poker guide

summary > poker is a card game particularly popular for gambling. It is a fairly straightforward game, usually using one 52 card deck, with each player holding a hand made up of 5 cards. There are many variations of poker. They generally involve betting rounds, and a showdown if 2 or more players are still in play. At this point the remaining players cards are compared and the highest hand ranking wins. If all but one player fold before the showdown, the remaining player wins.

gambling > poker distinguishes itself from many other forms of gambling in that players can choose to bet after they have viewed some or all their cards. This way, in theory, a player only bets if they believe that they have a genuine chance of winning.

bluff > in most variations of poker each player's hand includes cards known only to themselves. This means that a player is able to exaggerate the value of their hand, using various betting strategies, usually a very strong bet.

popular > poker has become one of the most popular games, partially due to media exposure, but also due to the game's involvement of luck, probability and psychology, with the result that players are more in control of potentially winning than in other forms of gambling.

variations > as mentioned, there are a number of variations of poker. The most popular variations can be divided into the following groups:

• Straight > a complete 5 card hand is dealt to each player, a round of betting follows. This is the oldest form of poker
• Stud > cards are dealt one at a time, in an agreed order of face-up and face-down. Bets are played after each round of cards is dealt
• Draw > each player is dealt a complete 5 card hand, face-down. Following a round of bets, players can alter their hand by discarding unwanted cards, and being dealt replacements
• Community > each player is dealt an incomplete hand face down. After a round of betting a number of community cards are dealt face up, and can be used by all the players to add to build the strongest 5 card hand possible

playing > play usually takes place around a table, usually involving 2 to 10 players. Players take it in turn to be dealer, with play progressing clockwise round the table. The dealer is usually marked by the dealer button. In a casino, the house dealer deals the cards, but the dealer button still goes round the table to dictate order of play. The cards are shuffled before each hand. One or more players are usually required to make forced bets, known as an ante or blind bet. Cards are dealt, depending on which variety of poker is played. Players place bets after each round, and in some variants players gain more cards or trade cards, with more betting after each round.

betting > during each betting round a player can check if no player has bet higher than them. This means they stay in the hand, but without raising a bet. A player can call a bet if one has been placed. This means they match the highest bet so far. A player can also raise or re-raise a bet, i.e. they can match the highest bet, and then bet a further amount. If a player feels their cards are not worth pursuing, they can fold and drop out of the hand.

winning > if a player bets, and all other players fold during a betting round, the round is finished, and the betting player wins without having to show their cards, even if all cards haven't yet been dealt. This is what makes bluffing possible. A player can bet with the weakest cards, pretending they have strong cards. If all other players fall for the bluff, the betting player wins the pot.

showdown > if two or more players are still in the game after all cards have been dealt and all betting is complete, the hands are compared. This is called a showdown. The highest scoring hand wins the pot. When more than 5 cards are available to each player, the best 5 are compared.

limits > in some poker games betting is limited, this restricts the amount each player can bet, and is agreed in advance. In other poker games players can bet an unlimited amount. This is known as no-limit poker.

internet > poker is now commonly played online, and is played in online casinos, known as poker rooms. Many variations of poker are supported, and it allows players to play whenever they want without having to travel to a poker game. Poker is played in the same way as at casinos, although it is often harder to make psychological judgements of other players, as you cannot see their body language, only their betting patterns. However, due to the popularity of online poker, there are a lot of weak players out there, known as fish, meaning that it can be fairly easy to win if a player is reasonably able.

texas hold 'em > currently the most popular variant of poker is Texas Hold 'em. This is a community variant, and is played by dealing 2 cards face-down to each player, and dealing 5 cards face-up as community cards for all players to use. 2 players are forced to play a big blind and small blind each hand. The first betting round occurs after the pocket cards (2 face down cards) are dealt, known as pre-flop. Further betting rounds follow after the first 3 community cards are dealt known as the flop, after the fourth community card, the turn, and after the fifth and final community card, the river. Each player's hand is ultimately made up of the strongest 5 cards from their 2 pocket cards and the community cards.

other games > other popular poker variants include Omaha, 5-card draw and 7-card stud.

system > find out more about our system to help you win at poker here, or download our manual here.