Poker online

Introduction

Today, poker is considered to be the most popular card game around the world. It’s a game which originated in the mid 16th century and there are currently more than 10 variations. What’s more, no online casino today can exist without poker. If you don’t know anything about the game yet, but want to get into it and start playing, then this overview is for you! This page is all about what the game is all about, the basic rules of the most popular variations as well as how to play poker for beginners. After reading this article you not only get to grips with the game but can become a shark by outplaying your opponents.

How to play poker for dummies: where do you start?

Of course to play poker professionally you need to know the basics of the game, the poker game rules and the basic ingredients. The first place to begin as a beginner is to learn the meaning of the game terms as well as card combinations. Knowing these basics is half the battle when it comes to learning poker. This will make it easier for you to navigate your way through the game. You’ll know what the dealer or your opponent is doing, as well as which move to make. So let’s start our study of poker with the basics. 

The main poker terms used

To make your game as fun and comfortable as possible, you’ll need to become familiar with dealer and player actions as well as understand some basic poker terminology. Some of the main poker terms used are player action terms and poker paraphernalia terms. Let’s go through these in more detail.

Poker Attributes

The cards, the playing table, and the dealer’s chip are all attributes of poker. When you start playing, you need to be well versed in the meanings in order to understand the game. So, we will give you the most basic concepts of the attributes that are involved in poker:

• Button – the white chip with the letter D which defines the dealer’s role in the game. This chip will move to the next player to the left with each round.
• Pot – The amount of money up for grabs in a game. Usually the pot is made up of the players’ bets during the betting rounds.
• Hand – The particular winning combination of cards a player holds.
• Closed cards – or private cards. Cards which players receive face down.
• Hole cards – the face up cards dealt to each player at the start of the first round. 
• Odds – the percentage of probability of a winning combination of cards in your hand.

These are the most basic values you need at the start. The poker vocabulary is actually quite large, and you’ll gradually learn something new as you play.

Terms referring to players’ actions

Of course, when playing poker players perform certain actions, otherwise the game would be meaningless. Since we’re talking about poker for beginners, you need to know the basic actions of the players. That way, you can not only understand the game, but also keep an eye on your opponents. So, what are the actions that can be performed during the game:

• Buy-in – a certain amount of money, which has to be paid in order to become a participant of the game table.
• Blind – a mandatory bet, which must be placed before the cards are dealt. The Blinds are Posted by the two players to the left of the Dealer.
• Small blind – the mandatory bet placed by the player immediately to the left of the dealer.
• Big Blind – the mandatory bet placed by the player to the second left of the Dealer, or the next player to the big blind. The big blind is usually twice the small blind.
• Ante – This is the mandatory deposit each player must make to make up the initial pot. 
• All-in – To wager all of the player’s available money.

Also, during betting rounds, players can take the following actions, depending on their cards: Call – to call their opponent’s bet, Raise – to raise, Fold – to refuse to continue betting or to fold, Check – a possible player’s move if no other player bet in the given round.

Winning card combinations

According to the basic poker rules, there are cards involved in every type of game. Only winning combinations can lead to a player winning, no matter which variant of poker the player is playing. Therefore, we will give you a table that shows you all the possible winning card combinations. If you have a good understanding of them, you can be sure that you are close to winning:

Name of the card combination	Poker rules hands
Straight Flush	A sequence of five cards of the same suit.
Royal Flush	The highest combination in the game, which is made up of the highest cards of the same suit, from 10 to Ace.
Four of a Kind	A combination of four cards of the same rank. For example, four jacks, four aces, and more.
Full House	This combination consists of three cards of the same rank and two cards of a different rank.
Flush	This combination consists of five cards of the same suit in any sequence. The seniority of the combination is determined by the highest card.
Straight	Five cards of the same suit in order, with an Ace as the highest or lowest card.
Three of a kind	Three cards of equal rank.
Two pairs	A combination of two pairs of cards of the same rank.
Pair	Representing two cards of the same rank, with the seniority of such a combination being determined by rank.
High Card	Represents the highest ranked card in the absence of any assembled combinations.

Varieties of poker

Today, poker is played almost all over the world. This game has captured a large audience and, accordingly, the varieties of the game have become plentiful. Moreover, poker can nowadays be played not only in land-based gambling establishments but also in online casinos. Only licensed and reputable platforms can offer you the following types of poker:

• Texas Hold’Em;
• Draw Poker;
• Stud;
• Omaha;
• 3 Card Poker;
• H.O.R.S.E.;
• Badugi;
• Open Chinese (Pineapple);
• 7 Card Poker;
• Razz;
• 5 Card Poker, etc.

