Online Poker Basics

Online poker is a great way to learn the game, the software shows you which hands are the best and the online poker casino includes some basic strategy as well.  On this page we show you some poker terminology, hand definitions even a basic explanation of poker in general.

Overview of the game of Poker

Poker is no longer a single game as it used to be, it has slowly become a large family unit of related games. There are a variety of Poker games out there, however, they all resemble the same principal and object under the name of “Poker”.

The game is played with regular decks of 52 cards and are comprised of four suits…each having 13 cards ranking as follows from highest to lowest: Ace (ace can be counted as lowest card in many cases) -> King -> Queen -> Jack -> 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 3, 2.

The object of the game is simple; win the cash in the pot during the round of play (the pot contains all the money contributed during the hand). This objective can be achieved through gaining the highest or best poker hand at the end of the round (after all players including you have wagered in the beginning of the round). Another method of winning the pot is through forcing all the other players out of the hand.

The dealer starts off by handing out cards to the players; each player in turn may then either bet or check. Once the player has made his opening bet, the following player is then given a choice to “fold”, “call” or “raise”.

What does the term “fold” mean?

The process called “folding”, simply involves the player taking his cards and discarding them. He is then no longer part of the current round (hand). Players do this when they are no longer interested in spending cash in the struggle for the pot.

What does the term “call” mean?

The term “call” involves the player staying in the hand by wagering an amount equivalent to the current bet.

What does the term “raise” mean?

The term “raise” involves the player increasing the current bet.

The betting procedure ends in two different ways. One in which all the players who wish to call the highest bet have done so and second being when all the players have dropped out except for one.

At the end of the last betting round, all the players who are left in the hand have a face-off. The player who makes the last best is required to display his hand before any other. Then other players have a turn in displaying their hands in a clockwise direction. The player with the best hand is awarded the pot.

Poker Hands….

It is a bit obvious that as a Poker player, you will need to no the game’s hands and rankings. Here is a  summary of the various hands, ranked from their highest value to the lowest.
                                   

Poker Phil from Golden Riviera Poker Presents his "Poker Basics"

The Significant Six · Texas Hold'em · Omaha · Omaha Hi-Lo · Seven-Card Stud · Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo · Five-Card Stud

Texas Hold'em Texas Hold'em Poker is one of the fastest and most popular games in a poker room. The object of the game is to finish with the best poker hand, and win the pot. Two cards are dealt to each Player (these are called pocket cards), and then 5 community cards are deal by the dealer. The player needs to make the best hand available out of the total 7 available cards. A round of betting precedes each community card. Strategies To improve your chances of winning, use the following strategies:· Five of the total seven cards are viewable on the second round of betting. This gives you a good idea of how strong your final hand could be.· To complete a possible winning combination, it is important to consider how the five community cards interact with your hidden hand.· Fold when necessary. You haven't lost much if you have a worthless hand and decide to fold early in the game.

Omaha Omaha Poker is similar to Texas Hold'em Poker in that it is also a community game. Players must create the best five-card hand combination from a total of nine cards. The nine cards are made up of four pocket cards and five community cards. This results in stronger hand combinations. A player's hand must be made up of 2 pocket cards and 3 community cards.

Omaha Hi-Lo Omaha Hi-Lo Poker is a variation of Texas Hold'em Poker. In Omaha Hi-Lo Poker, the highest and lowest hands split the pot equally. 4 pocket cards and 5 cards community cards are dealt. Winning hands must consist of two pocket cards and three community cards. A low hand can only win if all the cards in the hand have a value of 8 or less.

Seven-Card Stud Seven Card Stud Poker has five rounds of betting. This leads to large pots. Seven Card Stud Poker is a game that requires patience and skill, in knowing when to fold or call. Each player is dealt three cards, two pocket cards and one visible card. The Player with the lowest card must bring-in the betting. Rounds of betting precede the Dealer giving each player three more up cards and one more down card. A final round of betting occurs after the last card, and the Player with the highest five card hand wins using any five of their seven cards.

Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Poker is based on Seven Card Stud Poker, except Players play for two pots - the best low hand and the best high hand. Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo Poker has five rounds of betting.

Five-Card Stud In this game, Each Player is dealt two cards, one pocket card and one visible card. The Player with the lowest card showing must bring-in the betting. In the second round, another visible card is dealt to all Players at the table. A round of betting follows. This process continues until each player has one pocket card and four visible cards.

As you may have noticed, a Poker hand is always based on five cards. In some cases, the one player’s hand ties with another player’s hand then the cards are compared and if the round still remains a tie, the pot is split between the two holders. Many Poker games such as sever-card stud uses up to seven cards, however, the importance still remains in the relevant 5 cards.

Related Articles:  Texas Hold'em, Texas Hold'em Strategy

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