Hand Rankings
ROYAL FLUSH: The top five cards of one suit in consecutive order. The best hand in poker. If your lucky enough to see a real one. Be sure to push all your money into the middle because you can't be beat.
STRAIGHT FLUSH: Any five cards of the same suit in consecutive numerical order. Ties are decided by highest straight. Ace can play Hi or Lo but straight cannot "turn the corner" eg. K-Q-A-2-3.
FOUR of a KIND or also know as( QUADS ): Four cards of the same value. Our example shows four kings with an ace kicker. The kicker doesn't matter much since you can only be beat by higher quads or a straight flush.
FULL BOAT: Any three cards of the same value, plus any pair. Ties are broken by the highest value of the three cards.
FLUSH: Any five non-consecutive cards of the same suit. Ties are broken by the highest flush card.
STRAIGHT: Any five consecutive cards of different suits. Ties are broken by the highest card. Ace can play Hi or Lo but straight cannot "turn the corner" eg. K-Q-A-2-3
THREE of a KIND - or also know as a ( SET ): Any three cards of the same value. Ties are broken by the highest set. Our example shows three 7's also know as "the slot machine" for obvious reasons.
TWO PAIR: Two cards of the same value combined with another two cards of the same value. If the higher pair is tied the second pair decides. Our example shows "the Dead Mans Hand". Wild Bill Hickok was shot to death during a poker game while holding aces and eights.
PAIR: Any two cards of the same value. Ties are decided by the higher pair. If the pair values are tied the player with the highest second card (kicker) takes the pot.
HIGH CARD: If no other hand is achieved the player with the highest card wins.
Basic Poker Rules
For playing Poker use a standard pack of playing cards, 52 cards (there are some poker games that uses more or less depending on the variations such as adding wild cards like jokers). The card ranking is as follows Ace (the highest), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (the lowest), Ace (this may also be the lowest card depending on the variations you are using, but it is usually the highest).
There are four suits (spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs). No suit is higher than another. All poker hands contain five cards, the highest hand wins.
The number of cards dealt is dependant on what type of game you are playing. On the left there is a list of the most popular types of poker along with their specific rules.
Games Rules:
Texas Hold 'em In Texas Hold'em:Each player is given 2 pocket cards. The game continues with a total of 5 community cards face up, first 3, then 1 after the other. Between each deal there is a round of betting.
Hold'em is played with two blinds (a bet before the pocket cards are received). The first two players after the dealer pay the blinds. The small blind is posted by the first player and the big blind by the second. In heads-up games, the player seated after the dealer pays the big blind. The first two betting rounds are played with the lower limit while the last two rounds of betting are played with the higher limit.
Omaha: Omaha is a poker game derived from Texas Hold’em. Each player is dealt four cards ("hole cards"), which belong only to that player. Five community cards are dealt face-up on the "board". All players use three of the five community cards together with two of their hole cards to make the best five-card poker hand.
Omaha Hi/Lo: The player with the best five-card hand for high wins half the pot, and the player with the best hand for low wins the other half. In Omaha, players must use two and only two of their four hole cards in combination with three cards from the board. In the event of identical hands, the high and low shares of the pot will be equally divided between the players with the best hands. In the event that no hand qualifies for low, the best hand(s) for high wins the pot.
For a five card hand to qualify for low, it cannot include cards higher than 8 or contain any pairs. Aces can be used for both high and low. When comparing low hands, the winner is the hand with the lowest high card, thus 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 is better than Ace, 2, 3, 4, 8. The best possible low hand is Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5.
In Seven Card Stud: Players are dealt seven cards throughout the course of the hand, but only the best five-card hand possible for each player is used to determine the winner.
Before a game of Seven Card Stud starts, all players ante a nominal amount, for example $1 in a $10-$20 game. Each player is dealt two hidden hole cards and one exposed card. The player with the lowest exposed card is the "bring-in", and is forced to make a wager of either a half a small bet or a full small bet (for example, either $1 or $2 in a $2/$4 game). Action continues clockwise around the table until betting is complete for the round.
In the unlikely event that all 8 players are still in the hand on the river, the total number of cards needed for all the players to receive their own card would not be available in a standard deck of cards. In this case the river card is dealt face up on the table and it will be used as a community card.
Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo:The player with the best five-card hand for high wins half the pot, and the player with the best hand for low wins the other half. In the event that no hand qualifies for low, the best hand(s) for high wins the pot.
5 Card Draw: In 5 Card Draw, players are dealt five down (concealed) cards each. After the first round of betting, all remaining players are given the option of drawing (changing) one or more of their cards. After a second round of betting, the game goes to a showdown. The player with the best high hand wins.
5 Card Draw is played with two blinds (forced bets), paid by the first two players seated after the dealer.
Available Betting Structures:
Limit: In structured limit games, the only valid bet/raise is the current limit, for example $5 on the first two rounds in a $5-$10 Hold'em game. There may be a maximum of 4 bet/raises in a round of betting. This includes a bet, raise, re-raise and a cap.
