Poker
Texas Hold’em, Pai Gow, Red Dog, Razz, 5 and 7 Card Stud, Omaha Hi or Lo – they’re all variations of Poker and they’re all massively popular the world over. Played in casinos or around an ordinary table among friends, Poker is probably the best known game there is with a culture and vibrant vocabulary of its own. Below we take a look at Poker origins, basic card values common to the most popular variations of the game and we break down betting into a round by round sequence in accordance to the course of the game. To top it off we have assembled am all encompassing Poker glossary that includes all the essential Poker terms needed to play like a pro. So if you’re ready to take on the world of Poker, here we go…
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Page Topics Poker – History, Popularity and Early Game Play
Poker is one of the world’s most renowned and widely played card games. Whether played at home, a land casino or an online casino, Poker is an exceptionally popular pursuit whose history and origins open to debate.
Today’s variations of Poker closely resemble and may well descend from the Persian game of Âs Nas. Many believe this to be the case, although by 1990, historians openly challenged the game’s supposed Persian roots and discovered evidence that the French game of ‘poque’ held similarities to modern Poker games and was being played around the region from which Poker originated.
The name Poker itself may hold the key to pinpointing the game’s accurate origins – take the Irish game of ‘Poca’ or the German game of ‘pochen’ - meaning to bluff - into account. Poker as we know it, may possibly have originated from these early games or these games could have been variations of their Persian predecessor Âs Nas.
The game of Poker is widely regarded as sharing its ancestry with the Renaissance game of ‘primero’ and the French game of ‘brelan’. The English game ‘brag’ (known as ‘bragg’ in its earlier forms) clearly descended from the French ‘brelan’ and incorporated bluffing – a concept that had already emerged in other games. Whether the true origins of Poker lie in the Persian Âs Nas or stem from a combination of the above mentioned early games, it is quite possible that a mixture of both is responsible for the development and evolution of the modern Poker game.
What we can be sure of is the game’s ever increasing popularity. Regard for the game spread quickly through the United States in the 19th century. The full 52 card deck was used and the flush was introduced. Additions such as ‘Draw Poker’, ‘Stud Poker’ – the 5 card variant – and the straight came about during the American Civil War. The wild card soon followed around 1875, later joined by lowball and split-pot poker around the 1900 mark. The emergence of community card poker games such as Texas Hold’em and Omaha Poker date circa 1925. The surfacing of the Poker game in countries far and wide is most likely attributed to the presence of US military in these locations.
Furthermore, vvidence of the widespread popularity of Poker can be observed in the everyday American English, a language which has appropriated Poker jargon in everyday speech.
‘Ace in the hole’, ‘ace up one's sleeve’, ‘beats me’, ‘blue chip’, ‘call one's bluff’, ‘cash in’, ‘high roller’, ‘pass the buck’, ‘poker face’, ‘stack up’, ‘up the ante’, ‘when the chips are down’ and ‘wild card’ are all Poker terms which are ingrained in contemporary US English by Poker players and non-players alike.
Poker Basics - Essential Objectives, Card Values and Fundamental Game Play for all Variations
The objective of poker is to win the pot of gold – i.e. the monies that accumulate from players who remain in the game and keep raising their bets. Unless a game of high/low poker is being played, the player with the highest hand at the end of the game wins the bounty. Winning occurs either by holding the highest hand in the game, or by making your opponents think you've got the highest hand – known as bluffing, in which everyone else folds leaving the pot you.
Poker games start with a shuffle and cut of the deck. Players then wager an ante before the dealer deals a card. To ante, each player is required to wager a small amount of money, usually a percentage of the minimum bet, into the pot. Games (including online games) are played with colored poker chips that correspond to different denominations of money. The dealer or software is responsible for dealing each round.
A standard 52 card deck is common to most Poker games and cards are ranked in accordance with the number value of the particular card. Rankings from highest to lowest are as such – Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. In Poker, the Ace may be used as the highest or lowest card (to complete a low straight of Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5) as play dictates.
