Any player that is beginning to play poker, especially in live games, may have one fear that supersedes all others. They may be afraid of coming off like an absolute beginner, of coming off like a fish. This could be because the player knows they aren’t skilled, so realizes they may be outplayed quite easily. It could also be because they’re concerned with how they appear, and don’t want to appear the way they are! If you don’t want to look like a fish, there are definitely a few things you can keep in mind.

Firstly, you need to play in an environment you feel comfortable in. This means that you need to be completely confident of the rules of the game you’re playing. That’s something you can do on your own time. You should always ask if you’re not sure, as a new player who asks the question and a new player who doesn’t are two entirely different people. One looking far more like the fish we’re trying to avoid.

You should definitely start off at the lowest limits you can find. You don’t want to have to spend too much money when you’re learning the game. It’ll also be far more fun to learn without having to worry about the amount of money that you might be winning, or losing at any particular time. There’s one final reason for choosing low limits and that’s because you’ll likely be playing against players that are similar to you. That is, they’re likely to be new themselves!

Lastly, before you consider going to a live casino to try your skills, you should play poker online. The reason for this is anonymity. If you make a mistake regarding the rules or don’t understand something, it’s far easier to learn your lesson (or deal with the insults) when all that’s at stake is your screen name. You’ll get a handle on things without too much trouble, and far quicker than you would in a live game.

Keep these things in mind and remember that at some point, all the big players were fish themselves, and you’ll be fine while learning the game. Although I would recommend if you find yourself out of your depth, then you should find a new table where there are a few players newer than yourself.

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