Name ONE thing you would tell a beginner poker player....

[Fletch46]

There's not too much to add to what others have suggested but here's two more.

1. Reading is very important but don't treat your poker books like novels. Read and reread them. After you've played for a bit, go back and read your books again. You'll understand the concepts better and things you hardly noticed the first time through will start to make sense. The first time I read Theory of Poker, most of it went right over my head. Six months later I started to understand it and a year after that, I got even more out of it. Small Stakes Hold'em by Ed Miller, David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth is a great book to start with. Whenever I hit a bad streak, I go back to my books and usually I realize I've picked up some bad habit.

2. If you're like most people you'll start playing tournaments but even before you're ready for that, there is a great resource you could look at. Go to the MTT Strategy under Tournament Poker and open the first thread. It is a list of about 60 tournaments that have been played (and in many cases, won) by 2+2'ers. You can click on a tournament in the thread and watch every hand being played, sometimes with comments from the 2+2'er who posted the tournament. These guys are very good and I've learned a lot just watching them play. The tournament links take you to pokerxfactor.com. You may have to sign up on that site but you don't have to subscribe to watch the tournaments. Just give them your email address.

Tournament play is much different than cash game play and I'm not saying you should play your cash game like they play the tournaments except in one area. We tell all beginners to fold more hands and I think if you can see top players folding huge numbers of hands, it will really emphasize how important it is. When you see them folding bad Aces, small suited cards and small pairs out of position, you'll start to appreciate that these hands are not as good as they first look but they are cards all beginners play. Later, you'll learn when to play them but avoid them for now.

[KenProspero]

Play tight.

Everything else can be learned over time.

[raze]

[ QUOTE ]
some really good content in this thread, although the OP asked for one thing....

overwhelming #1 is don't play too many hands. stick to the starting hand tables (most are similar)

#2, #3, #4 and #5 would be (in no particular order) respect position, respect raises, think hard before committing alot of chips (NL) and by betting you can win 2 ways (best hand or everyone folds)

[/ QUOTE ]

This is excellent

[Slava_sky]

And one more thing:

NEVER BLUFF, BEFORE YOU ARE WINNING PLAYER.

Bluffing too early will cause you make a lot of mistakes. Believe me, even if you make genious bluffs, this tendency will cause you to bluff more and more because you get excited. And this will cause you making a lot of mistakes with that, and you will be just confused, not knowing, what is wrong and what is right to play.

So, if you are playing full ring, I would recommned sticking to PURE ABC, unless you are winning player and move up 2+ levels according to all bankroll rules. I would not recommend you even making c-bets when you didn't hit your AK. Throw those 4BB away, those morons will give you their stacks on gathere combinations. And after you make legitimate level ups - bluffs will become legitimate, since players will be more tight, but which is much more important - you will be a better player, who will know what to do with them.

May be in 6-max situation is a little bit different.

[Lottery Larry]

[ QUOTE ]
Too many new players play too many hands. Whether this is because they get board, think that they should be involved in a lot of hands in order to be "playing the game," or whether they place too much emphasis on bluffing, who knows.

[/ QUOTE ]

I always teach new players that their order of decision on each hand/street should be
1) Fold
2) Raise
3) Call

As a newer player, your first decision should be "Why shouldn't I fold this hand?" Unless you have a good reason why you SHOULD not fold, then fold. Most hands should be folded anyway, and for new players a lot of situations post-flop call for folding as well.

If you feel your hand and/or the situation is strong enough NOT to fold, the next question should be "Why SHOULDN'T I raise?" Aggression gives multiple ways to win and is a trait that many new players don't naturally possess, especially after some losses. If you can't fold a hand, you should be raising a hand...

... unless you have a GOOD reason NOT to raise, in which case call.

Note: as players become more experienced and skilled, I switch the decision order to 1) Raise 2) Fold 3) Call.

Calling is usually death in poker.

[rookie101]

The number one recommendation I can make above all else ive found useful is pay attention. By that I mean keep track of how much is in the pot, watch other players patterns and when youre not in a hand keep paying attention. A lot of people get distracted when not in a pot, Im constantly trying to read cards even if im just an observer. Im an average player but I do demand an edge and paying attention has turned my losing sessions into winning sessions GOOD LUCK