How to Play Poker

Today poker is really popular pastime, we see it everywhere; television, internet, casinos, mobile phones...the game, which used to be seen as the game of gangsters and cow-boys, has now entered popular culture. It has re-invented its image and created a friendlier, less exclusive one, and in this new image it has become a more intense and exciting game than any other card game.

Poker was born on the banks of the Mississippi, it has complex origins; it is often said to have roots in certain Chinese card games and was imported to the US by Chinese mariners in the 19th century, but it also has roots in New-Orleans when French settlers imported a similar card game. At the end of the 19th century the game "Poque" was born, which inspired the modern versions of Poker. So Poker does not originate from a single source, but is the result of an evolution and mixture of several games. It evolved from several forms along the way, giving rise to Stud Poker, Texas Hold'EM, Pineapple and other modern variants. Having been considered, by specialists and patriarchs of the game, as a derivative of the original form, Texas Hold'EM is the most common version played today, and for this reason this article will explore this version. Blending bluff, statistical knowledge and several forms of psychology, Texas Hold'EM is the poker game which has made famous men of the unknown and millionaires of the poor, by pervading the small screen and casino salons.

In the following article, you will find the fundamental methods for winning poker, developing a good foundational understanding of the game in general.

Rounds

To start with:

At the beginning of a hand, the dealer (croupier) or a player shuffles a standard deck of 52 cards. He deals two cards to each player one card at a time. These cards are private to the individual player and should be kept secret from other players. The purpose of the game is to create the best possible combination of five cards dependent on the two cards dealt and the five cards that will be dealt progressively, by the dealer, to each player during the four rounds of wagering that will happen. The latter cards dealt (i.e. the five extra cards) are not private to the player, and can be viewed by everyone.

The First Round; the Pre-Flop:

The first round of wagering happens once all players receive their first two cards. To the left of the dealer, the first player deposits the ‘small blind', and the second player deposits the ‘big blind'. The blinds are compulsory bets and must be paid before the start of each round. The first player to play is the one to the left of the ‘big blind' (or sometimes the dealer if no blinds are used). There are three possibilities for the player to the left of the ‘big blind' or the dealer if there is no blind; 1. Call (meaning match) the ‘big blind', 2. Raise (increase the value of the bet) 3. Fold (to discard the hand). The first round is finished when all the players still in the game bet the same sum, which must be equal or greater to the amount of the ‘big blind'. Those who do not want to bet, return the cards to the dealer, without revealing them to the other players.

According to the variations of Texas Hold'EM the raise is governed by different rules;

-Texas Hold'EM Limit= the maximum raise is set prior to playing

-Texas Hold'EM Pot Limit= the maximum raise is set at the current size of the pot (this includes the amount needed to call).

-Texas Hold'EM No-Limit= there is no maximum limit for the raise (this is the most popular form played) the raise can therefore include all a players chips.

The Second Round; the Flop:

With the first round over, the dealer ‘burns' the first card (gets rid of it) and then he can deal the following three face-up communal cards, this is known as the ‘flop'. The second round of play then takes place, the player to the left of the dealer plays first. He can ‘check', this means he can stay in the round without betting any chips- this is really the equivalent of a call on a zero bet. As long as no players have bet any chips, competitors can use ‘check'. If a bet took place and a player does not want to ‘call' or ‘raise' he must ‘fold' and return his cards. This round finishes in the same way as the first, when all players still in the game have bet the same sum in the pot.

The third round; the turn:

Again the dealer burns the top card from the deck, then deals the fourth communal card face-up. The round operates on the same principles as the ‘flop', players either ‘check', ‘call', ‘raise' or ‘fold'. So long as two players are still in the game, the round continues. If the bet placed by a player is not called or raised by another player, the player who placed the bet wins the round, without ever having to reveal his cards.

The Fourth Round; the River:

The fifth and final communal card is dealt by the dealer, face-up; known as the river. This round is undertaken in the same fashion as the ‘flop' and ‘turn'. If, at the end of the wagering, at least two players have wagered the same sum, they must reveal their cards (the two dealt at the very beginning that so far have remained secret, only known to the individual player), this is known as the ‘showdown'. The best combination of five cards (between the five communal cards and the two previously private cards of the individual player) forms the winning hand. The player with the winning hand wins the pot. If the players' hands are equal, they share the pot.

Click here to learn how to play poker. understanding winning hand combinations in poker Understanding variations of poker Understanding the importance of play position in poker. Understanding your opponents. Understanding advanced strategies for poker. Understand going All-In. Mastering your game. Understand the approriate kind of poker play for you. Understanding real world poker. Understand chipleading. Dealing with a small stack. Understand the relationship between poker and psychology. Understanding tournaments.

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