Playing and excelling in Poker is not always a piece of cake, however, we at PokerHigh have the set of rules for you because we want you to WIN, and to win BIG!
Learn how to play poker
Most people new to poker wonder if it is a difficult game to learn and how they can quickly start playing it.
Our step by step guide on How to Play Poker will have you playing it in no time. Let’s dive right in.
How to play poker – Brief Guide on Texas Hold’em Poker
The most popular variant of poker, No Limit Texas Hold ‘em, is played with 2 players or more. The game starts with the distribution of two unfolded cards to each of the players and is always played in a clockwise direction.Two out of the 7 cards are private for each player and the other 5 are Community Cards
The objective is to form the best combination of 5 cards out of the 7 available cards (2 hole cards + 5 community cards)
Mastering No Limit – How to play poker in Texas Hold’em and win?
Now how to play poker in Texas Holdem? Before the hand starts, the Small Blind has to make a bet. After which, the Big Blind is going to make the bet with an amount which is double the amount of the bet made by Small Blind. These moves are considered compulsory for the game to start when understanding how to play poker
To make the betting fair, in every round, 2 of the players have to bet certain amounts against the money and/or chips that they have. The game of Texas Hold’em Poker consists of 4 different rounds, explained as follows –
Round I – Pre Flop Round
The player sitting next to the Big Blind position begins the game.
This player has 3 different options as follows –
CALL – The player can put in the same amount as the Big Blind had put in earlier.
RAISE – The player can put in more money in the game than the Big Blind.
FOLD – The player can throw his cards away and quit.
Each of the next players will also have the same options.
Once every player in has contributed the same amount of money, the money collected is moved to the center of the table and the next round begins.
Round II – Flop Round
In this round, three cards are dealt face up on the poker table.
This player has 3 different options as follows –
CHECK – The player has the option of not betting anything and passing the game as is to the next player.
RAISE – The player can bet by putting some money in the middle which other players will have to match in order to stay in the game.
FOLD – The player can throw his cards away and quit.
In case any of the players has finished playing, the player to his next left will continue.
Once every player has contributed the same amount of money, the money hence collected is moved to the center of the table and the next round begins.
Round III – Turn Round
One more community card will now be dealt on the table.
The players now have 6 cards available with them; 2 private cards and 4 open cards kept on the table.
The small blind is the first one to act in this case.
This player has 3 different options as follows –
CHECK – The player has the option of not betting anything and passing the game as is to the next player.
RAISE – The player can bet by putting some money in the middle which all the other players will have to match in order to stay in the game.
FOLD – The player can throw his cards away and quit.
In case any of the players has finished playing, the player to his next left will continue.
Once every player has contributed the same amount of money, the money hence collected is moved to the center of the table and the next round begins.
Round IV – River Round
The final community card, called the River, will be dealt face up on the poker table.
The players now have 7 cards available; 2 private cards and 5 open cards kept on the table.
With the last card dealt & keeping the idea of making the best possible 5-card combination in mind, now the players make their play with complete information.
This player has 3 different options as follows –
CHECK – The player has the option of not betting anything and passing the game as is to the next player.
RAISE – The player can bet by putting some money in the middle which all the other players will have to match in order to stay in the game.
FOLD – The player can throw his cards away and quit.
In case any of the players has finished playing, the player to his next left will continue.
Once every player has contributed the same amount of money, the money hence collected is moved to the center of the table and the next round begins.
After the 4th round of betting is over, any player still playing on the table has to show his cards in the showdown. Whoever has the best 5-card poker hand wins all the money and the rest lose. And that’s how we HOLD’EM!
How to play poker – Brief guide on OMAHA
Omaha Poker is a card game involving anywhere between 2-7players at a table. The position of the players in the games holds utmost importance; a “Dealer Puck” is placed in front of one of the players so that a fair game is played. The puck will determinate the order of play for the coming hand. After each hand, the Dealer Puck rotates clockwise to ensure fairness for all the players.
How to play poker and win at Omaha Poker?
Before the cards are dealt, two players sitting clockwise to the left of the Dealer Puck have to pay the Blinds. The player left to the Dealer is referred to as “The Small Blind”. The Small Blind has to start by making a bet. After this, the player right to the Small Blind referred to as “The Big Blind” is going to make the bet by paying an amount which is typically double the amount of the bet made by the Small Blind. These moves are considered compulsory for the game to start.