In some games, one or several cards may be declared wild, meaning it or they can substitute any other card in the deck. In addition to numbers and faces, there are 4 different suit types used to determine the value of a poker hand in some games – hearts, clubs, spades and diamonds, while in others the suit type is irrelevant. 5 cards of the same suit result in a flush and beyond that, suits usually have no further bearing.
Poker hands are valued based on their five card ranking and detailed in the chart below:
| Hand Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Royal Flush | A, K, Q, J, 10 all of the same suit |
| Straight Flush | 5 Cards of same suit in sequence |
| Four of a Kind | 4 Cards of the same rank |
| Full House | 3 of a kind and a pair |
| Flush Five | 5 cards of the same suit |
| Straight Five | Cards in Sequence |
| Three of a Kind | 3 Cards of the same rank |
| 2 Pair | A pair of cards in one rank and a pair in another |
| Pair | Two cards of the same rank |
When a tie occurs in one hand, the following rules apply to determine the winning hand:
- If two players are holding straight flushes, flushes, or straights, the highest card in the hand determines the winner. If the highest card still results in a tie, the next highest card determines the winner.
- If both players have a full house, the highest three of a kind determines the winner.
- If both players have three of a kind, the highest ranking three of a kind will be determined the winner.
- The highest ranking pair in the hand will decide the winner. If this still results in a tie, then the remaining pairs will be compared and the highest ranking pair will then determine the winner.
- If both players have a single pair, the highest ranking pair will win. If this is also a tie, the next highest ranking single card will establish the winner. If a tie results, the next highest single ranking card will decide the winner.
- Two hands with no pairs, flushes, or straights are compared and the card with the highest-ranking single card will determine the winner. Should this approach yield no winner, the next highest card will determine the winner.
Poker Terminology – A Cache of Terms Critical to know BEFORE You Play Poker:
A B C D E F G H M N P Q R S T U V
Poker Variations:
Now that we have established the premise of the game and deconstructed card values applicable to most, we can look to Poker variations to guide us through play and put basic bets and basic strategies to the test. For the sake of clarity, a discussion of 4 main variations of online Poker, the rules and strategy pertaining to each will ensue – Texas Hold’Em, Omaha Poker and the two variations of Stud Poker - 5 and 7 Card Stud.
In addition to the 4 variations we will cover in depth, many online casinos host additional popular Poker Game variations. Pai Gow, Poker 3, Red Dog and Caribbean Stud are all such variations hosted by many reputable online casino sites.
Pai Gow
The object of Pai Gow Poker is to beat the casino by making two winning hands. The player is dealt 7 cards face up and the dealer is dealt 7 cards face down. The player must separate cards into a 5 card highest hand and a 2 card 2nd highest hand. Both player hands need to be reasonably strong in order to win, otherwise a tie may result.
Poker 3
Poker 3 is aptly named as the player is dealt 3 face-up cards while the dealer is dealt 3 face-down. The player can fold or call based on the strength of the 3 card hand and either beats or loses to the house as a result. The dealer must have a Queen or better to qualify and the player is paid odds according to the strength of their hand. Poker 3 is perfect for familiarising oneself with card and hand values and deciding when to fold and call.
Red Dog Poker
Available in single, multiplayer and private group form, the player is dealt two cards by the dealer after placing a bet (often referred to as an ante, amounts are variable). Should the two cards be consecutive (e.g. 4, 5), the hand results in a push and the wager is returned. Should the cards be equal, a third card is dealt. Should it be the same as the first two cards the player wins and is paid 11 to 1. If the two cards maintain a spread (not equal or consecutive), the player can choose to either 'raise' or ‘call’. To raise in this case means to double the initial bet. This is the only opportunity to alter your bet in Red Dog, and as a rule acts as the most significant aspect of strategy.
Caribbean Stud Poker
Caribbean Stud is a five card progressive stud poker game played on a blackjack type table with a standard 52 card deck in which the player’s objective is to beat the dealer with the best poker hand. Unlike standard poker games, Caribbean stud is played against the casino rather than other players. Payouts and limits may be casino dependent.
