galanter wrote:I would take issue a bit with the notion of "out-smarting the bookmakers". That's a common notion but it's a bit misguided. In a pure form bookmakers post a number not as a prediction of the games outcome, but rather as an anticipation of the public's behavior in an attempt to evenly split the bets. If equal amounts of money are bet on each side the bookie always wins.

Oh, I know how the lines are set. Vegas isn't at all interested in the outcome of the game, they just want to be sure that everybody who places a bet is laying, basically, 11:10 on a coinflip. What I meant by "outsmarting the bookie" is finding lines, or a series of bets, or a disparity between how the bookie anticipates public behavior, and what behavior will actually occur, that will give the bettor an "edge" (or, for you math-geeks "positive expected value.")

Thanks for belaying my dork-fear Steve. I guess I'll start reading all the suggested
material posted on this thread. Just ran out and got Super System 2.

Another question(s): If I wanted to start out on a free site that has a good representation
of what I should expect to see at a pay table, where should I play? I spotted
what's called 'free rolls' at www.pokerlistings.com, but the times seem all wonky
and there's like 20 sites listed...

ubercat wrote:Thanks for belaying my dork-fear Steve. I guess I'll start reading all the suggested
material posted on this thread. Just ran out and got Super System 2.

Another question(s): If I wanted to start out on a free site that has a good representation
of what I should expect to see at a pay table, where should I play? I spotted
what's called 'free rolls' at www.pokerlistings.com, but the times seem all wonky
and there's like 20 sites listed...

Russ has a very good primer on how to get started and what to look for, which he will probably send you in an email if you ask politely. You should definitely get the books Getting Started in Holdem (Ed Miller), Small Stakes Holdem (Mason Malmuth and David Sklansky) and the Theory of Poker (David Sklansky). Super System 2 is a good read, but very little of the Holdem advice is applicable to small stakes online games. The other games, in particular Stud Eight-or-Better and Triple Draw Lowball, are masterworks of instruction. If you're interested in games besides Holdem, you could do a lot worse.

The main things you should look for are rakeback, which pays you some of the money normally taken from the pot for the house, and a signup bonus, which is just a boost to your bankroll to get you started. Of the two, the bonus is more important if you don't intend to play that much, rakeback much more important long-term.

Which particular site you play at is less important than most people think. Some are fishier (more bad players) than others, but there are good (easy, beatable) Holdem games on all sites. For alternate games, you will need to hunt around. Most have Stud and Omaha available, but only a few host Draw poker, Razz, Five-Card Stud, Triple-Draw or Badugi, though mixed games like H.O.R.S.E and S.H.O.E. are starting to appear on most sites.

There is a site, the World Poker Exchange, that charges no rake, and it is amazing what a benefit that is for your bottom line. I wouldn't make that my first excursion into online play, however, because there are a lot of professionals who realize what a benefit it is to have no rake taken, and they swarm all over WPX.