There are several different variations on the core game of poker. We’ll get into these
different poker types later, but 💪 each shares a number of common threads.
The main
objective of poker is to use the cards you’re dealt to create 💪 the best five-card hand
possible – or to convince other players that you have the best hand, even if you
💪 don’t!
Poker card rankings
The cards in a deck are individually ranked, from top to
bottom:
A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 💪 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2.
When you’re creating your best hand
of five cards, you’re usually looking to make 💪 a:
Straight Flush
Four of a Kind
Full
House
Flush
Straight
Three of a Kind
Two Pair
Pair
…in order of strongest to weakest.
Usually, the higher the value 💪 of the cards in that hand, the stronger it is. For
example, a pair of Aces beats a pair of 💪 Queens, and a straight that runs 7-8-9-10-J
beats one that runs 5-6-7-8-9.
Check out our full guide to poker card rankings 💪 and
hands to find out how to make the most of the cards you’re dealt.
Poker
positions
Although you’ll usually stay at 💪 the same seat at the table, the position
you’re in when it comes to poker’s order of play changes with 💪 every hand, relative to
who’s dealing the cards.
When there’s a non-playing poker dealer, a Button is used to
indicate your 💪 position for each hand, with play proceeding left-to-right around the
table.
If the ‘action’ – or order of play – starts 💪 with you, then you’re in Early
Position .
. If it comes to you last, then you’re in what is known 💪 as Late Position .
.
If you’re somewhere in between the two, you’re in Middle Position.
Poker positions
affect betting strategy for 💪 various reasons. You might be entering a stake (known as a
‘blind’ bet) before you’ve even seen your cards.
If you’re 💪 the first to act, you have
less information as to how ‘strong’ your opponents are, and might get raised or
💪 re-raised. If you’re the last to act, you have more information – and might even be
able to ‘steal’ those 💪 blind bets with a cheeky raise, if everyone else has folded.
As
you learn poker skills, you’ll understand that position can 💪 be a big factor in
determining how often a certain hand or player will win.
Be sure to bookmark our guide
💪 on to find out exactly where you stand (or sit, in this case!).
Poker order for Texas
Hold’ Em gc poker – 💪 step-by-step
Here’s our quick and easy 8-step rundown for understanding
how things proceed in Texas Hold’em – arguably the most popular 💪 type of poker. How the
action plays out, however, is up to you and your opponents!
The dealer shuffles the
deck, 💪 then distributes cards to all of the seated players. Once the cards have been
dealt, it’s time for the pre-flop. 💪 Here you can fold, call, raise or even re-raise,
depending on what you’ve got. The flop is when the first 💪 three community cards are
shown. It’s the first time you can think about building your full hand, so if you 💪 don’t
have much to start from at this point it might be the best time to fold. The turn comes
💪 with the ‘turn’ of the 4th community card. As before, you can check, call, fold or
raise. Now your position 💪 and early signs of the direction of the hand are made clear,
you can think about how your full hand 💪 might look. The river is the reveal of the fifth
and final community card. Now you know what you’re (Texas) 💪 holding, you can make a far
more confident bet based on the situation – or just bluff! Post-river marks the 💪 end of
the hand. Now, it’s time to use your hole cards in conjunction with some of the
community cards 💪 to build your best hand. If you’re still in for the showdown, it’s time
to call out your remaining opponents 💪 – or be called out yourself to reveal your hand.
The best hand wins the pot – usually! Bluffing can 💪 be your best friend – or your worst
enemy – when it’s time to lay down your cards.
Some games such 💪 as Omaha follow a very
similar poker order to Hold’em.
How to Play Poker for Beginners – Useful Basics
If
you’re completely 💪 new to this exciting game, we’re here to help. Check out our advice
and learn some poker basics, before moving 💪 onto more advanced guides.
Poker
meaning
Poker is a catch-all name for a classic group of card games where you usually
aim 💪 to make the best five-card hand – and bet that the value of the cards you hold is
stronger than 💪 your opponents. Alternatively, you can try to bluff your way to
victory!
Although playing poker and winning can involve a slice 💪 of luck, there’s also
great skill in being able to outfox other players through strategy and how/when you
bet.
Basic poker 💪 rules
The aim is usually to have the strongest five-card hand, or
convince others that you have it.
When the ‘action’ is 💪 on you in each round, you can
make a bet, call or raise any existing bets, or choose to fold 💪 (sliding your cards away
face-down, and taking no further part in that hand).
When it’s your turn to bet, you
can 💪 fold at any time.