One of the possible wins in this game is the progressive Jackpot. A small percentage of each bet, wagered by every person playing the game in each of many online casinos, is added to a common pot. When a player achieves the right result or hand, that player wins the entire Jackpot (in some games you can also win part of it).
After a Jackpot has been won, a new pot is started, with the casinos contributing a base amount of money (called a seed). This ensures that even if you get a Jackpot result in a game right after someone else has won the Jackpot, you will still be eligible for a large win.
Each game has its own Jackpot, built up by all the casinos that offer the game.
Each player places an ante on the layout where indicated. Each player and the dealer then receive five cards, face down. One of the dealer’s cards will turn over, then push the cards toward the players, after which the players may look at their cards.
Players have the option to play or fold. Should they choose to play, they place their bets (twice the amount of their respective ante) in the bet box. Should they fold, the ante is forfeited. Once all players have acted, the dealer reveals his hole cards. The dealer only plays with an ace/king or higher and compares his cards to the players' from right to left. The best hand wins.
Texas Hold'em – The Poker Heavyweight
Undeniably the highest profile and most widely played Poker variation; Texas Hold’em attracts players in their droves to land casinos, online casinos and online poker rooms. It’s the ideal Poker game for newcomers to start with by putting basic Poker knowledge into play. It’s straightforward to learn and online casinos and Poker Rooms happily offer a wide variety of free poker tables for beginners to test their skills and strategy before progressing to real money tables.
Texas Hold'em: A Round by Round Run Down of How to Play Poker Hold’em Style
Posting the Blinds:
The game starts with two players to the left of the dealer placing a predetermined bet. This is called posting the blinds, i.e. the small blind - SB and the big blind - BB. This ensures there is money in the pot which ultimately becomes the winnings. By rule of thumb, the Big Blind must double the Small Blind amount posted. As the dealer position rotates, so does the player accountable for posting the blinds.
Hole (or Pocket) Cards:
After posting of the blinds, the first two cards are dealt face-down and are known as ‘Hole’ or ‘Pocket Cards’.
Bet Round 1:
Betting begins with the player immediately to the left of the big blind and continuing in a clockwise direction around the table. Every player can fold, check, call or raise. Betting or raising is possible with a minimum amount of the higher table stake ($10 in a $5/$10 game).
The Flop Cards:
Following the first round of bets, three cards are dealt face-up in the middle of the table and are known as ‘The Flop’. Flop cards are 'Community' cards and can be used by all players to make their hand.
Bet round 2:
A second round of betting follows, which is carried out exactly as the first starting with the player still in the hand immediately to the left of the dealer.
The Turn Card:
Following the second betting round, a fourth ‘Community’ card is dealt face-up at the centre of the table. This is called the ‘Turn Card’ and is followed by a third round of betting.
Bet round 3:
Again, this round is executed like the first and second, with one exception: betting and raising is possible for a minimum amount of the higher table stake ($10 in a $5/$10 game).
The River Card:
Lastly, a fifth and final ‘Community’ card is dealt and is known as the ‘River Card’ and is followed by a fourth and final round of betting.
Bet round 4:
This final betting round is carried out like the third.
Showdown:
Following the final betting round, the best five-card hand is determined for each player. Any combination of pocket cards and community cards can be used to make up a hand. All players reveal their hands and the player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot. In the rare case that the best hand consists only of community cards, the pot is divided between all players still participating in the showdown and is known as a 'Split Pot’. Note that any rake amount is deducted from the ‘Split Pot’ payouts.
Start again:
After a hand is completed and the pot is won, the dealer position is moved one player to the left, and the next hand begins.
This basic structure of play can be applied to Texas Hold'em and any of its variants.
Basic Texas Hold’em Strategy
The Fold Pre-Flop Strategy:
The flop is the critical part of every hand as it is the point at which a player discovers whether their hand has winning potential. Poker novices often lose money by playing flop hands that have too little or no winning potential. Despite the strength of your starting hand, the flop will give you either your best hand, a strong hand with a chance of winning or no hand. Even with a strong starting hand, you should consider folding if the flop does not offer any potential and leaves the board full of better possibilities for other players.
