Poker Game Review: Main Types and Rules of the Game

The game of poker enjoys great popularity in different countries, in most of them it is even equated with traditional games of chance. Gamblers around the world prefer poker as an entertainment due to the fact that they can influence the course of the game on their own and apply their intelligence and various strategies. The main objective is to accumulate high card combinations or force opponents to discard all their cards and leave the game.

At first glance, it may seem that the poker rules are complicated and take many years to understand, but they are not. They can be mastered by any beginner after learning the basics. The tricky part is being able to apply cold-blooded calculation, knowledge and tricks, as well as analyze and anticipate your next moves precisely.

If you are new in the business and want to learn how to play poker from scratch, this article is definitely for you. We’ve tried to gather all the basics of the game so that you can quickly figure it out and succeed!

Some Words about Online Poker

In the age of the internet and modern technology, a player does not need to leave the confines of his home to try his hand at poker. At the moment there are many online casinos that offer all conditions for a comfortable game in the demo version, as well as for real money. No land-based casino can offer as many poker variations as the online one. Here you will find more than 10 versions of gambling entertainment, the most popular of which are Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha High-Low, Razz, Five Card Stud and others.

All you need to play poker online is a PC or mobile device, Internet access and the desire. So, you can have a great experience and earn some money wherever you are!

How to Play Poker?

As we mentioned above, more than ten varieties of poker games are currently known. So, the poker rules are in direct dependence on the chosen version. However, at the moment, Texas Hold’em can be called the classic version of poker. It is this format that is most often used in online casinos. Therefore, we will focus on it and describe the rules of the game of Texas Hold’em.

Speaking of poker, first of all, it is worth learning about the hierarchy of cards and their main combinations. The game can use decks of cards with 32, 36, 52 and 54 cards, in the classic version – 52 cards. A hand in poker, or in other words a combination, is a set of several cards that a player needs to play successfully. For example, in Texas Holdem, the combination is made up of 5 cards.

At the same table can play from 2 to 10 participants. The goal of the game is to win by putting together the strongest combination, or to force your opponents to discard their cards. The poker hand is divided into bidding rounds (streets) during which players bet or fold.

Card Combinations

Card combinations are important. Based on them are poker hands chart and poker hand rankings, which can help beginners due to lack of practical experience to choose the right hands to enter the auction.

There are 10 poker combinations, which use 5 cards. They are not difficult to memorize and should be known to every beginner player. You cannot accurately estimate your chances of winning and apply a strategy if you do not have a clear understanding of the power of the poker hand. Here is a list of all combinations, from high to low:

Royal Flush: The highest combination in the game, which is made up of the highest cards of the same suit, from 10 to Ace.
Straight Flush: A sequence of five cards of the same suit.
Four-card draw: A combination of four cards of the same rank. For example, four jacks, four aces, and more.
Full House: This combination consists of three cards of the same rank and two cards of a different rank.
Flush: This combination consists of five cards of the same suit in any sequence. The seniority of the combination is determined by the highest card.
Straight: five cards of the same suit in order, with an Ace as the highest or lowest card.
Set: Three cards of equal rank.
Two Pairs: a combination of two pairs of cards of the same rank.
Pair: representing two cards of the same rank, with the seniority of such a combination being determined by rank.
Senior Card: represents the highest ranked card in the absence of any assembled combinations.

Generalized game algorithm

After you are familiar with the basic poker hands, let’s analyze in detail the stages of the game.

The game is divided into rounds of bidding (streets), during which players can bet. In Texas Holdem poker distinguishes only 4 stages of bidding: preflop, flop, turn and river. At this time, the poker players can perform various actions:

Check – skip a bet if there have been no bets before;
Bet – place a bet ;
Call – To support your opponent’s bet;
Raise – To raise a bet;
Re-raise – to raise the stake;
Fold – to throw away the poker hand.

Consider each stage of the game for the full process:

Preflop

At the initial stage of the game, players make mandatory bets, after which each of the participants gets two closed cards. The first phase of bidding begins. After this, the pokers can familiarize themselves with their cards. At this stage, all players must either support the game with a minimum bet or discard if bad cards are dealt. Bets can be of 2 types. The first is the exact same one as in the big blind. The second type is to raise the bets by at least twice or more. Once all bets have been accepted, then the first round is declared closed.

Flop

If after the first round of trading there are at least 2 people left in the game, the next round – the flop takes place. At this stage, the dealer puts three common cards on the table. Participants look at their cards and make possible combinations with their poker hand. That said, if the combination is good, many poker players prefer to raise the bet at this point. Otherwise, if a player has a bad card, he may fold his hand and finish the game. The second round is declared closed as soon as the bets are tied.

Turn

The third round of dealing begins with the dealer dealing another common card. Players may also increase their bets if they wish or continue without increasing them. It is important to note that the showdown may come at this stage.

River

The fourth leg of the betting process is similar. The dealer also draws one more card (the 5th card), which is called the river. Participants in the game can improve their combination and raise the bets.

After the last round of betting, players open their cards and determine the winner. The winner is the player whose combination is the strongest of the pocket and community cards. He takes the whole pot. However, there are cases where the combinations are equal, in which case the pot is divided equally between these poker players.

Variations of Poker Games

Very often for most visitors of online casinos, the world of poker games is limited to Texas Hold’em, the most common type of poker. In fact, there are many variations of the game, consider the most popular of them:

Omaha

Omaha poker rules are much the same as Hold’em, but have some unique features. One of the distinctive – the player gets to play 4 cards at once in a closed position. The final combination consists of 5 cards, with only two cards from the poker hand and three common cards from the table. As a result, the possibility of bluffing increases, and for inexperienced players it can be too difficult in the game against the professionals.

Omaha has a High and High Low modifications, the first of which determines the winner by the highest ranked cards.

Seven Card Stud

The main distinguishing feature of the Stud is the absence of common cards. The dealer gives each player three cards, one of which is open for all. After that, they get three more open cards and one more closed card. Each participant has their own set of cards, some of which are public to suggest the strength of the opponent’s combinations.

Razz

Razz is a type of poker in which each participant is dealt 7 cards and the player must form the winning set of 5. In many ways, the poker rules of Razz are similar to those of Stud in terms of card deals, the principle of bidding, and the number of rounds. However, the main difference is that it is at the end of the bidding that the weak combinations are compared, not the classic combinations. That is, the Low poker hand wins. In Razz poker, flushes and straights are not counted, pairs are of no use, and an ace is the smallest card.

These and other versions of the entertainment are available for free poker play or for real money. You are left to decide which discipline to prefer. In any case, a fascinating gameplay and a lot of positive emotions are guaranteed!

Best Places to Play Poker Online

Today, the choice of poker platforms is really impressive. Most online casinos provide access to many variations of the game, including Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Stud and others. However, if this is your first time trying to play poker online, you may have trouble choosing a platform. As not all gambling representatives run an honest business and provide a comfortable environment. But don’t worry, we have gathered for you the best online casinos that are great for playing poker. The list includes:

888poker;
Pokerstars;
Wildz;
Spin Casino;
Betway;
JackpotCity;
Zodiac Casino;
SkyCity.

All of them meet the requirements of a decent casino: availability of a license, poker variety, honesty of the game, safety of bank transfers and availability of bonuses and promotions. You can choose any place from our list and you won’t go wrong!