If you asked the typical gambler how to win at poker, he or she would probably respond with "get really lucky!" However, with a little study, one quickly comes to the realization that poker is about much more than luck. Powers of observation, memory, psychology, betting and pure old "guts" are all things that can be learned, improved and manipulated. These play just as important a role in poker as does luck. Because of poker's complexity, it is safe to say that it is the only casino game that a player can be a consistent winner at or even become a professional.
Poker is played with a standard 52-card deck of playing cards. There are hundreds of variations of poker games, from Texas Holdem to Omaha to 7 Card Stud and many more invented every day. In fact the 52 card deck is one of the few things each poker variation has in common! Another common trait is the rank of hands; "what beats what."
Straight Flush - This hand consists of 5 cards in sequential order and all of the same suit. Example: 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, and all of spades. The higher the top ranking card in the straight flush, the more powerful the hand. The best possible hand in poker is a Royal Flush which is Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, all of the same suit.
Four of a Kind - Four cards of the same rank. Example: King, King, King, King or 7777. The higher the rank the better. In the previous example, four kings beats four sevens.
Full House - This hand consists of three of a kind and a pair. Example: AAA33. The rank of the three of a kind determines the value of the hand in case two players both have full houses. AAA33 would beat KKKJJ. KKK44 would beat QQQAA.
Flush - A flush is a hand where all of the cards are the same suit, such as QJ852, all of clubs. When flushes tie, the player with the highest ranking card wins. An ace high flush beats a King high flush and so on. If both players have matching high cards, you move to the 2nd card to compare. So an AKJ32 flush would be an AQ653, etc. The king being higher than the queen when the second cards are compared.
Straight - A straight is 5 cards in order, such as 5,6,7,8,9. The suits do not match. An ace may either be high (A-K-Q-J-T) or low (5-4-3-2-1). However, a straight may not wraparound. (Such as QKA23, which is not a straight). When there is a tie, the highest straight wins. (AKQJT beats KQJT9 down to 5432A). If two straights have the same value they split the pot.
Three of a kind - Three cards of the same rank, and the other two cards in the players hand do not match (otherwise it would be a full house.) Here again, the rank determines the winner, if two players both have three of a kind. AAA beats KKK and so on.
Two Pair - This is two pairs of card and a 5th card (also called a "kicker"). Example: AA33K. The highest pair wins ties. AA33Q beats KKJJ4. If both hands have the same high pair, the second pair wins. If both hands have the same pairs, the kicker determines the winner. AAKKQ beats AAKKJ.
One Pair - One distinct pair with three unrelated cards in a five card hand. Example: AAJ53. The player's only real value in this hand is "aces". If two players tie with the same one pair, then the other cards (kickers) do come into play. AAJ54 beats AA832, by virtue of the jack in the first hand being of higher rank than the 8 in the second player's hand.
High Card - When no player has a pair or better, then the player with the highest card wins. Ace is highest down through 2. If two players have the same high card, then you compare the 2nd highest card and on down until one player's hand is better than the other's. AK973 beats AK962, by virtue of the seven being higher than the six.
Bet - the first bet on each round of betting is called a bet.
Raise - When someone else has bet and you wish to bet more it is called a raise.
Reraise - When someone has bet and another player has raised, if you wish to bet even more, then it is called a reraise.
Call - If someone has bet, you can stay in the hand by matching his bet. This is "calling."
Check - if no one has bet, you can say "check" and not put any money into the pot. You are in essense betting nothing. If everyone checks, you move to the next round for free. However, if someone does bet, then checking is not an option. When someone bets you have to either call, raise or fold.
Fold - If you want to get out of the hand without placing any money into the pot, you can fold. This is advisable with very bad cards!
An example round of betting follows, with fictional poker players Bill, Jane, John and Betty.
Bill bets $2. Jane Calls by putting in $2 to match Bill. John folds. Betty raises to $4. Bill re-raises to $6 (he already has $2 in the pot so it only costs him $4 more to make this reraise!) Action is back on Jane who already has $2 in the pot and she decides to call again, putting in an additional $4. Betty also calls by putting in $2 more.
The round of betting is over in the above example, with all players having put $6 into the pot except John who folded his hand in the beginning of the round. Play would proceed to the next round.
How much a player can bet, how many bets in each round, etc. are all dependent upon the poker variation being played.
To win at poker you will need to become a student of the game and learn proper poker strategy. As noted in the introduction, it is very possible for players to earn their entire income from playing poker. In fact televised poker coverage has exploded since 2003, making household names of many poker professionals.
The complex game of poker has also become a major force on the Internet as well. There are many online poker sites based offshore these days, where players from all over the world can play for real money against each other. With hundreds of popular poker sites out there, the competition to attract players is fierce. One thing the poker rooms have done to attract players is to offer poker bonus codes. Potential players can search for TitanPoker Bonus Codes or Paradise Poker Bonus Codes and get free chips to go along with their deposits. Many players build their entire bankroll by clearing lots of bonuses at different sites, commonly called bonus whoring.
Yet another way players can win money at poker besides becoming a good player through paying attention to good poker tips is to take advantage of comps that the poker rooms give to regular or high volume players. These come in the form of rakeback or rake rebate deals. Poker rooms make money by taking a portion of each pot for themselves, called the "rake." With rakeback, players can earn part of what they contribute in rake, back into their bankrolls.
Finally, there are many sites out there that give great tutorials to teach you Texas Holdem Strategy or 7 Card Stud Strategy, two of the more popular variations of poker played today. If a player really wants to, they can make a great side income by playing poker!
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