The Basics of Poker

Poker is one of the most popular card games in the United States today. Whether you just like to play for fun or for high stakes, the best way to improve your poker skills is just to practice by playing. With experience, you will learn the rules and strategies of the game and develop a sense for how to best play your hand. Here I present to you basic poker information that will give you the knowledge you will need before you start playing.

Progression of Hands

The ranking of hands never changes no matter what type of poker game you play, except in rare instances, which must be specified beforehand. They go in order, from best to worst:

Royal Flush: ace, king, queen, jack, ten of the same suit.

Straight Flush: any five-card sequence of the same suit.

Four of a Kind: four cards of the same value

Full House: A pair and three of a kind

Flush: any five-card sequence of the same suit

Straight: five-card sequence, not of the same suit

Three of a Kind: three cards of all the same value

Two Pair: two sets of two cards with the same value

One Pair: one set of two cards with the same value

High Card: The highest value card in the hand

Types of Poker

There are as many styles and variations of poker as there are people who play the game, because a dealer is free to set just about any rules he or she wants. Here are the most popular versions:

Draw

In draw poker, the players are dealt their whole hand face down (this is so that only the player can see the cards) and may exchange some or all of the cards for new ones. Even though a five-card deal with a three card draw is common, the number of cards dealt and drawn can vary and should be announced before the cards are dealt.

Stud

In stud poker, some cards are dealt face up (all players can see the cards) and some down. As in draw poker, the number of cards dealt and which ones are dealt face down varies and depends on what the dealer decides. A five-card stud with the first card dealt down is common, as is a seven-card stud with the first two and last cards down.

Spit in the Ocean

In its most common form, this game consists of four cards dealt down to each player and one card turned up in the middle of the table. The up card is wild, and players use it to complete their five-card hands. This means that each player has at least a pair to start with.

Cincinnati

In this game each player is dealt five cards down while five cards are turned over, one at a time, in the center. Each player can use the five cards in the center, which gives them ten cards in all to find the best five-card hand. In other variations, the amount of cards dealt is lowered and the center cards are arranged in a cross formation, allowing a player to use only one row or three cards to complete a hand.

High-Low

High-low is not really a game in itself, but rather a rule that can be applied to many poker games. In this game, the highest hand splits the pot with the lowest, or worst, hand. The worst possible hand in most poker games is ace, 2, 3, 4, 6 (or 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 if ace is high.)

Lowball

In this game, the lowest hand wins the entire pot.

Guts

In this game, two or three cards are usually dealt down, though more can be dealt. The players try to form their best poker hands, usually only a pair or high card, then hold their cards out face down by the edges. On a count of three, the players either hold their cards or drop them on the table. Those who drop have folded; those who compete for the best hand. Any player who holds but then loses must match the pot, therefore, if two players lose, the pot is doubled.) The game ends when only one player holds.

Betting

There are three factors which usually determine bets in poker: the ante, or what each player put into the pot before the deal; the minimum bet, or the least amount that can be bet in a round; and the maximum bet, or the most that can be bet in a round. The rules for betting should be set out before the deal.

Wild Cards

To raise the level of hands, dealers often call wild cards. These are cards tha can ac as any card in the deck. Jokers, deuces, or particular face cads (one-eyed jacks, suicide kings) are often designated wild and should be called before the deal.

Strategies

Poker strategy can be very involved and it requires a lot of playing experience to completely understand. Here is a list of some of the most basic strategies.

- Come with enough money to play. The fear of running out of money will make you apprehensive about betting, which other players may read and exploit. As a beginner, stay away from games with expensive stakes. Play for pennies, barter for errands, or play for your favorite snack or candy.

- Be confident, don't allow other players to read you. Try to show an even level of enthusiasm, whether you have a good hand or not. When you decide to bet act confident whether you have the cards or you are bluffing.

- Watch others. Just as others will try to read your expressions, you should try to read theirs. Also, watch others open hands, they may reveal what kind of hand a player has, or at least tell you what cards you will not be dealt.

- Get out unless you have a promising hand. Staying in on a long shot will sometimes pay off well, but more often than not, you will just be wasting money. Bluffing is fine, but in the end, you will need to have the best hand to win.

Etiquette

As in any game, there are certain rules that must be kept. Don't count your chips or money at the table. Don't pick up your cards until everyone has been dealt. Don't leave the table in the middle of a hand. Bet in turn and avoid table talk or "trash talk" with other players.