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Poker Overview

Put on your poker face (friendly nod to Lady Gaga) and enjoy the webs best free online poker games! Perfectly suited for new or long-time players, these games truly are the World Series of Poker! Come back daily and test your poker hand.

Poker of all types, including Texas Hold'em and video poker, are easy to play, but difficult to master. Dont take our word for it just ask one of the worlds more than 100 million players! Although it is a card game based on luck of the draw, poker also requires thought and strategy. Poker is a game with many different forms and variations, and each one has its own set of rules and nuances. That being said, here are some concepts that will help you become a winner at poker no matter what game you play!

The highest value hand in poker is typically a royal flush. You have a royal flush when your best five-card hand consists of an Ace, King, Queen Jack and a 10 card, all in a single suit. The next best hand is four of a kind (for example, 4 aces), followed by a full house, which is three of a kind plus a pair (for example, three Aces and two Kings). After that comes a flush, which is when your hand consists of five cards that are all the same suit. The next highest-ranking poker hand is a straight: when all five of your cards are in the same numerical order (ex. 10,J,Q,K,A), followed by three of a kind (ex. AAA), and finally, a pair. The lowest value is a high card where the strength of your hand is simply the highest card you have been dealt (ex. A)

From blinds to buttons, flops to folds, and deals to draws, there are about a dozen terms thatll improve your odds of success on the poker table.

When it is your turn to act, or, make a decision in the game, you will typically have the following options:

Bet: Place a bet with your poker chips based on how strong you think your hand is.

Call: If another player has placed a bet, you may opt to match the bet they have made and continue with the game.

Raise: If another player has bet before you, you have the option to bet more than the amount of that player. If you choose to raise the stakes, its typically best to have a hand that you think is better than everyone elses (unless you want to just bluff and pretend that you do in order to get your opponents to fold!).

Check: If no other poker player has bet yet and it is your turn, you can decline to bet as well, passing it along to the next person or poker round. This is called a check.

Fold: You have to know when to hold em, and know when to fold em, as they say. If someone has bet before you and your poker hand isnt particularly strong, its probably best to just fold and wait until the next game.

One of the most important attributes of every winning poker player is their tendency to bet larger amounts when their hand is stronger, and smaller amounts when their hand is weaker. In fact, the best players regularly fold (give up their hand without betting) when the cards they have been dealt are not particularly strong. The best players, indeed, fold most of their poker hands!

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Free Online Poker Games | Play Today for Free

Poker, card game, played in various forms throughout the world, in which a player must call (i.e., match) the bet, raise (i.e., increase) the bet, or concede (i.e., fold). Its popularity is greatest in North America, where it originated. It is played in private homes, in poker clubs, in casinos, and over the Internet. Poker has been called the national card game of the United States, and its play and jargon permeate American culture.

Although countless variants of poker are described in the literature of the game, they all share certain essential features. A poker hand comprises five cards. The value of the hand is in inverse proportion to its mathematical frequency; that is, the more unusual the combination of cards, the higher the hand ranks. Players may bet that they have the best hand, and other players must either call (i.e., match) the bet or concede. Players may bluff by betting that they have the best hand when in fact they do not, and they may win by bluffing if players holding superior hands do not call the bet.

There are forms of poker suitable to any number of players from 2 to 14, but in most forms the ideal number is 6, 7, or 8 players. The object is to win the pot, which is the aggregate of all bets made by all players in any one deal. The pot may be won either by having the highest-ranking poker hand or by making a bet that no other player calls. The following principles apply to nearly all forms of poker.

Poker is almost always played with the standard 52-card deck, the playing cards in each of the four suits (spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs) ranking A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A (low only in the straight [a series of five cards numbered consecutively] or straight flush [a series of five cards numbered consecutively within the same suit] 5-4-3-2-A and in certain variants described below).

In social play, especially in dealers choice (i.e., a card-playing session in which each player takes a turn at dealing the cards and selecting the game), certain cards may be designated wild cards. A wild card stands for any other card its holder wishes to name. There are many methods of introducing wild cards into the game. The most popular are:

Bug. The same 53-card pack including the joker is used, but the jokerhere called the bugcounts only as a fifth ace or to fill a flush [a series of five cards of the same suit], a straight, or certain special hands.