If more than one player stays in until the final betting round is
over, there is a 💪 ‘showdown’ – where these players reveal their cards. The winner is the
player with the strongest hand.
If everyone else folds 💪 their cards when you bet or
raise the stakes, even if you haven’t reached the ‘showdown’, you win that hand. 💪 This
is where the thrill of ‘bluffing’ comes in, as a clever player can act as though they
have better 💪 cards than they actually do.
Read our more in-depth guide to the rules of
poker – including the rankings of poker 💪 hands.
How to deal in poker
Poker games at
casinos usually have a designated dealer. But if you’re dipping your toes into 💪 the
world of poker on a casual basis with friends, you might be expected to take your turn
dealing cards 💪 and managing the chips in the middle (known as ‘the pot’).
There’s no
particular secret to being a good poker dealer, 💪 but here are a few quick tips to get
you started:
Shuffle the cards really well between each hand.
When dealing the 💪 Flop,
Turn and River, it is usually good practice to ‘burn’ the top card by putting it face
down on 💪 the table, and out of play. It’s a good idea to check with the other players
beforehand if they prefer 💪 to do this.
Starting with the player to the left of the
Button, deal a card at a time to players 💪 around the table, until everyone has their
starting cards.
Different poker types have different numbers of starting, or ‘hole’
cards, to 💪 deal. In Texas Hold’em, it’s two. In Omaha, it’s four.
Take the bets and
manage the chips in the pot. It’s 💪 usually the dealer’s responsibility to ensure bets
are being placed properly, but ask for help if you’re new – and 💪 a more experienced
player can usually show you how.
The dealer usually announces which hand is highest at
the end, or 💪 names the player left in after all other players have folded, then pushes
the pot of chips to the winner. 💪 Again, just ask your fellow players for help if you’re
new to this, and watch others to see how they 💪 do it before having a go yourself.
Get
more information about how to deal in poker with our in-depth guide. If 💪 you’re thinking
about taking your skills to the professional stage, we even have one on how you can
make those 💪 dreams a reality.
How to bet in poker
Betting in poker is all about having
the confidence that you’ll build a winning 💪 hand, already have one, or haven’t – but are
willing to try a bluff!
Poker betting works in rounds, allowing you 💪 to assess your hand
against the possible cards your opponents hold, or are building.
When it’s your turn to
bet, you 💪 can usually do one of the following things:
Check – until the first bet is
made that round, you have the 💪 option to ‘check’. This means you pass up the chance to
bet until the action is back on you.
– until 💪 the first bet is made that round, you have
the option to ‘check’. This means you pass up the chance 💪 to bet until the action is
back on you. Open – this is the first bet made during the round, 💪 and each subsequent
action is made in response to the opening bet.
– this is the first bet made during the
💪 round, and each subsequent action is made in response to the opening bet. Fold – you
can choose to fold 💪 your hand, if staying in seems too steep, though you’ll lose
anything you’ve already put into the pot.
– you can 💪 choose to fold your hand, if
staying in seems too steep, though you’ll lose anything you’ve already put into the
💪 pot. Call – you can choose to match the highest bet made at the table so far.
– you can
choose 💪 to match the highest bet made at the table so far. Raise – you can increase the
previous high bet. 💪 A ‘check-raise’ is when the same player checks and then raises in a
round. Raising a raise, meanwhile, is known 💪 as a ‘re-raise’.
Players usually announce
what they’re doing out loud, although there are non-verbal ways to confirm what you’re
doing.
Tapping 💪 the table can mean that you ‘check’, while giving up your cards to the
dealer face-down without saying anything essentially 💪 means you fold.
When you’re
betting you should place or slide your chips forward in front of you for the other
💪 players and dealer to confirm the amount. The dealer will then add them to the
pot.
Seeing and raising
When it comes 💪 to how you bet in poker, understanding that some
things are frowned upon can sometimes be helpful.
‘Seeing and raising’ is 💪 an act you
see in many movies and TV shows, where someone announces they will call the previous
bet, and 💪 then announces they will also raise. This is not allowed at most tables,
because bets should generally be announced in 💪 one go or placed in one movement.
Making
more than one move, or ‘string-betting’ when it comes to putting chips in 💪 the middle,
is frowned upon – because it gives you two chances to determine opponents’ reactions
and their next course 💪 of action.
The amounts you can bet are also determined by whether
the game is fixed limit, no-limit or pot-limit. This 💪 can affect the way you bet
strategically in games.
You also need to be clear on whether or not your raise 💪 includes
the original bet. Are you raising by an amount or raising to an amount?
Find out more
about poker betting 💪 - and bluffing - with our comprehensive guide.
