Online Poker Sites for Real Money How to Play Poker

How to Play Poker

5 days ago

Here, you can find a complete guide on how to play poker. Whether you are a beginner or if you have some experience but are looking to refine your skills, we got you covered. We start by covering the basics with poker hands, the different steps in a poker hand and comparing the poker rules of different betting formats. Moreover, we will help you to understand the importance of pot odds, briefly explain the structure of poker tournaments, introduce you to different poker variants and finally we will have a strategy section where we give you some good advice how to improve your poker skills. To wrap things up we’ll summarize the key points with a few helpful FAQs.

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Poker Hands

Most poker variants aim to construct the highest possible five-card hand according to traditional poker rankings. These rankings are forming the foundation for most poker games such as Texas Hold’em, Omaha and Seven Card Stud, and more. Lowball games like Razz, where the goal is to create lowest possible five-card hand also depends on these rankings but reversed. The rankings follow a specific hierarchy that determines the strength of all hands in poker. For beginners we recommend to use a poker cheat sheet as a help to remember poker ranking hands before you play. Below we will list the best poker hands in order:

  1. Royal Flush is the highest possible hand in poker. The Royal Flush combines the highest possible straight with the highest possible flush, from Ace down to 10 and all cards in the same suit. AKQJ10 in hearts for example.
  2. Straight Flush is the second-best poker hand, any straight with all cards in the same suit from K and lower, example: KQJ109 or 87654 in sequential order in the same suit.
  3. Four of a kind is the third best poker hand, it consists of four cards of the same value, plus highest available side card. Example: 8888J.
  4. Full House is a five-card combination of three of a kind with a pair. Example: QQQ44. To separate the rank of two full houses, ties are broken by the rank of the three of a kind.
  5. Flush is a combination of five cards of the same suit that’s not in a sequence, the highest suited card determines the strength of the flush: Example of a K high flush: K10872, all of the same suit.
  6. Straight consist of five consecutive cards of different suits. The highest card in sequential order determines the rank. Example of a 10 high straight: 109876 in different suits.
  7. Three of a kind consists of a five-card poker hand with three cards of the same rank plus two unrelated cards. The rank of the trips determines of the strength of the hand.
  8. Two pair consists of a five-card hand with two pair and a side card. The highest pair determines the winner by comparison with another two pair hand, where JJ442 beats 99883 for example.
  9. One pair is a five-card poker hand with one pair and three unrelated cards. The higher pair, the higher rank. Your side card also called “the kicker” often plays an important role with one pair poker hands. If a player has AK and the board is A55210 his best hand will be (AK5510) and if his opponent has AJ his best hand will be (AJ5510), the player with AK wins because of the higher side card (K). If both players have the same hand they will split the pot.
  10. High Hand is a five-card poker hand without any pair or no other combination. If two high hand poker hands are up against each other, the hand with the highest card wins. AJ962 beats KQ1087 for example.

Steps

Below we will present a step-by-step guide how to play poker online with the most popular poker variant Texas Hold’em, how the game unfolds from start to finish:

Step 1: Place bets (blinds and antes): Texas Hold’em starts with two forced bets, small blind (usually half the big blind) and big blind are posted by the two players directly to left from the dealer button. Antes are rarely used in cash games but they are common in tournaments. The ante doesn’t replace the blinds it’s an additional bet that all players have to post. There are some variants how the antes are placed, either all players place a small ante every hand, or a big blind ante or a button ante is used to simplify and speed up the ante structure where either the player in the big blind or the player on the button post the antes for the whole table.

Step 2: Dealing out the cards: According to Texas Hold’em rules all players will be dealt two individual cards (hole cards) hidden from the other players.

Step 3: Pre-Flop (before the flop): After the all the players individual cards are dealt out, the first betting round starts. The player directly to the left of the big blind (this position is called: under the gun) begins the action, the under the gun player has now three options either to call and match the amount in the big blind, to raise and increase the size of the bet (minimum raise is double the big blind) or to give up the hand and fold (throw away the cards). The betting round continues clockwise around the table until all players had the same opportunities to either call, raise or fold.

Step 4: The Flop: When the first betting round is completed, the remaining player in the hand will now be dealt the flop. The flop consists of three community cards placed face up. The three community cards are shared by all players and the players can now combine their individual cards with the community cards and look for a connection. After the flop is dealt out the second betting round starts which follows the same procedure as the first one, where the player under the gun opens up the action. The only difference now is that there no longer any blinds to match so all players also have the options to check and bet, and just like before they also have the option to raise or fold.

Step 5: The Turn: When the second betting round is completed one more community card called the turn card is placed (face-up) on the board next to the flop. After the turn card is placed a new betting round begins following the same order as previous betting round according to Texas Hold’em rules.

