Read our detailed breakdown of online poker, this information will help you better navigate through all the intricacies and secrets of the card game, as well as tell you how to win the pot.
Poker Combination Rankings and Betting Structure
Online poker is popular for many reasons: it can be played anytime and anywhere, not only on a computer but also on a phone. Before learning the rules of online poker, a gambler needs to understand the hand rankings and betting structure. Even top-level professional players participating in world tournaments need to know them thoroughly.
A poker combination consists of five cards. A hand may consist of:
- Five cards in your hand – as in the Stade and Draw variants;
- Any combination of cards in your hand, as well as cards in the centre of the table – as in Hold’em and Omaha poker.
If you use your own cards or cards from the table to put together a combination, they are called community cards. Regardless of whether you use your own cards or community cards, the ranking of poker combinations remains the same.
Ranking poker combinations from best to worst:
- A flush royal is a straight 10 to an ace of the same suit;
- A straight flush is a straight of cards of the same suit;
- A four is four cards of the same value;
- The full house is a couple and a set;
- Blush – any five cards;
- Straight – five cards in sequential order, with no matching suits;
- Set (or triple of the same kind) – three cards of the same value;
- Two couples – a couple and another other couple;
- A pair is two cards of the same value;
- A senior card is a hand that has no value other than the value of one senior card.
Poker Betting Structure
In addition to hand rankings, online poker will use one of the betting structures described below:
- Limit – bets/raises are limited by the ante amount. The ante is a mandatory bet that allows you to increase your pot throughout the game.
- Po-limit – betting/raising amounts are limited by the size of the pot.
- Unlimited – the amount of bets/raises is limited only by the amount of money/figures you have. You can bet as much as you want until you go bankrupt.
The best option is to spend some time getting your poker combinations and betting structure up to speed. Once you have done this, you can move on to the process of playing hands to get the pot.
Poker Variations
Texas Hold’em is the most popular at the moment, but it’s not the only poker game that online casinos offer.
Types of poker:
- Texas Hold’em. You start the game with two cards that are hidden from everyone else. The gambler then combines both, one or both of them with the five total cards on the table to make a winning combination.
- Omaha. A player starts with four cards. He can use two of his own cards to create the best combination, and he can also draw three of the five community cards.
- Stud. Participants are dealt five or seven cards (depending on the herd sub-variant) over several rounds. Some cards are visible to all, others are hidden.
- Draw. Gamblers are dealt five cards each. They must either play these cards or discard them. The game allows you to exchange as many cards as you want before revealing them.
- Mixed Game. All variants of Poker are played alternately.
What is the Main Purpose of Poker?
The main goal of poker is to win the pot. Some people watching the game believe that the goal is to put together the best hand. Yes, gamblers try to do that, but it is not their main objective – the hand is only important when the cards are revealed.
Since the goal is to win the pot, you can do this in one of the suggested ways:
- Have the best hand when you showdown. The first way to win requires an understanding of poker combination rankings. You need to be sure of this if you go to a showdown.
- Place bets until everyone else has dropped their cards. The second way to win requires an understanding of poker strategy, bluffing, and how to get people to react the way you want them to.
Online Poker Beginner’s Guide to Playing Online Poker
There are several variations of poker, but at the heart of each one is the same simple idea – to put together the highest-ranked combination you can using five cards.
A beginner must realise that he does not have to have the best hand to win the pot. To understand all the nuances, we suggest to consider this process in the most popular variant of poker – Texas Hold’em.
Poker Set-Up
The first thing to do is to choose a reliable online casino and register. After creating an account, choose a Texas Hold’em game and sit down at the virtual table. Follow the further recommendations:
- The game starts with two gamblers, to the left of the button.
- These two users lay out money or chips to begin the distribution of the pot, known as the big or small blind.
- Once the blinds are posted, two face down cards are dealt to all gamblers so that each player can view their cards privately.
Texas Hold’em Betting Rounds
After the line-up, the game moves clockwise from the gambler seated directly to the left of the big blind. It is then up to the user to choose their next move:
- Equalise the minimum bet;
- Raise the current rate;
- Ask for a cheque (don’t bet and pass);
- Fold (exit by giving up your move).
After that, the player to his left acts next. He has exactly the same possibilities as the first gambler.
Further Stakes
Poker play in the second phase continues in a round-robin fashion until everyone has played a hand and the minimum bet has been reached. After that, if there are at least two players left in the hand, three cards are dealt to the middle of the table. These are known as community cards because they can be used by anyone. The next round of betting now takes place as in the second stage. After that:
- If there are at least two players left in the hand, a fourth card is dealt. At this point another round of betting takes place.
- If there are two gamblers left in the hand, the fifth card is dealt. The final betting round takes place.
- If there are at least two users left on the river after the betting round is over, a showdown occurs.
We also recommend reading the article about Australian Blackjack: Play for Your Pleasure
Winning a Poker Combination
Anyone can win the pot at any point in the hand by being the only player at the table with cards left. Showdown only occurs if there are several gamblers left and all the common cards have been dealt. The user with the best combination wins the showdown.
To collect a five-card combination in Texas Hold’em, you can do it one way:
- You will combine your two cards with the three cards you have in common;
- You will combine one of your cards with the four cards you have in common;
- You use all five cards.
All it takes to play online poker successfully is good strategy and practice.