Basic Poker Rules
What Poker Is All About
Like most games, the aim of poker is to win. Whether you're playing for fun or for money, poker will test your skills and strategic abilities.
There are many varieties of poker games but they all follow the same basic format:
* Players contribute toward a central 'pot' that contains play chips or chips representing actual money
* Players are dealt cards (a 'hand'), some or all of which are concealed
* Wagers are made on the strength of the cards in rounds of betting
* After the betting rounds are over, the player with the strongest hand - or the last player left standing after the others have folded - wins!
No matter which type of poker you want to play, it's crucial that you understand the deck and that you know the rank of hands.
There are many varieties of poker games but they all follow the same basic format:
* Players contribute toward a central 'pot' that contains play chips or chips representing actual money
* Players are dealt cards (a 'hand'), some or all of which are concealed
* Wagers are made on the strength of the cards in rounds of betting
* After the betting rounds are over, the player with the strongest hand - or the last player left standing after the others have folded - wins!
No matter which type of poker you want to play, it's crucial that you understand the deck and that you know the rank of hands.
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Betting Rules
Limit Poker
In a game of limit poker, the amount you are allowed to bet is limited to a specific size. This limit is in the name of the poker game ($3/6, $20/40, etc.).
So, for example, if you're playing in a '$1/2 limit' game, the minimum sizes of the bets would be:
* Pre-flop (before the flop): $1
* On the flop (when the three first community cards have been dealt): $1
* On the turn (when the fourth community card has been dealt): $2
* On the river (when the fifth and last community card has been dealt): $2
Note that you can't make a smaller bet than the big blind. Furthermore, all raises must be done in increments of the betting amounts.
For example, in a $1/2 limit game, the raises will be as follows, limited to four times the first bet that was made:
* Pre-flop: $1, $2, $3 up to $4
* On the flop: $1, $2, $3 up to $4
* On the turn: $2, $4, $6 up to $8
* On the river: $2, $4, $6 up to $8
No-Limit Poker
In this type of game, there is no limit to the maximum bet that you can make in any betting round. However, there is a minimum bet that is equivalent to the big blind.
The minimum raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. For example, if the first player to act bets $10 then the second player must raise a minimum of $10 (total bet of $20). There is no maximum raise - you can raise as much as you want. However, if you wish to call a bet but don't have the chips to cover it, you'll be 'all-in'. At this point, you can only win the portion of the pot covered by your chips.
Pot-Limit Poker
Pot-limit is the most popular variety of poker game in Europe. It is quite similar to no-limit poker but there are certain key differences.
In pot-limit poker, players may bet any amount from the size of the blind to the size of the pot. The pot includes the sum of all bets and raises made during the current round.
Here's an example: The pot in the center of the table contains $100. On a subsequent round, one player bets $20, and two following players each call this $20 bet. The fourth player could call the $20 bet and then raise by a maximum of $180. This raise matches the $100 in the pot, the first $20 bet, the two additional $20 calls and the player’s own $20 call, which together add up to a $180 raise. Play a few practice games and you'll soon get the hang of the math!
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Poker Tips
This collection of poker tips was put together by Mike Sexton party poker and commentator for the World Poker Tour), and Linda Johnson (a noted poker player and personality).
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Multi Tabling
There’s one thing that even the biggest sharks can’t do in an offline poker room: Play at more than one table at a time.
About Poker Chips
How to Understand Casino Poker Chips' Weight
Table Position in Poker
So, for example, if you're playing in a '$1/2 limit' game, the minimum sizes of the bets would be:
* Pre-flop (before the flop): $1
* On the flop (when the three first community cards have been dealt): $1
* On the turn (when the fourth community card has been dealt): $2
* On the river (when the fifth and last community card has been dealt): $2
Note that you can't make a smaller bet than the big blind. Furthermore, all raises must be done in increments of the betting amounts.
For example, in a $1/2 limit game, the raises will be as follows, limited to four times the first bet that was made:
* Pre-flop: $1, $2, $3 up to $4
* On the flop: $1, $2, $3 up to $4
* On the turn: $2, $4, $6 up to $8
* On the river: $2, $4, $6 up to $8
No-Limit Poker
In this type of game, there is no limit to the maximum bet that you can make in any betting round. However, there is a minimum bet that is equivalent to the big blind.
