Poker rules

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The goal of every game is to win, and poker is no exception in this regard. The first step towards victory in this gambling is the study and assimilation of the rules. There are many, and each of them has its own distinctive features, both during the game and in its rules. The most popular is and. However, some prefer less common varieties, such as or.

This article will focus on the topic of how to play poker, regardless of its variety. In other words, there are a number of rules that apply to everyone. These are the ones that should be studied at the first stage of learning this game.

Starting to Play Poker for Beginners

Poker can be played simultaneously by two to ten people, as well as the dealer who deals the cards. Participants are located behind poker table opposite each other, and do not have the right to change seats during the game. In order for the game process to speed up and participants to be motivated to take active action, concepts such as small and big blinds are introduced. The small blind obliges the player sitting in this position to make a bet equal to half the agreed amount, and the player in the big blind position immediately puts up chips in an amount equal to the original bet.

In poker, there is such a thing as a hand - cards that were dealt to a player, and which his opponents do not see. There is a strong and a weak hand, i.e. the player's cards can either already constitute a winning one, or increase the chances of it appearing after opening additional cards on the table. With a weak hand, which usually includes unsuited cards of low value, the chances of catching a winning combination are reduced. Another definition is showdown, which means the demonstration of the cards of each of the participants in the distribution remaining after the end of the auction.

Poker combinations

What is poker? For most people, the definition of poker is associated with a combination of cards, which, when dropped, the player wins in a real casino or in one of the online casinos. However, in fact, there are two possibilities to win any game - this is to have the strongest combination after the cards are shown, or to prevent the showdown by placing the highest bet. In the latter case, the player may actually have a strong hand and therefore want to make the most of the hand, or he may be bluffing, making his opponents believe that he has a strong winning hand. Poker rules allow the use of both the first and second methods.

So, let's proceed directly to considering the winning ones. To begin with, it should be noted that if, after the showdown, none of the players has a combination, the one with the highest card wins, if two or more participants have the same cards in rank, they look at the second one, etc. The weakest hand in poker is a pair, and the smallest pair is a pair of deuces.

The second strongest combination is two pairs - if two or more participants get it, the winner is the one with the higher highest pair. More than two pairs are considered to be three cards of the same value; this combination is also called a triple or a set. A series of five cards, one after the other in order of precedence, makes up the fourth strongest combination - a straight. However, your straight will be easily beaten by a combination called a flush - all five cards of the same suit.

The next strongest combination is a full house - five cards, three of which make a set, and two make a pair, i.e. for example, you will hit a full house with three fours and two threes. This full house will be beaten by a higher combination of threes, for example three fives and two twos.

The final three combinations are the strongest in poker and occur extremely rarely to players. In third place in terms of strength is four of a kind - four cards of the same value. The second place belongs to the straight flush - this is the same straight, i.e. cards in ascending order, but they are also of the same suit. And finally, the strongest and rarest, which beats all other hands, is a royal flush, or a straight flush ending with an ace.

Actions during the game

During a poker game, each participant can do one or more of the following:

1. Bet is placing a bet
2. Check - skipping a move, allowed if the size of your bet already corresponds to the maximum bet on the table
3. Fold - discarding your cards, after which you can no longer take part in this hand
4. Call - a bet of such an amount that your contribution to the bank will be equal to that of the previous player
5. Raise - an increase in your bet, at which its size will be higher than the size of the bet of the previous poker participant

Features of playing some types of poker

Interesting, requiring increased attention from participants and excellent memory. It has some distinctive features, for example, the participants in the game have 3 cards face down and 4 cards face up on the table. The goal of the game is to collect five cards that make the smallest combination. The same meaning is in the game, only here not five, but seven cards are dealt into the hands of each of the participants in the distribution.

In this article we will try to cover a sufficient amount of information and present it as clearly as possible, for easy comprehension by a beginner.

So how do you learn to play poker?! But let's see what we have prepared:

1. Poker terminology;
2. Names of positions at the table;
3. How the game proceeds;
4. The goal of poker is to form a pot;
5. Combinations collected in poker;
6. Last instructions.

For everyone who will try to argue with us, I would like to present you with a fact in advance - This is an article on “How to learn to play poker from scratch”, not “How to become a professional from scratch”. I mean that this is not everything that can be found about poker, but it is enough to learn how to play poker from scratch on your own.