Poker
etiquette
While some table rules aren’t set in stone, there’s a certain code 💪 of poker
etiquette which helps games run smoothly and allows everyone – no matter their
experience level – to enjoy 💪 the action.
Don’t play out of turn. Declaring that you’re
going to bet or fold before it’s your turn can have 💪 an unfair influence over how others
will play before the action gets to you. It’s best to avoid this.
Declaring that 💪 you’re
going to bet or fold before it’s your turn can have an unfair influence over how others
will play 💪 before the action gets to you. It’s best to avoid this. Be clear on your
betting. Try not to confuse 💪 fellow players with how many chips you’re betting, or hide
how you’re doing by obscuring your chip stack.
Try not to 💪 confuse fellow players with
how many chips you’re betting, or hide how you’re doing by obscuring your chip stack.
Avoid 💪 interfering. If you’re out of the round, it’s best not to tell players what you’d
do in their situation, for 💪 example. Watching and learning is usually the way to
go.
These are just a few examples - find out more about 💪 the unwritten rules of poker
etiquette.
Want more poker tips for beginners?
Now you’re a little more familiar with
the basic poker 💪 rules, it’s time to build on your knowledge. At 888poker we have tons
of guides on getting to know the 💪 game, inside and out. From cool strategies to learning
all the right lingo, we can help you develop your game 💪 – and have even more fun while
doing it.
Types of Poker
There are many different types of poker game, each with 💪 their
own unique characteristics and rules that add to the enjoyment each time. Here’s an
introduction to the most popular 💪 types, and what to look out for when you’re
playing.
Texas Hold’em
Before you can learn how to play Texas Hold’em like 💪 the pros,
you should know the basics.
Players are dealt two ‘hole cards’
Up to five ‘Community
cards’ are dealt into the 💪 middle
Players make their strongest five-card hand using both
their private hole cards and the shared community cards (which anyone can 💪 use)
Ready to
get started? Head to our interactive Texas Hold’em guide and kick-off your
journey.
Omaha Hi
Players get four ‘hole cards’
There 💪 are five community cards in the
middle
Your hand is made of two hole cards, plus three community cards.
Having more
hole 💪 cards means more powerhouse hands are possible, and things like ‘aces high’ are
much less likely to win a pot.
Check 💪 out our guide to Omaha Hi and enjoy this fun spin
on the poker experience.
Omaha Hi-Lo
This typically fixed-limit game is 💪 also known as
Omaha 8 or better
The pot is split 50/50 at the end of each hand
Half goes to the 💪 hand
with the highest value cards
The other half goes to the hand with the lowest value!
The
fun of Omaha Hi-Lo 💪 comes from devising the best strategy to take both pots. Learn more
today with our 8-step guide.
Other poker types
Five-card stud 💪 is a classic form of the
game, while more obscure but especially fascinating poker options include Badugi, Horse
and Razz.
Check 💪 out our guide to popular poker variants if you’re keen to try something
a little bit different.
How to Play Poker 💪 Online
Online poker has its differences to
the live, in-person experience, but is every bit as exciting – and offers prospective
💪 poker masters an even more convenient way to play.
To get started, simply sign up with
an online poker site such 💪 as 888, then choose your stakes and join a virtual table.
Key
differences between online poker and live poker play
Speed of 💪 the game. When you’re
playing online, manual actions like shuffling and dealing are done almost
instantaneously, meaning that the game 💪 usually progresses more quickly.
When you’re
playing online, manual actions like shuffling and dealing are done almost
instantaneously, meaning that the 💪 game usually progresses more quickly. 24/7
convenience. When you want to play online poker, you’ll almost always be sure of 💪 a seat
at the virtual table. Whether you’re relaxing in the afternoon or looking for a game at
night, online 💪 cash games and tournaments are usually available around the clock.
When
you want to play online poker, you’ll almost always be 💪 sure of a seat at the virtual
table. Whether you’re relaxing in the afternoon or looking for a game at 💪 night, online
cash games and tournaments are usually available around the clock. In-person play vs
online play. One of the 💪 most interesting things about playing in person is being able
to ‘read’ your opponents’ style of play – everything from 💪 how they bet to whether they
have a ‘tell’ that you can use to your advantage. Although online poker doesn’t 💪 allow
you to read people in person, you might still be able to work out their betting
strategies and habits 💪 if you pay attention.
One of the most interesting things about
playing in person is being able to ‘read’ your opponents’ 💪 style of play – everything
from how they bet to whether they have a ‘tell’ that you can use to 💪 your advantage.
