Complimentary Poker Lessons

On all Card Player Cruises sailings, Jan Fisher and Linda Johnson offer complimentary poker lessons for the absolute beginner. These lessons are always fun and informative. In a short period of time, you will learn the rules of the game, etiquette, some strategy, and will be able to play with other beginners in a very friendly, low-stakes poker game. The beginners usually have more fun than anyone in the poker room! The lessons are generally late morning on the first full sea day of the cruise.

Below are a few additional written lessons if you would like to start early.


Beginner's Poker Introduction

There is an increasing need within the poker community for player development. Casinos are always seeking new customers and current gamers want a broader and bigger player base. How can this expansion come about? With education! There is a genuine need to provide the newbie with the knowledge to feel comfortable when venturing into a poker room the first time.

Beginner's Poker - Employees

Now that you know a little about me, I will tell you about some of the cardroom employees whom you will meet and see on a regular basis. Cardrooms across the country have different job titles as well as functions for the same types of positions. Regardless of what you call an employee, here is a basic list of many of the poker room personnel with whom you are bound to interact as you become a regular poker player in a public domain.

Games and Limits

Now we need to figure out how to determine what games and limits are being played in the cardroom you have chosen. Upon entering the cardroom, you should seek out the brush or board personnel. This person would most likely be the first person to greet you. He or she probably will be either standing behind a counter, or out on the floor with a clipboard.

Do's and Don'ts

Continuing with our introduction to poker for new players, today's lesson will cover some of the do's and don'ts of ones public cardroom experience. There are many things about a cardroom that are unique to the venue. These odd new arenas sometimes make a novice feel uncomfortable or out of place. There is no need to feel awkward or ill at ease. A cardroom is just a place where folks go to play cards.

Games for Starting Out

Now that we have figured out the proper dress and appearance for the cardroom, it's time to go out and play some poker. Just why is it called playing poker? For one thing, poker is fun... or at least it is supposed to be. Let's discuss what games you can expect to find in the vast majority of cardrooms and let's get started playing poker!

How Much to Risk

In our last lesson, we talked a little about the different games that a novice player would most likely encounter in a card room. I gave you my recommendations on what limits I thought best for the newbie, regardless of financial status away from the tables. It is important to consider, in advance of the actual playing, what amount of money is appropriate to risk in a given game at any given time. Not only the correct amount of money to buy in, but the amount that is suitable to "go for" during the play in question, that is, the amount of additional rebuys or add-ons.

Learning from Experience

We have now talked a little bit about some of the things that you will need to know to comfortably get into a poker game in a public venue. There are still many things that you need to know, and many of them cannot be taught in this type of setting. In fact, many things that you will encounter in a poker room may only be learned by experience. Why is that? Because there are just so many little things that you need to know that it would take volumes and volumes to write them all down.