Poker terminology

How does the distribution proceed?

How can one learn to play poker from scratch without knowing how the hand plays out?! Of course not, so brief overview distribution, read below;).

The hand begins with setting the blinds. They are placed by SB and BB, they sit to the left of the button. Next, the dealer distributes one card (up to two) starting from MB. There are only seven cards in the game. Two hidden ones are player cards. The five open ones are common. Everyone can use them to create combinations. After four stages of bidding, a showdown occurs and players find out whose cards are stronger.

The goal of poker is to form a bank.

The goal of poker is to win the pot. In order to achieve this goal, you should know how a bank is formed. The initial formation consists of setting blinds, those very blind bets. Without them, a player starting trading would have no reason to do this. The bank is replenished at the end of each trading stage.

Poker combinations

You won't learn to play poker from scratch on your own, or even with outside help, if you don't memorize these poker combinations :

You see, nothing complicated. No more difficult than learning the multiplication table;).

Final instructions

Answering the main question of how to learn to play poker, I would like to say that all methods are, in principle, good. But the question should be asked - why are you learning to play? If for yourself, then just read this article, several books and look at the free waters offered on this site. If you decide to make money from poker, you should invest some money in your training, still read the articles on your own, attend group courses or hire a coach right away. The history of success shows that you can do it on your own, but any successful poker player will tell you that it would be much faster with a coach.

The rules will vary slightly, so beginners should first familiarize themselves with the basic laws of classic poker, as well as learn about the fundamental differences between most subtypes of this diverse game.
The rules of the game of poker are very simple, and the main difficulty in learning the intricacies of this activity is to become unreadable to your opponent and at the same time learn to calculate your opponent’s next steps in advance.
Many beginners often wonder: how to learn to play poker? Many also, not unreasonably, think that this is a whole complex science that takes years to understand. In fact, you can learn the basic rules of playing poker in just a few minutes, after which the player can calmly proceed to the opening hand, but this does not mean that a person will be able to immediately win the game for money. It is the winning game, which is the ultimate goal of any player, that is difficult to master, because in order to win at poker it is not enough just to know the rules. In any case, the first steps towards the formation of new professional players always include learning the basics, and therefore today we will tell you how to learn to play poker from scratch and provide complete and understandable rules of playing poker for beginners. Hurry up and complete the training for beginners at the PokerHouse online academy and you will not only learn the basic rules of poker for dummies, but you will soon receive your first sweet victory in the long-awaited money game.

Poker Rules for Beginners

Common Abbreviations

Beginners often get confused by all sorts of abbreviations, symbols and abbreviations used in online rooms. In fact, the table limit designation is very simple to decipher: the numbers indicating the limit are usually preceded by an abbreviation indicating the type of poker used. Thus, in No Limit Hold'em, $1/$2 blind bet limits would be called NL200, $1/$2 NL or $1/$2 NLH. Consider other popular abbreviations:

• Fixed-Limit Hold'em - FL(H)
• Pot-Limit Hold'em - PL(H)
• Fixed-Limit Omaha
• No-Limit Omaha - NLO
• Pot-Limit Omaha - PLO

Classification of limits

Betting limits in poker also differ in size - depending on the table limit, a player may need a different bankroll. So, at some tables, a session of several hours can bring the player only a few dollars, but to start playing at others, the player’s account must have several tens of thousands. Compliance with bankroll management is part of the basic rules of the game of poker and allows you to gain profit over long distances. Most often, bankroll management involves gradual progression through limits and constant monitoring for stack sizes.

• Micro limits - from NL2 to NL10, as well as from FL4 to FL20. Micro-limit games are popular among beginners and inexperienced players who cannot allocate large sums of money to play. The majority of players from the CIS play at micro-limits. Typically, practical training in cash games begins with this limit.
• Low limits - from NL20 to NL100, as well as from FL50 to FL100. The most common type of limits for playing in offline and online poker rooms. This type of table is popular among regulars hunting for fish. Among low-limit players, the majority use table selection. The winnings of skilled poker players here can be quite high, but not all players decide to move to higher limits, being content with their advantage in the field of weak opponents.
• Average limits are from NL200 to NL800 and from FL200 to FL600. The majority of players who make a living playing poker play at medium limits, but the competition here is much higher than at low limits, and the chance of meeting a fish is much lower.
• High limits - from NL1000 to NL8000 and from FL1000 to FL6000. High limits are played by professionals or wealthy recreational players. Most often, there is a limited number of gaming tables available here. For

