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Win money

Although the varieties of poker may seem a little complex, it's really a lot easier than it may first appear. All the different poker games (Texas Hold’em, Seven Card Stud, etc) share some basic elements in common:

The goal of poker is to win money from the other players by placing bets on the strength of the cards that have been dealt to you.

• Players are dealt cards (a “hand”),
  some or all of which are concealed.
• Bets are made on the strength of the
  cards in rounds of betting.
• The hands develop as more cards
  are dealt.
• Finally the strongest hand wins a showdown, or all players but one
  have folded.

Which ever form of poker you play, the vital thing to know is the ranking of the hands. See the next chapter for the <<ranking of poker games>>.

The players & the pack

Texas Hold’em and both versions of Omaha have from 2 to 10 players, whilst Seven Card Stud games have 2 to 8 players. A standard pack of 52 cards is used, with no jokers. The ace is the high card, however in hi/lo games it can be ranked as either high or low, at either end of a sequence. Before each game a new pack is randomly generated using RNG (Random Number Generation).

The number of ‘pocket’ or ‘hole’ cards (cards that only you can see) and ‘community’ cards (that everyone can see and use) varies between types of game.

How much should I bet

Two players make ‘blind’ bets before any cards are dealt; this ensures that there is some money in the pot that the players can vie for.Bets are combined in the middle of the table to make the ‘Pot’, which the players compete for. All poker games are characterised by ‘rounds of betting’ where each player can either fold, check, call or raise. A round is finished when all players have made maximum number of bets or all bets have been equalized – that is everyone has bet the same amount. Each time cards are dealt, there is a new round
of betting.

There are fixed amounts that players can bet per round called ‘limits’. For instance, in a $5/$10 game raises would be limited to $5 in the first two rounds of betting and $10 in the last two rounds of betting. ‘Raising’ a bet both matches the initial bet and then increases it. On a 5/10 game, a lower limit raise would actually be $10 – a $5 call and a $5 raise. An upper limit raise would match the initial bet and increase it by up to $10. For instance $5 might match the previous bet and $10 raise the bet to the limit, making the entire bet $15. In ‘no-limit’ games there is no restriction on the amount that can be bet. Whilst betting in ‘pot-limit’ games is restricted to the size that is in the pot at that moment.

Players are only allowed to use the chips in play at the beginning of a hand. They are not allowed to get more get extra funds during a hand, although they may get more between hands.

General Texas Hold'em poker rules

Establishing your own poker game is simple: All you need is a pack of playing cards, a poker table and some friends. Chips are used to represent money – or just the idea of money! This latter approach is advisable if you're just starting out and want to hold onto your paycheck! To start the game, one player is assigned to be the dealer. After each game, this position moves one place to the left. The dealer position determines the order of play in the game and the person who deals the cards. Usually poker is played with a "limit", i.e., the amount that players are allowed to bet. For instance, during the first two rounds of a $4/$8 game, bets are confined to the lower limit ($4). However, in the final two betting rounds, bets can be placed up to the upper
limit ($8).

First, the player immediately to the left of the dealer places a bet before any cards are dealt. This is the "ante" or "small blind bet", which is half the size of the betting lower limit. In the example $4/$8 game above, this would be $2. The bet is considered "blind" because the player making the bet hasn't seen any cards yet. The player to the left of the "small blind" then bets the "big blind". This is equal to the amount of the betting lower limit. So, in our $4/$8 game, the big blind would be $4. Two "hole" cards are then dealt to each player face down. These are a player's only private cards. The remaining cards are dealt face up. Everyone can see these cards and, more importantly, use them. Now the first full betting round can begin.

First betting round

Play starts to the left of the big blind. Each player may "fold", "call" or "raise" the bet. After everyone has acted, play returns to the player who bet the small blind. He or she may fold, call or raise. The player who bet the big blind may then check (if no one has raised his or her blind bet), fold, call or re-raise. Betting stops after everyone has bet four times or bet equal amounts.

Second betting round

The first three community cards are dealt: the "flop". The second betting round follows. During all subsequent rounds of betting the player who made the small blind bet will check or bet. The other players can then fold, call or raise. The player who is acting as dealer (the one who has the "dealer button") acts last.

Third betting round

Following the second betting round, a fourth community card is dealt. This is the "turn" or the "fourth street", and the third round of betting follows.

Fourth betting round

Next, a fifth community card is dealt. This is known as the "river" or the "fifth street", which is followed by the fourth and final round of betting.

The Showdown

Finally, either one player is left holding the winning hand or there is a showdown during which the remaining players compare hands and the strongest hand wins.