Beginners Guide to Online
Poker
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Introduction
Poker Hand Rankings |
| If learning poker seems a little
daunting - take heart. Most poker rooms provide free play tables
where you can learn the game without risking any of your money. |
| And remember - when you play
online, your identity is anonymous. So, if you think you have
made a stupid mistake, there’s no need to feel any embarrassment,
no one at the table knows who you are! |
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| Introduction |
| As you master the rudiments of Poker and begin to understand
the subtleties and strategies, putting them successfully into practise,
you will feel the glow all poker enthusiasts experience, as they
progress in this rewarding game. |
| To help the beginner, (in addition to our humble contributions),
all of the poker rooms provide extensive help, guides, rule-books
and tips on how to get started and play poker successfully. |
| You’ll find that most online poker is played in US dollars,
though there are some poker rooms, such as William Hill, where play
is available in pounds. |
| Most poker rooms offer ‘free’ money, usually in the
form of sign-up or ‘welcome’ bonuses. Most, (certainly
the ones advertised on this site) are genuine. So take full advantage
of them, try out different sites, find the ones you most enjoy playing
at. |
| If you’re wondering how the poker rooms make any money out
of it all - they take a small percentage from each pot (called the
rake). The average rake is 5%, with a maximum of $3 taken, though
for small pots the percentage drops and for very small pots (usually
pre-flop) there is often no rake at all. |
| At most tables the stakes are played according to set limits. These
can range from as low as 10 cents right up to hundreds of dollars.
Pick one to suit your level of competence, confidence and your pocket. |
| Look out for the tournaments. There are plenty of them and they
are great fun – and the prizes can be big, very big! The great
thing about most tournament play is that once you have paid the entry
fee (and some are free - look out for ‘freeroll’) you
play with notional money, rather like playing for points. In this
way, your exposure is strictly controlled, so however poorly you
play, you can only lose the amount of your initial entry fee. |
| Some tables run games that have no limits at all and we’d
recommend steering clear of these until you have gained some experience
and really know what you’re doing. |
| Every game, of course, has its own rules. Make yourself familiar
with them before taking a seat a table, especially if you intend
playing for real. |
| Seven Tips for Beginners |
| 1) If you have a poor
hand, fold quickly and limit your losses. That way you can continue
playing your good hands for
as long as possible. |
| 2) Start small. Don’t come-on like some big time pro, unless
you’ve got plenty of money to lose. Until you’ve mastered
the game, play at the lower limit tables and play within your budget.
Most experts say that you should sit down at a table with at least
50 times the table limit. |
| 3) Make your winning hands pay. When you’re the one holding
the unbeatable hand, raise as much as possible and make the other
players pay dearly if they want to stay in the game. |
| 4) Don’t play too many hands. Remember that the first 5,
(or 7), cards you’re dealt will be the foundation of your hand
and the odds are against improving on it. Put your weight (and your
money) behind the higher value hands, like the top players, who only
play about 25% of their starting hands. The hands you lay down can
be the key to profitable play. |
| 5) Play your own game. Don't let your judgement be impaired by
the speed of other players around the table. If you need a bit more
time
to think about your hand, take it and make the right decision. |
| 6) Study your opponents - especially when you’re sitting
out of a hand. Watch what the other players are doing; try to pick
out
the stronger players and the weaker ones. See how they bet, how much
they bet and in what position they are in when they do bet. Try to
work out when players are bluffing (betting on a poor hand) and when
they are not. Learning how your opponents’ play is key to winning. |
So, to sum up: Don't play for more than you can afford, the groceries
still have to be paid for! If you can't beat the other hands, fold
early and live to play another day. Win big on your good hands, lose
small on the poor ones.
Tip number seven? Poker is a great game -
enjoy it! |
| Poker Hand Rankings |
| A poker hand consists of 5 cards. The player holding the highest
ranking hand wins. If two players have hands of similar rank, the
hand with the higher cards usually wins. In poker, the four suits
of the deck, (spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs), are all of equal
value. |
| Below is a table of the hand rankings, highest to lowest, with
odds against you seeing them in your original hand. |
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Royal Flush |
The highest hand in Poker, consisting:
Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten - all of the same suit.
ODDS- 650, 000 to 1 |
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Straight Flush |
| (10 straight flush) |
5 cards of the same suit in numerical sequence.
The
highest straight flush wins.
AKQJT is the highest straight flush
(Royal Flush), 5432A is the lowest.
ODDS- 72,200 to 1 |
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Four of a Kind |
| (Quad 3’s with a Queen kicker) |
Four cards of the same rank - also known as ‘quads’.
When
more than one player has the same quad
– the highest
fifth card wins.
ODDS- 4,200 to 1 |
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Full House |
| (Jacks full of fours) |
3-of-a-kind with a pair. The highest 3-of-a-kind
wins.
When two players have the same 3-of-a-kind, the highest
pair wins. The Full House is also known as a ‘boat’.
ODDS- 700 to 1 |
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Flush |
| (King flush) |
5 cards of the same suit. The flush with the highest
top card wins.
If two flushes have the same top card,
the flush
with the highest 2nd-top card wins.
ODDS- 510 to 1 |
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Straight |
| (Eight straight) |
5 cards of any suit in consecutive numerical sequence.
The
straight with the highest top card wins. AKQJT is the highest
straight; 5432A (also known as a ‘wheel’) is the
lowest.
ODDS- 250 to 1 |
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Three of a Kind |
| (Trip sevens, King kicker) |
Three cards of the same rank, together with two
unmatched cards.
The highest 3-of-a-kind wins. If two hands have
the same 3-of-a-kind, the 2 unmatched cards are used to break
the tie. 3-of-a-kind is also called ‘trips’. If you
have a pocket pair in Texas Holdem, and you form ‘trips’ by
the third card coming onto the board, this is known as a ‘set’.
ODDS- 48 to 1 |
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Two Pairs |
| (Aces over threes, Queen kicker) |
The hand with the highest top pair wins.
If the
top pairs are equal, then the low pairs are used to break the
tie.
If that doesn’t do it, then the highest unmatched
card settles it.
ODDS- 21 to 1 |
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Pair |
| (Nine pair, King kicker) |
Two cards of the same rank, with three unmatched
cards.
The highest ranking pair wins. If the pairs are equal, the unmatched
cards are used to break the tie.
ODDS- 2.4 to 1 |
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Ace - King |
Ace and King with three unmatched cards.
ODDS- 2 to 1 |
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