Now that you’ve learned how to play poker, you want to put your newfound expertise to work, and start collecting pots from friends, neighbors and coworkers, but how do you find a game to join when you’re only a beginner? There’s good news; home games are especially open to beginners, because you’re fresh meat. You’re only starting out, you don’t know how they play, and best of all, you’ve got money in your pocket to spend.
Start up conversations about poker with the chatty guys at the water cooler at work. If there’s a good home game going on, chances are one of them will know about it or even be in on it. An invite from a regular player is always the best way to get into a home game. That way they don’t think you’re a cheat of a shark.
Also, look in your hometown paper to see what’s going on in the clubs. This may seem silly, but due to the recent Texas Hold’em craze, you can find live action games and tournaments going on at your local trendy nightclub or hole in the wall bar. One benefit to this approach is that as the night wears on, more and more players will get drunk and play loose, making your odds of winning even better than your odds of getting laid.
If none of this works, you can use the online dating method to finding a game. There are a plethora of local and national websites that specialize in hooking up people who want to join a home game with those who need another player. If you still can’t find a game that suits your needs, then there’s always online casinos, but here, you’re missing out on a major element that makes poker fun to play. The truth is, poker is a great way to get to know people. That’s a lot easier when you’re in the same room.