teach me poker

[Unit]

couple of mates want a poker night, they know how to play, i don't.

I bet, i play roulette but never ever play poker. teach me please. ta, I learn fast!

[Bert]

Texas Hold'em is one of the most dramatic and popular varieties of poker in the world, and it seems like everywhere you turn there is another show, another website, or another article dedicated to the subject. But, how do you play the game? How does it differ from classic poker games, such as Five Card Draw? And what exactly is a Flop, anyway? This article will walk you through a Texas Hold'em game from start to finish, you will learn Texas Hold'em poker rules, and by the end you will be ready to "Shuffle Up and Deal!"

A full Texas Hold'em table typically has nine or ten players; any less and the game may be referred to as short handed. To determine who begins the game a single card is dealt to each player; high card will be the first dealer. The dealer position is indicated by a white plastic chip referred to as the button, which is also what the dealer position is called, sometimes referred to as being on the button. After each round of play, sometimes called a hand, the dealer button rotates to the left, ensuring that everyone gets to play in this and all other positions.

Pre-flop

Before cards are dealt the forced bets must be paid, which are called the big blind and the little blind. The little blind is sometimes called the small blind as well. A bet is when money is put into the pot for the first time in a round. The amounts of the bets and blinds are predetermined, and the little blind is always half the big blind. The little blind position is always the seat to the left of the dealer, and the big blind is the seat to the left of the little blind.

The dealer will then deal two cards (referred to as pocket cards or hole cards) face down to each player, one at a time, starting with the player on his left. Once the cards are dealt, each player looks at their cards; on their action they must then decide if they wish to call the current bet (the big blind, which is the highest amount bet at this point) which means to match it, fold their hand with out betting if they don't like their cards, or raise the bet by putting in more money. Each player, starting with the seat to the left of the big blind, makes their choice and acts. If a player raises the bet, each player must now call the new amount, including those who may have already acted. At any time a player may re-raise, meaning that they raise it again beyond the amount it was raised previously. If no player raises the big blind, then the player in that position may check, meaning they do not want to put more money in, or raise. It is important to note that if a players raises he may not raise again unless he was re-raised, as opposed to called. The round of betting stops when all players have either folded or called the last raise.

Flop

The dealer burns a card, which means they deal it to one side and it is not used in play, and then deals three cards face down. The dealer then turns the thee cards face up simultaneously; this is called the Flop. These are the first of five community cards that all players can use, along with their pocket cards, to make the best possible poker hand. The standard poker hand ranks are used. The player in the little blind position (once again, the first seat to the left of the dealer) is now UTG, or Under The Gun, meaning they are first to act now and on every subsequent round of betting. They must make a decision as in pre-flop play, with one change: they can choose to check if they don't want to bet or fold. Many experts advise players to stop here if they do not improve their hand, as they have now seen five of the seven cards they will use. Once again, the betting round ends only when all players have folded or called the last bet or raise.

Turn

The dealer burns another card and then deals a fourth community card, called the Turn, face up. There is another round of betting, exactly as after the flop, with the small blind seat being UTG.

River

After a final burn card, the dealer turns over the fifth and last community card, called the River. There is one final round of betting. At this point (or before) if all but one player folds, the last player who didn't fold wins the pot. This player may muck his hand, which means to toss it into the discard pile by the dealer without showing anyone what it was.

Showdoen

A showdown occurs when a player is called after the River, and could involve anywhere from two players to the entire table, depending on how many stayed in to this point. All players still in the hand show their cards, starting with the last person to bet. At any point after this player showed his cards other players in the showdown may muck their hand, essentially conceding the pot; just think of mucking as folding. They are admitting they have been beat without having to show their cards. This strategy (mucking) helps keep the other players from learning your playing style, such as if you bet heavy on two pairs or like to chase a flush.

The best five-card poker hand wins.

That is the essence of Texas Hold'em, but there are a number of other important points to understand.

Position

Where you sit at a Texas Hold'em table is a very important factor in how you play. The dealer position is considered the strongest on any given round, as being on the button means you act last in every post-flop round. Acting last means you act with the most information, which is essential to making the right decision whether to bet or raise, check, call or fold, and the game of poker is all about making the right decisions.

Being in early position means you are one of the first to act in a round of betting, and is considered weak due to the lack of information you have before you act. Middle position is less weak and falls between the early and the late position. The late position is the strongest, such as the dealer and the player to his right, who is referred to by some as the cutoff. The cutoff could take the choice away from the dealer by betting or raising big, bumping him out and becoming the latest player in the hand, and thus in the strongest position.

Winning a hand

Besides everyone but you folding, the only way to win a hand is in a showdown. The five best cards are used out of the five community cards and each player's hole cards, which can lead to some interesting situations. For example, if the board, or table cards, is AAKK9 and no player has better than a pair of eights in their hand, the board is the best possible hand, and all players in the showdown will chop the pot, which means to divide it evenly among those players. The same holds true if two players tie a hand. In the event of a flush or a straight, the player holding the highest card in the series wins; if the board has the five highest, the pot is chopped.

