Whilst the following poker tips are very general, they form a framework that you can follow in order to get to a high level of poker skill as quickly as is realistically possible for you.

1. Devour the Basics

Can you recite the hand rankings from Royal Flush right down to Ace High in the correct order? Do you know what a string bet is and how to avoid it? What does min-raise mean and what does three betting mean? All of these things and much more should reel off your tongue like it is second nature to you. Having a solid grounding of strategy is imperative to your future poker success. I found arranging a poker quiz with my friends interesting. Perhaps more interesting was that none of us got 100% right despite us all doing very well. It is always worth brushing up on the basics.

Visit the bwin poker school where there are lots of guides to both basic and more complicated poker strategy.

2. Download a Poker Room and Play Freerolls

Before you grab your paypal account or Visa card take a moment to carefully select your poker room. I use bwin.com which I feel is secure, looks good and they enjoy good player traffic and plenty of variety in terms of cash game tables and poker tournaments. Pass by their freeroll tables and get used to the software and how the game works at your site. Mis-clicks can be very costly and unfortunately you have no-one to blame but yourself if this occurs. The time spent familiarising yourself with the poker software is time well spent.

3. Read Poker Books, Poker Forums & Poker Blogs

Poker research is important, but be aware of the date of publication for books as poker strategy develops over time and some books may be out of touch with how poker is played today. Poker forums are a good source of strategy, but again learn who is worth listening to and who the loud people are with nothing to back up their noise! Poker blogs are a good way of learning how a player thinks and there are thousands of them out there. Many professionals run good blogs but like books and forums there are good and bad incarnations of these blogs. Providing you have a critical eye you should benefit from the vast wealth of knowledge available online in these mediums.

4. Start Small & Take Notes

Using conservative bankroll management you can begin to play some hands at this point with hopefully a good understanding over what is happening at the poker tables. Take notes of mistakes you make and possibly consult a coach if you are unable to plug the leak yourself. Note particular spots where you struggle in detail. For example, holding AJ in early position when an Ace comes on the flop and you face a raise from someone in late position. Lots of poker situations are difficult but having confidence in your own knowledge and, more importantly, a reason for every decision is something that coaching can help with. You can also post better questions in the forums once you get more experience.

5. Keep Gaining Experience and Stay Positive

You may find that winning at poker comes very easily to you, but stay humble and stay positive and keep doing what you are doing. If you lose you should work out why you are losing. You might not be Phil Ivey but with dedication, experience and a bit of humility most players can eventually find a level where they can succeed. This may be in a tournament, a cash game or SNG format, so try each type of poker and see what suits you best.

Above all, enjoy learning this great game and enjoy the challenge online poker offers everyone.

By Malcolm Clarke