Players have the option of betting, or folding. After all bets are placed, the player with the highest-value hand will win the pot...
Online poker is a relatively simple card game to learn. It is a community game typically played with 2 to 10 participants and has several popular variations, including Texas Hold ‘em, Omaha, and Seven Card Stud. Online poker is enjoyed around the world and played with the same pomp and celebrity that traditional poker purists enjoy. Poker has several variations but many of the basic rules and the poker hands ranking apply across the board with all variants. 3 of the more common versions include Texas Hold’em, Omaha, and Seven Card Stud.
All 3 are wildly entertaining, but for beginners Texas Hold’em and Omaha are the best bets, as they are less ‘fast paced’ than Seven Card Stud. New players can learn a lot by engaging in online poker play and acquiring a basic understanding of the game. Fortunately, online poker entertainment is affordable - sometimes free - and players can enjoy all the action from the comforts of home. The overall experience is akin to a real-life Vegas showdown!
The Fundamentals of Poker and Online Poker Entertainment
Poker is played with between 2 and10 players at a time, depending on which version is being played. It is considered a ‘community’ card game because participants are competing against one another and not the ‘house’ as in some of the other common card games. The dealer will utilize a standard 52 card deck and divvy out an allotted number of cards to every player. The number of cards to be dealt will differ for each of the variations. Once dealt, the cards in each player’s possession constitute his/her ‘hand’.
Each player will examine their hand without allowing the other players to see the combination that they possess. The object for each player is to acquire a hand that is higher in value than that of their components. The hand starts out with the hole cards, the flop (next 3 community cards), the Turn (4th community card) and the River (5th community card). Players can use these cards in any combination to form a winning hand. Based on a player’s evaluation of the hand, he/she can place bets accordingly.
Bankroll Management in Poker
There are a variety of different ways that a player can act on each hand. Some of the most common terms that are used are bet, call, raise, check, and fold. Before the cards are dealt, players must ‘ante’ up. So if the ‘ante’ for example is $500, in order for the player to join the hand he/she must place a $500 ante to join that hand. This is otherwise known as seeding the pot and it occurs in online poker games too. Following the ante, cards are dealt. The bets will proceed in a clockwise manner according to the order in which the cards were dealt. Players have the option of betting, or folding. After all bets are placed, the player with the highest-value hand will win the pot for that hand.
In Texas Hold’em a Blind Bet takes the place of an ‘ante’ and each player will agree to the blind bet if they want to participate in that hand. There are 2 types of blinds: the small blind and the big blind. These are compulsory bets that guarantee that there is money in the poker pot. The bets go around the table with each consecutive player able to bet, raise, call or fold accordingly. In Texas Hold'em poker, all introductory bets will be made before all the cards are dealt. Playing poker online is a challenging and exciting way to acclimate oneself to the basic rules of play, and to become familiar with the terminology and the process. May the best hand win!