Although online poker doesn’t allow you to read people in person, you might still be
able to work 💪 out their betting strategies and habits if you pay attention. Socialising
with players. Poker rooms online have a chat function 💪 which allows you to chat with
other players, just as you would during a live poker game.
Variety of online poker
💪 games
As well as all the usual poker games on offer, you’ll find exclusive tweaks to
the traditional formats with online 💪 play.
Sit n Go poker is usually the fastest type
out there. There’s no scheduled start time; play begins as soon 💪 as enough players have
claimed their place at the table. An SNG game can take only an hour – sometimes 💪 even
less.
poker is usually the fastest type out there. There’s no scheduled start time;
play begins as soon as enough 💪 players have claimed their place at the table. An SNG
game can take only an hour – sometimes even less. 💪 Multi-table tournaments allow you to
play as part of a large field of entrants, competing for a share of the 💪 total prize
pool. This format means that even relatively small stakes can give you a shot at some
serious money.
allow 💪 you to play as part of a large field of entrants, competing for a
share of the total prize pool. 💪 This format means that even relatively small stakes can
give you a shot at some serious money. Cash games differ 💪 from tournament games in that
the chips you’re playing with represent the amount of cash you’ve bought in for. In
💪 organised tournament games, each player has the same number of chips to begin with.
If
you’re new to online poker, why 💪 not check out our top online poker tips for
beginners?.
You can also play poker for free to practice your newfound 💪 skills, before
you’re ready to play for real money.
How to play poker online with friends
Many poker
sites will actually let 💪 you set up and play private games with your friends. Even if
you can’t all meet up in the same 💪 place, you can still sign up for a private poker room
online and catch up with friends while you play. 💪 Find out more.
FAQs
Can you play poker
with two people?
Yes! This is known as ‘heads-up poker’, and is used for a 💪 specific
game with two players, or a situation where two players remain at the final table of a
tournament. There’s 💪 no reason why you can’t enjoy the poker playing experience with
only one other player. Find out more about heads-up 💪 poker and how you can make the most
of a ‘two-handed’ game.
What is the highest hand in poker?
The highest hand 💪 you can get
is a Royal Flush – which consists of 10-J-Q-K-A, all of the same suit. As the
highest-possible 💪 Straight Flush, combining the highest straight hand (including the
face cards) with the highest five cards of the same suit, 💪 it reigns supreme when it
comes to all possible poker hands.
What does muck mean in poker?
‘Muck’ refers to the
pile 💪 of cards which players have discarded in a given hand of poker. The dealer usually
adds to this between each 💪 round of betting when they ‘burn’ off the top card of the
deck. Players are also said to ‘muck’ their 💪 cards, or ‘toss them into the muck’, if
they fold without having to show them.
What is the ante in poker?
The 💪 ante is a small
bet that each player places before the round begins proper. The word ‘ante’ is Latin
for 💪 ‘before’. In Hold’em, Blind bets placed by two players in each round usually
replace the ante.
What is a small blind 💪 in poker?
The player directly to the left of
the dealer Button in each round assumes the position of the ‘Small 💪 Blind’. Two Blind
players place bets before they’ve seen their cards (hence being ‘blind’ to what they
have). This is 💪 to start the ball rolling on bets. The player to the left of the Small
Blind places a larger bet 💪 – often twice as much – known as the ‘Big Blind’.
How many
poker chips do you start with?
This depends on 💪 whether you’re playing a tournament game
or a cash game. In a tournament game, every player receives the same amount 💪 of starting
chips – though there may be options to ‘top-up’ or buy back in at certain points. With
cash 💪 games, you get the chips that directly represent the value you’ve bought in for,
which may be more or less 💪 than your opponents. Many tables will have a minimum or
maximum buy-in, however.
Is one suit higher than another in poker?
No. 💪 Unlike other
card games such as contract bridge or Ninety-Nine, all suits are considered equal when
the cards are down. 💪 Poker focuses on the rank of each card – a high straight beats a
lower one, for example.
What is a 💪 wraparound straight?
A wraparound straight is a run
of cards which starts high, goes through the Ace, and finishes low, or 💪 vice versa. For
example, a Q-K-A-2-3 is a wraparound straight. It’s important to be aware, when
learning how to play 💪 poker, that a wraparound straight doesn’t actually count as a hand
in most poker games. Your hand here would be 💪 an Ace-King high, for example, which
wouldn’t even beat a pair.
However, wraparound straight draws are important in
Omaha-based games, while 💪 some obscure variants of poker may allow wraparounds as a
hand. Find out more about wraparound straights.
