One of the biggest hangups for people that want to take on the game of poker are the rules. People think that poker games rules are just going to be too difficult and as such are reluctant to take a shot at the game. Let’s take a look at some basic rules behind poker to get you acclimated to the game.
Ranking of Hands
If you understand the ranking of poker hands, then you are 75% of the way to knowing how to play poker. The hand rankings are as following:
High Card – A poker hand consisting of 5 random, non-coordinated cards. Ace-high is the highest high card hand ranking.
Pair – A five card hand consisting of two card of the same rank and three non coordinated cards. A pair of aces is the highest pair.
Two Pair – A poker hand consisting of two pairs, and one uncoordinated card.
Three of a kind – A poker hand consisting of three cards of the same rank and two uncoordinated cards. Also known as a set or trips.
Straight – A poker hand consisting of five cards in numerical sequence, such as 4-5-6-7-8. Ace can play high or low, such as A-2-3-4-5 or A-K-Q-J-10.
Flush – A poker hand consisting of five cards of the same suit, such as five clubs or five hearts. The cards are not coordinated for a regular flush.
Full House – A poker hand consisting of three of a king and a pair. Also known as a boat.
Four of a Kind – A poker hand consisting of four cards of the same rank and an uncoordinated card. Also known as quads.
Straight Flush – A five card hand that is both of the same suit and in numerical sequence, such as 2-3-4-5-6 of clubs.
Royal Flush – A-K-Q-J-10 of one suit. This is the highest possible hand in non-wild card poker games.
Five of a Kind – In wild card games, a hand that is all of the same rank. At least one card has to be wild in the game for this hand to be possible.
After you get the main hand rankings down, then it is just a matter of knowing the rules of whatever game you are playing.
Texas Holdem Rules
The most common form of poker in most casinos and even home games today is Texas Holdem. The object of the game is to make the best five card hand out of the two cards in your hand and five on the board. Since NL Holdem is the most popular variant of the game right now, that is the game we will briefly cover the rules of.
First, the dealer position is determined by a white disc called the button. The two players to the left post fixed bets called blinds to build the pot. There is a small blind and a big blind. The small is half the amount of the big. Then the cards are dealt to each player and each player gets two cards face down. Then, each player much decide whether to call the big blind bet, raise, or fold. Players can raise any amount up to the amount of their stack. If nobody raises before the small blind, the small blind can either complete the big blind amount, raise, or fold. The big blind can either raise or check his option if nobody raises pre-flop.
After the first round of betting is done, three cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. These three cards are known as the flop. These are the first three community cards that everyone can play off of. Another round of betting occurs starting with the player to the left of the button. Once this round of betting is done, another card is dealt face up and this is known as the turn. Another round of betting occurs and then the last face up card is dealt, known as the river. After one final round of betting, players turn up their cards and the best five card hand wins the pot.
One thing to remember with Holdem is that you can play any five card combination. You can use one, both, or even none of your hole cards. For example, let’s say you have a 3-4 in your hand and the board is 8-9-10-J-Q. In this case, your best hand is the five cards on the board, and you would be “playing the board.” Also, in Holdem, and most casino games, cards speak. What this means is that once you show your hand, the dealer has the job of calling the hand correctly and awarding the pot.
These are just some basic poker games rules and just one variant of the game. Poker involves many variants and each has their own set of rules. However, almost every game of poker uses the same hand ranking as those listed above. Therefore, if you learn the above hand rankings, you are going to ahead of most players just starting out playing the game. Good luck to you at the tables.
