Everything about Poker

History of Poker

Poker is a card game that’s been around for more than 450 years. There is still some debate about the exact year in which the game was founded. Most reckon poker originated in Europe, in the early 16th century. Back then, players were dealt three cards each, after which the bets were called. The result was a combination of two or three cards of equal value, or three of the same suit. Over time, the game began to modernize, and new rules of poker and variations of the game began to appear. In the 18th century, for example, the game was played with five cards and chips, and players were allowed to bluff. Poker began to spread around the world, and the game became very popular as a result. By the 19th century, the game was already being played with a deck of 52 cards. However, poker rules have changed over time, the game is still decided based on winning poker combinations. 

Today, poker has not lost its popularity. What is more, there is now an incredible variety of poker variations with their own rules and features. All variations of the game are available at online casinos, where gamblers can try out the game!

Poker today

Poker, as we see it today, is a card game, where the goal of the players is to make a winning combination of cards, or force their opponents to quit the game. At the same time, the game is played with cards that are fully or partially covered. Today, poker can be played not only at home or in gambling houses, but also at online casinos and poker rooms. Thus, on reliable and legal gaming platforms, players can play the following types of poker:

Since, there are quite a few varieties of game today, some points of poker game rules may differ. Regardless, the main poker rule in all variations of the game is card combinations and trading. And, if this is your first time hearing about these variations of the game, then we’ll tell you how to play poker for beginners! 

Basic poker rules

As already mentioned, poker is a card game. It is played with decks of 32, 36 or 54 cards. However, today, the most common variant is a deck of 52 cards. The game is played with between 2 and 10 players, and the action takes place at the playing table. Depending on the variant of poker, the game is played in several rounds of bidding. Each of these rounds starts with mandatory betting and the handing out of new cards. Once the cards are dealt, players decide whether to place a bet, or end the game. The player with the strongest combination of five cards wins. Also, the player who manages to take his opponents out of the game, thus becoming the only active player before the cards are dealt, counts as a winner. 

As far as card values are concerned, they go in ascending order from 2 to Ace. However, an Ace can be either the lowest or the highest valued card, to form a specific combination. 

The winning card combinations

If you ask: how to play poker for dummies, we tell you that the first place to start is knowing your winning card combinations! This is the main thing that will get you closer to winning, because you can easily strategise, think of your own moves, bluff, and more. So, here are the main card combinations that are considered to win in poker:

Straight Flush	Any five cards of the same suit in order. For example 9, 8, 7, 6, 5
Royal Flush	Five high cards of the same suit, starting with an ace. For example: A, K, Q, J, 10
Four of a Kind	Four cards out of five of the same value. (Q, Q, Q, Q, 8)
Full House	A combination of 3 cards of one face value and two cards of another face value. (10, 10, 10, 3, 3)
Flush	Five cards of the same suit.For example, you have 7,10, J, K, A spades.
Straight	Five cards in order of any suit. Ace may be either a junior or senior card in different combinations. (A, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10, J, Q, K, A)
Three of a kind	Three of five cards of the same face value. For example: 7 hearts, 7 spades, 7 diamonds
Two pairs	Availability of two pairs of cards. For example (8, 8, 6, 6)
Pair	Two cards of the same value (3, 5, 9, Q, Q)
High Card	The highest card available. For example, in a combination of K, 9, 7, 5, 5 the highest card is the king. The suits can be different.

Terms and their meanings

Knowing the winning card combinations of poker is half the battle. It’s also important to know the basic terms used in the game. Understanding the meanings of these terms is what will help you win:

Bank – the money, in the form of money or chips, that players can win during the game. The bank is replenished during trading at the expense of the participants in the game. The winner takes all the money, but if more than one player wins, the pot is divided equally. 

Bankroll – The amount of money allocated to a player in a game.

Buy-in – the fee for joining the game. In other words, it is the amount of money, which must be paid in order to join the game.

Button – The white chip that stands for Dealer. The Button determines the order of the deal. With this, each round the Button chip goes to the next player clockwise. The player with the Button is the last player to bet. 