Deuces wild. All four deuces (2s) are wild cards.

The rank of standard poker hands is determined by their odds (probability). Two or more identical hands tie and divide any winning equally. The suits have no relative rank in poker. When there is any wild card in the game, the highest possible hand is five of a kind, which beats any straight flush. When there are several wild cards, there may be identical fours of a kind or threes of a kind, in which case ties are broken by the highest unmatched cards or secondary pairs (in a full house [a five-card hand made up of three of a kind and a pair]).

At the start of the game, any player takes a pack of cards and deals them in rotation to the left, one at a time faceup, until a jack appears. The player receiving that card becomes the first dealer. The turn to deal and the turn to bet always pass to the left from player to player. For each deal, any player may shuffle the cards, the dealer having the last right to shuffle. The dealer must offer the shuffled pack to the opponent to the right for a cut. If that player declines to cut, any other player may cut.

A professional dealer is used in poker clubs, casinos, and tournament play, where a round disc (known as a dealer button) is passed clockwise each hand to indicate the nominal dealer for betting purposes. Also, such environments almost invariably charge the players either by setting an hourly rental fee for their seats or by raking a small percentage (say, 5 percent) from each pot.

In each deal there are one or more betting intervals according to the specific poker variant. In each betting interval, one player, as designated by the rules of the variant being played, has the privilege or obligation of making the first bet. This player and each player in turn after him must place in the pot the number of chips (representing money, for which poker is almost invariably played) to make his total contribution to the pot at least equal to the total contribution of the player before him. When a player does this, he is said to be in the pot, or an active player. If a player declines to do this, he discards his hand and is said to drop or fold, and he may no longer compete for the pot.

Before the deal, each player may be required to make a contribution to the pot, called an ante. In each betting interval, the first player to make a bet is said to bet, a player who exactly meets the previous bet is said to call, and a player who bets more than the previous bettor is said to raise. In some variants, a player is permitted to check, which is to stay in without betting, provided no other player has made a bet in that betting interval. Since a player cannot raise his own bet, each betting interval ends when the betting turn has returned to the person who made the last raise or when all players have checked.

At the end of each betting interval except the last, dealing is resumed. At the end of the last betting interval, there is the showdown, in which each active player shows his full hand, and the highest-ranking hand wins the pot.

There are no-limit or skys-the-limit games, but in practice most poker games place some limit on what one may bet in any game. There are three popular methods.

In fixed-limit games, no one may bet or raise by more than the established limit. In draw poker the limit is usually twice as much after the draw as beforefor example, two chips before the draw, four chips after. In stud poker the limit is usually twice as much in the final betting interval as in previous betting intervals. (The higher limit applies also when any players exposed cards include a pair.) These respective forms of the game are described below. In a fixed-limit game a limit is usually placed on the number of raises that may be made in any betting interval.

In pot-limit contests, a player may bet or raise by no more than the amount in the pot at the time the bet or raise is made. When raising, the player may first put in the pot the number of chips required to call the previous bet and then raise by the number of chips in the pot. When pot limit is played, it is customary also to place a maximum limit on any bet or raise, regardless of the size of the pot.

This method most closely approximates the no-limit game. Each players limit is the number of chips he has on the table at the beginning of the deal. He may not bet more, but for this amount he may call any higher bet (go all in) and compete for the pot in the showdown. Other players having more chips may continue to bet, but their further bets go into one or more side pots in the manner decided among the players who contributed fully to the side pot. When a player drops out of any side pot, he drops out of the original pot as well, in effect surrendering his rights in the original pot to the player whose later bet he did not call. Thus, there may be different winners of the main pot and various side pots.

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poker | Principles, Types, Play, & History | Britannica

Action: The act of using a video poker machine, as well as the total sum you bet on it during one full game session is referred to as action.

Credits: This is the amount of money (for real money) or credit (for free play) you have in your account.

Discard: After the video poker machine deals your initial hand, you can choose to hold or discard any or all of these cards.

Draw:This is the command used to get cards in front of you. Youll do it once at the start and again after youve held the cards you want to keep.

Hold: Following the initial hand you are dealt, you will be offered the chance to keep one or more cards in that hand.

Face Card: A face card is a card with a picture on it. Kings, Queens and Jacks are all known as face cards.

