How to Play Poker: Basic Rules

Basic poker rules are essential for those willing to learn the game like a pro. Poker is a unique blend of skill and luck played by people of all ages since the creation of human beings! In fact, the game is known as the father of card games. While the objective is pretty easy, to make the best 5-card poker hand, you need to spend extensive time and energy to master the game and become even close to the level that you can play poker professionally for real money. 

In this article, I will dive deep into the basic rules of poker, the best betting tips, and the best poker games, making it easy and sweet for beginners to start playing the game. 

Poker Rules Uncoded For Beginners 

While there are many variations of poker with unique gameplay, hand ranking, and betting styles, the game's core concept remains consistent in all games. Below is a complete breakdown of poker rules applicable to ring games, tournaments, online poker, live poker, etc. 

Poker Terminology

Poker is among the richest casino games in terms of terminology, definitions, and concepts. That said, I cannot list them all here. But as a beginner, you definitely need to learn how to speak the language of the people who live in the poker world. Here are the most common poker terms and their meanings:

• Action: Refers to the player’s turn to act(bet, raise, call, fold, or check)

• Blind: Forced bets. There are two types of blinds, Small and Big. These words refer to two players to the left of the dealer button who must make a forced bet before the cards are dealt.

• Ante: Ante is also a forced bet, but it refers to a forced bet that all players at the table should place before the dealing starts.

• Deal: When the dealer gives out cards to players. 

• Bet: A player's action of placing chips(money) into the pot to stay in the hand.

• Raise: A player’s action where they increase the bet size. 

• Fold: When a player forfeits their card and goes out of the hand. 

• Call: When a player matches the previous player’s bet or raise. 

• Check: Not betting when it’s the player’s turn to act. 

• Pot: The central pool of chips or money, which players contribute to increasing during the betting rounds. This is what the winner gets at the end of the game.

• Showdown: This is the last stage of the game, during which the remaining players show their cards, and the player with the strongest hand wins the pot. 

• Community Cards: Community cards are the 5 cards that are shared by all players on the table. 

• All-in: When a player bets all of their chips. 

• Bluff: Betting or raising with a weak hand to deceive other players to fold. 

• Shark: Super-experienced poker player, a pro. 

• Slow Play: Playing a strong hand slowly to trap other players. 

• Tilt: An emotional state where poker players make poor and irrational decisions. 

• Board: The community cards as they are dealt(flop, turn, and river). 

• Limit: The Max & Min amount of money players can bet or raise. 

What Is a Poker Hand, Game, And Tournament?

As mentioned earlier, individual poker rules may vary slightly among game variations, but all poker games can be broken down into hands. A hand of poker is a round of gameplay involving several stages of betting that starts with dealing cards and ends in one of two scenarios:

• When all cards have been dealt and bets have been made, cards are revealed in the showdown, and the player with the strongest poker hand wins the pot.

• If only one player remains active in the hand and everyone else folds their hands, that player wins the pot.  

There are two general ways to play poker and win online: ring or cash games and tournaments. 

Poker Cash Games

A poker ring game, also known as a cash game, is a non-tournament ongoing poker game in which players can buy in and cash out whenever they wish. There is no clear start and end to the game, which means players can easily join or leave the table at any point. 

Key characteristics of poker cash games are:

• Players can choose their buy-in amount within a certain range, allowing for flexible stakes suiting various bankrolls. 

• The game continues indefinitely, with new players joining and leaving as they please. 

• Cash games involve real money gambling. The chips in such games represent money, and players can cash out their winnings at any time.    

• The constant flow of players creates a different dynamic and player pool compared to tournaments, as players need to adapt to different opponents and playing styles.

Ring games are a popular choice for many poker players, especially poker newbies, due to their flexibility and the opportunity to play nonstop. Cash games offer a more relaxed and social atmosphere compared to the intense competition of tournaments.

Poker Tournaments

Poker tournaments are all about speed, excitement, and a whole new level of poker skills. In such games, all players should place the same entry fee, known as buy-in, and start with the same-sized stack of chips. Players compete until only one player remains and wins the pot and the title of tournament winner. One of the most famous and biggest annual poker tournaments attracting thousands is the World Series of Poker or WSOP, where people play in low, middle, and high-stakes games. The most popular variations are Texas Hold 'em and Omaha.  

One main difference between tournaments and cash games is that blinds increase at specific intervals throughout the tournament. That is why you see a lot of crazy all-ins in tournaments, as increasing blinds force players to ultimately go all-in, making it pretty difficult to stay in the game until the end.

Typically, tournaments have a guaranteed prize for the winner, and the prize pool (pot) is divided among the final 10-20% of finalists. 

Understand Blinds, Betting Structure & Positions 

Nearly all poker games start with two players, blinds, placing mandatory bets to initiate the pot for the players to compete over. 

At each round of a poker game, one of the players is designated as the "dealer," and a big white chip called a "dealer button" is placed in front of them. You will also see this button in online poker games. The button moves one position to the left after every hand ends. 

The player to the button's left is the small blind and must post the "small blind" forced Bet, which is half the big blind. The player right next to the small blind(on their left) is the big blind and posts a big blind bet, double the size of the small blind. Players sitting right after them must call the big blind Bet, raise, or fold. 