Blind – a mandatory bet which must be placed before cards are dealt. There is a big blind and a small blind. The player immediately to the left of the dealer must put the small blind, and the player to the right must put the big blind. The big blind is usually twice as big as the small blind.

Ante – a mandatory deposit required from each player to make up the initial pot. This is usually a small amount of money.

Betting Hand – The determined winning combination of cards.

Board – Cards which are dealt face up on the game board.

All-in – Betting all of the available Money in the All-in.

Dealer – Is the player who has the Button and who deals the cards. It also determines the order of the deal.

Out – Cards left in the deck which can help the player put together the necessary combination when they are dealt. 

Hole cards – the closed personal cards which are dealt at the beginning of the first round to each player.      

Call – To level your opponent’s bet.

Kicker – A card which counts when multiple players have the same card combination.      

Raise – To Raise the Bet.

Lead – the first Bet into the Pot, which has not yet been Raised.

Nuts – The strongest card combination of all possible cards in the round.

Odds – Possible probability of making the necessary combination of cards. That is, whether or not the right card will fall out. 

Fold – A refusal to continue playing or a discarding of cards. 

Check – A possible move by a player, if no one else has bet in the round.

Popular varieties of poker

You’ve now understood the poker rules hands, namely which card combinations are considered winning, as well as the basic poker terms. Now, let’s talk more about the variations of the game. Which ones are most preferred when playing poker online, as well as their basic rules.

How to play poker online: Texas Hold’Em

This is, probably, the most popular form of online poker among poker players. Typically, a deck of 52 cards is used and the number of players can vary from 2 to 9. During the game, each participant receives 2 hole cards. At the same time, 5 shared cards are laid out on the playing table face up. The main objective of Texas Hold’em is to put together a maximum winning five-card hand. In doing so, 2 hole cards and 3 community cards must be involved. It is also considered to be a winning hand, if 1 hole card and 4 community cards are involved. 

The game moves clockwise, starting with the player to the left of the batten. At the same time, the button shifts one step to the left with each round. The two players to the left of the dealer must make a small and a big blind. Next, a number of Texas Hold’em rounds follow:

Preflop	The first round of trading when the players each have 2 hole cards in their hand.
Flop	The round in which the first 3 community cards are dealt to the game table.
Turn	A round in which 4 Community Cards are dealt to the Table.
River	The final round, in which the final Community Card is placed on the Table.
Showdown	The final step. Here, all players reveal their cards, where the winner is determined by hand strength.

Don’t forget that you, and the other players on the table are, allowed to bluff. Keep that in mind, so you can strategize to win!

Poker how to play: Omaha

Omaha is a poker game, very similar to Texas Hold’em. The rules are almost identical: there are also 4 rounds of bidding, a fifth round of cards are dealt, blinds are taken, there are hole cards and hole cards, and the aim of the game is to put together a five card hand. So, what’s the difference? And the difference is, that according to the rules for poker Omaha, that player gets 4 pocket cards, note 2. That said, a winning hand is a combination that must have 2 hole cards out of the 4 available and 3 total. There is no other way around it. 

Also, it is worth noting that Omaha has the following variations:

• Omaha High. 

The player with the strongest hand combination is the winner.

• Omaha High-Low (Omaha 8). 

The Pot is divided between the strongest and weakest hands. However, in order for a player to win the pot, their hand must not be higher than 8.  

Many reputable online casinos allow players to play Omaha Online, and its variations. In any case, if gaming platforms have poker games from worldwide providers, you’ll be able to try out the game for free and get familiar with it before playing for real money. 

How to play poker: Stud

There are several varieties of Stud today. These can be four card Stud, five card Stud, or seven card Stud. As the Seven Card Stud is the most common game, we’re going to talk about it in detail. The process is as follows:

1. All players make an ante;
2. Each player receives 2 hole cards, and 1 card is the total on the playing table;
3. The player with the lowest card value has to make the minimum bet;
4. Bidding rounds follow, where 1 more common card is dealt after each one. Thus, the process goes on until there are 7 cards in play (2 hole cards and 5 total cards);
5. The player with the best five-card combination wins.