Ace-High: When the player has no other card combinations except a single Ace.

House Edge: Different games carry a different edge for the house. Video poker games have a small house edge, which means that the odds of winning are lower compared to some other games, like online slots.

Inside Straight: When all youre missing to complete your winning hand is a card in the middle of your run, thats an inside straight.

Max Bet: This is the highest amount that you can bet or wager on a video poker machine.

Multi-hand: If you like to play more than one hand at once, the video poker games with a multi-hand option are for you.

Pay Table: The pay table is a guide that outlines how much you can win for each hand.

Pat Hand: So, youve drawn a hand and theres no way you could pick a card from the pack which will improve it. Youre pat with what youve got and thats that.

Pay Back: Also known as the expected value of a game, pay back describes the return you can expect from a video poker game after it has dealt out millions of hands.

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Free Video Poker - Play the Best Online Video Poker Games

Article SummaryX

Before you get started playing any type of 5-card poker, youll need to learn the 10 basic ways to win. In order from lowest to highest, they are:

1. High card.2. Pair of cards, like two 2s.3. Two pairs of cards, like two 5s and two 9s.4. Three of a kind, like three 4s.5. Straight, which is five cards in sequential order. For example, a player might have a 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 of any suit.6. Flush, which is when a player has five cards of the same suit in any order. For example, a player might have a 2, 7, 10, Jack, and Queen of spades.7. Full house, which is when a player has a pair and a three of a kind.8. Four of a kind, like all four Aces.9. Straight flush, which is when you have five cards in sequential order of the same suit. For example, a player might have a 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 of clubs.10. Royal Flush, which is a straight flush containing a 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace.

If two people have the same hand, the person with the higher cards wins. So for example, if Daniel has a pair of 3s and Maggie has a pair of 10s, Maggie wins because her pair is higher.

To play Texas HoldEm, which is the most common type of poker, youll first need to bet your ante, which is your buy in bet to play the round. The ante is usually a small bet, like $1 or $5, and its decided by the table. Once everyone has their ante, the dealer will deal two cards to each player. Keep these cards secret from everyone else. Now, every player will take a look at their cards and choose whether or not to bet. Whenever theres a betting round, you can choose to fold, which means not playing this round, check, which means matching their bet, or raise, which means adding more money to the betting pool. Players that are unwilling to check a bet have to fold; and if everyone but one player folds, that player wins! Once everyone has bet, the dealer will reveal three cards. These cards are known as the flop. When you see the flop, start planning what hand you want to make, keeping in mind that there are still two more cards to be revealed. For example, you might want to aim for a flush, which is when you have five cards of the same suit. After the flop, everyone has the chance to bet again, before the dealer reveals the next card, which is the turn. Bet again if you want to, then the dealer will reveal the river, which is the last card. At this point, youll see a total of 7 cards: two in your hands, and five on the table. Now, players will bet once last time, then everyone will reveal their hand. Your goal is to create the highest hand possible out of those seven cards, even if it means only using one card from your hand and four cards from the table. The player with the best hand wins!

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How to Play Poker (with Pictures) - wikiHow

Win More Games With This Guide - Recommended by Professional Poker Players

Download and print out our poker hands ranking chart, or save it to your phone.Keep it nearby when playing so that you always know the ranking of hands frombest to worst.

Understanding hand rankings is your first step on the road to becoming a winning poker player. Knowing the best hands will help you:

Poker Hands Chart

10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace all in the same suit.

probability: 1 in 649,737

combinations: 4

Five cards in a row, all in the same suit.

probability: 1 in 72,193

combinations: 36

The same card in each of the four suits.

probability: 1 in 4,164

combinations: 624

A pair plus three of a kind in the same hand.

probability: 1 in 693

combinations: 3,744

Five cards, all in one suit, but not in numerical order.

probability: 1 in 508

combinations: 5,108

Five cards in numerical order, but not of the same suit.

probability: 1 in 253

combinations: 10,200

Three of one card and two non-paired cards.

probability: 1 in 46

combinations: 54,912

Two different pairings or sets of the same card in one hand.

probability: 1 in 20

combinations: 123,552

One pairing of the same card.

probability: 1 in 1.36

combinations: 1,098,240

No matching cards.

probability: 1 in 0.99

combinations: 1,302,540

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Poker hands fall into one of ten categories. The highest is a royal flush, followed by a straight flush, then four of a kind, a full house, a flush, a straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, and finally a high card.