Take a look at the top 10 hands for Texas Hold’Em
- A-A
- K-K
- Q-Q
- A-K suited
- J-J
- 10-10
- 9-9
- 8-8
- A-Q suited
- 7-7
Although some players may debate this, the basic premise of the Flop strategy is that these starting hands have the higher probability of winning the hand pre-flop. In short, always fold pre-flop on a weak starting hand.
Fourth Street and Fifth Street Strategy:
Aka ‘The Turn’ and ‘The River’, respectively are the 4th and 5th community cards, which give you two more chances to either get out of the pot before you lose even more money or to increase your winnings.
At this point, it's likely there will only be one or two other players still in the pot with you. The best advice here is to be cautious. After fourth street, don't stay in the pot hoping for a straight or flush, unless you can do so on a check (that is, without putting more chips into the pot). Although there will be times when you would have drawn the straight or flush, they will be outweighed by the times you wouldn't.
The bottom line is this: Don't allow yourself to get sucked in too far with a weak hand.
There is, however, a point at which the investment you've already made virtually dictates that you remain in the hand. It pays to weigh this up in chips. For example, if you have already committed 40% of your chips to the pot, another 5% may be worth the wager.
Omaha Poker - Texas Hold’em with a Couple of Twists
The rules as covered for Texas Hold’em also govern Omaha Poker, however, there are two major exceptions:
- Players are dealt four ‘pocket’ cards instead of two.
- Players must use two ‘pocket’ cards and three ‘community’ cards to make their best hand.
There are also two different types of Omaha Poker:
Limit Omaha High - A betting limit is enforced for each round of bettingPot Limit Omaha High - A player may bet an amount equal to what's in the pot
Omaha High Basic Rules
Players are dealt four face-down cards, and five community cards are placed face-up in the centre of the table. A hand is determined by forming the best possible five-card hand from the 9 available cards. In contrast to Texas Hold’em, you use two of your four hole cards so in effect; hands can only be made from 2 of your hole cards, and 3 of the community cards. The best hand wins the pot.
In Omaha Poker, there are betting rounds. In Limit Omaha High, a maximum of one bet and three raises are allowed for each betting round. When player is required to bet, they need to act by folding, calling, or raising. Calling is the act of betting an equal amount of money in response to another player’s bet, raising is betting more on top of a separate bet and folding is forfeiting the hand.
In addition to fold and raise options, a player may also "check", which forfeits their turn without folding or raising. This option is used when there is no current bet on the table. Should there be a bet, the player must either call or raise it, or else they must fold the current hand. For example, if all players simply call the bet set by the Big Blind, then when the betting gets to the player who first posted the Big Blind, that player would have the option to check, thus ending the round of betting with nobody wagering any additional money.
Basic Omaha Poker Strategy
There are two schools of though when it comes to Omaha Hi-Lo strategy.
One argues that you’re trying to win the entire pot with the high hand, while the other argues that winning half the pot with a good low hand is better than winning nothing at all.
What is paramount to remember here is that the low hand cannot have a card higher than 8. If there is no winning low hand, the entire pot goes to the highest hand.
The basic premise and strategy for winning the entire pot means starting with a quality hand and simply knowing when to fold. Always play the strongest hand only. Do not play hands that are just reasonably strong. This is a common novice pitfall.
Most beginners fold if they do not have an ace, although this can be a very extreme strategy. Any hand with an A-2 is a strong, since it will probably give you a shot at the low and avoid you being scooped - where you miss out on both hands. Half a pot is better than nothing at all.
Stud Poker
The imperative thing to remember when beginning to learn and play 7 Card Stud is that players have 7 cards to pick from to make their final 5 card hand. Players are not forced to use any specific cards of the 7 they’re dealt, just whichever 5 yield the highest hand.
- All players put in an ante.
- Starting to the left of the dealer, each player receives two cards face-down (known as ‘Hole’ or ‘Pocket’ cards) and one face-up card.
- All players look at their hole cards.
- The player with the lowest card showing face-up has to put in a small bet called a "bring in." Betting then continues to the low-card player's left. Each player can call, raise, or fold.
