Seven Steps to Learn Any Game (SGTE Minipost)

The Seven Steps:

1. Read the rules.
2. Read the rules again.
3. Stop reading the rules.
4. Read the rules again.
5. Ask questions about the rules.
6. Answer questions about the rules.
7. Never stop reading the rules.

Clarifying:

1. You gotta start somewhere.
2. One read-through is often not enough to catch all the basics.
3. Go actually play the game some number of times. See how much of the rules you can remember. Only refer back to the rules when you're unsure.
4. Go back and read through all the rules again. High chance you'll find something you forgot, overlooked, or misunderstood before.
5. Get involved with the game's community and ask them to help you understand the rules. Don't be afraid of asking a bad/stupid question. Read/watch other people's tutorials and rules explanations.
6. Try to answer other people's rules questions. Make sure to cite/quote the actual rules, as well as restate the rules in your own words. You'll learn and remember the rules better this way, especially common points of confusion. Teaching someone else to play the game from scratch is also great.
7. Never think you know the game so well that you can fully stop looking up rules. An occasional full re-read is even worth it. You might be surprised what you discover.

Also, note that these steps aren't necessarily in a strict order. You can often benefit from going back to earlier steps as well.

Bonus Step: Ask Why

Why does this rule exist? What behavior was the designer trying to encourage? What broken strategy might exist if this rule was missing or different? What feeling or thematic experience does this rule help create?

Understanding the design reasons behind a rule makes it more memorable and can help you interact with that rule more effectively.