Poker Rules For Beginners

Poker includes a variety of card games in which players bet wagers on how strong their hand of cards is. Players win by getting the highest ranking set of five cards out of the players in the game, or by placing a bet that no-one else is willing to match and thus wins regardless of what five cards they hold at the end of the game.

All poker games have several standard poker rules including making a wager which gets placed into a communal “pot”, which players compete to win the contents of. In some variants e.g. 7 Card Stud, there are two wagers. Following these poker rules will help you to understand the game and also help you to win. In any poker game you play, you’ll be forced to wager using one of the following actions:

Check:

If there aren’t any bets on the table in the round of betting currently being played, a player may say “Check” on their turn. This passes the buck to the player who is immediately clockwise who then has to choose what to do. If all players in a round say Check and no bets are placed on the table, the round is completed.

Bet:

If no wagers are currently on the table for the round, players may call a bet and place money on the table. After this event, the player who is immediately clockwise (and any players that follow) must raise, call or fold.

Raise:

Players may raise the previous bet amount. In order to raise the bet amount, the player must match the previous amount and then place a higher bet e.g. “I see your 10, and raise you 20″ which would result in a bet of 30 being placed. Other players must be able to match or raise bets in order to stay in with a chance of winning.

Call:

If bets have been made in the round being played, players can call a bet. To be able to call a bet, the player who said it to be able to match the bet already on the table made by their opponents.

Fold:

Folding means that players forfeit the game and aren’t allow to place any more bets, or win the hand. If you have a low hand and don’t think you have a chance of winning, this is the best option because it allows you to not waste money on a fruitless exercise like finishing the round.

A round is finished when each player has matched, raised, or folded (or all players have checked and not placed any money on the table). When the round is finished the next one starts, until they reach the last round of the game or hands are complete.

On the last round, a showdown normally occurs. This is where all players reveal their hands one at a time. Sometimes, a showdown never occurs e.g. if a player makes a bet that no-one else wants to raise or match. In this scenario, the player who made the unmatched bet wins.

Basic Poker Hands

To win, players normally need to get the highest hand (although there are some exceptions e.g. Omaha 8, Stud 8 where low hands can win). If two players or more in a round has the same hand type, the hand made of the higher cards wins.

From high to low, the hand ranks are as follows:

Five Of A Kind

This hand is only possible if using wildcards, as this hand is created using five of any card e.g. 5 x Aces, 5 x Queens.

Straight Flush

Straight Flush involves getting five cards in order of the same suit e.g. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Aces can be high or low, and they can only fall at the beginning or the end of the straight e.g. A, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 10, J, Q, K, A (a.k.a. the Royal Flush).

Four Of A Kind

Four of the same cards e.g. 4 x Kings, 4 x Jacks etc.

Full House

This consists of three of the same cards, plus a pair. If more than one player has a full house, the one with the highest 3 of a kind will win. If their 3 of a kind is the same, then the one with the highest pair will win.

Flush

A hand full of cards of the same suit e.g. all diamonds, spades, clubs or hearts.

Straight

A straight hand is five cards in order, regardless of suit. Like with a Straight Flush, Aces can be low or high and may only appear at the beginning or the end of the sequence.

Three Of A Kind

This hand involves having three cards of the same value e.g. 3 x King, 3 x Queen, coupled with two other cards that aren’t a pair.

Two Pairs

Two sets of cards that have the same value e.g. 2 x 2 and 2 x Jack, plus another card.

One Pair

One pair of cards which have the same value and then three other cards which don’t make any pairs or 3 of a kind.

If no-one has any of these hands in the game, the deciding factor is something called the High Card. If multiple players have the highest card, players then compare the second highest card and so on until one beats the other. A high card can also be used as a tie-breaker if players have the same hand e.g pair, straight.