teaching poker to kids/newbies (3 Viewers)

[BGinGA]

Gotta help them find a passion for the game first. Play lots of card games, not just poker. I grew up playing poker, cribbage, hearts, rummy, go fish, bullshit, you name it. Get uses to the cards, shuffling and dealing, ranks and suits. If it feels like work its too much. It has to be fun. Set the kindling and build the fire slowly.

^^ This. Very little poker in my youth home experience, but lots of strategy game and playing cards exposure from an early age: dominoes, chess, rummy, rook, euchre, hearts, spades, pinochle, etc. Learning to think strategically is half the battle imo.

 

[Jake14mw]

Yeah, I completely agree with Buzzmonkey, make sure you keep it fun. I would be careful trying to turn brand new players into Doug Polk on the first night. Make sure it is fun, and keep to basic strategies. Learning takes time. Understand that new players WILL play too many starting hands. That's natural. It's just more fun to play hands than not play hands. As you are playing, keep reminding them about the importance of NOT playing garbage hands. They will understand as they play a little bit.

I still distinctly remember how much fun it was to learn NLHE in stages. Understanding simply how to play the game, deal, etc., first. Then understanding how to play my own cards, then figuring out what cards others might have, etc. Learning is fun and takes time.

 

[CrazyEddie]

Gotta help them find a passion for the game first. Play lots of card games, not just poker. I grew up playing poker, cribbage, hearts, rummy, go fish, bullshit, you name it. Get uses to the cards, shuffling and dealing, ranks and suits. If it feels like work its too much. It has to be fun. Set the kindling and build the fire slowly.

Can never play too many card games.

... even ones without poker chips.

 

[Papasatyr]

Teach newbies limit games.

Losing $30 playing cards all night while socializing is fun.
Losing your entire $50 starting stack on a single hand is not.
If it’s not fun, the noob won’t be coming back.

Ergo, teach newbies limit games.

 

[Papasatyr]

Gotta help them find a passion for the game first. Play lots of card games, not just poker. I grew up playing poker, cribbage, hearts, rummy, go fish, bullshit, you name it. Get uses to the cards, shuffling and dealing, ranks and suits. If it feels like work its too much. It has to be fun. Set the kindling and build the fire slowly.

This! I grew up from a card-playing family into a card-playing adult. Our primary family game was rummy, but poker found its way into the mix. I learned to play poker when I was seven years old.

 

[buzzmonkey]

This! I grew up from a card-playing family into a card-playing adult. Our primary family game was rummy, but poker found its way into the mix. I learned to play poker when I was seven years old.

Pretty much the same age for me. I learned poker on a deck of Flintstones playing cards playing for matchstick pretzels.

 

[Klobberer]

The way I got into poker was playing for fun at super low stakes. Penny, nickel, dime...learn the games and have fun playing. As I got older, poker was in my blood and as I got more competitive, I tried to win more. Then the Moneymaker effect happened...

Make the game fun, then help them get better.