What happens if all the remaining players fold? The big blind effortlessly wins the pot. Meanwhile, if players do not raise him and just call the Bet, the big blind can check or raise when it is their turn to act.  

Does Position Matter in Poker?

Yes. The position does make a difference, and you better understand the importance of your position at the table. 

Like most casino card games, poker rotates clockwise at a table, meaning the player on the button is usually the last to act. Being able to act last is a big advantage in poker games, and this is the reason behind the change of dealer button position at the end of every hand.

Being the last player to act allows you to see everyone's moves and make a better decision. For instance, if everyone checks after a risky flop, you, being the button, can bluff and win the pot. At the same time, you can decide to fold before losing it all. For example, if there is a bet and three raises before you act, you can say that even a hand like top pair is not enough to give you an edge to call with. 

Position becomes more important at tournaments when you play head-ups(player vs. player). In such scenarios, being the last to act is the best. This is known as being "in position." If you get to act first, you will be "out of position." 

When people start to learn how to play poker, learning about positions is not their first concern. But from my experience, you need to learn it before anything else, as it is a fundamental concept. You can learn more about positioning and poker tips on tournaments in various poker books. For example, Sit' n Go Strategy, written by the professional player Collin Moshman, gives you valuable insights on winning poker tournaments.  

Betting Structures 

Regardless of the game, betting structure and any betting round in any game, including online poker and live games, follows the same logic and the following fundamental principles:

• The game rotates clockwise, starting with the first active player and moving to the button's left.  

• If you want to stay in the game or be eligible to compete over the pot, you must match any bet made during the round.

• If there is no bet, you should check and stay in the hand.

• There is no way to lose a hand due to insufficient chips. If you cannot match a bet, you must go all-in.

• The minimum bet you can raise is the same size as the bet the player made before you.  

• The maximum amount of your bet and raise depends on the game format: no limit, fixed limit, or pot limit.  

Know Your Limits: How Much Can You Bet or Raise?

Nearly all poker variations, including the most popular Texas Hold 'em, Omaha, Razz, Seven Card Stud, and Five-Card Draw, can be played in one of the following limit formats. The limit refers to the min/max that can be Bet or raised at any moment during the poker hands.  

How To Play Poker: Poker Betting Rounds in 9 Steps

Now that you have learned the poker rules let's review how a typical poker hand plays out. I will focus on Texas Hold 'em, the world's most popular game and the one most newbies start off with.

Step 1: The Deal

Every poker game starts with a deal of cards from a standard deck of 52 cards. The deal in Texas Hold’em poker starts with each player receiving two face-down cards known as hole cards, only they can see their cards. Then, the small and big blinds post their forced bets. 

Step 2: The First Betting Round

The first betting round starts, and the player to the left of the button should call, raise, or fold. They cannot check, as blinds are considered bets, and when there is an active bet, the player cannot check. 

Step 3: The Flop

In this round, the dealer flips three community cards face-up in the middle of the table. Community cards are shared by all players and they use them to create the best 5-card poker hand along with their two hole cards. 

The poker hands ranking from the best to worst are as follows. Remember, you MUST learn, memorize, and practice poker hand strength as it is the core concept in every poker and even other casino card games.  

Please note that the strength of hands slightly varies depending on the game variation. But in most games, including Hold’em and Omada, the best and worst hands are the same as in the illustration above. 

Step 4: Second Betting Round

The second betting round starts with the first active player(the remaining player in the hand) to the left of the button. This betting round does not involve posting blinds, so there is no bet to call. Players can check until or unless there is a bet to call. 

Step 5: The Turn 

The turn is the fourth community card dealer flips face-up to the board in the turn round. 

Step 6: Third Betting Round

The third betting round starts and follows just the same as the second round.

Step 7: The River

The river in poker is the round where the fifth and last community card is drawn. Now, players have seven cards to make their best five-card hand. Players would fold their hands before reaching the river. Betting the river is an advanced poker strategy, which I will discuss in other posts. 

Step 8: Final Betting Round

The fourth betting round is the final round in which players can bet or raise. It takes place similarly to the previous two rounds, starting with the first active player from the button's left. 

Step 9: The Showdown

All the remaining players show their hands, with the last player who placed a bet showing first. The strongest hand wins the pot, or the pot divides between identical hands. The hand finishes, and the button rotates clockwise, one place to the left. 

Last Few Words

This comprehensive yet easy-to-follow guide on how to play poker armed you with all the necessary information and basic poker strategies to start playing today. Learn the basics, practice poker hand rankings, and play enough free hands before joining a real money table. 

Once you are ready, navigate to our best online casino and play at the best live poker tables at irbet365 for an unparalleled experience. 

FAQ

1. What is the objective of poker?

In most poker games, the objective is to win the pot by having the best 5-card hand at the showdown or by making strategic bets that force other players to fold.

2. How many poker games are there?

There are countless variations of poker, with Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven Card Stud being the most popular ones.

3. What is a bluff?

A bluff is a bet or raise made with a weak hand to deceive your opponent into folding.

4. Is poker a game of skill or luck?

Unlike some other casino games, like slots, where luck is the main component, poker involves a lot of strategic planning, skills, and brain work. While getting specific cards is luck, playing the hand is a skill.