Online Poker

How to Play Poker

Poker is a card game that dates back as far as the Persians; thought some say it is descended from the French. Whichever it is, Poker is a game that has developed and spread through a rich history to give us many different versions today.



The basic game of Poker is a game of cards that is played with a 52-card pack and the idea is that the winner is the player with highest or richest hand. The player places an initial bet on his first hand of cards (in "draw" Poker he can then exchange some); the idea is then to get the best hand possible which is higher than all the other hands in play. The version of Poker that is played will determine how the cards are dealt, as well as what and when bets can be placed. There are nine main winning hands in all versions of Poker, which are defined below. The odds or payouts for getting one of these hands will depend on the particular Poker game that is being played.

Royal Flush - this is a hand made up of the top five cards that are all from the same suit that is an Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten.

Straight Flush - this is a hand of five cards from the same suit that is in sequential order for example, a two, three, four, five and six of hearts.

Four of a Kind - this is four cards of the same number that do not have to be from the same suit.

Full House - this is three cards of the same number that do not have to be cards from the same suit.

Flush - this hand is made up of five cards from the same suit but they do not have to be in sequential order.

Straight - this hand is five cards of any suit but in sequential order. For example it can be a two of clubs, a three of hearts and four of diamonds, a five of clubs and a six of spades.

Three of a Kind - this hand needs to be three cards of the same denomination (number) but not from the same suit and any two other cards.

Two Pairs - this hand is exactly as it sounds, it needs to be two pairs of any denomination, no matter what the suit is.

Pair - this is the most common hand and is a combination of a pair of cards, and three other cards that do not fit.

Of all of the versions of Poker, there are a few that stand out more than others as being the most popular. These are Three Card Poker, Texas Hold"em, Pai Gow Poker, 7-Card Stud, 5-Card Draw, and Omaha Poker.

Three Card Poker is really made up of two different games, the Ante and the Pairs Plus. It is a form of Stud Poker that gives the opportunity to bet three ways and four ways to win a hand. A player can play against the dealer or just bet his own hand. The reason that the game is named Three Card Poker is that initially three cards are dealt to the dealer and the player or players. Pair Plus is a simple bet on the cards that will pay out according to hands of pairs or better. Ante and Play involves the player placing an ante bet before receiving his cards. He can then choose to fold his cards and lose the bet or increase by placing another bet equal or higher to the ante bet if he thinks he has a good hand. In order for the dealer to qualify to play he must have a hand equal to a Queen or higher. If the dealer does not qualify then the player automatically wins. There are other rules that apply that can be found at each casino played at.

Five Card Poker is a Poker variation that can be played with two to eight players. Each player is dealt a full hand of cards before the initial betting takes place. Throughout the game each player can raise, call or fold while developing his hand by replacing the original cards. Different variations of Five Card Poker have developed to give us Stud, Draw, Texas Hold'em and Omaha Poker which today are the most popular of the Poker games. There are subtle variations between each of these versions.

Texas Hold'em Poker is the most well known of all of the Poker variations that there are today mainly because of its rise to fame through the Poker World Series. The basic rules of Texas Hold'em are the same as any Poker game, a player is allowed to bet up to four times at different stages of the game before cards are dealt to the centre of the table. Players can join in at any stage of the game by buying their way into the game.

Click Here to Play

Initially each player has to make a first bet known as a blind which is the minimum bet; he then receives two cards which are called hole cards which only he sees. The dealer will then deal three community cards, and again the players are able to place bets. All bets are put in central pot. The players are placing bets on the chance of their hand which is built from their hole cards and the community cards of being the best out of all of the player's hands. The next stage is for another community card to be dealt, this is called the "Turn" card and again a round of betting is done. Players can choose to bet the same amount as their previous bet, this is called "Call" or to "Raise" their bet or they can choose to fold which is to drop out of the game and lose all the chips they have put in. The final stages of the game are similar to the first stages, the final community card called "the River" is dealt and then the final betting round is completed. At this stage players can still choose to fold. "The Showdown" is right at the end of a game when players begin to show their hands. The player with the highest hand is the winner and wins the pot; if two players have the same value then the pot is shared. Texas Hold'em has become the most played Poker game that there is today, not only due to the coverage it received on the World Poker Series but also because of the game that it is, it allows up to 20 players to play although a normal game is about 10 players and also it is full of tension and fun making it an exciting game to play and watch.

Omaha, Stud and Draw Poker are all a little different from Texas Hold'em also each one has slightly differing rules. For example with Omaha Poker the players are dealt 4 hole cards to begin with as opposed to Texas Hold'em's two cards. Draw Poker is more of a general term for any Poker game in which each player is dealt a complete hand before the first betting round, and then develops the hand for later rounds by replacing cards. Stud Poker is a general term for any game in which each player receives a mix of face-down and face-up cards dealt in multiple betting rounds.

 

There is one more very popular version of Poker - Pai Gow Poker. This is a mixture of the ancient Chinese domino game of Pai Gow and the original classic Poker game. Pai Gow Poker is played with a full deck of cards and the Joker. In other words it is a 53 card game. It is a game of the player against the banker. The player can also choose to be the banker. To commence play seven cards are dealt to each of the players; this is a trait from the Pai Gow domino game. The player then arranges these cards in two hands, a 2- card hand and a 5- card hand. In order for the player to win, both hands need to have a total higher than the other player's hands. If there is a draw i.e. there are two hands the same then it is considered a push and there is no payout but also no loss. The regular winning hands of Poker apply to Pai Gow Poker also, i.e. a full house, flush, royal flush and so on. A Joker is mainly considered as an Ace but can be used to complete straights or flushes.

What is common with all of these Poker variations are the definitions of the winning hands. So, it is very important always to remember the sequence of the winning hands when playing a Poker game no matter which one. Of course it is also important to check out the betting limits and particular rules for each game before entering a game. Some games online allow you to play without placing real money bets just to get the hang of it before placing real money bets, this is recommended and very useful. Whichever Poker game you choose to play, it is a fun, easy to follow and rewarding game to play.