Poker is one of the most popular games in the world to play, which means that those that don’t know how to play often feel like outsiders. However, we hope that this guide into how to play poker will help beginners on their way to ensuring that they understand everything that they need to know about the game.
The Basics
The most popular way to play poker is in ‘Texas Hold’em’, and this is the game that you will typically play online, with friends or on a trip to Las Vegas. These are an overview of the factors that you must be aware of before playing the game:
Two Hole Cards
The game will start with every player around the table given two hole cards. These will be given to players by the dealer, and they will be face down so that nobody around the table can see them.
Five Community Cards
The Community Cards will be the five cards that will be face-up in the middle of the table for everybody to see. In order to win, you will need to make a combination with the cards in your hands and the ones on the table. The game will start with two cards facing up before another card is turned after a round of betting has ended.
Best Hand Wins
The most straightforward way to win is by having the best hand with the cards that are on the table. The player with the best combination wins the money on the table. However, there is also another way to win, which will mean all the other players folding, leaving you as the only player standing.
Making Bets
There will be four opportunities to make bets through the game, and for the most part, there will be no cap on the amount of money that you will be able to put forward. However, in order to be involved in the game, you will need to match the stake put down by the ‘Big Blind’. From here, you will be able to stick or raise as much as you like.
Hand Ranking Guide
In order to win a round, you will need to have the best hand. For beginners, that means understanding the different hands, and which ones are the best. These are the best hands that you can get in poker:
- Royal Flush- Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten (All in same suit)
- Straight Flush- Any five cards in order of the same suit.
- Four Of A Kind- Four cards that are the same, for example, two kings in hand and two on the table.
- Full House- Three cards that are the same, and a pair of cards that are the same.
- Flush- All cards of the same suit
- Straight- A sequences of cards irrelevant of the suit.
- Three Of A Kind- Three cards that are the same, such as three Kings but in different suits.
- Two-Pair- Two cards that are the same.
- Pair- A pair of cards that are the same.
- High Card- The highest card that you have. This is unlikely to be the method of victory, unless you and your opponent are both bluffing.
How To Play Poker
- The game starts when the Community Cards are set, and each player has two cards.
- The player to the left of the dealer is the small blind; the one to the left of them is the big blind.
- In order to enter the game, you must match the stake of the big blind.
- You can decide to call (match the amount), fold (give up) or raise (put more money down) when it’s your turn to bet.
- The first round of betting ends when all players are satisfied with their bets.
- The dealer will then turn the next card, and the next round of betting will begin.
- The same sequence between steps 2-5 will continue until the final card. The player with the best hand will then determine the winner of the pot.
Las Vegas And Its Impact On Poker
Texas Hold’em made its way to Las Vegas in 1967, after a number of Texan players were playing it in Sin City. The first casino to offer Texas hold’em was the Golden Nugget, but other casinos began to offer the game too in 1969. Nowadays, Las Vegas has had a profound impact on the popularity of poker, and that looks set to continue for years to come.
Poker’s popularity has only increased over recent years with the introduction of tournaments, which typically have huge cash prizes. The most notable of which is the World Series of Poker, which typically takes place in Sin City. These events are televised across the world, which makes sure that it is the ultimate way for beginners to learn how to play the game.