No-Limit: In no-limit, a valid bet/raise must be at least the higher of the current limit and the last bet/raise. No higher limit is available, other than the players’ credits. No maximum number of raises exists.
Pot-Limit: In pot-limit, the valid bet/raise must be at least the higher of the current limit and the last bet/raise. A pot-limit bet/raise may be at highest the value of the pot, plus all bets at the table including the current player's call. No maximum number
Poker Tips
Pay attention. Watch who's playing in an aggressive or loose way and who's playing tight, try to play the loose players and avoid the tight players, unless you've got a strong hand.
It's a game of position You can make a bet at one position at the table and have it be a great bet, but if you made the same exact bet from a different position at the table and it could be a terrible bet. Position is everything in Texas Hold'em.
Watch the chips. Always be aware of everyone's chip count. Know who has more chips than you and play more carefully against them - a mistake could knock you out. It's usually better to play pots with players who have fewer chips than you do.
No match. If your cards don't match any of the community cards, throw your hand away when someone else bets. You bluff by making big bets, not calling big bets!
Ace in the hand. Don't play every time you have an ace in your hand. However, play an ace if it's accompanied by a card of the same suit or by a 10 or higher.
Hands to stay with before the flop. Play with pairs (7-7, 9-9), two face cards (K-Q, Q-J), or hands that can make both a straight and a flush (8-9, 6-7 of the same suit). Be patient and fold other hands, unless you're in the blind.
Good hand? Bet strong. In no-limit Texas Hold'em, players can bet all of their chips at any time, so bet aggressively when you have a good hand.
Watch and wait. Play fewer hands when you're one of the first players to act, because you'll be 'out of position' and vulnerable to raises from the remaining players.
Wait your turn. Do not act until it is your turn; play proceeds clockwise at the poker table.
Be a 'bettor,' not a 'caller'. Being aggressive is good.
Call their bluff. If someone raises in a late position (near or on the button), re-raise them a good amount if you are on the blind. Chances are, they don't have a big hand and they're just trying to steal your blinds. (This style of play, known as going 'over the top', is probably the strongest play one can make in no-limit Texas Hold'em.)
Be patient. The biggest mistake most players make is to act too quickly. When you're making an important decision pause to think about how the betting has gone and what your opponent might have. Take your time.
Poker Table Seating Tips
After Loose Players. If you have a chance to watch the table before sitting down, try to sit to the left of (after) the most aggressive (loosest) player at the table. That way, if they raise aggressively, you will be saved having to call and fold on a questionable hand.
After the Big Fish. The player at the table with the most money may be a fish with more money than brains, or they may be the best player at the table and have legitimately won all that money. In either case, you want to be immediately after them, so that you can make your decisions based upon their raises, which are likely to be frequent and sizeable. The last thing you want is someone like that after you constantly raising your bet, frequently forcing you to fold after having already made an investment into the pot.
After an Out-of-Position Player. If you can see that someone frequently plays out of position, betting with mediocre cards in early position, or folding too often in late position with a table full of players, then you want to play after them. I know of a couple of players who love flush draws even in early positions, so I try to sit to the right of them. Playing out of position is the sign of a bad player, and you should take advantage of them before someone else does.
Poker Tells..
Poker Tells are important features for any successful poker player to learn and apply. A tell, is any tendency, attitude, or physical reaction that provides your opponents more information about the strength of your hand. We have compiled a list below of the most recognizable tells you will encounter at the tables:
The truth lies in the eyes. When you are in the card rooms or you are enjoying poker on television you will generally see a number of players at the tables sporting hats, sunglasses or sometimes players will be wearing both. The reasoning behind this, other than the sole purpose of advertising is that those players know that the eyes rarely tell a lie. For instance, when players are holding big pocket cards they will typically give them a little longer glance than usual. So, keep your eyes on your opponents' eyes throughout the rounds.
Facial expressions. The stare down is a common trait that many poker players use as a way to try and intimidate their opponents, and to try and get a read on what their opponents' are thinking. Many players try to avoid the confrontation of a stare down, and one way they do this is by wearing a hat and looking down at the table. Some players will wear hats and shades so if they do get confronted with a stare down they are really not providing their opponents with much information. Often times, players will try to study your face to locate signs of nervousness (such as twitching, or repetitive swallowing) to try and get any type of information on you with regards to the strengths of your hand, whether it's strong or weak.
Weak is strong/strong is weak. You will find that many players sitting at the tables like to believe they are actors starring in a major motion picture in Hollywood. The acting comes in to play when players have weak hand and they like to play it off as if they have big hand, and when they have a weak hand they try to make like they have the nuts. You will also find that players will sometimes pretend to lose interest in a hand when they have a real strong hand and they will come up with comments like "is it my bet", "how much is it to me", or "Ah why not, might as well gamble". Remember, every player should know when it is their turn to play and when they should be betting. Just keep in mind that everybody's actions are a reflection of what they are holding.
