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Play Online Poker |
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For all the poker fans out there, playing online poker couldn't be any easier. There are now so many poker rooms available online, that anyone can easily make a good choice to suit their needs. Nowadays the software is second to none; they contain detailed strategies, rules, tips and more. Most of them also contain a good chat client so you can communicate with other players around the table; this is a great free way to learn from some of the pros. How to start? Well simply download the software; open an account & you're ready to join one of the many rooms. |
| There are many variations of poker games available through the different online rooms including, Five card stud, Seven card stud high, Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven card stud and the famous Texas Hold'em. Even if you're a rank beginner there's no problem, the sites provide all the rules, plus there's usually opportunity to play on one of the free tables, where others are also learning to play. Then, when you're ready play for real money! Actually throughout the site there are tables where the blind are smaller & higher values. So even when you play for money, there's no reason to break the bank! |
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THE VARIOUS CARDS AND THEIR VALUES |
| Poker games are played using a normal card deck comprising of 52 cards; this is excepting the more unusual varieties played with under a full deck, like Ross Perot Poker. The card values are ranked from low to high in the order shown here: two (2), three (3), four (4), five (5), six (6), seven (7), eight (8), nine (9), ten (10), Jack, Queen, King, Ace. Aces are therefore the highest valued card, followed by the King, Queen, and so on. The cards have 4 suits, as in any standard pack, as follows: |
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Spades |
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Clubs |
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Hearts |
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Diamond |
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| No suit is of greater value than another and are therefore all of equally valuable. To begin the game, every person at the table is given five cards to start his hand. You obviously want to finish with the hand of the highest value. From the lowest hand to the best hand, are shown in the following order: |
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10 th High Card |
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9 th One Pair |
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8 th Two Pair |
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7 th Three of a Kind |
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6 th Straight |
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5 th Flush |
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4 th Full House |
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3 rd Four of a Kind |
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2 nd Straight Flush |
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1 st Royal Flush |
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High Card |
| If no one amongst the players had any hand of value, then the one with the highest value card will win. Obviously in this case, Ace is always the highest and two the lowest. If two are holding the same high card, then it moves to the next highest and so on. |
One Pair |
| Simply a pair with the same value; if two of more people have a "One Pair" as their best hand, then the pair with the highest value wins. |
Two Pair |
| This is two separate pairs. |
Three of a Kind |
| Three of a kind means you are holding three cards that have the same value, or same face card. |
Straight |
| A straight is 5 cards in number order. The suit that the cards belong to is not essential. The Ace can be used as Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 10, J, Q, K, Ace but you cannot wrap around & have K, A, 2, 3,4 etc. If more than one person at the table has a straight then the highest cards win. |
Flush |
| A flush is simply 5 cards, all of the same suit, irrespective of their values. Again, if two people have a flush, the one with the highest numbered card wins. |
Full House |
| A full house is a hand with three-of-a-kind plus a pair. Highest ranking cards again are used to determine a tie, starting with the three-of-a-kind. |
Four of a Kind |
| This is four cards of the same value plus any other card. In a tie highest valued card wins. |
Straight Flush |
| This is five cards of the same suit, which are in successive order. As with a Straight, you are not allowed to wrap around. Ties, though very rare, are determined by the highest card rank. |
Royal Flush |
| The Royal Flush is the most powerful hand in the game of poker. The cards must all be of the same suit with the order of 10, J, Q, K and A. |
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