Rules
Poker is a card game that is played by people all over the world, and there are many variations of the game. However, there are some basic rules that are common to most versions of poker. In this article, we will outline the basic rules of poker.
- The aim of the game The aim of poker is to win the pot, which is the sum of money that all players have put in. This can be done in several ways, such as by having the best hand or by bluffing your opponents into folding their hands.
- The deck of cards Poker is usually played with a standard deck of 52 cards. The cards are ranked from highest to lowest: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2. The suits of the cards (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades) are all equal in value.
- The game Poker is played in a series of hands, with each hand consisting of several rounds of betting. The game begins with each player being dealt two cards face down, which are called hole cards. Players then make their bets, with the player to the left of the dealer starting the betting.
- The betting rounds There are several rounds of betting in each hand. After the first round of betting, the dealer deals three community cards face up in the middle of the table. This is called the flop. Players then make their bets again. After the second round of betting, the dealer deals another community card face up. This is called the turn. Players then make their bets again. Finally, after the third round of betting, the dealer deals a fifth and final community card face up. This is called the river. Players then make their bets for the final time.
- The showdown If there are two or more players remaining after the final betting round, there is a showdown. Players reveal their hole cards, and the player with the best hand wins the pot.
The hand rankings are as follows, from highest to lowest:
Royal Flush
A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit
Straight Flush
Any five cards of the same suit in sequence
Four of a kind
Four cards of the same rank
Full House
Three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank
Flush
Any five cards of the same suit
Straight
Any five cards in sequence, but not of the same suit
Three of a kind
Three cards of the same rank
Two pair
Two cards of one rank and two cards of another rank
Pair
Two cards of the same rank
Highest card
The highest card in your hand if you do not have any of the above combinations.
Bets on Hold'em Poker
Each player receives 2 cards from the dealer, these are called the pocket cards. These cards are personal and you keep them hidden from your fellow players. After the two cards have been dealt, the first player after the big blind has the first move to determine what action he or she wants to take. The big blind and small blind act as an already wagered prize and a way to decide if you want to play and bet in this round. The options available for this are the following:
Call
This indicates that you want to call the bet on the table at that moment (in the beginning this is only the BB). You now have to put the equal number of bets on the table.
Bet
With this you indicate that you want to raise compared to the BB on the table. You now bet more than the Big Blind (usually at least as much as the BB itself).
Raise
A raise is an increase in the bet on the table, just like a bet. The difference is that a raise is a raise after an earlier bet in the round, and a bet is the first raise in the round.
Fold
This indicates that you are no longer participating and are not betting. Place your cards face down on the table and hand them over to the dealer. This action is called a muck.
Check
A check is a passive action when there is no need to bet or call. Especially in the rounds after the opening round with the blinds, this occurs as long as no opening bet is made.
The person in the Big Blind is last to act and can still bet and raise. Every time someone raises again, the players behind must indicate again whether they want to call or not. As indicated in the betting options, Texas hold-em poker involves several rounds played in one hand. After the opening round with the blinds, play continues in the following order:
Flop
The flop follows the opening bets. 3 cards are placed face up on the table by the dealer from the deck. After this flop, another round of betting follows, this time starting from the first player sitting at the table after the dealer button position.
Turn
The turn is the fourth card to be turned and placed next to the previous three. Another round of betting follows.
River
The river is the fifth and final card to be turned over. This is followed by one last betting round, after which the betting stops.
Of the remaining players, the player who raised last must now show his cards first. Then, in clockwise order, the other players reveal their cards. Incidentally, it is absolutely not mandatory to show your cards if you have already lost to the highest combination that was shown at that time. Particularly in order not to show too much how you played the hand, it is customary not to show your hand, and to hand it in to the dealer (muck). The player with the strongest combination of 5 cards wins the hand and thus all the chips bet. In the event of a tie, the prize will be split.
The combination does not necessarily have to consist of all two of your pocket cards. It involves the highest 5-card combination you can make with the seven cards available to you. (2 of yourself and the 5 community face up cards on the table).
If you really want to learn how to play poker well, it is advisable to learn more about the strategy, calculation and approach to poker. There's so much more to poker than meets the eye. Not only the rules of the game, but also playing the opponent through smart bets and 'bluffing' makes it an extremely intelligent game.