On the face of it, poker can seem like a pretty complex game. After all, it’s one of the most intensive table games you’ll find at Tonybet casino, mainly due to the fact that you have to constantly outwit your opponents!
However, the basics of poker are actually fairly easy to pick up. In this guide, I’ll take you through everything you need to know about getting started with the game, what to look for, and how you can start perfecting that poker face.
The main objective of poker
In most types of poker, the main objective is to try to make the best hand possible from a set of five random cards – at least, initially – more on that later!
Players raise bets against each other until all but one fold and leave the game. The aim is to be the last one standing, forcing all other players to fold.
Basic poker rules
Below are a few basic poker rules to help you get accustomed to the game:
- Poker runs on a series of hand rankings – the stronger the hand, the more likely it is that you’ll beat the other players.
- However, you don’t know what everyone else has in their hands! Therefore, you must decide whether to ‘raise’ your hand if you feel confident, or ‘fold’ if you don’t think you’ll win.
- That said, if you have a low-ranked hand, you can simply bluff your way through to the next round. It’s a risky move that only the bravest of players stick to – and it’s no easier to pull off online than it is in real life!
- During each round, each player decides whether to raise or fold their bets. Some might raise if they think they can win, while others will fold if they don’t.
- The game can take place over several rounds, and there are various stages of play to look for – more on these below.
There are also a few different moves in poker:
- Fold: You resign your bet and place your cards face down, leaving the game.
- Bet: You place chips on the table if no one else has made a wager.
- Check: You pass play around the table without betting (but only if there isn’t a bet before your turn).
- Call: You match the table bet and keep playing.
- Raise: You increase how much money you bet.
It’s also crucial you understand the various bets that players at the table can use. Here’s a quick look at some of the most common ones you might encounter.
- You should be aware of blind bets, which are mandatory. These typically take place in types of poker games such as Texas Hold’em, and they apply to two players who are on the left of the dealer. The two players on the left place blind bets at the start of each hand to keep the game flowing. They increase in value in every hand.
- There is a small blind and a big blind – the latter is double the value of the former.
- In some cases, you’ll also find that there is an ante bet – a forced bet that everyone at the table will have to take part in. This bet doesn’t always apply to standard games of poker; rather, it’s a tournament specialty.
- If you struggle to make a strong hand with the cards you’re dealt, don’t worry – in the second pass of a generic game, there’s a flop, which refers to the placing of three community cards. Everyone can use these cards to help make stronger hands.
Knowing when to play your hands is a fine art that poker players try to hone over years of practice. There are mind-boggling probabilities that apply to the various hands you pull at the start of a poker round. If you’re serious about poker, it’s well worth digging into the maths of the game. For now, however, this is just a beginner’s guide to help you get used to the different rules and moves of the game.
The next best step to take is to learn more about the different hands that are accepted across the game – otherwise, you could end up playing blindly and not know that you’re onto a winning opportunity!
Hand rankings to look for
When learning how to play poker, it’s wise to memorise the different hand rankings that apply during play. That way, you’ll always have a firm idea of whether you should raise your bets or leave the game.
The main hands in poker are, ranked from most valuable to least valuable:
- Royal flush (ace, king, queen, jack and 10 in the same suit)
- Straight flush (any straight run of consecutive cards in the same suit)
- Four of a kind (four equal cards in each different suit)
- Full house (two cards of one value and three in another)
- Flush (five cards all in the same suit)
- Straight (any straight run of consecutive cards)
- Three of a kind (three cards of a matching value and two of two different values)
- Two pair (two pairs of two equal value cards, and an extra)
- Pair (one pair of two equal cards, and three extra)
- High card (a run of five non-interacting cards that don’t make up the above)
Therefore, while it might seem like a flush is a strong hand, you never know if someone at the table has one of the four even stronger hands!
Poker gameplay in six steps
It’s safe to say that no two poker games are ever going to be quite the same. However, most games follow a set template, in that at each stage of a round, certain activities take place.
Whether you are playing basic poker or a variant, or are playing online or offline, here’s a quick rundown of what to expect from the order of play during a game of Hold’em poker:
- The start of the game centres on the shuffle. It’s here where the dealer will shuffle up the deck so that there’s a fair cut, and hand out cards to each of the players at the table. In a standard game of poker, each player receives seven cards. Five of these are face up and are therefore public, while two are face down and private to each player. The private cards are known as hole cards.
- The first stage after the shuffle and deal is called the pre-flop. This is where players check their cards and decide if they want to raise, call or fold. Play moves around the table clockwise until everyone has taken part. It’s possible for several players to go out of play at this point, but many will wait to see what the flop has in store.
- At the flop, the dealer places three community cards in the centre of the table. Players now have the chance to use these cards to support their hands. It’s here where some players might choose to fold if they don’t want to bluff their way to the final! Usually, only the strongest hands make it to the next pass. A full round of play takes place before the turn.
- The turn is the next stage – and it’s here where the dealer displays a fourth community card. Again, now is a good time for people to decide whether to play or bluff their way to the showdown.
- In some games, there’s a fifth and final card placed at the next pass – this is called the river. It’s here where everyone left in play should now have a solid idea of how strong their hands truly are. A final pass takes place.
- The last stage is the showdown – and each player left in shows their hands. The strongest hand wins the game and claims the total pot! If you’ve bluffed your way to the river, you’d better hope that you don’t have competition at the showdown!
Different poker games
Poker has evolved considerably over the decades, meaning that it’s only reasonable to expect different variations of play to have popped up.
Here’s a quick rundown of some of the most popular variations and what you can expect:
- Texas Hold’em: An extremely popular type of poker that follows most of the rules above, with two hole cards and four community cards.
- Pai Gow: Pai Gow introduces a few different rules – one, you’re playing against a banker with two hands – and the order of play is decided by dice! There’s also a joker in play that can act as an ace.
- Stud: Stud poker takes a few different forms – in the seven-card version, for example, you receive seven cards as you would expect, but you often get to see all of your cards and several of your opponents’.
- Three-card Stud: This version of stud poker is usually played against a dealer and ranks hands slightly differently. As the name suggests, you only have three cards – and a straight will outplay a flush!
- Badugi: In Badugi poker, ace cards are low – and in each round, you can draw four cards at a time!
- Omaha Hold’em: Omaha Hold’em is similar to the Texas version. However, all five community cards are available from the shuffle onwards!
This is just a quick taste of the different types of poker games out there. Be sure to check out the range of poker games at Tonybet and explore which rules suit you best.
Tips for winning poker
There are never any guaranteed ways for you to win poker. However, you can employ a few strategies to gain an advantage over other players. Here are some of my personal suggestions:
- Practice, practice, practice! Try watching a few games as a spectator, or taking part in free games so that you can get a feel for how poker works.
- Set clear boundaries and limits – keep track of the money you have available and the time you intend to spend playing.
- Memorise the poker hands listed above. This is vital; otherwise, you could be winning and not even realise it!
- Remember the different spots and positions around the poker table, and remember when you can check based on the betting order.
- Try to leave emotions behind. Whether you’re playing poker online or at a real casino, emotions can lead you down tricky paths – and in real life, people know how to spot an emotional player!
- Above all, don’t leap into poker or any risky bets until you truly know what you’re getting into.
Poker is an enduring casino classic. It’s a game of chance and wits, which often makes it stand apart from other games in certain players’ eyes.
That said, we all have different preferences when it comes to table gaming! If you’re considering taking a closer look at poker, I hope that this guide has helped you find your way to the table. Remember, keep researching and keep practicing – and don’t be afraid to try a few different versions of the game.
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