Young poker players may not realize poker has been around for hundreds of years. Before the boom, only an elite group of players identified themselves as poker pros. The most famous poker variant, Texas Hold 'Em, was introduced to Las Vegas in the late 1960s. Before long, it stole the show, becoming popular among poker sharks and casual gamblers alike. Seasoned veterans discussed basic poker strategy amongst each other but never with outsiders. Then, Doyle Brunson stunned the community by releasing the poker bible, Super System. After Super System was released, other authors wrote books for aspiring poker players. The main means for players to acquire poker knowledge was through poker articles.
With the creation of the Internet came a new means for poker players to gamble with each other. Money Poker Sites started in 1998 but did not take off until Chris Moneymaker's 2003 World Series of Poker victory. Moneymaker qualified for the main event thanks to a $39 satellite tournament on the PokerStars Download. Spectators of the 2003 WSOP thought they could be the next Moneymaker and win millions of dollars by playing Texas Hold 'Em. With advertisements on television promoting online poker rooms, players signed onto their computers such as Ladbrokes and began raking in the cash. The addition of flash texas holdem brought online poker to an even wider audience.
For a couple years after the 2003 WSOP, the games were a goldmine for those who had the knowledge. There were only a small percentage of sharks while others seemed content to give their money away. Some players purchased poker books and began to gain an advantage on free poker no downloads. On the other hand, some players began turning towards each other in hopes reviewing hands could improve their game. Poker communities, like FlopTurnRiver, were formed as a place to post poker hands, strategies, and hold poker conversation. As games got tougher, more neophytes looked to step up their game on free poker forums.
Due to falling prices on both computers and high speed internet, several creative individuals presented alternative ways to acquire poker theory. The most popular way to learn poker is through poker videos. Poker videos are a new teaching tool to train novices. The best poker videos are narrated by the best players in the poker society. There are different kinds of free poker training videos. A lecture can be created through video as a series of slides while the author of the poker video talks about the slides. Some of the most informative poker videos are session sweats. In session sweats, a player records actual hands he or she plays. While the recording light is on and the action is fierce, the player provides comments of his thought process and basic poker theory. Another type of sweat session involves a winning player commenting on a less experienced player's video. This analysis forces players to see miscues they made. Lastly, in hand review videos, a winning player may review their hands or the hands of others and record their thoughts on how a hand was played.
Right now, watching poker videos is the best way to step up your game. Most of the best euro poker sites have them. It is more stimulating than trying to read a lame poker book because it replicates a dynamic environment not found on the stale pages of a book. Also, new poker videos are added to the internet everyday. Grinders are able to learn about the newest trends simply by watching recent videos. Videos easily transcend books in this respect. Lastly, poker videos provide a variety that poker books cannot compete with. Relying solely on books is a good way to risk your poker deposit. With so many players getting better, a multitude of poker videos are available to the general public. Thanks to hundreds of authors making videos, viewers will take in different perspectives on situations. After watching these videos, a player will develop a true understanding of poker theory and begin to outsmart their foes.
Choosing how to learn poker can be a difficult decision. Knowing where to begin is the hard part, but we know the best place to start one's poker learnings is a poker forum such as Flop Turn River. There are a ton of veteran players that are available to weigh in on winning at top texas holdem sites. For example, nutsinho is a notable contributor to FlopTurnRiver's 6-max forum and is one of the biggest winners at PokerStars today. Besides great forums, there is a great selection of free poker videos that you can view at FlopTurnRiver. They range from cash games to MTTs and from full ring to 6-max. They will definitely improve one's poker game much faster than reading a book. Besides the videos, if there are any hands that baffled you in a poker video, a friendly poker forum that will answer these questions is just a few clicks away.
11/10/2010