It is worth noting that 7 Card Stud was the most popular form of poker, before the advent of Texas Hold’em. So, if you see this game at online poker rooms, look out for it; you’re sure to love it!

How to play poker game: Chinese

Chinese poker has an interesting name, Pineapple. Also, there is a similar version of the game, called Open Chinese Poker. The rules are the same, but there are only minimal differences. This poker is not at all like Texas Hold’em or Omaha, as the game is played out in the open. To see for yourself, you can check out its features:

• Players can see their opponent’s hands;
• There are no shared cards;
• A player can get up to 17 pocket cards during a game;
• No chips are required to play;
• There are no betting rounds;
• The prize is not determined by the cash in the pot, but by the difference in points for stacked combinations.

The differences to classic poker are significant, but there are similarities as well. Here, too, is involved a deck of 52 cards and need to collect a combination of hands. For the strongest combinations the player will get more points. In fact, playing Chinese poker is insanely fun. What are the rules?

Pineapple rules

The game is open to 2 to 3 players. The main aim of the game is to put together the strongest possible combinations in the 3 boxes. Moreover:

• The bottom box (5 cards) is the strongest combination;
• The middle box (5 cards) is the second strongest;
• The top box (3 cards) is the weakest.

The game starts, when the dealer hands out 5 cards to each of the participants, which should be dealt in three boxes at their discretion. After this, the cards can no longer be moved, so players should think carefully beforehand. Then, the dealer hands out another 3 cards to each of the participants, of which 2 are dealt into the boxes, and one is discarded. This lasts until each participant has 13 cards. The winner is determined as follows: after each player has laid out 13 cards in their boxes, the strength of each row is compared between all the players on the playing table. The player who has the strongest combinations in 3 boxes, gets the most points. When determining the winner, it is important that there is no dead hand, which means there is no gap in the seniority of the combinations. 

How is Classic Chinese Poker different from Pineapple?

Although the rules of the game are the same, there are some minor differences. You can see them in the table below:

Classic Chinese poker	Pineapple
After the first round of the hand, players receive 1 card each	After the first round of the hand, players receive 3 cards each, where 1 is discarded
9 game rounds	5 game rounds
The player sees 13 cards	The player sees 17 cards

The rules of Open Chinese Poker

The rules in Open Chinese Poker are the same as those in Pineapple. The only thing is that the game has a slightly different twist. Firstly, here the number of players can be up to 4. Secondly, after all players have dealt 5 cards, the first player to the left of the button has his cards dealt. Then, clockwise, all the other players take turns. In doing so, everyone can see each other’s cards. Thirdly, the button deals 1 card each to the players after the first round of dealings has passed. This lasts until the players have 13 cards each. The winner is determined in the same way as in Pineapple. 

Where to play poker online?

We live in the 21st century, which means that today, there are a huge number of gaming platforms offering their services. If you want to play poker, online casinos and online poker rooms are waiting for you! However, before you play for real money, make sure the casino or poker room is trustworthy and licensed. Only then, will you be able to play safely. Our team has compared many gaming sites that offer many variations of this game, and that are legal and licensed. You can trust your money to the following casinos and poker rooms, without fear:

• Khelo365;
• Betway Casino;
• Parimatch Casino;
• Pokerstars;
• Wildz Casino.

All of these online gambling establishments are reliable places for you, to get a gambling experience! Here, you will be able to have a good time with benefits! You can choose any institution from our list, and you won’t go wrong!

Conclusion

As you can see for yourself, there is a lot to talk about. There is an incredible variety of poker games available to players today, as the game is constantly being improved. Today, there are more than 10 types of poker, and each of them is unique in its own way! Moreover, you don’t need to go to a land-based casino to play, because today, poker is available online as well! Only trustworthy, highly rated and secure online platforms offer you an incredible range of poker games. For example, you can play Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and even Stud! And Chinese poker is a great option for those interested in: how to play poker without chips! We are sure that our article will help you to understand poker, and become a professional in this sphere! Thus, you will be able not only to enjoy the game, but also to earn real money and our Gambling guide helps you with this!