- After betting is completed, another card is dealt to each player face-up. This card is also known as ‘Fourth Street’ or ‘The Turn’.
- Another round of betting takes place, starting with the player with the highest cards showing. From ‘Fourth Street’ on, the player with the highest cards showing will continue to be the first to bet.
- After betting is complete, the fifth card (‘Fifth Street’ or ‘The River’) is dealt face-up. Further betting is required, and then the sixth card is dealt face up followed by more betting.
- The 7th and final card is dealt face-down to the players remaining in the hand and a final round of betting occurs.
- A showdown takes place between the remaining players. The player who reveals the best five-card hand from the seven they were dealt ultimately wins.
The Show Off Strategy:
When displaying cards, what you're showing becomes almost as important as what you're holding. If you have weak board cards (face-up), you look weak. This means that your opponents are more likely to be aggressive towards you in an effort to get you to fold.
If you have strong hole cards, this works in your favor. However, if don’t but are showing a king, this is perceived as strong. By betting aggressively with a king showing, you may get someone to fold a pair of queens, especially if there are no other kings showing on the board.
This strategy is in effect, a form of bluffing and a simple one to employ. The odds of its effectiveness, however, can not be measured.
5 Card Stud: A Run Down of How to Play Poker Stud Style
- The game starts when the players ante up (place a small bet in the pot).
- Starting with the player to the dealer's left, the dealer deals each player five cards, face-down.
- Everyone checks their hand to evaluate what they have.
- A round of betting follows starting with the player immediately to the dealer’s left.
- When betting is complete, those still in the hand are able to trade in one, two, or three cards from their hand for new ones. If a player has an ace, they are able to trade in the other four cards of their hand, but usually have to show the ace.
- After all players receive new cards, another round of betting ensues, starting directly to the left of the dealer.
Note: You don’t have to trade any cards – if you’ve already got good hand, you’ll want to "stand pat" and keep the cards you were first dealt.
After the betting is completed, players show their hands and the best hand wins the pot.
Basic 5 Card Stud Strategies:
5 Card Stud becomes quite interesting because the number of visible cards makes it easier for Players to judge the strength of their hands. With four rounds of betting, you need to know when to hold and when to fold.
- Be aware of your opponents' visible cards and when you see the cards you need to help improve your hand are visible in your opponent’s hands, consider them lost to you.
- There are 13 cards in a suit. You need five of them to make a flush, if the cards you need happen to be in your opponents' hand you have no chance of them being dealt to you, however, if you can't see them, it means that it is still possible to receive those cards.
- Fold if another Player's exposed cards are strong.
- Fold if another player's exposed cards beat your entire hand
- If you are trying to complete a Straight, check to see if another Player is showing the cards you need.
Online Poker –Where to Play Poker and Put your Know How to the Test
CDPoker
A ‘must-download’ site for novices and pros alike, CD Poker is a major player of the iPoker network and combines sleek graphics and a player friendly interface with amazing sit-and-go jackpots and sold high value promotions.
Particularly attractive to sit-and-go players, the site truly excels at offering a wide selection of tournaments including limitless jackpot promotion. Players looking for a break from the poker play can play at the integrated casino games section.
Games offered include Hold'em, Omaha and Seven-Card Stud Hi, Omaha Hi and Hi-Lo and ring games, as well as heads-up, sit-and-go and multi-table tournaments. Plenty of tournaments and free rolls with great value are also on offer.
Overall, CD Poker offers decent software and a variety of popular Poker games that play well. Software is updated frequently to ensure safety and stability.
Prestige Poker
Play Poker at Prestige and combine the experience of playing at a prestigious and stylish casino with all the comforts playing online.
Featured games include Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha Hi-Lo and Stud poker in many variations and even heads-up games, all showcased in high quality graphics and reliable software. Try the free Poker games at Prestige and get a real feel and taste of this high-end for site.
Enjoy special features including the dual viewing modes, player notes, buddy list, Prestige Points, extra games and real-time game history. Online support is available 24/7 around the clock to answer all of your questions.
The Poker tables at Prestige guarantee a smooth and esteemed online Poker experience.