Step 6: The River: When the betting round is finalized from the previous street a last and final community cards called the river card is dealt out placed next to the turn card on the board. Players again now have the option to check, call, bet, raise or fold depending on previous action.

Step 7: The Showdown: If more than one player remains after the last betting round is complete, a showdown will determine the winner of the hand. All remaining players will now reveal their individual cards (hole cards) and combine them with the five community cards to form best possible poker hands. The players can combine the seven cards (the two hole cards and the five community cards) in any possible way to create the best poker hands. The player with the best five-card poker hand according to traditional poker rankings wins the pot.

Betting Rules in Poker

Main Pot and Side Pot

When there are more than two players involved in a hand in an all-in situation and the stack sizes differs, a main pot and a side pot comes into play. The main pot according to poker game rules is the primary pot that every active player contributes to, if a player with a smaller stack goes all in and other players with larger stacks keeps building the pot, a side pot will be created between the players with larger stacks. The smaller stack who put in his or hers last chips in the pot can only win the main pot, and the other remaining players has the chance to win both the main- and the side pot. This system with poker game rules ensures fairness, as the player who already committed his or hers last chips only have the right to win the pot based on the amount they contributed with.

No-Limit Betting Rules

In games with no-limit the poker game rules give players complete flexibility with bet-sizing, where players can bet any size of their chip stack in any given moment in a hand. The no-limit format creates a dynamic atmosphere where strategy, skill and psychological warfare becomes key factors as players can apply pressure with large bet-sizes putting their opponents to the test. The introduction of no-limit revolutionized poker and Texas Hold’em became the most popular poker variant due to its exciting and unpredictable nature. The poker legend Doyle Brunson ones said that: “No-Limit Hold’em in my opinion is the Cadillac of poker” taking a position of claiming the games superiority as a true test of poker skill, where you can put your opponents to a decision for all their chips at any point in the hand.

Pot-Limit Betting rules

In Pot-limit the poker rules allow players to bet or raise any amount up to the current size of the pot. This format offers a balance between control and flexibility, allowing players for strategic adjustments with their bet-sizes without the constant threat of all-in confrontations. Pot-limit is rarely used nowadays in Texas Hold’em but it’s widely used in Omaha.

How you calculate the pot depends on previous actions. If the pot is €50 your maximum bet will also be €50, however if the pot is €50 and someone bets €20 the maximum bet for you is not €70 because the poker game rules in pot-limit also factors in the amount you would have to put in to call €20 when calculating the current pot. So, the actual pot-size bet (maximum bet) would instead be €90 (€50 in the pot + €20 the current bet + €20 the amount to call the bet).

Limit Betting Rules

Limit poker or fixed-limit is a betting structure where the bet sizes are predetermined and they will also increase in later stages of a poker hand. This betting format requires a structured and methodical approach based on calculated decisions rather than aggressive moves. Calculating pot-odds and extracting value with your hands becomes more important with fixed limits because your bluffing opportunities will be limited. Fixed limits are commonly used in mixed games such as H.O.R.S.E.

Pot Odds

Drawing to improve your hand is important in poker and the difference between a winning a losing can sometimes be a thin line, knowing when you are getting the right price for a call is essential. Pot odds is the ratio between the current size of the pot and the cost of a call. Knowing the pot odds helps players with tough decisions whether it’s mathematically correct to continue with a hand or not. There are cheat sheets you can use for common situations in poker but if you want to learn how to play poker properly it’s important to know how to calculate pot odds.

You calculate pot odds by dividing the size of the pot with amount you need to call, if the pot is €100 and a player bet €50 the total pot is now €150 and the cost for the call is €50, the pot odds are 150:50 or when simplified 3:1.

Next step is to convert your pot odds to percentage so you know how much equity your hand needs to profitable call the bet. Equity can be explained as the percentage of the pot a player is expected to win, considering their current hand and possible future outcomes.

The total pot size in the example above is now €150 and if you make the call the pot would be €200. Now you need to divide the size of the call with the new pot size (€50/€200) which is 0,25. Multiply with 100 to convert the decimal into percentage which in this case will be 25%. This means that you need to win more than 25% of the time for your call to be profitable.

