What is the best way of starting off poker?

To improve at poker, you need to follow a few simple steps:

1) Decide what kind of poker you want to play. Start with just one game. Also, decide whether you want to play cash games or tournaments.

2) Find somewhere to play regularly. There are great free poker games on sites like FullTiltPoker.net and Pokerstars.net where you can play. Even better, find a group of friends to play with.

3) Get a book. Tom McEvoy has some great books for starting players. Phil Gordon's books are really good for a beginning player as well.

4) Get feedback. Either a poker coach or a group of friends who talk about the game can move your poker playing up in a big way. Even inexperienced friends may see things that can help your game. The more feedback you get, the more you can improve. Make sure you understand the "Why" of the feedback, rather than just what to do differently. You will find that giving feedback helps as well. The more you think about poker situations, the better you can get.

5) Have fun with it. Don't let it consume you or take away from time with family and friends. This is really important because when poker goes bad (and it does for everyone), you don't want to be taking it out on them.

6) Manage your bankroll. Whatever money you use for poker should be just that: poker money. Do not mix that money with other money - especially money you play at games like Blackjack and things like that. I recommend keeping records of wins and losses to help you track how you play and to observe the progress you have made.

7) Understand that losing and bad beats are just part of the game. Be polite when someone gets lucky against you, and be cool when you beat someone else. Remember, act like you have been there before and like it is no big deal.