If you are a
poker beginner you have just come to the right place! Here you can learn
how to play most popular poker games – Texas Holdem, Omaha Poker, and
other variants of this game.
Nothing beats actual play for learning the rules of poker. You can
practice on free money tables in various online poker rooms from the
comfort of your home. We would recommend PokerStars – the biggest online
poker room where beginners can learn to play poker for free with other
people over the internet.
Poker is a type of card game whereby players gamble on the strength and
value of their hands (card combinations) against a standard hand
strength hierarchy. The winner of a round either produces the highest
hand combination, or becomes the only player remaining in the pot (community
amount of chips) after all other players have folded (laid down their
cards). There are many variants of poker, but they commonly involve
several rounds of betting, a showdown (presentation and comparison of
players cards) and some also involve community (or shared) cards.
Poker is quite easy to learn but takes a lifetime to master. You just
need to know the hand rankings and the keep in mind that best
combination of five cards wins.
Poker Hand Ranking:
Almost every style of poker uses a standard single 52 card deck,
although the majority of games remove the jokers from play. The hand
ranking for Texas Holdem is as follows:
Royal Flush
The best
possible hand in Texas Holdem Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace (same suit)
Straight Flush
Five cards of
the same suit and in sequential order 9, Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace (same
suit)
Ace, two, three four five (same suit)
Four of a kind
Any four
numerically matching cards
Full House
Three
of a kind and a pair in the same hand A, A, A, Q, Q ('Aces full of
Queens')
Flush Five
cards of the
same suit, in any order
Straight
Five cards,
of any suit, in sequential order
Three of a kind
Any three
numerically matching cards
Two Pair
Two different
pairs in the same hand
Pair
Any two
numerically matching cards
High Card
The highest
ranked card in your hand Ace being the highest and 2 being the lowest
Betting and Play:
The following describes the betting and play for Texas Holdem. Check out
our comprehensive glossary for definitions on all the terms used in
poker.
Play always moves clockwise and starts with the players seated after the
dealer button (typically represented by a plastic disk). The two players
to the left of the 'dealer' must post a big blind and small blind
respectively. The blind is a bet that is made without players having
seen, or even been dealt their cards. This is done to commence betting
and build the pot. Player's hole cards are then dealt (face down), with
the player to the left of the big blind opening betting proceedings.
Call, Raise or Fold:
At this time, players can either call (match the amount of the big
blind), raise (increase the bet to a given amount) or fold (return their
cards to the dealer and have no more play in this round). Play moves
clockwise until all players have placed/matched an equal amount into the
pot, or have folded. Once play is complete, the community cards are
dealt.
The Flop:
In Texas Holdem three cards are then dealt, face up and players can make
their strongest hand using any combination of the community cards and
their hole cards. Another round of betting commences.
Check, Raise or Fold:
In this (and subsequent) rounds of betting, players can check (effectively
make a bet of zero; staying in the pot), raise or fold. Naturally if a
player has raised, the following player cannot check, so can either call,
raise or fold. After a round of betting another community card is dealt.
The Turn:
After the forth community card is dealt, another round of betting
commences. Players can once again, check (if no one has opened the
betting), call, raise or fold. After a round of betting is complete a
final community card is dealt.
The River:
After the fifth and final community card is dealt a final round of
betting commences. Once again, players can check, call (if betting has
opened), raise or fold.
The Showdown
If, after the final round of betting after the river, there are two or
more people left in the pot, all players must declare their hand and
show their cards. The player with the strongest hand using the five
strongest cards available wins the pot. After the showdown, the cards
are collected, the dealer button, big and small blinds move one seating
position clockwise and the players now on the big and small blinds must
make their forced bets. Then the cards are shuffled and dealt for
another hand.
If at any time throughout any of the rounds of betting, all players fold
leaving only one remaining, then the remaining player wins the pot and
does not have to show his/her winning hand.
Additional Information:
What we have described so far are the rules for no-limit Texas Holdem.
Here is some further information about poker and poker play if you would
like to know more.
More about Poker:
The origins of Poker are somewhat blurred. It is generally accepted that
poker has developed and evolved from a number of different card games,
coming from France, Persia, Germany and England. The vast majority of
modern day poker variations developed and gained popularity during the
early part of the 20th Century. Aided by the rapid acceptance of online
poker and televised poker tournaments, poker has experienced an
unprecedented global rise in popularity.
Poker games can be found online, in 'real world' (or bricks and mortar;
B&M) casinos, pubs, clubs and home games. The top online poker rooms
such as PokerStars, PartyPoker and Full Tilt Poker regularly attract
thousands of players daily. Online poker rooms have the benefit of
offering players a greater variety of betting options (limits), from as
low as $0.01 through to $1000 and beyond. At present, Texas Holdem is
the most popular style of poker, due in part to the recent televised
tournaments preferring this particular version of poker.
The increase in the number of online poker rooms, B&M games and
tournaments is set to ensure the continued success and growing global
presence of poker. For some, it is simply a hobby, for others a means to
an income. Whatever your reason is, PokerNews is the premier independent
source for all your poker information.
The Environment:
Online Poker
The ability to play poker in the comfort of one's home, against a large
variety of players at almost any limit level and at any time of the day
has proven to be the strongest selling points in regards to online
poker. A computer and internet access is often all that is required to
compete in online 'play' money rooms, where players can practice and
hone their skills before graduating to 'real' money online play. Even
then, the micro limits present attractive options for beginners to the
game.
