There are many different forms of Poker, each having variations that offer a twist to original poker. Most forms of Poker however share the basic principals and rules. Once the basic Poker rules are understood it is easier to adapt to each new form. To begin, Poker uses a normal deck of 52 cards. The only exception to this is where Jokers are included as “wild cards”. The cards are valued from highest to lowest as follows: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (lots of numbers as in online keno). The Ace is usually the highest card, with exception in some games where it is considered the lowest. As with most card games, there are 4 suites, Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, and Spades.
Before Poker can begin a dealer must be chosen. To participate at a online casino Poker table, each player needs to place money in the pot. This is referred to as the Anti. The amount of the Anti is determined before the game begins. The dealer is in charge of shuffling the cards and dealing the correct amount to each player (the amount of cards can vary amongst each Poker variation). The cards may be dealt face up, or face down again depending upon the Poker variation. The person that is sitting beside the dealer is the first person that has control of the poker table after looking at their cards. In casino games where a dealer is provided, there is usually a button placed in front of a player to represent who is acting as dealer in that hand. Once the hand is over, the button then moves to the next player in rotation. In turn each person has 5 choices to choose from:
Check – When there is no bet other than the initial Anti and you wish to continue with the hand.
Bet – Place an initial bet adding money to the pot. In order to continue playing each player must match the bet of everyone else.
Raise – When you match the bet of previous players and add an additional amount to the bet.
Call – Match the current bet.
Fold – When your hand has low probability and you want to throw your hand in and give up your current bet.
Each player takes a turn making their decision until all bets are matched and the money is in the pot from each player.
Depending on the version of Poker, there may be additional cards dealt that may better odds of getting a better hand, while in other versions you look to see who has the best Poker hand.
To determine who has the greatest hand, you can refer to the chart below. Most forms of Poker follow this value system, which makes it a useful chart to memorize.
Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 all in the same suite. Royal Flush is the best hand you can get in Poker.
Straight Flush: When 5 cards are in a run in sequence. Ie: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack. This is the second best hand that can only be beaten by a Royal Flush or a Straight Flush with a higher card. In Straights, the Ace may be used to represent a value of 1 or above the King giving some more flexibility.
Four of a Kind: Any four cards of equal value, ie 4 4’s or 4 8’s. The only hand more favorable than a Royal Flush is four Aces’.
Full House: This is when you have 3 cards of the same value and 2 other cards of equal value but different than the first 3. Ie 3 jacks and 2 4’s or 3 Queens and 2 Kings.
Flush: This is when you have any 5 cards that all match the same suite. The order of the flush doesn’t matter, and the cards do not have to be in sequence. Ie: 2, 5, 7, Queen, King all of which are Hearts.
Straight: This is when 5 cards are in a sequence, like the Straight Flush, however the cards do not need to be all in the same suite. Ie: 3 of hearts, 4 of clubs, 5 of clubs, 6 of hearts, 7 of spades.
Three of a kind: This is where a player has 3 cards of the same value. Ie: 3 4’s or 3 Kings Etc.
Two Pairs: This is where a player has two sets of cards that match. Ie 2 4’s and 2 Ace’, or 2 Queens and 2 Kings.
Pair: This is when a player has two cards of the same value. Ie 2 Aces, or 2 Kings Etc.
High Card: This is when no player has any of the above combinations the last way to determine a winner is to see who has the highest card in their hand.
Rules of Poker can vary from game to game, however these basic rules usually are the basis of every Poker game and once understood it can be easier adapting to each new form of Poker.
Coming soon - additional articles and insider tips on blackjack, free slots and online keno.