As poker’s popularity continues to increase within the usa and overseas, players new to the game itself, as well as experienced home game players, continue sidle up to the casino poker tables asking to be dealt in.
Poker originated in the saloons of the Wild West and has probably the most game variants. It’s played player against players and not only against the dealer as in Blackjack, and there’s a lot of psychology involved during play. Poker takes a moment to learn as well as a lifetime to learn.
The cards are ranked in descending order starting from the highest; Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, linked internet page 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace. Ace can be high or low. There are four suits; spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs, but no suit is higher than another.
There are actually 2,598,960 possible combinations of cards in a poker hand you can be dealt.
For most games players must ‘ante’ a nominal amount just to have the cards dealt. Once the cards are dealt, the betting starts. Players bet in to the pot in the middle of the table and it is done in turn clockwise.
The player with the highest rank showing, is the first to talk as well as to bet. He may either bet or check. By saying ‘Check’, he passes the decision to bet to the next player that can also check. If all players check, then it’s the end of the round. Everybody opens his cards as well as the highest hand wins.
Say you start with a $5 bet. When someone else raises $10, he puts $15 within the pot. When your turn comes again you need to add $10 difference to the pot to stay within the game, and if you want you can also raise or perhaps say ‘Pot’. Pot is a raise to the maximum, which means to bet the same amount as the total money obtainable in the pot.
Well, I think you should now be equipped to go out there and play poker. Play intelligently and carefully. Keep an eye out for tells. Know your own limits, and even more importantly – play to win!