The highest hands are the least common, with a royal flush and straight flush with the highest value cards, being exceedingly rare.

A deck of cards is divided into four suits. All card suits have the same value in most poker games, but there are rare exceptions. For example, if youre splitting an uneven pot in a high-low game where you tied your hand with another player, the remaining chip can be given to the player whose suit ranks higher. Usually spades rank highest and clubs rank lowest.

The four suits can vary from country to country - German decks contains bells instead of diamonds , for example - but traditionally the four suits are as follows (in descending order of usual value for games that rank suits):

Black suit, depicting a medieval weapon.

Red suit, showing a heart.

Red suit, represented by a geometric diamond shape.

Black suit, represented by a three-leaf symbol.

Once you have mastered poker hands, check out our other guides to help you become a better player.

It's possible that the best hand at the table (a pair of 9s, for example) will be held by more than one player. In this case,the tie is broken using a kicker.

Let's say two players at a five-card poker game have a pair of 9s, and this is the best hand of the round.

The hand goes to Player A, who has a pair of 9s with an A kicker (kicker meaning the highest card not involved in the pair), whichbeats player B's pair of 9s with a J kicker.

In the rare event that both players have the exact same hand, A, 9, 9, 7, 5 for example, the pot would be split.

The best hand in poker is a Royal Flush.It's made up of an ace, king, queen, jack and 10 in the same suit.

You can see the poker hand rankingsabove. A one pair beats a high card, a two pair beats a one pair, a three of akind beats a two pair, a straight beats a three of a kind, a flush beats astraight, a full house beats a flush, a four of a kind beats a full house, astraight flush beats a four or a kind, a royal flush beats a straight flush.Nothing beats a royal flush.

You can beat a straight with aflush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush.

A full house is a strong hand,but you can beat it with a four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush.

A full house, four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush all beat a flush.

There is no highest suit in poker. They are all ranked equally.

There are 10 possible poker hands. The most valuable hand is a Royal Flush, a Straight Flush made of the highest value cards in the game.

The highest value poker hand is a Royal Flush, while the lowest is a high card. The full ranking order is royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, a full house, a flush, a straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, high card.

The ranking order of suits is spades, hearts, diamonds, and clubs. In popular poker games such as Texas Hold'em, there is no ranking of card suits, however suits are sometimes ranked in other games like Bridge.

The best hand in poker is a Royal Flush, which is the highest value straight flush. The worst hand in poker is a high card. The lowest possible high card five-card poker hand (if Aces are high) is 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 with no flush present.

If two poker hands are the same, the winner is decided by a kicker. A kicker is the highest value card outside of the pair/three-of-a-kind etc. For example, a pair of 8s with a K kicker beats a pair of 8s with a 10 kicker. If two hands are identical, the pot is split.

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Poker Hand Rankings | Poker Hand Chart | CardsChat

Poker is a card game, the main goal of which is to win bets by collecting the strongest poker hand each round and slowly taking all your opponents money. Sometimes rather quickly. An important element is knowing when to fold to avoid losses and when to bet big. There are many variants to poker, the playing cards are always present. One well know version is the 5 card draw seen in many video poker machines.

Poker is played with different decks of 32, 36 or 54 cards, but the deck of 52 cards is most commonly used. The game usually involves from 2 to 10 players. Depending on the poker type, the game consists of several rounds. Each of them starts with forced bets and giving additional cards. After that, each player has the opportunity to bet or stop playing further. The winner is the one whose card hand turns out to be the best or the one who can force other players out with bets or bluff and will remain the last one until the showdown.

There are still splits over the origin of the game itself and even its name. Presumably, poker originated in the United States or Europe, and the first mention of it dates back to the 16th century. Over time, the game started to gain incredible popularity and became the most popular card game. Today there are a lot of poker types: Draw poker, Stud, Texas hold'em, Omaha, Badugi and so on. Some of them are even played at the official level since many international poker tournaments are held annually. Poker has also become quite a popular phenomenon on the Internet and there are special programs created to simulate human play. Even tools to help players make decisions during the game.

