Poker, as we all know, is a game of chance and also includes a bit of psychology and needs some skills. If you aren’t so well acquainted with the game of poker, then there is nothing to worry about. The game is quite easy to learn and after playing a few hands, you will be able to grasp the concept of the game.
You can learn poker from various sources, including manual books, online guides like casinoluv.net, or your friends. To make it easier for you, we have discussed the rules of basic poker in this article, which will give you a fair idea of how to play basic poker.
Poker Basics
The basic game of Poker uses a standard deck of 52 cards with cards being ranked from high to low. Ace is the highest and 2 is the lowest, although some games consider an Ace as a low card too.
There are four suits of cards included – Hearts, Spades, Diamonds, and Clubs and none of the suits is higher than the other. All the hands in poker consist of five cards and the player with the highest hand wins the game.
Some games include wild cards, which serve as any other cards. Mostly the Joker is used as a wild card.
Poker Hand Ranks
Five-of-a-kind
This hand is possible only if you are using wildcards in the game and it is the highest possible hand. If more than one person has this hand, then the one with the higher cards wins.
Straight Flush
A straight flush is the second highest hand in poker and if you are not using wildcards then it is the highest hand. The straight flush is just a simple straight only difference is that all the cards are o the same suit. If your straight flush starts with an Ace, then it is considered a Royal Flush and is the highest possible straight flush.
Four of a Kind
Four of a Kind, as the name suggests is four cards of the same kind. If two persons get the four of a kind in a game then the one with the higher order wins the game.
Full House
Full House is a combination of Three of a Kind and a Pair. For example, Q-Q-Q-5-5 or an A-A-A-3-3, etc. the first three of a kind followed by a pair.
Straight
Straight is a combination of 5 cards in order from high to low. If two people have the same straight value, they split the pot.
Three-of-a-Kind
Three of a kind much like four of a kind is a combination of the same rank. This includes three cards of the same rank. However, you need three cards without the other two being a pair, or else it will be a full house.
Two Pair
Two Pair is a combination of two distinct parts like 5-5-2-2 or 9-9-4-4 etc with one separate fifth card.
Pair
A pair is a combination of two cards of the same rank along with three other separate cards.
High Card
This is the lowest among the poker ranks and it comes into play only if none of the other players have any of the above ranks. In this case, the one with the highest rank on the card wins.
Poker Betting
In Poker, once the players are dealt with the cards, they bet in the pot, and in the end, the one with the highest hand wins the pot. There are some betting terms that you might like to know in Poker:
Call
When a player calls, it means they bet the amount that is enough to match the bet.
Raise
Once everyone has called, you can raise the bet to increase the amount of the call.
Fold
Folding your hand means you are dropping out of the current hand that is being played. Players often fold when they don’t have suitable cards to bet.
Final Words
Here you have, the rules of basic poker described. Play a few hands and you’ll surely learn the art of betting in this game.