Poker

Poker is a card game in which the objective is to make the best possible ranked hand based on a particular set of rules. Many poker games are played with five cards, while some games like Stud and Texas Hold’em use seven cards. Even in a seven card game, the object is to make the best five card hand.

poker basics

Poker Hand Rankings

Before you learn anything else in poker, you need to learn hand rankings. In almost all poker games, especially games played in the best poker rooms online, the below hand rankings are the standard in which you determine the winner. The following are the ranking of hands from lowest to highest:

High Card – A five card hand not coordinated in sequence or suit, nor containing a pair. Example: Ac-10h-5d-3s-2c.

Pair – Two cards with the same ranking. Example: Jc-Js-10c-4d-3s.

Two Pair – Two different pairs in the same five card hand. Example: Ac-As-Kd-Kc-6c

Three of a Kind – Three cards of the same ranking. Example: 8c-8s-8d-4d-3c

Straight – Five cards in numerical sequence. Example: 7c-8d-9c-10h-Js. Note that aces can play high or low, such as A-2-3-4-5 or A-K-Q-J-10

Flush – Five cards with the same suit. Example: Ac-10c-4c-8c-9c

Full House – A hand containing both three of a kind and a pair. Example: Kc-Ks-Kd-4d-4s

Four of a Kind – Four cards of the same rank. Example: 7c-7d-7s-7h-3d

Straight Flush – Five cards that are both in numerical sequence and in the same suit. Example: 7s-8s-9s-10s-Js

Royal Flush – The best hand in non-wild card poker. Hand consists of the ace, king, queen, jack, and ten of the same suit.

If you play wild card poker, the best possible hand is five of a kind. This is five cards of the same ranking. A wild card is a card that can be played as anything you wish. The joker is the typical wild card, but many times a player will declare a normal card in the deck as a wild cards. An example would be twos, also known as deuces, wild. Another example is the poker they play in Latvia, you can learn more about it at pokerslatvija.com. Many regions have their own version of poker.

Playing Texas Hold’em Poker

While there are many forms of both live and online poker games, the most popular form of poker in the world is Texas Hold’em. The game is played with seven cards and the object is to make the best five card hand based on the cards dealt to you and the ones on the board. Let’s take a quick look at how this game is played.

First, you are dealt two cards face down. This is known as your pocket cards. These will be visible only to you. A round of betting will ensue and then you will proceed to the flop. The flop is three cards that are dealt face up in the middle of the table. These are community cards, which means that anyone can play off of them. Another round of betting will occur, and then a fourth community card will be dealt face up. This is known as the turn. A third betting round will occur, followed by the final card being dealt face up on the table. This is known as the river. One final round of betting will occur, and the player with then go to showdown.

At showdown, the player turns over their hand and they make their best hand between the two cards in their hand and the five in the middle of the table. A player may use any combination of five cards. If the five cards on the board makes the best hand, they will “play the board.” The player with the best five card hand wins the pot.

Other Poker Games

Texas Hold’em is just one of many poker games that you can play. Other games include Five Card Draw, Omaha, and Seven Card Stud. There are also many others that fun variations such as Baseball, Chicago Hi-Lo, Iron Cross, and many others. While each game has their own set of rules for how a game is dealt, almost every form of poker will use the standard hand rankings listed earlier in the article. Once you learn those, you will be ready to get started on your poker adventure. When you start playing we recommend to pick up a welcome bonus. At New Casino Top you can find new bonuses for both betting and casino in the UK. Their many platforms to play at so to use a comparison site to pick the best offer is a pretty good idea.

Now that you know the basics of how to play poker, the next step is to get into a friendly game and play. Most of the other players at the table will be happy to help guide you along. Good luck.