Poker is a card game
that for many people will always be associated with gamblers in the old
wild west or in some gangster's speakeasy. It's a game of chance and
skill that requires an huge amount of nerve, and a memory like an
Elephant for all the different terms and variations. In recent years
poker has undergone a surge in popularity due to the internet and it
being featured more widely on telelvision. This page will
introduce you to the game of Poker and will teach you a number of the
main terms
and variations.
There are lots of "how to play poker" sites on the internet, but I
found most of these to be not much help. They either did not explain
how to play poker at all, or just left me more confused! So I thought I
would write my own guide and try to help you out a bit...
Poker is considered by the majority of people as the king of card
games. The very first thing to mention is that there are several
variations of the game of poker. These include;
These are the most
widely played variations in casinos and online poker games (Texas
Hold'em is the most popular), so they are ones we shall focus on.
What is the objective of Poker?
Poker is of course a
gambling game, so the main objective is to beat the other Poker
players. The main objective of Poker is to win the opponent's money,
represented as Poker chips on the table. To do this, a Poker player
must win the coveted Poker pots. The Poker pot is the sum total of all
the bets placed by the players. Poker pots are usually a pool of Poker
chips, or sometimes cash. The Poker hand is the term used to describe
the particular round, or individual game. Poker hands usually last for
several minutes. The Poker hand is also the term used to describe the
cards that are dealt to each Poker player during the game. To win the
Poker pot, the player must beat their opponents. Winning many Poker
pots does not always mean winning the most money. The betting aspect of
Poker ensures that there is always something to play for in each hand
How to play Poker
Let's first deal with
some of the basic aspects and terminology associated with any game of
poker;
Banker - The banker in
poker is not really a banker, but more of a supervisor who manages the
stock of chips, the chips given to each player (including themself, if
playing). The banker generally oversees play to make sure there is no
cheating.
The Pot - This is the
area in the centre of the table where bets (in the form of chips) are
placed.
Bluffing - This is one of
the fun aspects of poker, you can say what you like about your hand
regardless if it's true or not, play wrong reactions, give false
impressions, discuss false strategies, heckle, be sarcastic, praise or
condemn the virtues of your hand, or buy a round of drinks to show your
confidence at winning! The only thing that is inadvisable is to either
always lie or always tell the truth as your cover will soon be blown!
Wild Cards - What is a
wild card? Well there are two possibilities:
1) A wild card can represent any card of any denomination or suit that
isn't in your hand.
2) A wild card can represent any card of any denomination or suit even
if you have that card.
In either case, it has to be agreed upon before you start and the value
you give your wild card means it effectively becomes that card without
any differences. Any type of card can be a wild card, despite what
anyone may say, so long as all the players agree on it any card type
can be a wild card. Here are some popular choices:
The Joker or both
Jokers
The 'deuce' (the
two) of spades
All the 'deuces'
(the twos)
All the 'deuces'
(the twos) and all the 'treys' (the threes)
The red 10s
Betting - Let's first look at when to
bet. Betting intervals tend to vary between the poker variations, but
there is at least one betting interval (obviously) but in most games
there tends to be two or more. After one of the players opens the
betting, each player then has the choice to 'fold', 'see' the bet or
'raise' the bet (remember you have to announce exactly what you are
doing before you do it).
Fold - means 'I'm out of here, gone,
too rich for me' etc. This ends any active role in the hand.
See
the bet - to put up an
equal amount to the last amount bet.
Raise
the bet - to put up
more than the previous bet.
Blind Bets - A blind or
blind bet is a forced bet placed into the pot by one or more players
before the deal begins, in a way that simulates bets made during play.
Betting generally ends
when only one player is left with an active hand making them the
winner, or if the remaining players have all equalled the last person
to raise the bets bet and the bet raiser has called for the showdown.
Learn how
the different hands rank in Poker.
Texas Hold 'em Poker
Texas Holdem is easily
the most popular form of card game played around the world today, both
online and in casinos. Texas Holdem can be played with as few as two
players, up to a maximum of ten. The game is well-liked world-wide
because of its fast paced gameplay and simple rules. A game of Texas
Holdem consists of four betting rounds. Each player receives two cards
face down (known as hole cards), and five community cards which are
dealt face-up for all players to use. The player with the highest
five-card poker hand at showdown wins the pot. (Visit our Texas Holdem page to learn more)
Omaha
Poker
Omaha Hi is a variation
of Holdem that is growing quickly in popularity. It can be played with
as few as two players, and as many as ten. The game consists of four
betting rounds. Each player in a game of Omaha Hi is dealt four cards
face down (hole cards), and five community cards are dealt face up for
all players to share. Each player must combine exactly two of their
hole cards with three community cards to make the best possible
five-card poker hand.
