Guide to Online Casino Poker

 

Your Poker Guide - What's It All About?

Poker is been played all over the world.  A French game called “poque” is said to have been the predecessor to Poker.  Since that time many iterations have made their way into society and as poker has grown in popularity so have tournaments. Originally games like Texas Hold'em made its way into the modern home via televised tournaments. Eventually television tournaments manifested in the form of online games. That said, with this beginners' guide to poker online, you can learn which cards equal a winning bets, what moves you have to make during a game, and how to play poker in an online or offline setting.

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How to Play Online Poker

Online poker rules might seem complex at first, but the overall goal is to win chips. Each time a round begins, a few chips get put into the pot before the live dealer gets into action. Then some cards get dealt for the starting hand. After that is the bedding round. Each player looks at the cards they have, and they choose to place an additional bet on top of the chips that are already in the pot if they so choose. If another player has put more chips into the pot every subsequent player has to increase the amount of chips if they want to stay in the game. Essentially they have to match whatever was recently put down. This is referred to as raising.

You may have seen films where a player says, “I see your bet and I raise you”. This is what they're referring to. After everyone has placed their bets all of the players show their hands at once, “hands” referring to the cards they have. The person with the highest ranking set of cards wins all of the money in the pot.

Another way to win is to place a bet in the pot that is so high, no other player wants to match it. If players in a given game choose not to match the bet placed in the pot they have to fold. “Fold” means that they are quitting the game, and they place their cards upside down.

With a poker guide, you can learn the different winning hands at your own pace.  the numerical values of the cards stay as they are, so a card with numerical value of 7 holds that value. Beyond that there are four suits and the cards each have their own suit: hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades. In some situations, the suit and the numerical value combined to make a winning hand, and in some situations your winning hand is determined by one or the other.

Card Ranks

Below are the main rankings you will find in a game:

Royal Flush: this is the highest set of 5 cards that all have the same suit in sequential rank: 10, J, Q, K, Ace.

Straight Flush: this refers to a set of 5 cards that all have the same suit. The suit must be in sequential rank such as a king, queen, Jack, 10, and 9. Aces, in almost all forms of Poker, can be high or low. Five cards of the same suit from an ace through 10 is called a royal flush and that is the best possible hand you can get.

Four of a Kind:  this means 4 cards in your hand have a certain rank, such as 4 cards with the numerical value of 9, and one card that has a numerical value of 2.

Full House:  this means 3 cards in your hand have the same Rank and the two other cards also have the same rank. An example would be three cards with the numerical value 7 and two cards with the numerical value of 4.

Flush: This is when you get 5 cards that have the same suit, for example an ace, Queen, Jack, 9, and to all under the heart suit.

Straight:  this is where you have 5 cards in numerical sequence, of any suit, such as a king, queen, Jack, 10, and 9.

Three of a Kind:  as the name suggests this is when you have three cards that are the same Rank, and any two other cards. An example would be three cards with the numerical value of 3, a Jack, and a 10.

Two Pair:  this is when you have two cards of the same rank, but you also have two other cards with the same rank, so you have two pairs of matching cards and then your v card whatever that might be. An example would be two cards with the rank of Queen and two cards with the numerical value 7 and a card with 2.

Pair:  with this you have two cards that are the same rank. you might have to Kings and then 3 random cards and the other player could have two queens and 3 random cards and if you both only have one pair; whatever pair has the higher value is the winner.

Betting Terminologies

This online poker guide wouldn’t be complete without some betting terminologies. As mentioned, to fold means to quit or not match the current bet. A hand is the top five cards you have. The pot is the figurative pot into which all of the bets are placed. When you match someone's bet and add your own into the pot that is called a raise.

As you start to play for real money, don’t worry if you have to refer to a poker beginners guide here and there.  You can start playing online easily and still refer to a list of ranks for determining the winning poker hand so that you understand how close you came to winning or at which point you should have folded instead of raising.

Free Play

Don’t just read this online poker guide. Give it a try yourself.   It is always best to try the game yourself once you have familiarized yourself with the rules and the setting. Nothing can give you exposure to the ins-and-outs of poker quite like trying the game yourself at one of our top reviewed casinos sites.  The best part about trying on line is that you can play a free play version, or a demo version where no real money has to be placed. Learn how to play and learn to enjoy the game before you dive into real money betting.

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