The minimum raise amount must be at least as much as the previous bet or raise in the same round. For example, if the first player to act bets $10 then the second player must raise a minimum of $10 (total bet of $20). There is no maximum raise - you can raise as much as you want. However, if you wish to call a bet but don't have the chips to cover it, you'll be 'all-in'. At this point, you can only win the portion of the pot covered by your chips.
Pot-Limit Poker
Pot-limit is the most popular variety of poker game in Europe. It is quite similar to no-limit poker but there are certain key differences.
In pot-limit poker, players may bet any amount from the size of the blind to the size of the pot. The pot includes the sum of all bets and raises made during the current round.
Here's an example: The pot in the center of the table contains $100. On a subsequent round, one player bets $20, and two following players each call this $20 bet. The fourth player could call the $20 bet and then raise by a maximum of $180. This raise matches the $100 in the pot, the first $20 bet, the two additional $20 calls and the player’s own $20 call, which together add up to a $180 raise. Play a few practice games and you'll soon get the hang of the math!
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Poker Tips
This collection of poker tips was put together by Mike Sexton party poker and commentator for the World Poker Tour), and Linda Johnson (a noted poker player and personality).
- Pay attention
- Watch who's playing in an aggressive or loose way and who's playing tight, try to play the loose players and avoid the tight players, unless you've got a strong hand.
- Watch the chips
- Always be aware of everyone's chip count. Know who has more chips than you and play more carefully against them - a mistake could knock you out. It's usually better to play pots with players who have fewer chips than you do.
- No match
- If your cards don't match any of the community cards, throw your hand away when someone else bets.
- Ace in the hand
- Don't play every time you have an ace in your hand. However, play an ace if it's accompanied by a card of the same suit or by a 10 or higher.
- Hands to stay with before the flop
- Play with pairs (7-7, 9-9), two face cards (K-Q, Q-J), or hands that can make both a straight and a flush (8-9, 6-7 of the same suit). Be patient and fold other hands, unless you're in the blind.
- Good hand? Bet strong
- In no-limit Texas Hold'em, players can bet all of their chips at any time, so bet aggressively when you have a good hand.
- Watch and wait
- Play fewer hands when you're one of the first players to act, because you'll be 'out of position' and vulnerable to raises from the remaining players.
- Wait your turn
- Do not act until it is your turn; play proceeds clockwise at the poker table.
- Be a 'bettor,' not a 'caller'
- Being aggressive is good.
- Call their bluff
- If someone raises in a late position (near or on the button), re-raise them a good amount if you are on the blind. Chances are, they don't have a big hand and they're just trying to steal your blinds. (This style of play, known as going 'over the top', is probably the strongest play one can make in no-limit Texas Hold'em.)
- Be patient
- The biggest mistake most players make is to act too quickly. When you're making an important decision pause to think about how the betting has gone and what your opponent might have. Take your time.
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Multi Tabling
There’s one thing that even the biggest sharks can’t do in an offline poker room: Play at more than one table at a time.
At PartyPoker.com, you can take a seat at up to 18 tables, meaning more great action and even more chances to win. We call this ‘multi-tabling’. It can be a little daunting at first, so here are a few short tips to get you started:
- If you’ve found a table you feel comfortable playing at, opening more tables of the same level could really pay off
- Start by playing a second table as close as possible to your favorite game to help you learn at a level you’re comfortable with – you could even play at a lower level to make sure you take fewer risks
- When you open a second, take a second before you start playing to arrange the windows to give you the best view of the tables on your screen; it’s also a good idea to watch a couple of hands at both tables to get used to seeing two games at once
- When you have lots of tables open, it’s important that you make sure they’re arranged to give you the best possible view of all the action: To do this, use the tiling and cascading features, or manually resize the tables (we recommend you tile your tables to give you the best view, but take a look at the other options to see which one suits you best)
- Turn on the ‘Hand strength’ feature to see your own hand’s strength at each table; this will help you stay on top of the action and will assist in the decision-making process
- Use the alert features, which will let you know when you have a great hand at a table and can assist you in big-pot situations
- If you find the flow of your games is going more slowly than normal, you probably have too many tables open and should consider closing one or more.
About Poker Chips
How to Understand Casino Poker Chips' Weight
Table Position in Poker
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