VOX
POKER VOXDVM POKER LAB
DVM Poker Lab presents

LEARN POKER
WITH POKER VOX.

Never played Texas Hold'em before? Good. Poker Vox starts at absolute zero and gets you comfortable enough to sit down, follow the action, and know what the hell everybody is talking about.

“You do not need to know everything about poker to start playing poker. You just need to know enough to stop guessing.”
Back to Poker Lab
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Poker Vox seated at a poker table
YOUR GUIDEPoker Vox
Meet your host

THIS IS POKER VOX.

Part teacher. Part coach. Part smartass at the end of the table who actually wants you to get better.

Portrait of Poker Vox

He knows the game. He also remembers not knowing the game.

Poker Vox is your guide through the basics of Texas Hold'em. He translates the jargon, explains what actually matters, walks you through real situations, and keeps the beginner stuff from feeling like homework.

He'll roast bad decisions. He will not roast you for being new.

Poker Vox Says

“Two cards belong to you. Five cards belong to everybody. Your job is to make the best five-card hand possible. Or convince everybody else to leave. Welcome to poker.”

Poker Vox teaching at the table
How this works

POKER VOX TEACHES. YOU PLAY.

This is the beginner layer of DVM Poker Lab. Learn the language here, then graduate into actual decision training.

POKER VOX SAYS = explanation VOX TIP = shortcut VOX WARNING = rookie trap VOX CHECK = mini quiz SIT WITH VOX = scenario
The beginner course

EIGHT LESSONS. NO NONSENSE.

Open a lesson, learn the thing, take the quick check, mark it complete, move on.

Your hole cards

You receive two private cards. They belong to you.

Community cards

Up to five cards are shared by everyone at the table.

Win at showdown

If multiple players remain, the best five-card poker hand wins.

Win without showdown

If everybody else folds, you win the pot without showing anything.

Poker Vox Says

“Two cards belong to you. Five cards belong to everybody. You can win by having the best hand or by making everybody else decide they have somewhere else to be.”

VOX CHECK: How many private cards does each player receive?
1
Royal Flush
A-K-Q-J-10, same suit
2
Straight Flush
Five in order, same suit
3
Four of a Kind
Four matching ranks
4
Full House
Three of a kind plus a pair
5
Flush
Five cards of one suit
6
Straight
Five ranks in order
7
Three of a Kind
Three matching ranks
8
Two Pair
Two different pairs
9
One Pair
Two matching ranks
10
High Card
When absolutely nothing else happened
Vox Tip

“A flush beats a straight. Memorize that now and save yourself one deeply embarrassing conversation later.”

VOX CHECK: Which hand wins?
UTG
Middle
Cutoff
Button
Small Blind
Big Blind
THE POT$

Dealer Button

Moves one seat clockwise after each hand and helps determine the order of play.

Small Blind

A forced bet posted before anyone sees cards.

Big Blind

A larger forced bet posted before anyone sees cards.

Poker Vox Says

“Position is information. The later you act, the more you get to watch everyone else make their mistakes first.”

Check

Stay in without betting, but only when nobody has bet yet in that round.

Bet

Put chips into the pot when no bet is currently facing you.

Call

Match the current bet.

Raise

Increase the current bet.

Fold

Give up the hand. You cannot win the current pot after folding.

All-In

Commit all of your remaining chips.

Vox Rule

“Folding is not losing. Sometimes folding is the smartest thing you will do all night.”

PRE-FLOP
You receive A♠ K♠. Betting begins before any community cards appear.
FLOP
K♦8♣3♥
TURN
K♦8♣3♥10♠
RIVER
K♦8♣3♥10♠2♦
SHOWDOWN
Your best five-card hand is one pair, kings, with ace-high supporting cards.
Poker Vox Says

“The flop is three cards. The turn is one. The river is one. Call the turn 'the second flop' at your own risk.”

Premium

AA, KK, QQ, AK suited. Hands you are generally excited to see.

Strong

JJ, TT, AQ, AJ suited and other hands that can be very playable depending on context.

Speculative

Small pairs and suited connectors can make disguised strong hands, but need the right situation.

Garbage

Weak disconnected offsuit cards usually belong in the muck.

Vox Warning

“7♣ 2♦ offsuit is famous for being terrible. You are technically allowed to play it. You are also technically allowed to microwave a fork.”

Act in turn

Wait until action reaches you.

Protect your cards

Keep track of your hand and keep it from being accidentally mucked.

Verbal action can be binding

Saying “call” or “raise” may commit you to that action, depending on house rules.

Do not discuss live hands

Keep folded-card information and strategic commentary to yourself until the hand is over.

One player to a hand

Do not coach someone while their hand is live.

Do not slow roll

If you know you have the winner at showdown, do not fake uncertainty just to torture somebody.

Poker Vox Says

“If you folded an ace, keep that fascinating information inside your body until the hand is over.”

Playing too many hands

You are allowed to fold. A lot.

Calling everything

“Maybe I'll hit something” is not a strategy.

Ignoring position

The same cards can be easier or harder to play depending on where you're sitting.

Overvaluing one pair

One pair can be strong. It is not invincible.

Chasing every draw

Sometimes the price is simply too high for the chance of improving.

Thinking everybody is bluffing

Sometimes the other player actually has it. Rude, but legal.

Vox Warning

“Nobody is asking you to become Phil Ivey tonight. We're just trying to stop you from lighting sixty bucks on fire because it felt lucky.”

Interactive finale

SIT DOWN WITH POKER VOX.

You know the vocabulary. Now make a decision with Poker Vox sitting across the table.

Poker Vox inviting a player into a poker decision

Your first real decision.

$1 / $2 blinds 6-handed You are on the Button Trevor raises to $6

Two players fold. Trevor raises. You look down at:

A♥
J♥
Poker Vox Says

“Strong ace. Suited. Good position. Trevor already showed some strength. What are you thinking?”

Poker Vox

Graduate to the next layer

Learn the language here. Build the instincts next.

Poker Vox is the teacher. The DVM Pre-Flop Trainer is the coach.

STEP 1Learn with Poker Vox
STEP 2Train with DVM Pre-Flop Trainer
STEP 3Explore DVM Poker Lab
Launch Pre-Flop Trainer Return to DVM Poker Lab