Signs of distress. Often times when players get confronted or they know a confrontation is coming they will generally suffer from distress. During periods of distress, players will sometimes display changes in their physical appearance, such as: the flexing of muscles, dilated pupils, and a dry throat. Typically these physical changes occur when a player is sitting on a big hand. A good way to determine the strengths of your opponent's hands is to listen to your opponents' voice when they announce their intentions, or even when you confront them on a hand. Their voice will tend to get just a little bit higher. Another situation that the professionals use a great deal is they look at the vein on the top-side of their opponents face, and this shows the changes in blood pressure.
Shaking of the hands at crunchtime. This is also another result of distress. You might sometimes notice that when players have big hands their hands begin to shake, and that represents a sign of nervousness. You need to watch how your opponents play with their chips (is it faster or slower than normal), as well as if players fumble their stack of chips when they are moving them into the pot (if they are nervous, they sometimes will drop a few chips, or even knock over a portion of their stack). This is not an intentional tell and it almost always means a huge hand, and they are excited.
Chip glancing. This topic encourages you to shift your focus to your opponents' eyes once again. Typically the first instinct of many players when they have made something on the flop is to take a peak at their chip stack (they are already figuring out their attack). This will tell you that your opponent has something, so focusing in on your opponents' eyes will tell you a lot.
Staring through the flop. This is the total opposite of the previous tell, as player's takes glances at their chips when they hit big, more often than not player's will stare blankly at the flop when they miss it. Typically when a player is looking at the flop like he's trying to find some sort of hand in there, it means he's missed.>
Repetitive betting patterns. Poker players, especially amateurs, will almost always bet certain amounts in certain situations. This happens because they think that the amount they bet is the right amount for that situation. So be aware of what they bet when they have top pair after the flop, or if they have the nut flush draw. These betting patterns will give you a good idea of what their next bet could potentially mean.
A second look at their holecards. This most often occurs when a flop comes out with all of the cards representing the same suit. Then the player takes a second glance at their pocket cards. They are checking to see if one of their cards matches the suit on the board. It usually means that their cards aren't suited, and they do not have the flush but they may well have a flush-draw.
Player's table posture. A lot of times the posture of a poker player can give you plenty of information. For example, once the cards have come up and you notice a player all of a sudden slumps their shoulders this is usually a reflection of a weak hand. But, if a player all of a sudden sits up high in their chair and becomes very alert, this represents a sign of strength.
The player's chip stacks When you first arrive at a table take a moment and study the way your opponents have arranged their chip stacks. The player's that have unorganized chip stacks typically represents a loose aggressive player. On the other hand, a player that keeps their chip stacks nice and organized is generally a reflection of a tight conservative player.
Starting hand Grouping The most common mistake the novice players make is playing too many hands. Playing any two-suited cards, any ace or king, or weak hands like 76 off-suit is a sure way to lose money over the long run. A good player is disciplined, and waits to play good cards. Playing smart poker is frequently boring. A good player typically sees the flop less than 25% of the time, the rest of the time they are studying their opponents and observing what sorts of cards they typically play.
Sklansky and Malmuth have published (in Hold'em Poker for Advanced Players, a must-have book) one of the most widely regarded groupings of starting hands. Group 1: AA, KK, QQ, JJ, AKs
A few notes on the above groupings - ATs means Ace Ten suited, AXs means any Ace and "X" card that are suited.
In order to understand when to play any of the above hands, you must be conscious of your position and the other players actions before you. (The position is in reference to where you are relative to the button.) Probability is a huge factor in texas hold 'em. Players use odds to determine their actions. The chances of finishing a flush or a straight, the probablity of getting an overcard, the percentage of times you're going to flop a set to match your pocket pair are all important factors in poker. Knowledge of these statistics is key to winning. In online games especially with very few (if any) tells, statistical knowledge becomes the main factor when choosing whether to bet, call, or fold.
The Odds chart below shows the percentage and odds of making your hand based on your number of outs. Out Chart
The Rule of Four -Two. The rule of four-two, as I like to call it, is an easier way to figure the odds for any situation where you know your outs. It is not completely accurate but it will give you a quick "ballpark" figure of your chances for making a hand. Here is how it works. With two cards to come after the flop you multiply your number of outs by four. With one card to come after the turn, you multiply your number of outs by two. This will give you a quick figure to work with. If you have a four-card flush after the flop you have nine outs. With two cards to come, you multiply the nine by four and you get 36 percent chance of making the flush. The chart shows the true odds at 35 percent. With one card to come you multiply nine by two and get 18 percent. The chart shows that the true figure is 19.6. It is not completely accurate but it is pretty close, and it is an easy calculation to do in your head. |
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Starting Hand Nicknames
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Poker GlossaryWhen you're playing poker, you may come across words that are unfamiliar. To help you learn the lingo of poker, we've developed a handy glossary of poker terms. To help you understand the relationships between these terms, we've built links between many of them. Simply press your browser's 'back' button to return to your previous position in the glossary. A
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