament or hand. as their only source of income. They experts recommend 50 buy-ins for single
Only ever sit down with a small fraction of cannot afford to lose all their bankroll table games. This gives you enough of a
your bankroll at any one time. as this means they would lose their fighting chance against variance. Sit & Go
job. Therefore they must employ tournaments can take place over two or
2. Be aware of your goals the strictest bankroll management three, or even up to twenty tables – the
Broadly speaking, poker players fall techniques bigger the fields that you like to play, the
into three groups, each with different more buy-ins you will want to set aside.
expectations and goals in the game. It is 3. D
 o not play higher than
very important that you decide what you your bankroll permits
want from poker and that you select the If you’re a recreational player just playing
right level to achieve your aims. for fun, you don’t need a big bankroll to
enjoy poker. If you’re looking to play poker
seriously, you should be strict about the
stakes that you play, ensuring that you
have enough buy-ins to weather a bad run
of results.

Here are some suggested guidelines:

29
CHAPTER 009

W H AT I S
T H E B E S T
POKER GAME
FOR ME? “ W H AT
SHOULD I
Firstly, it’s best to find a poker game
that you enjoy playing/studying.
H O W D O I K N O W W H AT P O K E R
GAME I WILL ENJOY THE MOST?
P L AY W I T H ? ”
Secondly, it’s important to find a game
that fits in with your free time. This is the simple part, try playing them
all. You can either play them for Play
Money (for FREE) to test the games out
or try them at their lowest stakes. You’ll
soon know which game you enjoy most
and which game fits into your free time.

30
CHAPTER 009

H O W M U C H F R E E T I M E D O Y O U H AV E ? HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD I SPEND PL AYING POKER VS STUDYING POKER?

Again, this is different for everyone. For a beginner, it’s important to split
Some players prefer to learn through play your poker play vs poker study at least
FREE TIME RECOMMENDED GAME TO PLAY/TEST at the tables, the more hands they play 60/40. The study aspect should be split
the more situations arise and the more too, allowing you to review your hands,
experienced they become. Others prefer learn new strategies and discuss these
30 MINUTES A DAY 1x 6 or 9-player Sit & Go // 5x Spin & Go’s to learn through reading, books, articles, with friends/other players.
taking courses. Then of course, you have
forums, talking about hands with friends
1x 18-player Sit & Go // 2x 6 or 9-player Sit &
and other poker players, or even watching
1 HOUR PER DAY Go // 10x Spin & Go’s // 100 hands of 6-Max
Twitch and reviewing videos.
Cash // 200 hands of Zoom Cash
1x Turbo Tournament // 2x 45 -player Sit &
4 HOURS PER DAY Go // 40x Spin & Go’s // 400 hands of 6-Max
Cash // 800 hands of Zoom Cash
H E R E ’ S A R O U G H G U I D E T O Y O U R P L AY V S S T U D Y R AT I O :
1 Regular Tournament // 2x Turbo
Tournaments // 80x Spin & Go’s // 800
8 HOURS PER DAY
hands of 6-Max Cash // 1600 hands of Zoom 60% 10% 15% 15%
Cash
Watching Twitch,
UNLIMITED Pick a game that suits you Reviewing the Taking courses, watching videos,
Playing poker hands you've reading books, posting hands in
played. reading articles. forums, talking
All games are based on playing one table. poker with friends.

31
 HOW CAN I IMPROVE MY GAME? H AV E F U N A N D K E E P
PokerStars School offers several resources and free courses. Here’s what’s available: POKER EXCITING
Set yourself fun challenges. This will not
only keep the game exciting whilst you’re
improving your play, but also keep you on
COURSES track to reach your goals.

We have a wide range of free courses TOURNAMENT CHALLENGE

available, including: Decided you want to play poker
– SPIN & GO COURSE tournaments? If you have up to six
– BASIC COURSE
hours per day to play with (and a $200
– CASH GAME COURSE – POT LIMIT OMAHA COURSE bankroll) a fun challenge could be to
– AND MUCH MORE… play a mixture of $1.10 satellites into
– MTT COURSE
the Sunday Million, as well as standard
$1.10 Turbo Tournaments.

TWITCH DISCORD STRATEGY ARTICLES This way you could spend your study
time improving your tournament poker,
PokerStars and its ambassadors are There is a PokerStars Discord server You’ll find new strategy articles and you’ll have the excitement of trying
regularly on Twitch streaming poker. where you can talk about your and videos added to PokerStars to win a seat into the Sunday Million.
You can watch players play their games, discuss strategy and review School every week.
own way through a tournament, and hands with other likeminded poker
occasionally there are times when fans. SPIN & GO CHALLENGE
you can watch cards up coverage Set yourself a target, such as ‘play 50 x
of PokerStars events to learn how $0.25 Spin & Go’s in one week’. Perhaps
accomplished players make decisions even ask a friend if they want to take
in the late stages of tournaments. the challenge with you - loser buys the
lunch! When that lunch arrives, you can
both sit down and discuss strategy,
learn and improve each other’s games.

32
CHAPTER 010 “YOU’VE MADE
T H E F I N A L .”

FINAL
T I P S Once you’ve mastered the basics
make sure you get plenty of practice in.
PokerStars offers many ways to test out
your new skills without risking a cent.

P L AY M O N E Y G A M E S
Play for free using play money
chips to master the basics.

P O K E R S TA R S F R E E R O L L S
Search for ‘Freeroll’ tournaments
in your PokerStars lobby.

P O K E R S TA R S V R
Join free-to-play virtual reality
games for a truly remarkable
experience.

33
C H AT A N D L E A R N
W I T H O T H E R P L AY E R S
There are plenty of places to meet
other poker players, learn tips,
talk strategy and find out what’s
happening in the poker world. Here
are some to check out
PokerStars on:

Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

PokerStars YouTube
PokerStars Blog
PokerStars Twitch
PokerStars Discord
PokerStars Live
PokerStars Podcast
PokerStars School

WE HOPE YOU FOUND THIS BOOK USEFUL.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DROP US A MESSAGE IN OUR DISCORD OR HEAD OVER TO
TWITCH AND ASK ONE OF OUR TRAINERS LIVE.
BEST OF LUCK AT THE TABLES.
34