Texas Hold'em has become the most popular and well known variant of poker in the world. It's certainly not a new game by any means but at the moment it is receiving a great deal of media attention leading to increased interest from the general public.

It's now easier than ever to get started playing Texas Hold'em due to the explosion in availability of online casinos and poker rooms. All you need is an internet connection and a PC.

If you are a newcomer to the wonderful world of online poker then Texas Hold'em is the probably the best variety of poker to learn first. Once you've cut your teeth here, you can move onto to more complicated games if you so wish.

Many people feel that Texas Hold'em has the simplest rules and least complicated odds of all the poker games. A complete "newbie" can often pick up the rules of Texas Hold'em in just a few minutes and become reasonably proficient within a few hours.

To really master the game though, you will have to practise hard and that means playing against others. Expert poker players are often heard quoting the phrase "it takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master" when referring to Texas Hold'em, so don't expect to be winning big money quickly on the poker sites.

What you must be aware of, though, is that there are thousands of seasoned Hold'em players out there and many of them thrive on the rewards they can get from playing against inexperienced players. Don't feed their accounts by risking your money unnecessarily.

Before you jump in feet first and credit your online account with hundreds of dollars, take time to learn the rules.

First, do some background reading on the subject of poker and commit the basics to memory. Then, consider signing up for a dummy account which allows you to play against other people online but without risking any real money.

Of course, this won't be the same as playing for real stakes, people simply don't play the same when there is not money at risk. Playing with virtual funds can be rather annoying with players leaving games early and betting unrealistic hands, this is all to be expected when there is no real risk.

However, it will at least help you to get used to the basic rules and strategies for playing Texas Hold'em.

Once you find that you are comfortable with the speed of play, the rules and the stakes at risk, it may be time to consider playing for real rewards - cold, hard cash.

Realise though, that real money Texas Hold'em games are very competitive. No one cares who you are or where you are from, the object of the game is to win the pot. That is your only goal - to win the pot and eventually come out of the game with more money than you went in with.

Don't fall prey to more experienced Texas Hold'em players. Get an education and some risk-free practise and then move up to real money games once you are 100% happy with the rules.

Most of all, you must enjoy playing poker online or it is pointless doing it. Texas Hold'em isn't a fun experience if you are always losing and the only way to start winning is to do your research and to put in lots of practise.

Always remember that you should only play with money that you can afford to lose. Never bet the rent money when playing online poker because if you lose it you cannot get it back.

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