Poker Rules

When playing any version of poker, you need to understand poker rules. These explain how to play poker, and you can learn the dynamics of a basic poker round. This can include the ante, big blind, small blind, flop, check, raise, call, and more. The actual rounds will all depend on what version of the game you play; an excellent way to learn is by using free games to learn how to play poker. However, we’ve also put together this guide below so you can learn Poker rules before you play for money.

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Poker Hands

To win, you have to create certain hands. Each poker variant has different rules that determine the payouts from the hands made. Below are the poker hand rankings, from the highest paying to the lowest.

• Royal Flush: Consists of A, K, Q, J, and 10 of the same suit
• Straight Flush: All five cards are from the same suit and in numerical order, i.e., 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 of Clubs
• Four of a Kind: Four equally ranking cards, i.e., 4 Kings
• Full house: Made by getting three of a kind and a pair in a single hand
• Flush: A hand that contains five cards of a single suit
• Straight: Any run of cards in numerical sequence
• Three of a kind: Three cards of the same value
• Two Pair: Two different pair
• A Pair: One pair of cards with the same face value
• High Card: Highest ranking card in the hand

Different Poker Games

When playing poker, you will find there are several popular variations. Each game has different rules; you need to learn these to be a successful player. Below is a brief overview of some popular games you can play today. You can also enjoy three-card poker, which has become a popular option since its rules are easy to learn, making it an excellent game for beginners.

Texas Hold ’Em

Texas Hold’Em is one of the most popular games being played. With this version, you receive two cards facing down, called hole cards. Three remaining cards will be dealt to the middle of the table, which are community cards. There is then a round of betting called the pre-flop. Two additional betting rounds are then played, with two more cards being revealed. Based on Texas Hold’Em poker rules, you must create the best-ranking hand using your two hole cards and any three cards on the table.

Omaha Hi/Lo

With Omaha Hi-Lo, you will play the game following standard Omaha poker rules. This version offers a split pit: one half is awarded to the winning best hand, and the other half goes to the low hand.

Five Card Stud

Five Card poker rules are relatively easy to understand. The game starts with one card being dealt face up and one face down to the player. A betting round follows where another card is dealt face up. This continues until five cards are in play, and the player with the best-ranking hand wins the pot.

Five Card Draw

With five card draw poker, the goal is to make the best five card hand after a single draw. This is the simplest version of poker played, and the poker game rules for this variation are straightforward to understand.

Poker Glossary

Below, you can learn some terminology that can be useful when you are checking out new games and trying to learn to play poker.

A:

• Action: Action refers to when it’s the turn of the participant to play or to make a bet
• Action card: Refers to one standard card which creates great activity since the card is an advantage for different participants
• Advertising: When a player consciously plays with a specific playing style to confuse and mislead
• All in: When a player bets all of their money
• Ante: The forced bet which is made before the round begins

B:

• Bank: The player that distributes chips during a game
• Bankroll: The total amount of money that the participant can use to play with
• Big blind: The biggest of the two forced bets in, for example, Texas Hold ’Em
• Bleed: When the player loses many chips because of bad playing
• Bluff: If the player makes a huge bet with a bad hand to confuse the opponent and make an advantage

C:

• Call: To match or raise a bet
• Cap: The limit of the number of times a bet can be raised in a round
• Chase: To stay in the round, even though your hand is bad because you have a significant stake in the pool
• Check: Passing on making any bet
• Continuation bet: Making a bet after the player who was leading in relation to bets

D:

• Dead hand: A hand that has been discarded due to an error
• Dealer: The person who deals cards. Depending on the context, the person can either work for a casino or be a passive player
• Deuce: A card with the value of two
• Donkey: A player who is weaker than the other players. That kind of player is also called a fish
• Drop: Same meaning as ’fold’

F:

• Flash: A flash means that a card is accidentally shown to one or more players and therefore has to be shown to all players before it can be discarded
• Float: To call a bet with the intention of bluffing at a later round in the game
• Fold: To discard a hand and lose your forced bet and the possibility of competing for the pool
• Fouled hand: A hand that is being discarded because of a breach
• Full ring: A poker game with 6 or more players, typically between 9 and 11 players

H:

• Heads up poker: A game played 1 on 1
• H.O.R.S.E.: A tournament that contains 5 different types of poker games, all with different poker rules

P:

• Pat: A hand that is already complete and doesn’t need cards from the table
• Poker face: Facial expressions and body language that don’t expose anything about the player’s position
• Pot: The total amount of the players’ bets
• Push: To make an All-in

R:

• Raccoon: A bad/unexperienced player
• Rake: A fee to the casino, paid by the players who compete in the tournament
• Rakeback: A repaid amount to a participant who has paid a fee for the tournament. Often paid by a third party who has a financial interest in the participant
• River: This refers to the last card given by the dealer in a round. Subsequently, there is a final betting round and, if necessary, a showdown
• Rock: A player with a very rigorous approach to the game. They only play with the best hands
• Royal cards: Same as picture cards

S:

• Satellite tournament: Tournaments where the first prize is an entry ticket to other big tournaments
• Scoop: A scoop refers to winning both the high and the low part of the pool in Hi/Lo poker games
• Shoe: Refers to a collection of playing cards in physical casinos, which are being hold in a plastic container
• Shorthanded: A game with 6 or fewer players
• Showdown: If more than one player is back after the last betting round. Their cards are shown, and the best hand wins
• Sit and go: Tables/games where you can come and go as you wish in a certain period of time
• Straddle bet: A straddle bet is an optional bet that bets after blind bets in a game

T:

• Tell: A leading clue to a players actual position
• Tilt: A player who plays crazy or uncarefully
• Toke: Tips given to the dealer by the winner of the round

U:

• Under the gun: According to the rules, the participant on the left side of the forced bets, even though the participant is first
• Up the ante: To raise forced bets

W:

• Window card: A card that has the frontside up in Stud Poker
• Walk: When all participants choose to fold for big blind

Author Vanessa

Vanessa knows everything about casinos! Be it poker, slots or blackjack - doesn't matter. See her articles and you'll quickly understand what makes her so special! Read more about the author