Poker Tournaments

Below you will find some of the most important characteristics of poker tournaments online:

  • Tournament Blind Structure: In tournaments the blind amounts increase over time, unlike cash games where the blind amount is constant. In the beginning of a tournament the blinds are relatively small relative to the players chip stack. For each new level the blinds will increase incrementally. The tournament structure decides the length of each level. The levels for poker tournaments online are generally shorter than the levels used in live poker, because the online software can handle all the mechanics of the game (card distribution, enforcing rules) much faster. As the blinds increase the ratio between the blinds and your chip stack shrinks, forcing players to act before the blinds will erode your stack.
  • Late Registration: Most poker tournaments online or live offer late registration as an option for players to enter the tournament after the official start time. The late registration period usually lasts for the first eight levels of the tournament. Players who register late will start with the same stack of chips as those who registered on time, but the blinds to chips ratio will usually be lower because of the increasing blinds, depending on how many blind levels they missed.
  • Rebuys, Add-ons and Re-entry: Poker tournaments online offer rebuys, add-ons and re-entry for players to either extend their tournament life or boost their chances in the tournament. A rebuy allows players to enter the tournament again with the same starting stack, players have this option during the rebuy-period which usually lasts for the for the first eight blind levels, same as the late-registration period. An add-on is an option to buy additional chips to boost your stack, this option will typically be available at the end of the rebuy-period. A re-entry is an option for players that loses their stack of chips to enter the tournament again. The re-entry is similar to a rebuy but player must leave their current seat and re-enter the tournament again as a new player.
  • Hand-for-Hand Play: The-hand-for-hand play was enforced in poker tournaments online and live to ensure fairness for the players before they reached the first payout positions. Hand-for-hand play is used on “the bubble”, one position before the remaining players in the tournament reaches the money. During the hand for hand phase all tables play one hand at the time and the game is paused until all tables has finished the current hand. Hand-for-hand play in online poker tournaments ensures that no player gains advantages from purposely slowing down the game so players at other tables might bust out before the “bubble” burst.

Poker Variants

While the basic mechanics of poker follows a similar structure many types of poker still offer experiences with unique gameplay that demands different strategies. In this section we will briefly mention some of the most popular poker variants:

  • Texas Hold’em is by far the most popular poker variant, dominating both online and live. All the biggest live poker tournaments and the biggest tournament series online dominates with Texas Hold’em. The often used no-limit format in Texas Hold’em is especially attractive because of it exciting and unpredictable nature where you can be put to the rest for all your chips in any hand anytime. If you want to know how to play poker, trying out Texas Hold’em is a good start.
  • Omaha is the second most popular poker variant widely popular both live and online. The game shares some similarities with Hold’em but instead of using two hole cards there is four hole cards in Omaha and usually Omaha will be played in Pot-Limit. Omaha is a type of poker with poker hands full of action, the Pot-Limit structure typically doesn’t stop players from building massive pots.
  • Seven Card Stud used to be the go-to game for poker players before Texas Hold’em became dominant. Seven Card Stud is a slower-paced poker variant that requires good reading abilities and observation. This poker type does not consist of community cards; therefore, the game requires a lot of attention to your opponent’s cards where some will be dealt face up and some face down.
  • Razz is a classic poker variant that follows the same structure as Seven Card Stud with the difference that Razz is a lowball poker type game where the ultimate goal is to make the lowest possible poker hands.
  • Five Card Draw is another classic type of poker with basic and straightforward poker rules, making it a popular choice for poker enthusiast and casual players especially in home games. The absence of community cards and only two betting rounds makes it difficult to read poker hands, a challenge many players find intriguing with Five Card Draw.
  • H.O.R.S.E. is a mixed game format including the poker variants Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, Seven Card Stud, Seven Card Stud Hi-Lo (Eight or Better). The game rotates through the five poker variants in a predetermined order usually after a full round of betting for each game. H.O.R.S.E. demands versatility and adaptivity to quickly switch from one game to another.

Strategies

Below we will give you some key concepts and useful poker tips on how to win at poker:

Play in Ranges, not Hands

If you want to learn to play poker online in 2024 you should also learn to play in ranges rather than specific hands. Playing in ranges means that you consider all possible hand combinations your opponent can have in different situations rather than narrow it down to a single hand. If you are able to put your opponent on a range of hands you will get a more realistic view how your own hand stand against that range so you can make informed decisions of your next move.

If we look at ranges from your opponent’s perspective it’s also important for you to have a balanced range so you keep your opponent’s guessing. You can’t only play your strongest hands aggressively you need to have a wider range and mix in some drawing hands and bluffs so you don’t get predictable. If you become harder to read because you play both your good and weaker hands aggressive, most opponents will stay away with marginal hands, which means your bluffing also will become more effective. A great poker tip is to frequently apply pressure and put your opponents into tough decisions.

When you bet on the flop for example you should not only consider your specific hand instead you should be focusing how your range connects with the flop and compare it with your opponent’s range. Stay consistent by building your own range and assessing your opponent’s range based on every action that unfolds from pre-flop onward. The more experienced you get the easier it will be to construct and identify ranges helping you make more informed decisions.

