Poker Overview
Put on your poker face (friendly nod to Lady Gaga) and enjoy the web’s
best free online poker games! ♣ Perfectly suited for new or long-time players, these
games truly are the World Series of Poker! Come back daily and ♣ test your poker
hand.
How to Play Poker
Poker of all types, including Texas Hold'em and video poker,
are easy to play, ♣ but difficult to master. Don’t take our word for it – just ask one of
the world’s more than 100 ♣ million players! Although it is a card game based on luck of
the draw, poker also requires thought and strategy. ♣ Poker is a game with many different
forms and variations, and each one has its own set of rules and ♣ nuances. That being
said, here are some concepts that will help you become a winner at poker no matter what
♣ game you play!
The highest value hand in poker is typically a royal flush. You have a
royal flush when your ♣ best five-card hand consists of an Ace, King, Queen Jack and a 10
card, all in a single suit. The ♣ next best hand is four of a kind (for example, 4 aces),
followed by a full house, which is three ♣ of a kind plus a pair (for example, three Aces
and two Kings). After that comes a flush, which is ♣ when your hand consists of five
cards that are all the same suit. The next highest-ranking poker hand is a ♣ straight:
when all five of your cards are in the same numerical order (ex. 10,J,Q,K,A), followed
by three of a ♣ kind (ex. AAA), and finally, a pair. The lowest value is a “high card”
where the strength of your hand ♣ is simply the highest card you have been dealt (ex.
A)
From blinds to buttons, flops to folds, and deals to ♣ draws, there are about a dozen
terms that’ll improve your odds of success on the poker table.
When it is your ♣ turn to
act, or, make a decision in the game, you will typically have the following
options:
Bet: Place a bet ♣ with your poker chips based on how strong you think your hand
is.
Call: If another player has placed a bet, ♣ you may opt to match the bet they have
made and continue with the game.
Raise: If another player has bet ♣ before you, you have
the option to bet more than the amount of that player. If you choose to raise ♣ the
stakes, it’s typically best to have a hand that you think is better than everyone
else’s (unless you want ♣ to just “bluff” and pretend that you do in order to get your
opponents to fold!).
Check: If no other poker ♣ player has bet yet and it is your turn,
you can decline to bet as well, passing it along to ♣ the next person or poker round.
This is called a “check”.
Fold: You have to know when to hold ‘em, and ♣ know when to
fold ‘em, as they say. If someone has bet before you and your poker hand isn’t
particularly ♣ strong, it’s probably best to just fold and wait until the next game.
Tips
for Winning Poker
Even though poker may seem ♣ like a game of chance, there’s a reason
why the best players consistently come out on top. No matter what ♣ cards you are dealt
when playing poker online, you can make strategic decisions about how you play and
swing the ♣ odds in your favor.
Here are a few free online poker strategies to get you
playing like a professional:
As you’re beginning ♣ to play poker online, you will be
tempted to go all-in on the action and play as many hands as ♣ possible. The adrenaline
from the possibility of winning it big and being aggressive is hard to resist, but it’s
a ♣ surefire way to quickly lose your chips without having a real shot at success.
Instead, you should be deliberate about ♣ which hands you play, understanding the ranges
of hands and how your odds are after the flop.
One of the key ♣ ingredients of success in
playing free poker online is being consistent. Experienced players who have been
playing for years understand ♣ that even the best hand won’t always result in a win. But
over an extended period, poker players who understand ♣ the odds and follow a process for
when they raise, call, or fold come out on top.
Tilt is one of ♣ the key terms you should
learn when you play poker online, free or paid. It’s a classic situation when a ♣ player
loses their cool, starts getting emotional, and makes crucial mistakes because of it.
Keeping your cool and understanding that ♣ poker is a game of composure can be the
difference maker between losing early and sticking it out for the ♣ win.
Even though it’s
a good idea for beginners to be cautious, you can’t win if you always check and fold
♣ when playing poker games online. Even when you play poker for free, it’s still a good
idea to be aggressive ♣ and protect your pot, so if you have a strong hand, don’t be
afraid to be bold and place bets ♣ or raise early to deter some of the players.
One of
the most important attributes of every winning poker player is ♣ their tendency to bet
larger amounts when their hand is stronger, and smaller amounts when their hand is
weaker. In ♣ fact, the best players regularly fold (give up their hand without betting)
when the cards they have been dealt are ♣ not particularly strong. The best players,
indeed, fold most of their poker hands!
Why Play Poker Online?
Poker is an incredibly
fun ♣ game once you get the hang of it. Here are a few reasons why you should play
online:
When you play ♣ free online poker, no download is necessary, which means that you
can start playing on any device in a matter ♣ of seconds.
Another big benefit of playing
online is that with the online community, you will always have someone to play ♣ against,
no matter the time of day.
If you want to get better at playing with your friends, free
online poker ♣ games are the perfect way to hone your skills and master your craft.