One last note; Texas Hold'em can be played as Limit, No Limit, and Pot Limit. Limit Hold'em means that you can only bet up to a predetermined amount, typically equal to the big blind, and raise the same amount. Raises are typically limited to four or five "bets" total, meaning the big blind, the first raise, and then three or four more raises. Pot Limit Hold'em means you can raise up to the current amount in the pot, but no more. No Limit Texas Hold'em is the most dramatic of the three, where any player, at any time, can declare All In and bet everything he has. A player calling an All In move with too few chips creates a side pot, which he cannot win and is separate from the main pot, which he can.

The game of Texas Holdem becomes more popular every day, and one of the main reasons for that is the ease with which players can pick up on the rules. At least two players are required for the game to start, and the goal is to put together the best five-card combination using your two hole cards and five community cards. But Texas Holdem is often referred to as the game that takes a minute to learn and a lifetime to master. Online poker rooms are a great place to master your skills - and here we highlight some of the top poker rooms that boast reliable software, best bonus offers, high level of security, and convenient deposit/cashout options.

Royal Flush - An Ace-High straight of one suit.

Queen of Spades King of Spades Jack of Spades Ten of Spades Ace of Spades

Straight Flush - A straight of entirely one suit.

Four of Diamonds Seven of Diamonds Eight of Diamonds Six of Diamonds Five of Dimaonds

Four-of-a-Kind (Quads) - Four cards of the same rank.

Jack of Diamonds Jack of Spades Eight of Diamonds Jack of Clubs Jack of Hearts

Full House (Full Boat, Boat) - Three-of-a-kind and a pair. The example below would be called "Queens over Aces" or "Queens full of Aces".

Queen of Diamonds Queen of Spades Ace of Diamonds Queen of Clubs Ace of Spades

Flush - Five cards of the same suit.

Four of Diamonds Ten of Diamonds Ace of Diamonds Two of Diamonds Five of Diamonds

Straight (Run) - Five cards of sequential rank. Note that in holdem, Aces can be high or low.

Nine of Diamonds Ten of Spades Queen of Clubs Eight of Diamonds Jack of Hearts

An example of a straight where the Ace is low:

Four of Diamonds Ace of Diamonds Two of Spades Five of Spades Three of Diamonds

Three-of-a-Kind (Trips, Set) - Three cards of the same rank.

King of Clubs King of Hearts King of Spades Ace of Spades Two of Diamonds

Two Pair - Two cards of the same rank and another two cards of the same rank. The example below would be called "Jacks and Twos".

Jack of Clubs Two of Spades Two of Diamonds Queen of Spades Jack of Diamonds

One Pair - Two cards of the same rank.

Ace of Spades Six of Diamonds Ten of Spades King of Clubs Ace of Diamonds

High Card - When you don't have any of the above, your highest card determines your hand. The example below would be "King High" or "High card King"

Hopefully this can help you out.

[lavrentis]

Its easy to learn hard to master! Watch things like the poker channel on sky, they often tell you how it works.

[Unit]

that's quite an essay there, are video tutorials any good? If i read anything half as long as a thracian post my mind drifts off completely.

[Unabomber]

Play your position not your cards.

[Unit]

Play your position not your cards.

Eh? are you an advert?

[maddog]

I'm a texas hold'em master.

[fox123]

Best thing I can advise you to do is master your 'own system' by playing Zynga poker on Facebook.

Whilst it isn't the same as face-to-face poker, you can pick up some hints and tips and general ways of play and how the game is played, with-out risking any of your own money.

[fox123]

Best thing I can advise you to do is master your 'own system' by playing Zynga poker on Facebook.

Whilst it isn't the same as face-to-face poker, you can pick up some hints and tips and general ways of play and how the game is played, with-out risking any of your own money.

[BoneDog]

Everyone gets dealt 2 cards. Another 5 will be placed on the table. You have to make the best hand out of 5 cards. So you can use 1 or 2 of your private cards to make up a good hand.

Example : Your private cards are 5 clubs and 7 clubs

Cards on table : 4 hearts A clubs 8 spades Q hearts 6 diamonds

You have a straight 4,5,6,7,8

Here's the order of winning hands (worst at top, best hand at bottom :

High card

Pair

2 Pairs (and highhest other card as your kicker)

3 of a kind

A straight

A flush (5 suits the same i.e 5 diamonds)

Full House (3 of a kind, and a piar i.e three 5's and two 10's)

4 of a kind

Straight Flush (2,3,4,5,6 or any other straight but all in same suit)

Royal Flush (10,J,Q,K,A all in same suit)

[Bert]

Eh? are you an advert?

Position can be a very powerful thing in poker.

For instance, some people when on the "big blind" like to imply "Limpers Tax" This is for all the people who call the pot with however much the blind is, just so they can see the flop "cheaply" and don't have a decent hand.