In fact, there’s a long way to go before we list all the variations, as poker is just gaining momentum. Each kind has its own rules of poker, which gives players the most interest during the game. Let’s look at the most popular types of poker in more detail and go over the rules for poker in detail. 

How to play poker: Texas Hold’em

The most popular form of poker is Texas Hold’em. It can be said that many variations come from this game. In every casino you can find Texas Hold’em. So why is it so popular? All thanks to simple and straightforward rules. 

The game involves a deck of 52 cards, with the number of players at the table ranging from 2 to 9 people. At the start of the game, each of the players receives two face-down cards. Then with each raid, the dealer will place 5 community cards on the table which can be seen by each participant in the game. The main poker rule to win here is to get the winningest possible five-card combination, beating your opponent. It is mandatory to use both personal and community cards. For example, it could be 2 face cards and 3 community cards or 1 face card and 4 community cards. 

The game starts clockwise, with the player to the left of the dealer. This player must then make a small blind and the next player after him must make a big blind. After this, the betting rounds start. There are 4 of them in total:

Preflop	At this stage, all players must either support the game with a minimum bet or discard if bad cards are dealt. Bets can be of 2 types:The exact same one as in the big blind.To raise the bets by at least twice or more. Once all bets have been accepted, then the first round is declared closed.
Flop	At this stage, the dealer puts three common cards on the table. Participants look at their cards and make possible combinations with their poker hand. The second round is declared closed as soon as the bets are tied.
Turn	The third round of dealing begins with the dealer dealing another common card. Players may also increase their bets if they wish or continue without increasing them.
River	The fourth leg of the betting process is similar. The dealer also draws one more card (the 5th card), which is called the river. Participants in the game can improve their combination and raise the bets.

After the last betting round, players reveal their cards and decide the winner. The winner is the player who has the strongest hand and hole card combination. 

Omaha poker how to play

Omaha has nearly identical rules to Texas Hold’em, but there are a few differences. One of the distinguishing features of the game is that the player gets to play 4 cards at a time in a closed position. The final hand consists of 5 cards, with only two cards from the poker hand and three common cards from the table.

There are also 4 rounds of betting, where the cards are dealt on the fifth round. The winner is also determined by poker card rules, namely the winning five-card combination. This type of game is also quite popular and is in second place behind Texas Hold’em, so Omaha can also be found at almost any licensed online casino. Other than that, Omaha also has its sub-specialties, such as High and High Low.

How to play poker stud

The main distinguishing feature of the Stud is the lack of community cards. The dealer hands each player three cards, one of which is public. After that, they get three more open cards and one more closed card. Each participant has a different set of cards, some of which are exposed to suggest the strength of their opponent’s combinations. The Stud also has several variations, each of which is interesting in its own way.

Razz Poker

Razz is a variation of poker where each participant is dealt 7 cards. However, the winning hand is still a five card combination. The rules of Razz are similar to those of Stud in many ways, but the main difference is that at the end of the deal, weak rather than strong combinations are compared. At the same time, Razz does not have any Flush or Straight combinations, Pairs are meaningless, and Ace is the lowest card.

Open Chinese (Pineapple)

If you are wondering how to play poker without chips, then Open Chinese Poker is exactly what you need. The best thing about this game is that it is an open-player game and there are no chips to play. Also, you don’t have to make a five-card hand. The point of the game is this:

No more than 3 people can take part in the game. In this case, a deck of 52 cards is used. Players have to put together their maximum winning combinations in three boxes, where the bottom box is 5 cards (the strongest combination), the middle box is 5 cards (the second strongest combination) and the top box is 3 cards (the weakest combination). Visually, the hand arrangement resembles a pineapple, hence the name. 

Also, it is very important that players do not have dead hands, which can lead to a loss. For example, if the bottom box has the weakest combination and the middle box has a stronger hand than the bottom box.

The winner is determined by the correct cards in the hand and their strongest value. 

How to play poker online

After reading this overview and learning more about poker, you can try your hand at poker now. That’s because there are plenty of online poker platforms and online casinos offering the game. All you need to do is to choose a licensed online casino, register with it, make a deposit and choose any type of poker you like. Then it’s simple, place your bet and start playing, relying on the rules we’ve outlined for you. We wish you success and big winnings in any of the online casino games!