How to play poker games

Number of players in poker game

You can play poker with at least 2 players, and the maximum number of players can go up to 9.

What is a "Pot" in poker?

The "Pot" is a sum of money that the players compete for during a single hand or ga

me. The amount depends on the type of game being played and the corresponding betting rules. The pot is put into the center of the table, and it is known as "posting the blinds. Posting the blinds happen before the game starts.

Dealer, Small Blind and the Big Blind in poker game

The first two players are called the small blind and the big blind, and they are seated left of the dealer. The dealer is seated at the centre of the table disc and is marked by the "dealer button". The first player to the left of the dealer is called the small blind, and the big blind sits next to the small blind. The small blind puts a certain amount on the table, and the big blind puts double the same amount. The dealer then distributes two of the shuffled deck of cards known as hole cards to each player in the clockwise direction.

Understanding the betting rounds and actions, and how to make a poker hand is key to learning poker. A poker hand is a combination of 5 cards given to the players. Each hand has a ranking, and the player with the best poker hand wins.

Listed below are poker hands that rank from the highest to the lowest.

• Royal Flush

 The best hand that any player can have is Royal Flush. It is a combination of Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace from the same suit of cards. The probability of landing this unbeatable hand is very rare. Example A♦K♦Q♦J♦10♦

• Straight Flush

Straight Flush is a combination of 5 cards from the same suit in a sequence. The player with a Straight Flush can be beaten only by someone with a Royal Flush. Example for a Straight Flush 3♥4♥5♥6♥7♥

• Four of a kind

In this combination, 4 cards can be the same number or rank, but the 5th card can be anything. Four of a kind is also known as "Quads". Example A♣A♠A♦A♥9♦

• Full house

A "three of a kind" and a "pair "will create a Full House. When two players have a Full House, the player with the highest rank in the three of a kind will win.

For example J♥J♦J♣10♥10♣

• Flush

A Flush comprises 5 cards from the same suit but of any ranking. In cases of more than one Flush, the player with the highest-ranked card is the winner. For example J♠9♠4♠K♠Q♠

• Straight

A Straight is a combination of 5 cards in a sequential order irrespective of the suit. When two players have a Straight hand, the player with the highest-ranked straight is the winner. For example 3♥4♠5♣6♦7♠

• Three of a kind

True to its name, Three of a kind is a combination of three cards of the same rank and a non-matching pair of cards. The player with three of a kind wins if he hits Trips or a Set. He gets a Set if he has a pair and hits three of a kind on the board and he gets a Trips if he hits Three of a kind with a pair on the board and one pocket card. For example K♣K♦K♥5♠9♦

• Two pair

A combination of two pairs of hands and a card of any rank or number makes a two pair. One pair can be of any rank and the second pair should have a different ranking from that of the first one. The probability of getting two pairs is high. For example, Q♦Q♣3♠3♥7♣

• One Pair

One Pair is formed by three random cards and a pair of cards with the same rank. This hand also has a high probability of occurrence. For example A♣5♥7♦J♠J♣

• High Card

High Card is the lowest ranking hand that a player can get. The hand should contain the highest-ranked card, i.e. an Ace(A). The lowest rank is two(2). For example 6♦9♠4♥2♣A♥

 

Betting rounds and actions

Each poker player is entitled to perform any one of the following actions during the betting rounds.

• Check

Check is an action where a player refuses to bet and can be done only when there is no bet ongoing in the current round. The check is passed in the clockwise direction to the next player. When all the players check, the round ends.

• Bet

When a player bets, he or she puts in a sum of money into the pot. If one player bets, others have the option to call, raise or fold.

• Call

 When a player calls a bet, he /she puts an amount that matches with the bet.

• Raise

A player is said to raise when he puts in more amount than that of the previous bet. It is usually at least double the amount of bet or more. When a player raises the amount, other plays should either raise or call to stay in the hand

• Fold

If a player decides to fold, the player has to surrender his/her cards and the initial money put in by him/her into the pot. Once he/she has decided to fold, he/she is not eligible to bet or win in that particular round.

 

Here is a list of betting rounds of poker.

• Pre-Flop

The round just before the Flop round is called the preflop. In this round the players have access to their hole cards only, and no community cards are revealed.

• Flop

The flop round marks the entry of 3 community cards, and this is followed by a betting round

• Turn

The fourth community card joins in this betting round. A round of betting again follows it.

• River

River is the last round where the fifth card makes its way to the board during the river.

• Showdown

The betting action stops and the players remaining in the current hand should reveal their cards. The player with the best or the highest-ranked hand wins the pot.

Fund Management

Money Management is an inevitable aspect of playing poker. Ensure that you play poker with a complete understanding of your bankrolls. Plan and monitor your funds so that you can set aside enough money for poker. Always choose a game, keeping in mind your financial stance.

Even the best player will get into trouble if he fails to manage his funds.

Want to publish your blog or article on Pokerbrainz for free? Well, feel free to send in your work that can be anything related to the poker, rummy or gaming industry. Contact us at info@pokerbrainz.com