What separates poker from other gambling games is the fact that it is not all luck. Skill can and does make a difference.
Overall, the casino is always the winner because the odds are stacked against the player. However, when you are playing poker, your opponents are other gamblers. They do not possess a built-in advantage of a machine, so you have a fair chance to win.
That means that an essential aspect of poker is your opponent’s game. You can adjust to it and make decisions based on it. This factor makes poker that much more challenging but also exciting.
Texas Hold’em Rules
Texas Hold’em is a version of poker that is easy to learn, so if you wish to begin playing this staple game, this might be the right starting place.
As with all gambling games, you are aiming to win money. But when it comes to poker, your objective is not to win the casino’s, but other players’ money.
Most casino games ask you to make a bet, draw several cards, and then finish the game. Texas Hold’em, on the other hand, lets you see your cards and place a bet afterward. Then, you get more cards, make another bet if you wish to do so, and continue through these steps several more times.
You are allowed to “fold” or bail at any time. That keeps you from spending more money, but it also means that you are out of the game and that your previous bet is lost.
If it occurs that everyone else decided to fold, the last remaining player will take the win. In case more than one player has not folded until the end, the person with the better hand gets the “pot.”
The pot amounts to total bets from all players for that round, excluding the “rake.” That is a small percentage the casino typically keeps for itself for their service as a host.
Winning Combinations
Let’s briefly take a look at all the poker winning hands and their rankings.
High card — If all other winning hands are absent in the end, the player with the highest card wins. Ranked from the highest to the lowest, top cards are Ace, King, Queen, and Jack. If two players have the same top card, they compare their second-highest. In case those are of equal value too, the third cards are measured against each other and so on.
Pair — When there are two cards of the same rank in a hand, you have a Pair. This combination will always beat the high card, no matter the card in question. In case two players have a pair, the highest one wins. If they happen to have the exact same couple of cards, then the highest card outside the Pair is the winner.
Two Pair — The same rules apply as with just one pair.
Three of a Kind — The name says it all; this hand features three cards of matching rank. If a tie occurs, the winner is determined in the same way as with the Pair.
Straight — That is a hand consisting of consecutive ranking cards. The Ace can serve as a 1 when the other cards are 2, 3, 4, and 5. In addition, it can be the highest-ranking card when others are 10, Jack, Queen, and King. However, it cannot count for both at the same time.
Flush — All cards are of the same suit (all spades, for example).
Full House — A pair and a three of a kind.
Four of a Kind — Four cards of the same rank.
Straight Flush — This hand is a flush and a straight at the same time (e.g., 8, 9, 10, Jack, and Queen, all of hearts).
Royal Flush — When it comes to video poker, this is the jackpot. The combination is a straight flush, consisting of the highest-ranking cards arranged in ascending order. This rare hand on average comes once per every 40,000 games.
The Game
Now, it is time to see how the game itself looks.
Before the dealer distributes the cards, two players need to place a bet each. That is a guarantee that there will be something in the pot in case no one decides to place any bets. These are called the “blinds.” The first poker player makes a “small blind,” while the second places a “big blind.”
The responsibility to make them goes around the table from one gambler to the next. This ensures that everyone has to make these blinds by the end of a single round.
Next, all the players get two cards, both face-down. These are referred to as “hole cards,” and they are your starting hand. Now, each gambler decides whether they will place a bet or fold (withdraw from this round).
Following this step, three community cards are dealt at the center of the poker table, face-up. The name of this move is the “Flop.” All players can make use of these cards (in their head) in order to make a winning hand in combination with their hole cards. The gamblers now either place their bets or they fold.
The Turn, also known as the Fourth Street, is a step where another (4th) community card is dealt. More bets take place.
The fifth and the final, community card is put forward in the part of the game called the River. A new betting round follows.
The Showdown ensues after this. Any player who has not folded yet puts their cards face-up so others can see who won. The player with the top hand takes the pot.
The Player’s Options
When it is your turn to make a bet, you may choose to do one of few things.
Fold — Withdraw from the game for this round.
Bet — Place a wager.
Check — Neither bet nor fold (only before anyone has made the first wager).
Call — Match the latest bet.
Raise — Make a bet higher than the current one.
The gamblers have to match the last bet. The simple rule states that after a player has placed a bet, for example, $5, other players’ bets need to be at least $5 as well. There is always the option to fold, but you lose the chance to win during the round.
Poker is a game where strategy and bluffing truly make a difference. As the round progresses, the pot grows exponentially, and it is up to you to decide whether or not your hand is strong enough to win. Alternatively, you may choose to bluff and lead your opponents to believe they need to fold. If all of them do so, you will be the winner regardless of your hand.