How to Play Poker

by Randy Ray

Learning the Basics of Poker

Step 1 in learning how to play poker (or any other game) is to learn the rules. All poker games share certain basic rules. That's what makes them poker. All poker games involve wagering of something. (Even penny ante poker uses pennies to play, and kids play poker using matchsticks or chips.) Everyone at a poker table starts by buying in and either exchanging their money for chips or dumping a bunch of pennies on the table before the game starts.

Cards and Who Wins

Poker is usually played with a 52 card deck, although some variations might use fewer cards or more cards. Most of the action in a poker game takes place during the betting rounds. Player receive cards during the deal, bet or fold, then usually the receive more cards, bet or fold, and possibly get dealt more cards, depending on the game, and so on, until either everyone has folded except one person (who wins the pot), or 2 or more players have a showdown. The showdown is when players show their hands to determine a winner for the pot.

Betting, Antes, and Blinds

All poker games include some type of forced bet to keep the game moving. This might be an ante or a blind. Antes are paid every hand by every player, while blinds are more of a rotating ante. The position of the dealer button determine who has to pay the blinds. In some tournament situations, the blinds go up as the game progresses, and eventually a blind AND an ante are required to play.

Bluffing, Betting, and Folding

The common sense way to play poker is to bet and raise when you have a strong hand that is likely to win, and to check and fold when you have a weak hand that isn't likely to win. In some situations, you might bet and/or raise when you have a weak hand in the hopes of getting the other players to fold their hands. This is called "bluffing", and it's a central strategy element to the game of poker. (Some players bluff too much. You can read about them in this article about bad poker habits.)

Poker has multiple variations, including stud poker, holdem poker, and draw poker. Holdem poker has become increasingly popular in recent years, especially Texas holdem, which is the featured game at the World Series of Poker each year. Omaha holdem is popular too, especially in Europe. Since this website is called "Poker Tomorrow", it's fitting that we point out that Omaha is often called the "game of the future".

See also:

• Is Ace Rag Really a Weak Holdem Starting Hand?