B&M Poker:
Bricks and Mortar or 'live' poker rooms are also increasing in numbers,
in an attempt to accommodate and cash in on the new found interest in
the game. B&M poker rooms play at a much slower pace compared to online
poker rooms, as a dealer has to manually shuffle and deal the cards,
whilst players have to manually count out and move chips. Limits are
often far bigger than the micro limits offered online but many casinos
and poker rooms also conduct beginner/novice nights, where introductory
lessons and tutorials are conducted. Facing off against opponents may
sound intimidating, which is why many players start off in the safe
confines of online poker before moving to the 'real world'.
In many places (such as pubs and clubs) regular poker nights are also
conducted. The pub provides a more relaxed and less intimidating
introduction to B&M poker, compared with casinos. Beginners are also
welcome here, making 'pub poker' fertile ground to develop your game.
The Players:
The number of players in any game of poker ranges from two (also known
as heads-up) through to ten (seated at a single table). Tournaments can
be structured over a multiple number of tables (multi-table tournaments;
MTT), meaning that the possible number of competitors in a given
tournament is virtually unlimited. The world's biggest and best known
live poker tournament is the World Series of Poker Main Event, which
attracted a record number of 8,772 participants in 2006.
Game Structure:
Poker can be played in tournaments (single or multi-table) or in cash
(ring) games. Tournaments typically involve a set buy-in (entrance fee)
and each player begins with the same amount of chips. The buy-in is
comprised of an amount that contributes to the overall prizepool and an
administrative fee that goes to the casino, pub or online poker room.
All players then compete until there is only one player remaining, with
the prize money distributed amongst players. For example, in a ten
person single table tournament, the prizepool distribution is usually
set at 50% for first place, 30% for second and 20% for third. The
distribution can vary greatly depending on the tournament being played.
Cash games operate on a single table and continue for as long as there
are players seated. Blinds (the forced bets before play begins) are kept
constant. The key feature here is that players can join and leave
whenever the desire, making this game structure ideal for players who do
not wish to slug it out for hours in a multi-table tournament. Players
can bring as little or as much money with them to cash games (although a
minimum amount usually applies).
There are also sit-n-go tournaments. These single table tournaments
begin as soon as all seats at a table have been filled and finishes when
one player remains. This type of game appeals to players who do not wish
to play cash games, but do not have the time to play in lengthy
multi-table tournaments. In sit-n-go tournaments and multil-table
tournaments, the blinds will go up at regular intervals (known as levels).
This is to speed play along, which is especially necessary in large
multi-table tournaments.
Betting Limits:
Betting limits generally fall into three categories; Fixed Limit, Pot
Limit or No Limit. In the first case, a player may only bet a fixed
amount every time they raise. Pot Limit betting is capped at the size of
the pot, which can grow exponentially depending on the number of bets
made. No Limit, as the name implies means that players are free to bet
almost any amount (including their whole chip stack). Betting minimums
are usually set at the same amount as the big blind. In tournaments, the
big blind (and betting minimum) steadily increase over time, to ensure a
result. At a certain point within a given tournament structure, an ante
may be introduced. An ante is a blind bet that all players make prior to
the cards being dealt for each hand.
Keep in mind the above describes the betting process for Texas Holdem;
other varieties such as Stud and Draw poker follow slightly different
patterns.
So, what are you waiting for? Sign up to these great online rooms and
start playing one of the most popular games in the world.
TEXAS HOLD'EM
POKER RULES:
The complete rules for
Texas Hold 'Em Poker
Texas Hold 'Em (or Texas Holdem) is the primary version of Poker played
in many casinos, and it's the version seen on television shows like the
Travel Channel's World Poker Tour and ESPN's World Series of Poker.
These are the basic rules for Texas Hold 'Em Poker.
The Shuffle, The Deal and The Blinds
The dealer shuffles a standard 52-card deck.
(In casinos, the dealer never plays. A round disc -- known as a "dealer
button" -- moves clockwise from player to player with each hand. The
button marks which player would be the dealer if the deal were advanced
from player to player as the game went along.)
Most Texas Hold 'Em Poker games start with the two players to the left
of the dealer (the button) putting a predetermined amount of money into
the pot before any cards are dealt, ensuring that there's something to
play for on every hand. This is called "posting the blinds." Most often,
the "first blind" -- the player to the left of the dealer -- puts up
half the minimum bet, and the "second blind" puts up the full minimum
bet.
Each player is dealt two cards, face down. These are known as the "hole
cards."
Betting Begins
A round of betting takes place, beginning with the player to the left of
the two who posted the blinds. Players can call, raise, or fold when
it's their turn to bet.
The Flop
After the first betting round, the dealer discards the top card of the
deck. This is called burning the card and is done to ensure that no one
accidentally saw the top card, and to help prevent cheating.
The dealer then flips the next three cards face up on the table. These
cards are called the "flop."
NOTE: Eventually, a total of five community cards will be placed face up
on the table. Players can use any combination of the community cards and
their own two hole cards to form the best possible five-card Poker hand.
After the flop, another round of betting takes place, beginning with the
player to the left of the dealer (the button). During this and all
future rounds of betting, players can check, call, raise, or fold when
it's their turn to bet.
Fourth Street
The dealer burns another card and plays one more face up onto the table.
This, the fourth community card, is called the "turn" or "Fourth Street."
The player to the left of the dealer (the button) begins the third round
of betting.
Fifth Street
The dealer burns another card before placing the final face-up card on
the table. This card is called the "river" or "Fifth Street."
Final Betting and The Winner
Players can now use any combination of seven cards -- the five community
cards and the two hole cards known only to them -- to form the best
possible five-card Poker hand.
The fourth and final round of betting starts with the player to the left
of the dealer (the button).
After the final betting round, all players who remain in the game reveal
their hands. The player who made the initial bet or the player who made
the last raise shows their hand first.
The player with the best hand wins.
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