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Poker Games - Y8.COM

7 Card Stud

Generally, players will post their "antes" prior to each being dealt two (2) down cards and one (1) up card each followed by the initial round of betting, which is started with a "force bet." The initial betting round is followed by three (3) additional up cards being dealt one (1) at a time, with a betting round following each one. A final down card is then dealt followed by the last betting round. After the initial betting round, action is started by the player whose up cards form the highest ranking hand. If there is a tie in determining the highest ranking hand, the player with the tied hand sitting closest to the left of the Dealer, must start the action for that betting round.

On the first betting round of a "structured limit" game, any player, including the player required to make the force bet, may bet either the force amount or the lower structured amount for that betting round. Once the structured bet has been made, all calls and/or raises must be made by the structured bet amount.

In a structured game, if there is an open pair on the fourth card, any active player has the option of making a bet or raise at the higher limit. On the first betting round of a "spread limit" game, any player, including the player required to make the force bet, may bet any amount within the limits at any time. However all raises must be equal to or greater than the previous bet or raise, without exceeding the maximum dollar limit for that game.

This game is played in the identical manner as 7-Card Stud High-Low, however, there is a "Low" hand "qualifier" of "8 or Better" in place. In order to have a valid low hand, and thus qualify for the low portion of the pot, the best five (5) card low hand must contain five (5) unpaired cards less than nine (9). If there is no qualifying low hand, the high hand will then win the entire pot.

Texas Hold 'em is a board game that uses a flat disc called a dealer button to determine who receives their cards first and where the action starts for each betting round. One or more "blind" bets are used to simulate action on the first betting round. The player closest to the left of the dealer button begins by posting a "small blind," which is approximately half of the minimum bet for the first betting round. The player seated to the left of the "small blind" posts a "large blind," which is equal to the minimum bet for the first betting round. A "blind" bet counts as all or part of a player's wager, and must be "posted" before you receive your cards, unless a specific game or situation dictates otherwise. Check and raise is allowed, with a maximum of three raises per betting round unless the action becomes "heads-up" (only two active players remaining) before a third raise is made, in which case there is no limit to the number of raises allowed between the two players. Players are dealt two down cards followed by a betting round. Action starts with the person to the left of the player who posted the "large blind. This betting round is followed by three cards being dealt faceup, simultaneously, in the center of the table. This is referred to as the "flop" and is followed by a betting round that starts with the first active player seated to the left of the button. Two additional cards are then turned faceup in the middle of the table, one at a time, with each followed by a betting round. In determining the value of your hand, you may use any combination of your two down cards and the five board cards to create a five-card poker hand, up to and including all five board cards. The standard ranking of hands applies.

Omaha is a board game that uses a flat disc called a dealer button to determine who receives their cards first and where the action starts for each betting round. One or more "blind" bets are used to simulate action on the first betting round. The player closest to the left of the dealer button begins by posting a "small blind," which is approximately half of the minimum bet for the first betting round. The player seated to the left of the "small blind" posts a "large blind," which is equal to the minimum bet for the first betting round. A "blind" bet counts as all or part of a player's wager, and must be "posted" before you receive your cards, unless a specific game or situation dictates otherwise.

Check and raise is allowed, with a maximum of three raises per betting round unless the action becomes "heads-up" (only two active players remaining) before a third raise is made, in which case there is no limit to the number of raises allowed between the two players. Players are dealt four down cards followed by a betting round. Action starts with the person to the left of the player who posted the "large blind. This betting round is followed by three cards being dealt face-up, simultaneously, in the center of the table (referred to as the "flop"). Another betting round that starts with the first active player seated the left of the button follows. Two additional cards are then turned face-up in the middle of the table, one at a time, with each followed by a betting round. In determining the value of your five-card hand, you must use any two cards from your hand with any three cards from the board. The standard ranking of hands applies.

This game is played in the identical manner as Omaha Hold 'em High-Low, however, there is a "Low" hand "qualifier" of "8 or Better" in place. In order to have a valid "Low" hand, and thus qualify for the low portion of the pot, the best five (5) card low hand must contain five (5) unpaired cards less than nine (9). If there is no qualifying low hand, the high hand will then win the entire pot.

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Poker at Foxwoods | Mashantucket, CT