Understanding your Table Position

Position is one of the most crucial concepts for most poker variants, yet its often overlooked by beginners. Your position in poker refers to your seat relative to the dealer button and it determines the order of action. To understand how your position impacts the strength of your hand and your ability to read your opponent’s actions is essential for any aspiring poker player. The player who sits on the dealer button (the best possible position) will be able to act last and therefore gains a considerable advantage with more information at their disposal compared to the players who acts first.

Position in poker can be divided in three categories: early position, middle position and late position. From early position it’s recommended you play with caution and tighten up your starting hands since you have a disadvantage with limited information which also will be the case for later streets in the

hand, if you choose to continue. You have slightly more flexibility from middle position with some information and especially if player in later position folds you will be able to find yourself in pole position. From the late positions with the advantage of acting last you will have better chances of making profitable decisions. You will be able to see your opponents play their hands before you act and can play accordingly. By acting last you can also control the size of the pot more effectively, you can keep building the pot with a strong hand or continue a story with a bluff but you also have the option to slow down and check if you are not sure about your opponent’s strength.

Learn How to Bluff

Poker is about maximizing value, bluffing also falls into that category. Many players though feel uncomfortable while bluffing and hesitates in situations where bluffing is the right play. If you avoid bluffs because you are feeling uncomfortable you are basically playing not to lose, instead of playing to win. If you are scared of pulling of bluffs you will ultimately leave money on the table and if you’re opponents are aware of this, they can exploit you. If you don’t bluff enough, you will become predictable and easy to play against and you will not be paid off as often when you have a good hand.

You need to play your weaker hands similar too how you play your strong ones, this will make it harder for your opponent’s when they have to guess and they will fold more often to your bluffs. A good bluff also needs to make sense, you need to tell a story from start to finish that’s believable. Bluffing requires stepping out of your comfort zone and embracing the risk. If you are able to bluff effectively in the right situations you will eventually switch the tables and your opponents will be uncomfortable ones. The real edge in poker comes from being unpredictable.

Defending Blinds

Defending blinds is a key concept in poker, generally more important in tournaments where the blinds increase in size but occasionally also in cash games.

One reason you should defend your blind is the fact that you already have money in the pot so it will cost you less to make call or raise. Another reason to defend is that players from late position will often try to steal your blinds and if they notice that you won’t give up your blinds that easily they might shut down their attempts. Against tighter player that doesn’t steal so often it’s usually best to give up your blinds because you will also have to play out of position if you continue. Knowing when to defend and when to give up is nuanced skill that depends of several factors such as your hand strength, your opponent’s position and tendencies.

FAQs

Before you learn to play poker online you should know the ranking of the poker hands. In most poker variants the goal is to combine the highest possible five-card hand according to traditional poker rankings. The best possible hand in this ranking is the Royal Flush AKQJ10, a straight from A to 10 and a flush where all five cards are the same suit.

The main pot is the primary pot which all players in a hand contributes their chips to, if the player with the smallest stack already committed all his chips in the pot and the remaining players keeps putting in chips a side pot will build up between the them. The player with the smallest stack can only win the main pot and the other players will compete for both the main and the side pot.

Pot odds is the ratio between the current size of the pot and the cost of a call. Knowing the pot odds helps players with tough decisions whether it’s mathematically correct to continue with a hand or not.

Texas Hold’em is the most widespread and popular poker variant for both cash games and tournaments live and online. Omaha is the second most popular poker variant and it’s frequently available online and live. Omaha is a poker game with a lot of action and variance.

By studying the basic concepts how to play poker online you will increase your chances to win at poker. Some key concepts you should know is: Play in ranges, understand your table position, learn how to bluff and defending blinds.

Playing in ranges means that you consider all possible hand combinations your opponent can have in different situations rather than narrow it down to a single hand. If you are able to put your opponent on a range of hands you will get a more realistic view how your own hand stand against that range so you can make informed decisions of your next move.

From later positions you will have an advantage with more information to your disposal because you will see your opponent’s actions before it’s your turn to act. You will also be able to control the size of the pot, build it up by betting or raising or check behind to see a free turn or river. From early positions it’s recommend to proceed with caution, tighten up your hand selection and mainly play the best poker hands.

Poker is all about maximizing value and being unpredictable. If bluffing is not a part of your game you are basically leaving money on the table. If your opponents are aware that you’re not bluffing in crucial spots they can exploit your game. Also, if you are leaving bluffs out of your game you will become predictable and easy to play against and you will not be paid of when you finally have the best poker hands.