It's no secret that the rules of playing poker for beginners may seem like an impenetrable "wild" at first. Since there are a lot of terms and a lot of slang words that are very difficult to remember right away. But you shouldn’t try to cover all aspects and nuances; it’s enough to first know a few elements:

• combinations;
• start of the game;
• possible actions of players in trading circles;
• trading circles;
• types of table limits.

Knowing these poker rules, it will be easy for beginners to take their first steps and learn to play competently.

Yes, at first the process will be purely mechanical, and there will be losses, but this is a temporary phenomenon; over time, each poker player develops his own style and begins to apply a certain strategy.

Then you can safely count on your first successes.

Winning combinations in poker

There are exactly ten combinations in poker, which at first glance is a lot, but they are very simple, and learning them is not difficult. In the rules of the game of poker for beginners, it is customary to arrange combinations from weak to strong, so it is easier to remember.

1. High card. The most common set of cards that does not have any power. These are just five elements of the deck, not related to each other in any way ( Ace of Diamonds, Jack of Hearts, 8 of Hearts, 2 of Spades, Queen of Diamonds).
2. Pair. Two cards with the same value are, in fact, the first combination that has real strength and regularity in its composition. The combination consists of two elements, three more will be in the role kicker– additional cards that are needed to determine the winner in controversial situations, only their face value is taken into account ( king of spades, king of clubs + 6 spades, 8 diamonds, 10 hearts).
3. Two pairs. This is a set of two pairs, that is, two pairs of cards of equal value, and one element as a kicker ( 6 diamonds, 6 clubs, 9 spades, 9 hearts +jack of diamonds, ace of spades).
4. Set. Another name is Troika, Triplet. A set of three cards of the same value and two more kickers ( Queen of Clubs, Queen of Diamonds, Queen of Hearts + 5 clubs, 10 clubs).
5. Straight. The combination looks quite impressive, but is not located so high. These are five cards collected in strict sequence in nominal order. Important clarification: the cards must be of different suits ( 6 spades, 7 hearts, 8 diamonds, 9 clubs, 10 clubs).
6. Flash. Five suited cards of any value. The strength of the combination is determined by the rank of the cards; the suits are completely equivalent and do not provide advantages ( king of hearts, 5 of hearts, 2 of hearts, 7 of hearts, 9 of hearts).
7. Full House. Quite a strong combination, despite the fact that it consists of two elementary combinations - Pair and Set. The strength of the combination is determined by the value of the cards from the Three, if they are equal, then by the Pair ( 6 spades, 6 clubs, 9 diamonds, 9 clubs, 9 spades).
8. Kare. Opens three “mastodons” among combinations; they are strong, but appear extremely rarely. A hand consists of four cards of the same value plus one kicker ( ace of diamonds, ace of spades, ace of hearts, ace of clubs + 10 spades).
9. Straight Flush. Combines two combinations. A set of five cards, in rank order and of the same suit ( 9 diamonds, 10 diamonds, jack of diamonds, queen of diamonds, king of diamonds).
10. Royal Flush. In principle, this is a high Straight Flush, but it is customary to separate it into a separate combination. A royal combination that appears extremely rarely and brings 100% victory. This is a set of the five highest cards of the same suit, ranging from ten to ace ( 10 of clubs, jack of clubs, queen of clubs, king of clubs, ace of clubs).

It is with combinations that one begins to learn the rules of poker for beginners; all the additional subtleties, nuances, and controversial situations cannot be displayed in one article.

Their understanding will come over time, during the game at the table, in addition, online establishments have adopted a system of hints that will help explain certain situations that arise in the round.

Start of the game

Poker rules for dummies should be considered using an example Texas Hold'em - the most popular direction, this is where most players start. The bank draw adopted here is used in the vast majority of disciplines; if there are any differences, they are extremely insignificant, and it will be very easy to deal with them.

