There are many different types of poker, but one is King. Those massive tournaments with all the Rocky-rivalling-rags-to-riches stories are nearly always good ol’ No-Limit Texas Holdem. It’s also the game you see on the poker TV channels. In short, it’s the game you need to know.

For a start, Texas Holdem is pretty much the simplest version of poker. (What that says about Texas is open to debate, but don’t be fooled – Texans are usually damn’ fine players.) Like all the best games it can be learned in an hour – and although there ain’t no substitute for experience and natural talent, it certainly helps the beginner if you don’t need a rulebook open all the time.

Texas Holdem (No-Limit) also has more players, more tournaments and (crucially) more money involved than all the other forms of poker put together. But is it the most popular because it’s the most lucrative – or the most lucrative because it’s the most popular? After much research we can tell you the answer is, “Who cares? It’s where the big money is. Now deal ‘em, cowboy…”

As for Pot-Limit, it’s basically Texas Holdem Lite. With no shoving your entire stack of chips in (unless it’s very small), there’s not as much bluffing, bullying and general mayhem as in No-Limit. No-Limit separates the men from the boys – although the girls are just as likely to beat them both, of course.

So there you have it. No-Limit Texas Holdem should be the first game you learn, practise and hopefully conquer. Once you’re comfortable at the tables, check out the subtle nuances of Omaha, or seven-card Stud, or Razz. Even try some Pot-Limit poker if you’re feeling particularly gentle one evening.

In the wild west of NL Texas Holdem though, the sky is your limit – all you have to do is learn to fly. It takes time, but the rewards can be life-changing. Be patient and remember Bill Hicks’ famous advice to hippies everywhere, “If you think you can fly, don’t be an idiot and jump off a skyscraper. Try taking off from the ground first…”