You know, it’s never too late to start. Even the 2019 WSOP finalists were once complete rookies who forgot the rules and got lost in their hands. What about today? Today they are fighting at the same table for a $2 million, $5 million and $10 million prize pool. Poker is a game with great potential that rewards players for their efforts. The more you play and the more experience you get, the better your rewards.
Some might say that poker and all other casino games are just luck. How do you explain the fact that professional poker players have a 70-80% win rate? Are they so lucky? No, it’s actually all hard work that always pays off in the end. If you are interested in poker and want to become a real pro, or just have fun playing free poker, then this article is a great starter for you. In the following sections, you will learn the basic poker rules, what hands are and how 5 Card Poker, 3 Card Poker and Omaha High differ from Texas Hold’em.
Poker rules and hands
There is no such game as poker. Poker is a category of games that is divided into several different types with unique rules, gameplay and rewards. Now we will look at poker rules based on the most popular type – Texas Hold’em. Poker hands and rules:
- 2-10 people play at one table.
- The player’s goal is to get the strongest combo among other players.
- To get a combo, you can use 2 hand cards and 5 cards on the table.
- Only you can see your hands.
- The game begins with all players receiving 2 cards.
- Clockwise, players at the table must either bet or fold.
- There are several possible bets – call (place the same bet as the previous player) or raise (raise the bet).
- After all the players have made their move, the dealer deals three face up cards on the table – flop.
- Bets are repeated clockwise again with one new option – check (skip the bet if there was no call or raise before).
- After the players’ actions, the 4th card appears on the table – turn.
- Bets are repeated according to the previous rules.
- The final card appears on the table – river.
- All remaining players open their hands and the player who was able to get the strongest combo takes the pot.
All of the above is just the tip of the iceberg. Poker hides a lot of tricks, tactics and actions that you will have to learn as you practice.
Other types of poker
As stated earlier, Texas Hold’em is just one type of poker. In addition, there are several of the most popular types of poker:
- Omaha High.
- 3 Card Poker.
- 5 Card Poker.
Each of these types has its own unique rules, but the main meaning does not change – in order to win, you must get a combination of cards. In Omaha High, each player receives not 2 hand cards, but 4. In addition, you cannot make a combo with only 1 card from hand. The minimum number of hand cards for a combo is 2.
3 Cards Poker is a fast type of game with simple poker rules. At the beginning of the round, the player and the dealer receive 3 cards. You must decide whether to play your hand against the dealer’s hand or fold. If your hand is stronger, you win. If the dealer’s hand is stronger, you lose.
In 5 Card Poker, each player receives 5 cards and has the opportunity to change some of them. After that, all players open their hands and the player with the strongest combo takes the pot.