A variant of Omaha Hi
is Omaha 8, or Omaha Hi-Lo. Omaha 8 shares the same basic structure as
Omaha Hi, however rather than aiming to make only the best high
five-card poker hand, players can also aim to make the best low
five-card poker hand as well.
Seven card stud Poker
Seven-Card Stud is
another popular version of poker, played between two
and eight players. Betting in Seven Card Stud consists of an initial
ante, followed by five betting rounds. Each player in a game of stud
receives three cards face down, and four cards that must be exposed for
all players to see. The goal of Seven-Card Stud is to make the best
five-card poker hand with the given seven cards.
Stud 8, also known as Seven-Card Stud Hi-Lo is a variation of
Seven-Card Stud. Players in a round of Stud 8 can aim to make either
the best high five-card poker hand, or the best low five-card poker
hand.
Five card draw Poker
Five Card Draw is one
of the oldest known variations of poker. The game
can be played with between two and five players. Betting in Five Card
Draw consists of an initial Ante, followed by two rounds of betting.
Each player in a game of Draw receives five cards face down, and may
discard or draw up to five cards after the first betting round. The
player with the highest five-card poker hand at showdown wins the pot.
Poker Books & Resources
The Dominate Online
Poker Course
is a revolutionary poker system. Older Poker Courses focus on the ‘No
Limit Texas Holdem Poker Game’ primarily as a card game, such as it is
played in live tournaments and cash games, the Dominate Online
Poker Course
conversely sets itself apart by focusing on the modern aspects of the
current online poker world. By emphasizing the power of proper
deployment of poker software students who buy and learn the Dominate Online
Poker course
will be henceforth prepared to fully dominate the modern online poker
world by knowing what it takes to eliminate their internet poker
opponents one by one by brute force and without any mercy.
Besides the main Dominate Online
Poker E-Book,
if you act now you’ll receive two bonus packages as well, containing a
Free Newsletter Subscription, a Free Poker Bankroll Guide, 9 free poker
books and 2 sit and go videos.
Prepare yourself
for future online poker domination: Order the Dominate Online
Poker Course Now for the
introductory price of $65. Get full and exclusive access here!
Are
you ready to play online poker as a business? Or would you like to make
money on the side whenever you play? If so, then Click Here to get your copy of the Online
Advantage poker course today.YOU WILL LEARN HOW TO...
Never Lose to A Gambler With Lucky Cards Again!
Win Texas Hold'em Poker Almost EVERY Time With My
Unique SNG Strategy!
One Month From Today You Will Be Making $10,000's a
Month Playing Online Poker As A Business With The Skills Of A Poker Pro!
Exactly When And How To Bluff In An Online Poker Game
/ Tournament.
Develop An Advanced Level Of Mastery Over Online NL
Texas Hold'em Poker.
How to read players in online poker just like an open
book and steal their money while they ponder about what just happened!
I bet you are thinking Lord Of Poker
- what on earth is that? is it a scam? Does it really work? I
completely understand how you feel because just a few weeks ago, I was
looking for a review of Lord Of Poker myself.
But I didn’t find
anything genuine and that’s why I created this review to help people
like you make an informed decision before buying. I also want to share
my story with you in the process.
By the way, if
you’re looking to visit the official website, please click here.
So I enjoyed playing poker and have tried it online before but got
blown away by others. They just seemed to have an advantage that
I could not locate. It was almost like everyone was cheating
except for me.
I ran across this
product called Lord of Poker
on an online forum. It was evidently a new product that was just
released and had not gained a ton of popularity but does seem to give
the players that use it an edge that other poker software products did
not. I was astonished that this indeed was the product I was
searching for and after using it, I won several hands and my winning
percentage has increased dramatically. So
what are you waiting for? Get started using this software
today. Do not play another hand with real money until you grab Lord of Poker.
Poker directory
- many links to the best poker sites in the world. Unique articles
about the strategy of push-bot, and the best collection of sites with
poker images and wallpapers.