POKER WORKBOOK: A Comprehensive Beginner's Guide to Learn and Practice + EV Skills and Enhance Your Poker Game

By Nathan Adam

Welcome to the world of poker! Whether you're a complete beginner or a seasoned player looking to improve your skills, this workbook is the perfect tool to help you develop your game.

Poker is a game of skill, strategy, and probability. It's a game that requires you to make calculated decisions based on the information availab

• Language: English
• Publisher: Nathan Adam
• Release date: Jul 10, 2023
• ISBN: 9781088215784

Book preview

Introduction

Welcome to the world of poker! Whether you’re a complete beginner or a seasoned player looking to improve your skills, this workbook is the perfect tool to help you develop your game.

Poker is a game of skill, strategy, and probability. It’s a game that requires you to make calculated decisions based on the information available to you and adapt your strategy as the game evolves. This workbook is designed to help you do just that.

In this comprehensive guide, you will start by learning the basics of poker, including the rules of the game, hand rankings, and common terminology. From there, you will dive deeper into the strategies and skills you need to master to become a successful player.

But this workbook isn’t just about theory – it’s about practice.

Throughout the book, you’ll find a variety of exercises and worksheets designed to help you apply the concepts you’ve learned and enhance your skills. These exercises will challenge you to think critically about the game, analyze your opponents’ behavior, and make strategic decisions.

One of the most important skills in poker is understanding expected value (EV), and this workbook will teach you how to calculate EV and use it to make better decisions at the table. You’ll also learn about game theory and its application to your poker strategy.

Whether you’re interested in playing cash games, tournaments, or sit-and-go, this workbook has something for you. Its comprehensive approach to learning and practice is the perfect tool to help you take your poker game to the next level.

So, what are you waiting for? Let’s get started!

Chapter 1

Poker Fundamentals

Terms in Poker

Blinds

In poker, blinds refer to two mandatory bets made by players before dealing cards. These start the action and bring money into the pot, which is given to the winner(s) of the hand. The blinds are forced bets, meaning all players must contribute to the pot to remain in hand. The first blind is usually half the size of the minimum bet and is placed by the player directly to the left of the dealer (also known as the small blind). Players to the left of the small blind must match the amount of the small blind to stay in hand, with any extra money over the minimum bet being treated as a call. The second blind usually equals the minimum bet and is placed by the player directly to the left of the small blind (also known as the big blind). This is a form of ante, meaning that the players must either match the amount of the big blind or fold their hands. Once the blinds are in place, the dealer will give each player two face-down cards. It is then up to the players to decide whether to check, raise, or fold. The betting continues until all players have either called the bet or folded their hands. If a player folds, they do not have to pay the blind. Once all the betting is finished, the players reveal their cards and declare the winner.

Flop

Flop is a term used in poker to describe the first three face-up common cards dealt in a game. The flop is the second betting round in some poker variations, the first being the pre-flop round. After the initial two cards (the hole cards) are dealt, and the players have engaged in the pre-flop betting round, the dealer will burn a card (place it face-down and away from the table) and turn three cards face-up in the center of the table, which is referred to as the flop.

All players still active in hand use the flop to make their best five-card hand out of their two-hole cards and the three face-up cards. After the flop has been revealed, the second betting round takes place. During this round, players can raise, call (matching the raise amount on their turn) or fold. Once all bets have been made, the remaining active players (those who have not folded) will proceed to the fourth and final betting round.

Turn

A poker term, turn, refers to the fourth community card dealt during a game of Texas hold ‘em. The turn is called Fourth Street and follows the flop and the pre-flop betting round. Once the turn is dealt, each player’s hand becomes stronger, as they now have access to two additional cards with which they can form a winning hand. Players may now use the turn to upgrade their hand, call or raise before the river is dealt. The turn is often the most important step in a Texas hold ‘em poker hand, providing a hint of how the hand may win.

River

River is a poker term that refers to the fifth and last community card shared by all players that have not folded in the current hand. The River round concludes the betting round, which follows the Turn betting round.

In a game of Texas Hold’em, the River round is the fifth and final round of betting after the initial Deal, Flop, Turn, and River rounds. In the River round, players can check, fold, call, or raise after the fifth and last community card is shown. Unlike the previous rounds, the River round is the only round that allows each player to use all five community cards to form their best five-card poker hand, using any combination of their two-hole cards and the five community cards.

After the River round and subsequent betting rounds, the player who remains in hand and has the best hand is declared the winner and awarded the pot. The River round can decide how a game of poker is concluded and is an important tool in forming a strategy to maximize a player’s chances of winning.

Showdown

Showdown is a poker term that refers to the point in a hand when all betting is complete, and the remaining players face up their cards to determine the winner. This typically occurs after the river (the fifth and final community card is dealt in Texas Hold’em and Pot-limit Omaha). At this point, the players can make their final wagers, and the best five-card poker hand among the group will win the pot. All players in hand at the showdown must turn over their cards to compare their hands. The player holding the highest-ranking five-card poker hand at the showdown wins the pot. If two or more players hold the same hand strength, the pot is split among them.

Pocket Cards

Pocket cards, sometimes called hold cards or hole cards, are the two face-down cards dealt to each player at the start of a poker game. The rules of each game dictate that players must use their pocket cards plus the community cards, which will also be dealt to the table, to make the best five-card poker hand they can. When a player has pocket cards, they are said to be in the pocket.

Pocket cards are uniquely important in poker, giving each player a huge advantage over their opponents. By knowing the two cards you can access, you can get a huge head-start in figuring out the best hand since only you can see these cards. In some cases, pocket cards can even make or break a hand since you will be the only one with access to these cards. This makes pocket cards incredibly important when playing any type of poker game.

All-in

All-in is an expression used in poker, typically used to describe a situation where a player puts all their chips into the pot. This move is also known as a push. This is considered poker’s strongest and riskiest move since all players’ chips are being wagered. An all-in player can only win the number of chips already in the pot when they go all-in and cannot win any additional chips that might be added to the pot by other players post their all-in move.

Ante

Ante is a poker term that refers to the amount of money or chips that all players must contribute at the start of each hand. It is commonly used in online and land-based poker games. The ante acts as a form of blinds, forcing all players at the table to contribute money to the pot and incentivizing more frequent betting. The ante size is usually small, often just a few percent of the small blind. It is generally agreed that ante is a more equitable way to fill a pot as it encourages all players to contribute, not only those who might be willing to post a blind. Opponents of the ante claim that it forces less experienced players to contribute more to the pot than those with greater knowledge of the game. Nonetheless, anteing is widely accepted in both home and casino games.

Bet

Bet is a term commonly used in poker that refers to placing money or chips into the pot when it is a player’s turn in a game. It signals to the other players that the bettor is still in hand and wants to continue playing. Bets can range from the minimum allowed amount to a large raise, which other players must match to remain in hand. The act of betting is also a form of strategic action that allows the bettor to control the size of the pot and the betting action, allowing them to estimate how much they need to put in to win the pot or how much they will need to call to make the correct odds for their hand. In some cases, betting can also be a form of bluffing, in which a player bets with a weak hand to deceive the other players into thinking they have a stronger hand than they do.

Raise

Raise