The lowest wager in Pot Limit Omaha is the same as the large blind amount, but players can always gamble up to the pot size. The increase sum must be at least equal to the prior bet or raise in the same round. Maximum raise: The size of the pot, which is described as the sum of the current pot plus all wagers on the table plus the amount wagered by the active player must first call before raising.
What exactly is OMAHA?
It is important to understand how to play poker using Omaha variant. Omaha is dealt with 4 “Hole cards”, meaning each player is given 4 cards at the beginning of the game that the player can keep to himself. This creates the potential to hit big hands much more frequently because now the player has a total of 9 cards to choose from and make his best hand.
The Importance of Hole and Community Cards in Omaha Poker
Apart from the “Hole Cards”, 5 “Community Cards” are also dealt face-up on the board. The cards are divided into three different categories namely Flop – the first three cards that are dealt on the table, Turn – the fourth card dealt and River – the fifth and the final card that is dealt on the table. In a game of Omaha, the player must use 2 of his Hold cards and 3 of his Board cards to make the best hand. No other combination apart from this is allowed. The betting continues in on each betting round until all the active players have placed equal bets in the pot.
Round 1 – PRE-FLOP
The game starts with the Small Blind making a Bet, followed by the Big Blind. Following the posting of the Blinds, each participant is given four “Hole Cards” face down. Each player may use only two of these Hole cards in his final five card hand. Once all the players have their cards, betting begins with the player sitting to the left of the Big Blind, also referred to as the player under the gun. This is a very important point to look at if you want to learn how to play poker.
Betting in Omaha: How to Play Poker and Place Your Bets in the Game?
The first player may either CALL the amount put in by the Big Blind, RAISE or FOLD the amount in his hand. The next player may either CALL the amount put in by the previous player, RAISE or FOLD the amount in his hand. This continues clockwise, with each player able to either CALL the amount of the last bet, RAISE or FOLD the amount in his hand. The Small Blind and the Big Blind have the same options to either CALL, RAISE or FOLD. However, the amount that they have already paid in Blinds is deducted from the price of Calling. The betting continues until each player has called the amount previously Bet, Raised or Folded. A maximum of 1 bet is followed by 3 additional raises in each betting round.
Round 2 – FLOP
After the first round of betting is complete, 3 cards are dealt face up on the table, referred to as “The Flop”. The Flop is the first three Community cards available to the players. Cards dealt face up are “Community Cards”, which can be used by all the Players at the table. Each player must use 3 of these cards in his final hand of 5 cards. After the Flop has been dealt, another round of betting begins.
Second Round Betting Options and Limits in Omaha Poker
Starting with the Player to the left of the Dealer in basic How to play poker rules, the first player may either Check or Bet. The next player may either Call, Raise or Fold if there have been Bets before their turn. If no Bet has been made, the player may Check or Bet. Again, Betting continues until each player has called the amount previously Bet, Raised or Folded. As in the first round, there is a maximum of 1 Bet; followed by 3 additional raises each betting round.
Round 3 – THE TURN
After the Second round or the round of Betting is over, a fourth Community Card is dealt face up on the table. This is called the “Turn Card”, and as with the Flop – can be used by all Players at the table. The Turn is the fourth card made available to the players on the table. After the Turn Card has been dealt, the third round of betting commences. This betting round is carried out as before – but, the minimum Bet doubles over previous rounds.
Round 4 – THE RIVER
After the Third round of Betting, the final Community Card, the fifth one in number is dealt face-up, referred to as the “River”. The River is the final community card in the game of Omaha. This is followed by the fifth and final Betting round, which is carried out in the same way as the last.
Round 5 – THE SHOWDOWN
After the Final round is completed, the remaining players show their cards to see who won. The last Player to make a Bet or Raise shows his cards first. The remaining players disclose their cards clockwise but do not show their hand if it is beaten. The player with the best hand wins. If 2 or more players have the same hand, the Pot is split. In a game of Pot Limit Omaha Poker, a Player must use exactly two of his Hole Cards and three of the available 5 Community Cards whenx making their final five card hand, unlike Texas Hold ’em. The winner takes the pot, the Dealer button moves one spot clockwise, and another hand begins. The Dealer Puck now moves clockwise to the next player and a new game starts.