Poker is a timeless classic and widely enjoyed card game that combines skill, strategy, and a bit of luck. It lures everyone, novice punters or high rollers, and has managed to captivate gamblers worldwide for generations.
Look at this guide to learn basic information, different variants, and their rules to understand poker gameplay thoroughly.
Poker History
If we trace the origins of poker, we learn that the game has existed since the 16th century. Germans are believed to have played a bluffing game- Pochen, which became Poque when it was played among the French gambler community.
Poker came into the limelight in the 19th century in the US, especially along the Mississippi River region. Multiple versions existed until the standardisation that took place in the mid-19th century.
With the standardisation came a 52-card deck and the concept of “bluffing” and the “flush” hand. It continued to evolve further, and in 1970, The World Series of Poker (WSOP) was established, marking a major milestone in poker’s history. With this, poker was no longer a game in shady casinos and turned into a competitive and televised sport.
In the wake of the internet, we now have many online casinos offering multiple versions of poker, like Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven Card Stud Poker, that punters can access on their desktops or hand-held devices.
The Basic Components of Poker
Poker is a game of skill played with cards. Players must contest with fellow players for a better hand ranking, which is decided based on the cards in their hands. They would use strategies like fold, call, raise, hold, or check and bet money accordingly on the game. Let us check out each of these game components in detail.
Deck of Cards
Poker is typically played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards. The deck consists of four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades), each containing 13 cards (ace through ten, and the face cards: jack, queen, and king).
Poker Hand
A poker hand combines playing cards a player holds during a game. The strength and rank of a poker hand determine the winner in most game variants. The hand rankings are approximately the same but vary slightly in different game variants.
Here is a generic hand ranking in a typical poker game.
- Straight Flush: This is the highest possible poker hand. The hands include five cards of the same suit in their natural sequence. The highest-ranking straight flush hand features A, K, Q, J, and 10 of one suit, also called Royal Flush. It is valued higher than a straight flush.
Example: Five hearts in a sequence: 2♥, 3♥, 4♥, 5♥, and 6♥.
- Four of a Kind: This hand features the same face values of different suits. Example: Hand with four Aces or clubs, spades, diamonds, and hearts.
- Full House – Three cards of one value and two of another value make this combination. The suit doesn’t matter. Example: Hand with three 6s and two 3s.
- Flush: This hand is formed with cards from the same suit but not in a particular sequence. Example: 2♥, 5♥, 6♥, 7♥,10♥, and K♥.
- Run or Straight: It includes five cards in sequence but from different suits. Example: 4♥, 5♣,7♠, 8♦, 9♥.
- Three of a Kind: It features three cards of the same value, and two cards can be different. Example: 6♥, 6♠, 6♣, 8♦, 7♠.
- Two Pairs: It contains a pair of one value and another pair of a different value, and the last card can be any rank. Example: K♠, K♠, 10♦, 10♦, 4♥.
- One Pair: This hand is formed when there is one pair with the other three cards of different ranks present. Example: 11♥,11♠, A♦, 5♥, 9♠.
- High Card: It involves the highest ranked card; the other cards can be random. Example: K♥.
Poker Chips
Poker games in both online and land casinos often use poker chips as currency. Players can purchase and use chips to bet, raise, and call during the game. The chips have different denominations and represent various values.
If more than seven players are part of one poker game, the game is played with a minimum of 200 chips. Here is the value of the chips from the lowest to highest value.
- White chips
- Red chips or any other coloured chip
- Blue chip or any other dark-coloured chip
Players buy a certain number of chips to participate in the game. Check this post to learn more about poker chips.
Bets
Players need to place their bets at the beginning of the game. Here are the betting options:
- Ante Up– The minimum starting bet every player has to start the game.
- Call- Players to the dealer’s left make this bet by putting chips the same as the ante-up bet.
- Raise- Players need to place chips more than the ante-up bet.
- Hold- Players put no chips and decide to show up their hand.
- Check– Players can avoid betting in that round with a check bet.
- Fold– Folding means giving up your hand and forfeiting any bets you’ve placed.
As each round is dealt, players must make bets according to their hands. Dealers can set up a betting limit for controlled betting.
Fixed limits could be applicable to the players to stop them from betting beyond that assigned amount. Then, a pot limit could apply to the bet or raise. Players can’t contribute more than the pot limit. There are table stakes, poverty poker, and road limits.
The Kitty
Kitty in Poker games refers to the special fund that all the players establish by taking out one low-denomination chip from each pot with more than one raise. Kitty is divided equally among all the players.
How to Play Poker?
The game begins with the dealer burning the first card and passing two cards per player in a clockwise direction. Here is how the game proceeds.
Step 1- Check your hand and choose any from call, raise, check, hold, or fold according to the hand value.
Step- 2- As the first betting round ends, dealers will start a second round’ flop’. Three community cards will be placed on the table, and you need to compare your cards with these three cards and bet accordingly.
Step 3- After betting ends, the dealer will draw the 4th community card, turn, and players must bet again.
Step 4- Once the betting round ends, the dealer reveals a fifth and final community card, river, and the final betting round takes place.
Step 5- When the final betting round ends, a showdown occurs. Players, from the left to the dealer, start revealing their cards, and the player with the best five-card poker hand wins the pot.
If two or more players have the same hand, its tie and pot are split.
Final Say
Poker can be a highly engaging game that holds your attention for hours, but a solid grasp of the fundamentals is essential to enjoy it fully. You can have a weak or a strong hand, but the strategy is to bluff the other player and pressurise them to fold with your bets, even with weaker hands.
If you’re playing online poker, ensure you’re registered with a reputable and licensed casino that operates within your region and accepts MYR. Lastly, play safe and always under limits. Happy playing Poker!
