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Poker tips for beginners: fifteen that actually save chips

Updated November 2026

The tips that save a beginner the most money are the boring ones: fold more before the flop, raise when you do play, and stop paying to see what he has. Each tip below comes with the number that makes it true.

  1. Fold more before the flop
  2. Raise, don't limp
  3. Play more on the button
  4. Don't complete the small blind
  5. Count your outs
  1. Work out the price
  2. Don't marry one pair
  3. Expect to miss the flop
  4. Don't bluff callers
  5. Bet your good hands
  1. Mind your kicker
  2. Read the board first
  3. Suited adds only 3 points
  4. Stop when you're tilted
  5. Judge the decision

What should you do before the flop?

  • First seat16
    Cutoff28
    Button45
    1. Fold moreThose are hands per 100 in our chart. From the first seat, folding 84 of them is the cheapest improvement you can make. See the charts.
  • 2. Raise, don't limpA raise can win the pot on the spot. A limp can't, and it invites everyone else in.
  • 3. Play more on the buttonYou'll act last for the rest of the hand, and only two players can wake up behind you.
  • 4. Don't complete the small blindIt looks cheap, and then you play out of position on every street. Mostly raise or fold.

Which numbers should you know?

  • 5. Count your outsA flush draw has 9 outs: 35% with two cards to come and 19.6% with one. Learn outs once and use them forever.
  • A third20%
    Half25%
    The pot33%
    6. Work out the priceEvery bet size has a number you need to win. Those are the three to memorize.
  • 7. Don't marry one pairYou'll have one pair by the river 44 times in 100. It's normal, and it's often second best.
  • 8. Expect to miss the flopTwo different cards pair up on the flop about 1 time in 3. When you miss and someone bets, let it go.

How should you play after the flop?

  • 9. Don't bluff callersA half-pot bluff has to work 1 time in 3. A player who never folds makes every bluff a donation.
  • 10. Bet your good handsBeginners check too much, afraid of scaring people off. Players at low stakes call too often, so charge them.
  • 11. Mind your kickerAce-king beats ace-queen about 3 times in 4 when they run into each other. A weak ace is a trap.
  • 12. Read the board firstIs it paired, suited or connected? More than half of all flops have two of a suit, so draws are nearly always around.
  • 13. Suited adds only 3 pointsBeing suited adds about 2.7 percentage points on average. That doesn't turn a bad hand into a good one.
  • 14. Stop when you're tiltedAfter a bad beat, take a walk. Bad decisions in an angry hour can cost more than the bad beat did.
  • 10 tries61%
    10078%
    50095%
    15. Judge the decisionThat's how often you'd be ahead after making the same good call over and over. Short runs tell you very little.

What do the tips look like in one hand?

In this $1/$2 hand, a few of them save money.

Folded to you. You raise to $5 instead of limping, and the big blind calls.

He checks. You have top pair with a decent kicker, so you bet $6 and he calls.

He checks. You bet $14. He raises to $45, and he hasn't raised all night.

You'd pay $31 for a final pot of $113, so you need to win 27% of the time. A player who never raises rarely does it with a worse ace. One pair is one pair, and you fold.

You lose the $25 you put in, and you keep the rest of your stack.

What should you know before your first casino game?

  • Get on the listGive your name at the poker desk and say which game you want. They'll call you when a seat opens.
  • Buy chips at the cage or the tableAsk the dealer if you aren't sure. Cash on the table often plays in some rooms and not in others.
  • Tell the dealer it's your first timeDealers help new players all day, and the table usually goes easier on you for it.
  • Tip when you win a potIn the US a dollar or two is normal. Customs differ in other countries, so watch what others do.
  • Keep your cards on the tableLook at them by lifting the corners, and leave them in view.
  • Say what you're doing"Call" and "raise" are clear. Tapping or vague moves get people arguing.

What changes when you play online?

The hands come much faster. A live table deals about 30 hands an hour, and an online table usually deals more than twice that. Bad habits cost you more per hour, and good ones pay faster too.

Play one table until decisions feel easy. Nobody can see your face, so watch how people bet instead, and take a break as soon as you notice yourself clicking without thinking.

Before you add a second table
  1. You know your chart by heart
  2. You're never rushing a decision
  3. Your results aren't making you angry

What should you learn in your first month?

How do you find your own leaks?

Write down your three biggest losing pots after each session. Most of the time they have something in common: too many calls with one pair, or chasing draws at a bad price.

Fix one leak at a time. If you try to change everything at once, you won't know what helped.

After each session
  1. Your three biggest losses
  2. What the price was
  3. What he could have had
  4. One thing to change

Which tips stuck?

Twelve spots in three rounds.

Questions beginners ask

What is the most important poker tip?

Fold more hands before the flop. No other single change saves a beginner as much.

How many hands should I play?

It depends on your seat. Our charts go from 16 hands in 100 up front to 45 on the button.

Should I bluff as a beginner?

Rarely, and only against people who can fold. Betting your good hands will earn you more.

What should I learn first?

What beats what, then your position, then a chart of which hands to play. How to play starts at the start.

How long should a session be?

As long as you're playing well. Set a time limit before you start, and stop sooner if you notice you're tired or annoyed.

Is poker easy to learn?

The rules are easy. Getting good takes much longer, which is why it stays interesting.

How the numbers on this page were worked out

Every number on this page comes from one of our other guides, where the working is shown: deck counts for the odds, and our trainer's simplified six-player tables for the charts. The figures for being ahead use an exact formula for one good call repeated many times.

Know someone who's about to play their first real game?

Send them this page, or save all fifteen as an image.