How to Play Poker
This history of poker is disputed. Whatever its origins though, poker is now an extremely popular card game where the object is to obtain the best hand then win the most money through betting.
Poker Setup
Poker can be played by as few as two players and as many as nine. Players sit in a circle. Poker tournaments allow for more people to play as the tournament setup usually involves more than one table, each with its own deck of cards.
Poker is played with a standard 52-card deck. If the players all agree, Jokers can be used as “wild” cards meaning that they can take on any rank or suit that the owner wishes. Professional-level play does not usually include Jokers.
One of the foundational aspects of poker is betting. In order to keep track of everybody’s money, poker chips are usually used. For more informal games, players can just use cash or fake money from a board game.
Tips on Playing Poker
These set of tips on playing poker should help you understand the basics of the poker game. Poker play starts with the dealer. Players agree upon a method of choosing the first dealer. For example, one method involves cards being dealt out one by one and the first person to receive an Ace becomes the first dealer. Depending on what type of poker is being played, the dealer will pass out two, four, five or seven face-down cards to each player. The responsibilities of the dealer move clockwise around the table after every hand. In a casino, it will always be one person physically dealing the cards. However, a dealer “button” is passed around the table to signify the player that is technically acting as the dealer for that round.
Once the cards have been passed out, the blinds are placed on the table. Blinds are initial bets that are placed in every round to ensure that there is some amount of money at stake. The person to the left of the dealer puts up the small blind, which is half of the minimum bet. The person the left of the small blind puts up the big blind, which is the entire minimum bet.
Then, starting with the player to the left of the big blind, players assess their hand and decide whether they want to call, check, fold, or raise.
- Call: A call is when a player matches the bet that is currently on the table. For example, in the very first round, a player calls when they match the big blind by putting out the minimum bet.
- Raise: A raise is when a player matches the current bet on the table and exceeds it by adding more money to the pot. Players must then match the raised amount in order to stay in the game.
- Fold: Folding is when a player gives up his or her hand and is out of the round. Typically, this is done when a player feels they have a bad hand and cannot win the pot.
- Check: Checking is when a player bets zero and passes. If a bet or raise has been made, a player cannot check and must at least match the previous bet or fold.
Play moves clockwise with every player making a betting decision. Different types of poker games have different numbers of betting rounds but betting is sure to happen at least once per hand. Betting rounds end when every player has either called or folded.
Poker Hand Rankings
How to Play Poker
- Nothing: A player can stay in the game all the way until the end of the round with a hand that forms no combination whatsoever. Often, a player will do this by “bluffing,” where they continually bet high in order to get other players thinking that they have a great hand, and to intimidate them into folding.
- High card: A player can win when they have a higher card than anyone else. In poker, Aces are high.
- Pair: Two cards of the same rank. For example, having two 7s is a pair.
- Two Pair: Exactly as its name implies, two pair involves having two pairs. For example, two 4s and two Kings would be two pair.
- Three-of-a-kind: Three cards of the same rank. For example, three Jacks is three-of-a-kind.
- Straight: Five cards in sequential order. For example, 7,8, 9, 10, Jack would be a straight.
- Flush: Five cards of the same suit. Five cards of any rank in the suit of diamonds, for example, would constitute a flush.
- Full House: Having a pair and three of a kind at the same time. Two Queens and three 4s would be a full house.
- Four-of-a-kind: Four cards of the same rank. Four 2s could be a four-of-a-kind.
- Straight Flush: Same as a straight, only all of the cards are also of the same suit. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 all of the suit of spades would be a straight flush.
- Royal Flush: The most powerful hand in the game. A royal flush is a straight flush with the highest-ranking cards in the game. 10, J, Q, K, A, all in the same suit is a royal flush.
At the end of the last betting round, players reveal their hands. Whoever has the best hand wins the pot, and play begins with a new dealer.
Types of Poker
There are many different types of poker, but they can be categorized into four groups:
- Straight: Perhaps the oldest version of poker, straight games involve dealing five cards to each player and there is one betting round.
- Stud: Players receive a certain amount of face-down cards. Then, players receive face-up cards one by one with a betting round in between each deal. This allows players to see portions of other players’ hands.
- Draw: Players are dealt a hand that they can discard cards from and be dealt new cards. Betting occurs after each player has decided what cards to replace.
- Community Card: Players are dealt a certain amount of cards. Then, cards are dealt to the middle of the table that any player can use to form a hand.
Poker is an old classic game that involves many different strategies and considerations. Poker is simple to learn, but difficult to master. The best way to get better at poker is simply start playing often.