How to play poker

Understanding Poker rules is always the first step of learning how to play Poker. Once you do this, then you can start learning more about the strategies and how they relate to the odds of winning. Players often look to land a Royal Flush, but in essence, there are only 4 Royal Flush probabilities. The game is very calculated and when you break down the odds, it gives a clear view of what you can expect in any game.

In fact, a slightly complex method of learning how to play Poker involves determining, what cards you expect to be dealt. This calculation usually determines the least likely hand, that as a player, you can use in a game. For instance, when the community cards are K and K then you are more likely to complete a Flush. This means you can complete a four-of-a-kind hand like K-K-K-9, if your own hand is K and 9. There are online cheat sheets available to help, but for most players, this can be a difficult strategy.

House Edge When Playing Poker

When learning how to play Poker, it is imperative to note that every online casino that you play in has a house edge. This is the advantage over the player that the casino has, which is why the pivotal part of any Poker strategy is to overcome this edge. The strategies employed are essential in managing risk and they will eventually help in securing a win.

Although it’s a straightforward game, beginners learning how to play Poker are always advised to study all the rules and practise for free. When you are ready to play for real money, then some simple strategies will can be employed.

Poker Hands & Ranking

How to play poker

The better your hand, the better chance you have to stay in the game and beat other players. You will need to understand the various hand rankings to do this. For instance, with an A-Q hand, you have a high probability it will yield a good result. If you have a 4-3 hand, you will be tempted to fold.

Since there is a great deal of hand options in Poker, seasoned professionals in the game advise players to memorise as many hand rankings as possible. While you are learning, you can always use tools to help you.

A great way to illustrate this is to take community cards of 9-8-7 of the same suit while the player’s hole cards are 6 and 5 in a different suit. If an opponent has a 5 and 4 in the same suit, then they get to win the game.

How To Play Poker For Real Money

As a player learning how to play Poker, you can have a higher card value but the basic rule is that priority is always given to cards in the same suit. If you do not land at least one hole card in the same suit as community cards, then instead of raising, you are better off folding. This gives you a chance in the next round.

When you are confident you have learnt how to play Poker and are beginning to master the rules and basic strategies, then you can wager for real money. The first thing is to ensure you choose an online variation that you know and double check the rules. Poker bets are placed before you get to see your hole cards and this is called the Blind or Ante. Raising on your hole cards means you choose not to fold, and you feel you have a good chance of winning. If the game goes to the second round, then you have to place a bet which is equal to the Ante.

How to play poker
How to play poker

How To Play Poker - Strategies

If you do bet an equivalent of the Ante, also known as the Flop, then 3 community cards are dealt face up on the table. After this you can check your cards to decide whether to Raise or Fold. If you Raise, then a fourth card is dealt which is also known as the Turn. Most players usually fold by this point, but if they don’t, then it means each one of them is confident of winning.

Sizing Up The Ante

One Poker strategy which you don’t hear about often when learning how to play Poker is sizing up the Ante bet. Usually, this bet should be decent enough to ensure that you win a good amount without giving you a heavy loss in the event you lose. Remember, there are four rounds of betting before a winner can be determined.