Poker is a card game played by two or more players. It is a game of chance and skill, however, when betting comes into play it becomes a more complex game of psychology and strategy. A basic understanding of the rules is a must for any serious poker player.
The first step in learning how to play poker is to understand the betting process. In most games a player must first make a forced bet (amount varies by game, our games are typically nickels). Once the chips have been placed in the middle of the table the dealer will shuffle the cards and then deal them to the players one at a time beginning with the player on their left. The player with the best poker hand wins the pot.
During a betting round players wager on the strength of their hands by raising or calling. Raising is a sign of strength and forces weaker hands to fold, thus increasing your chances of winning the hand. You must also be careful when raising because if you don’t have a good hand you could lose a lot of money.
After the initial betting round is over the dealer will put three more cards face up on the table for everyone to see called Community Cards. Once these cards are revealed a second betting round begins. This time all players must either raise or call.
If a player has a good poker hand they will likely raise, this will cause the other players to fold and you will win the pot. If you are in position like EP or MP (position in relation to the table) you should be very tight and only open with strong hands.
A royal flush is a five card hand consisting of a 10 jack king queen and ace of the same suit. A straight is five cards in numerical order, but they don’t have to be consecutive or of the same suit. A full house is three matching cards of one rank and 2 matching cards of another rank. Two pair is two distinct pairs of cards and a high card is used to break ties.