How to Play Poker
As with most card games, in poker, players hold cards and try to assimilate a winning combination out of them. Each player has the opportunity to fold, check, bet, call, or raise to an opponent’s bet. Chips are usually placed in a pot that is either won or split by active players in each round. Poker is the most popular card game in the world with millions of active players.
Most people play the most popular variant, Texas Hold’em, however, there are plenty of variations that can be split into categories.
| Variant type | Short description | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Community card poker | Any variant that uses cards at the centre of the table that are shared by all players. | Texas Hold ‘em, Omaha, Razz |
| Stud poker | Any variant where players get a mix of both face-down and face-up cards over multiple betting rounds. | Five-card stud, Seven-card stud hi-lo, Wall Street stud |
| Draw poker | Any variant where players are dealt a full hand but are able to discard unwanted cards and draw new ones. | Five Card Draw, California lowball |
| Chinese Poker | Poker variants based on hand rankings where luck plays a bigger role. | Open-face Chinese poker, Pai Gow poker, Pineapple OFC |
At the core of all of these games is the grading system of winning hands. These can be laid out as follows:
Popular Casino Poker Games
Simple Poker Terminology
The basic amount that a player has to pay at the beginning of each round.
Where a player bets all they have left on the table.
Forced bets for the players to the left of the dealer. In most games, you will find a big blind and a small blind
Forced bet posted by the player to the left of the small blind. Dictates the minimum bet at the table.
Forced bet posted by the player to the left of the dealer button. Usually equal to half of the big blind.
The amount necessary to play in tournaments.
If a player does not want to bet, fold, or raise, they can choose to check which means to pass the action to the next player.
The action made by a player in order to increase the bet made by another player.
A calculated play whereby a player checks in the betting round, hoping to coax a bet out of other players. They will subsequently raise with a strong hand, building the pot.
The action made by players when they discard their hand.
A hand in poker usually refers to the cards needed by a player to form a winning combination.
The sum of cumulative money players contribute during a single hand. This will be won/split by the hand winner/s.
When only two players are involved in a game
A marker used to indicate the player who is essentially ‘dealing’ the hand.
An action whereby players wager money on their hands.
The first three of the community cards dealt.
After a round of betting, the dealer will deal another community card. This is the turn card, also known as fourth street.
After another round of betting, the fifth and final community card is revealed. This is called the river card, or fifth street.
A hand that neither has a pair or any other ranking according to standard poker rules.
The cards players get dealt that are kept hidden from other players.