After all players are seated at the table, the dealer announces the start of the drawing. The two participants to his left must place big and small blinds, these are the special bets that make up the original pot. The fight will be for him. Opponents must do them in turn; to determine the order, a special chip is used, which moves away from one player to another with each round played.

After this, all participants are dealt two cards (four in Omaha, five in draw poker). Players must watch them and decide whether to continue fighting or not, followed by the first round of bidding, called preflop. Anyone can discard received cards and leave the drawing, bet an amount equal to the big blind, raise the money at stake, or equal the bet of the previous opponent. All these actions in the rules of the game of poker for dummies have their own designations, which came from English terms. It is necessary to know them, since they are the only ones used at the table; a detailed explanation is in the next chapter.

What can a player do in betting rounds?

At any stage of trading, the player has the right to make several actions; they are designated by the following terms:

• Fold. It means leaving the fight with the cards completely thrown away; in this case, the player loses only the amount that he has already managed to bet. If he didn’t bet anything, then the participant remains with his own, provided that it was not his turn for the small or big blinds.
• Beth. Literally “put”. When a participant is ready to continue to claim the pot, the poker rules for beginners state that he can bet any amount of money. The only condition is not to go beyond the established limits, more about which a little later.
• Raise. Increasing the current rate. For example, the previous participant bet $10, the player can raise it to $20. All active opponents at the table must either equalize the bet (call) or raise it further (reraise).
• Call. Means that the player has called the opponent's previous bet. If there are not enough chips for this action, then all available chips go to the stake, and the participant will no longer be able to make any moves. He will have to wait for the end of the drawing.
• Check. The player has the right to skip a move and not put anything into the pot if all participants before him did the same. In this case, the next round begins without changes.
• All-in. That is, all-in. A player, when he is one hundred percent confident in his abilities, puts all his chips on the line. The rest must call the bet or fold. Sometimes a participant simply bluffs, forcing his opponents to quit the fight.

These are the actions that are described in the rules of playing classic poker for beginners. These terms refer to most of the functional buttons in online rooms, so it is better to learn them by heart so as not to accidentally lose a large amount of money.

Poker trading circles

Trading circles in poker are the stages of the game when participants take various actions to increase the bank and get the maximum win. There are 4 rounds in total. About the first of them - preflop– described above, players trade immediately after receiving two cards in their hands. The following steps follow.

Flop

The round is immediately preflop. Three community cards are laid out on the table, players can now make combinations from them and from two pocket elements. Each participant can take the actions described above.

Turn

In this round, one more card is added to the three cards on the table. The actions of the players are the same, you can equalize, bet, raise the bet or skip a move.

River

The last stage. The last fifth is laid out on the table general map. Players have one last chance to have their say. If there are several active participants left in the game, then they move on to the final touch of the drawing.

Showdown

Means the reveal of the cards remaining in the game of the participants. The principle of determining the winner is simple: whoever has the strongest combination celebrates the victory. In order not to confuse anything, it is recommended that you print out the rules of the game of poker for beginners with pictures and keep them next to you at first.

After these rounds are completed, a new hand and a new round of betting begins.

Table limits

And in Texas Hold'em It is customary to play Omaha and other types of poker in several versions of the table limit.

1. Limit. Best option for beginners. In such tables a certain limit is set, beyond which no one has the right. For example, a limit of $10 means that you can bet a maximum of this amount in any betting round. Thanks to this rule, novice players will not immediately lose their bankroll.
2. Unlimited. The toughest option, suitable only for professionals. In this case, players are not limited in their bets in any way, everyone can bet any amount in the betting circles, the rest are obliged to support him or fold their cards. At first, it is not recommended to sit at such tables, so as not to become easy prey for experienced players and lose your entire deposit.
3. Pot-limit. A balanced option in which the betting limit depends on the current bank. If $50 is at stake, then the bet size cannot exceed this value. It is obvious that with each round of trading the bank grows, and the limit grows accordingly. Such tables can no longer be recommended to beginners, but not yet to professionals.

Each type of limits is widely represented in all online rooms. You should choose a type of table where you are sure not to lose large sums. You should be especially careful with unlimited options.

Final word

It is impossible to cover all the nuances in one article; theoretical lessons must certainly be accompanied by practical exercises at the poker table. First, you can play on free simulators that do not require a deposit. And only then move on to commercial projects and try your hand at real money.