Poker is an enthralling casino title that’s widely played by both land-based and online casino players. Some of the major reasons behind Poker’s immense popularity are its social nature and the fact that it’s a combination of luck and skill.
While it’s easy to get started with Poker online, learning how to play Poker may seem like an intimidating task for novice players. So, here’s a beginner Poker guide that touches down on everything you need to get started with the game, from gameplay rules to available wagering options. Stick with us!
A look at the basic rules of Poker
When playing Poker online, there are a variety of Poker variations for players to choose from. And each of these Poker games has some alterations in their gameplay rules.
Texas Hold’em happens to be the most popular Poker variations at both land-based and online casinos. Other common Poker games that can be found with almost all online and mobile casinos include Omaha and Five Card Draw. While some gameplay rules are unique to each of these Poker variations, the wagering terms and hand rankings are essentially the same. Below we’ve explained the gameplay rules for the highly popular Texas Hold’em variation of Poker.
Rules of Texas Hold’em
As a player, your main aim in Texas Hold’em is to form the best five-card hand as per the pre-defined hand rankings. For that, you get two hole cards and five community cards. The initial gameplay round in Texas Hold’em starts with each player getting two face-down cards. Both these hole card are face down and can only be seen the player who’s holding them.
The pre-flop betting round commences after every player has got their two face-down cards. At this point, the dealer places three community cards on the table. All these community cards are face up and are referred to as flop.
Another betting round begins after the three community cards have hit the board. Then another face up card is placed on the table, referred to as the turn. Once the turn round is over, the dealer puts the fifth card (river) on the board. Then the last round of betting begins. Finally, all players show their hole cards and the player with the best five-card hand wins.
Poker hand rankings explained
Most Poker games require players to form the best five-card hand using the standard Poker hand rankings. Below we’ve given the different Poker hand rankings:
Royal Flush
This is the best hand to have when playing Poker at our online casino UK. It consists of five cards that are from the same suit and the follow the sequence A-K-Q-J-T.
Straight Flush
A Straight Flush is made up of five cards that are in sequence. Note that all cards must be of the same suit here. An example of this Poker hand would be 9-8-7-6-5 (all from the same suit).
Four of a Kind
The name of this hand sequence says it all. It comprises four cards that carry the same value. An example of Four of a Kind is A-A-A-A.
Full House
This Poker hand consists of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. For example, Q-Q-Q-6-6.
Flush
These are five cards that are from the same suit but don’t follow a particular sequence. An example of a Flush hand is 4-8-7-6-2 (all from the diamond suit).
Straight
This is a basic card sequence such as 7-6-5-4-3.
Three of a Kind
This Poker hand consists of three cards of the same rank. An example of this Poker hand would be 5-5-5-K-6.
Two Pair
A hand that consists of two pairs is referred to as Two Pair in Poker games. For example, 9-9-5-5-4.
Pair
This Poker hand includes a single Pair. For example, A-A-2-3-5
High Card
This is the lowest-valued hand to have in Poker games. Naturally, it’s a hand that doesn’t qualify any of the above-mentioned hands.
Common Poker terms you need to know
Here are some common terms you need to be aware of when playing Poker at casino: