How to play poker? The Ultimate Guide

How to play poker? The Ultimate Guide

Poker is played with a regular 52 card deck (some Poker variations may use more or less cards, like when the Jokers are allowed).

The card value is the following: As (A) is the highest, King (K), Queen (Q), Jay (J), ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three and two (the lowest). The As in some Poker variations may be the lowest card, but it is usually the highest.

Four card suits: Hearts, Diamond, Spades and Clubs. No suit is higher than the other. Every Poker hand has 5 cards; the highest (highest value) hand wins.

The use of Jokers depends on the kind of Poker you are playing. The Jokers will be worth the suit and number the player wants it to be. The Jokers can be different from regular cards or can be designated cards of the deck, like the twos, for example.

The number of cards to be dealt also depends on the variation of Poker being played. In some types 5 cards will be dealt, in other 7 and in some 2. Usually, 5 cards are dealt face down to each player.

Bets
In most Poker variations you start with an Initial Bet (ante) which gives you the right to get the cards. The bet’s money is settled in the middle of the table and it’s called Pot.

When it’s your time to bet (the turns are determined clockwise), you have 4 options:

Pass: Let the next player play. If you do this, at the end of the hand the bet will get back at you if no one else bets. If everyone passes, a new hand starts, with new cards and starting with the Initial Bet. The pot accumulates for the next round.

Call: Bet enough to reach the ante. As an example: the ante is €5 and it’s raised to €10, you’ll have to bet another €5 to “call” and stay in the round. This will happen until no one else raises the bet and everyone calls or folds.

Raise: To raise, first you have to bet the money for the Initial Bet and then you add the money you want to raise (the raise limit depends on the Poker variation you are playing). Let’s say the bet is up to €25 and you raise another €25, the bet will be worth €50. The players that want to “call” will have to bet that money.

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Fold: Folding the current round and giving up the chance to gain the Pot. You don’t have to add any money to the Bet and you’ll only lose the money you have already bet. Sometimes it’s better to fold than to play and risk losing money with a weak hand.

Each Poker game has a determined number of Bet turns. The highest hand at the end of the betting turns will get the Pot.

Possible Hands

Next we’ll remind you the value of each hand from the highest to the lowest:

Royal Flush
Straight A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit.

Straight Flush
Any 5 cards of the same suit in consecutive numerical order. Example: 7, 8, 9, 10, J.

Four of a Kind
Four cards of the same denomination. Example: 4, 4, 4, 4, 8.

Full House
Three cards of the same denomination plus a pair of another denomination. Example: 5, 5, 5, A, A.

Flush
Any five of the same suit non consecutive numbered. Example: 2, 7, 9, J, K of Spades.

Straight
Any five consecutive cards of different suits. Example: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 of different suits.

Three of a kind
Three cards of the same denomination. Example: 3, 3, 3, 6, 9.

Two Pair
Any two cards of the same denomination plus any other two of the same denomination. Example: 2, 2, 5, 5, 10.

Pair
Two cards of the same denomination. Example: 3, 3, 5, 7, Q.

High Card
If you don’t have any of the hands above, what counts is the highest card you have. Example: A, 10, 7, 5, 2 (the A is the high card).

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William Lawrence

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