Poker is one of the world’s most popular games that has been widely accepted by casinos across the globe. The huge demand to play has meant that Poker can now be accessed from the comfort of your own home. Whether you are a beginner, a season veteran or just looking for a new poker website, we have put together the structure, some basic rules and some potential strategies for you in this short guide.
If you’re looking to get started or want a refresher, read on to see our beginners guide to poker, and see how easy it is to get to grips with the rules.
Basic Rules – Texas Hold ‘em
There are multiple variations of poker that players can enjoy all around the world. The easiest and most popular of these is Texas Hold‘em. Originating in the USA, this game starts with a 52 deck of cards. Each player at the table is dealt two cards face down; these are called two-hole cards. Five community cards are then placed.
The objective of the game is to use your two-hole cards in combination with the community cards in order to make the best hand possible to win. The player with the best hand, or if everyone else folds, wins the pot.
There are two blinds you need to know about in Texas Hold‘em. There’s a small blind and a big blind. These bets are forced and require two players to make a bet before the cards are dealt to make sure there are some chips in the pot worth playing for.
The player directly to the left of the dealer puts out the small blind. The big blind is then paid by the player to the left of the small blind.
A round of Texas Hold’em consists of a minimum of one and a maximum of four betting rounds. A hand ends when all players, but one, have folded. Or when the fourth betting round has ended and the players must show their cards to see who has won.
When it’s time for showdown, which is revealing your cards after a round of betting, each player uses their intelligence to make the best possible five card combination using personal and community cards.
Glossary of Terms
Blinds: Short for “blind bets,” these are the forced bets made before the cards are dealt. This is so the start of the betting round has substance without the cards being available yet.
Button: This is the player acting as the dealer in the current hand.
Flop: The first three community cards dealt are referred to as the flop
Preflop: All actions that occur before the flop
Call: Similar to a check but no money is bet. You cannot raise preflop, the big blind may call.
All-In: A player puts all of their remaining chips into the pot to win or as a bluff
River: The final (fifth) community card dealt to help with players combinations
Showdown: This is when players reveal their hands to see who has the best combination of cards
Turn: The fourth community card dealt to help with players combinations
