Many people think that poker is a game of luck. However, it bluffs as a series of events regulated by chance but is actually controlled by skill.
If that doesn’t interest you, how about the fact that you can play poker online to earn real money with friends and families at home and, of course, at the local casinos? Poker can be played without chips, can be altered for playing with new variations, and is actually considered an official mindset sport.
Well, enough of bragging. Let’s get down to the real thing- how to play poker. Learning steps is a cakewalk, and the methods are easy to remember. The strategies are interesting, and the gameplay is engaging. So without wasting any more words, let’s get down to the rules:
What will you need?
Most poker games need only a deck of cards and a good table as a platform for placing your bets. If you are playing with many people, more than one deck may come into the picture. Poker is a game that is more interesting if there are more players. The card table is optional. Any regular table will work as you would need a place to put your cards on. You may buy chips if you are playing at home. These are the token for the money you raise. There are many professional poker chip sets available in the market. However, these are not mandatory.
Types of online poker
There are different online poker games to engage in. The most common ones include:
- Texas Hold ’em
- Seven-card Stud
- Five-card Stud
- Blackjack
- Omaha Hi
- Omaha hi-lo
- Chinese poker
- Short deck
Poker is a game that basically involves betting and winning. There are tons of variations, and you can also create one. This flexibility of gameplay makes poker a worldwide phenomenon. Besides, Texas Hold ’em is the most popular choice of poker players across the globe.
Understanding the poker language
When you are in the midway of answering the question of how to learn poker without chips, you need to get a fair bit of knowledge about the game’s lingo. The basic terminology is described here:
Fold– when a player wants to get out of the game, giving away the money he invested till now.
Ante– is the maiden betting money players want to put in the game. This sets the standard for the amount of money the game will bring to the table.
Check– this allows the player to get another round without betting. This is common when you believe that the cards you have are not worthy.
Call – when you see someone raising the stakes, you can raise the same amount and go to the next round. This is a challenge that many people like to take on in the game of poker.
Raise– it bets the amount more than your previous bet. This happens when you have a good pair of cards.
Bluff– when a player pretends to have a good hand while he doesn’t. Bluffing is an important strategy in a poker game, and many players use it as their best weapon.
Capped betting– this is a rule that sets a limit to the betting. You cannot bet but only call. The capped betting comes into play only after you have raised the bets four times or when the limit is over.
Decoding the poker hand combinations
Knowing your hand combinations is the most crucial part of learning a poker game. If you do not realize what the hands you have are, you won’t be able to play them rightly to win the game. Remember that the player with the highest hands wins, and you should always aim for nothing less than that. Here are the rules that apply
Nothing– this happens when no player has a hand combination. In this case, the player with the highest card value wins. An Ace is the highest card, followed by the king, queen, jack, ten, nine, and so on.
Pair– this is when there are two cards of the same number, such as two 5s, two 10s, etc.
Two pair– when there are two pairs of different numbers, like if you have a pair of two 8s and two 4s
Three of a kind -when you have three cards of the same number
A straight– this is when you have four cards in straight order, decreasing or increasing. For instance, if you have 2-3-4-5 or 9-10-J-Q, it is straight. Note that an ace can be used as a high or lower number in the order and hence, is very handy in this strategy.
Flush– when all of the cards you have been in the same suit, like all spades or hearts
A full house– this is when you have a pair and three numbers of the same value altogether.
Four of a kind– this is when you have four cards of the same number
Straight Flush– This is when you have a straight in order and a flush. This happens when you have cards in order from the same club
Royal Flush– this is the jackpot poker we see in the movies. This happens when you have the cards A K Q J Q 10 from the same suit.
How to play poker online with simple steps
A quick and short demonstration of the fundamentals of playing Texas Hold ’em will give you a basic idea of the game. One can even tweak the rules to make the gameplay more enjoyable. The steps are as follows:
- The dealer or the manager, a fair person, deals with each player with two cards. The dealer is like an umpire with a neutral stance to ensure fair gameplay.
- The small blind is first placed. The big blind follows this. In other words, five cards are placed with the side turned down on the table.
- The first round starts and each player bets their money. Every player bets as per the cards they are dealt with. This is where the game gets interesting. Many players with good cards deal large amounts while others play safe. Some players don’t have good cards but bet a significant amount as bluff gameplay.
- The dealer faces up the three of the five cards placed on the table.
- The game is in the second stage now. The players can match the pairs with the three community cards in front of them. The series, hands, and pairs start to match up at this point.
- The second betting round begins, and players bet again with their already invested money. All of the money goes into the pot, which means the total money is on the table that will go to the winner of the game.
- The dealer reveals the fourth community card. This stage is called a turn, with just one last card to be revealed.
- Things start to heat up as many players are nearing a perfect match with the cards.
- The third round unfolds
- After this, the dealer lifts up the last card, and the results are upfront.
- At this stage, two or more players need to fold. If this doesn’t happen, the remaining players will show their cards.
- The winner is the one that has the best hand combination as per the poker hand rankings.
Conclusion
Poker is, interestingly, the easiest and easily the most interesting game you can find. You need only a day or two of practice to get in the game. But you might need more time to challenge the best players around you. Once you get hold of the rules, the bar, stakes, standards, and betting will reach the zenith.
