My wife wants to learn how to play poker

[NL__Fool]

Whats the best thing for her to start on? Should she start playing limit, NL or Sit N Go's?

I've started her off over the last week playing short stacked NL for a 20 BB buy in, but since short stacking isn't my strong point I don't know if thats the best idea.

The reason I started her off that way was it introduced her into basic concepts like starting hands and position without having to get involved with pot odds, implied odds, fold equity etc over 3 streets of play.

Whats the easiest thing for her to start on?

[Henry17]

I have had a few waitresses ask me to teach them. I find that SNGs work best. It gets them more play time for $ lost.

[uDevil]

[ QUOTE ]

Whats the easiest thing for her to start on?

[/ QUOTE ]

I think short-stack NL is an ok way to start. You might have her read Ed Miller's posts on the subject at his site:

http://www.notedpokerauthority.com

[ChipSpankerUB]

playing short stacked is like taking a knife to a Iraq. I agree with the man who said let her play sit n gos---there are various levels, and she should be able to learn faster with them. Most last an hour or so, even if she gets knocked out, she can watch the remaining players and learn how to win that way as well.

[Rek]

[ QUOTE ]
Whats the easiest thing for her to start on?

[/ QUOTE ]

The dinner, then bringing you the beers

[JSmith2007]

I think SNGs are by far the way to go. You can teach her starting hands and position playing much easier and better with SNGs than shortstacked NL and you get much more hands in (usually) in SNGs than shortstacked NL for alot less $$.

[Tooty816]

What kind of games does she LIKE to play? Limit, no limit, sng, mtts? I would start her off with whatever game she will like.

If she doesn't know, I would start her off with full stacked microstakes no limit. She has to learn the full stacked concepts eventually. Speed up her learning curve by pushing her into the game head-first. Sure, it'll be tough at first, but we all have to go through it. I prefer starting with full stack cash to playing SnG's or short stacked cash beacuse you just can't learn flop turn river plays efficienty without having a full stack yourself. She has to go through the pain sooner or later.

A more important thing that you can do to help her is to sweat her sessions. No matter what type of game, if you are there explaning the concepts as she sees them, she will learn exponentially faster than if she were left on her own.

[heater]

I think SNG's are more exciting (and therefore more interesting) to noobs. Shortstacking cash games is like watching paint dry, imo.

[the_optical]

Sit and go's nare definately the way to go. Limits the cost and as other people have mention it adds the excitment valur to it

[Alobar]

sngs is a dumb way to learn I think. to much going on strategy wise with escalating blinds and the finality of busting out

having her start out short stacked is dumb too

just have her start out in a regular old full buy in NL game. I Dont understand why she would learn starting hands and all that other stuff any better anywhere else. Implied odds and pot odds are the most fundamental concepts of poker, so she should be learning those from the get go.