The person on the big blind then raises again, and all the people who have shit hands will fold because they haven't got a great hand and don't want to put anymore chips in.

Doing this also lets you know "where you are". If you just check the big blind when everyone has called, you haven't really got a clue what hands are out there, because if they've called cheaply, they could have absolutely anything. With a decent raise, only the people with a respectable hand will call, and then you have more of a clue what you're up against.

[BoneDog]

I'm a texas hold'em master.

are you on Party Poker or Littlewoods? I've noticed a couple of MadDogs on there! If you are look up El_Empty on there and give us a game. $11 tables

[Simi]

Take all of your opponents to value town.

As has been said, it's an easy game to learn, but a different level to master. Currently working on that!

[Maybes]

Play your position not your cards.

This aswell as preying on their vunerabilities.

[Alexikokopops]

If you have a 3 5 off then push all in. Never fails.

[lildave3]

Pair the board.

[Alexikokopops]

Try and hit a royal flush on the river. You can't go far wrong.

[Simi]

Also, the more you can be like the guy in my signature, the better.

[DJ Barry Hammond]

I'm assuming you're playing Texas Holdem, the more readily played version...

Hands guide - this is useful to understand the basic concept - you're trying to make the best 5 card hands out of the two you hold and no one else sees (the hole cards) and the 5 'community cards' which everyone can see and use - however you will have to pay a going rate to see these community cards.

A simple knowledge of probability is also useful - so for example, if you have a pair in your hand, that may be good to start with, but you only have a two further cards that can realistically improve this hand.

If you have two cards of the same suit with connected numbers (say 9,10 of hearts, Ace, King of clubs) you have more cards that you can hit - using the 9, 10 example, you could make a flush by hitting 3 hearts or a straight by hitting 6,7,8 of any suit.

There is no one true way to play, only therories so from the advice you receive i would try and use that to establish how others are playing. My personal theory is to pay a mixture of hands early (when the blinds are cheaper) and then tighten up and play only good cards later on. However, if there are less players, what makes a good hand somewhat changes.

A couple of other things

Bluffing - if you are going to try this, have an idea of the hand you're trying to bluff otherwise you'll make yourself look stupid. (eg, if three hearts come up, you could pretend you've hit a flush)

Low pairs - I would look to call and hope to hit trips - they are so hard to pick up for other players as they tend to be concentrating on higher pairs, and you can at least bluff during to hand to make it look your pair is higher than it really is

Don't give away what you're doing - keep you cards secret at all times unless called

High Aces - when you get an Ace and a high card as its kicker (10 or higher, maybe a 9 depending on how many players and suited) look to raise the blind a fair bit to issolate players.

If someone calls you this means you know the person you're playing against should have a fairly decent hand, but possibly that they are not confident enough on what you have. Ideally you only want one player, because you have less people and hands to worry about.

Then almost always bet the flop by a decent amount (the first three cards) as your Ace high card will be winning unless the other player has hit a pair - if that person is willing to call, have a look at the cards on the table and try and make an educated guess what they might have - could they have hit a pair, or is their two suits that they may be looking to complete a flush or possible a straight draw on.

Thats quite enough for now - let us know how you get on - if you do crap I may want to play you!

[Zingari]

Luck and intuition play the cards with spades to start

And after he's been hooked , play the one that's on his heart

ppppppoker face

[AmericanScott]

Luck and intuition play the cards with spades to start

And after he's been hooked , play the one that's on his heart

ppppppoker face

So lame. it made me smile though

[maddog]

I normally check when i have the best possible hand, so then some idiot goes all in and i then type in chat hahaha and call him

I'm used to playing big online tourneys though with like 1000-2000 people in that take hours and hours so i also normally try to conserve as many chips as possible and don't call many to see the flop.

Not played in a while now though, i've got a nice 888.com chip set which i won once in a silver case

Unfortunately i got rivered in that when i was 2nd with 7 people left, the winner won a $10,000 seat in Vegas, 2nd got a full size poker table, and i came 7th and got a chip set

I still remember the cards even though it was ages ago.

I had A J

The flop was A J J

The guy in 1st place went all in, i was basically dancing at that point because i felt there was no way he had the other 2 aces.

He had K K

The turn was a neutral card that did fook all, a 8 or something.

The river was a K the only card that could beat me and i went out.

When i was aged 14 to 16 i used to win a lot of freerolls and a couple of $1 tourneys with 2000 people in. That was on my dads account. It was amazing because the first $1 tourney was the 10 minute blind one, which started at 9pm and took 6 hours and i won. The very next evening i did the turbo blinds one, which only took 4 hours, and i won that too That bought me a new set of golf irons and a driver

But i haven't played in a while now and have only just turned 18 so whether il start my own account who knows, my dad lost five grand+ on it and got depressed so i know the damage gambling and online poker can cause so i'm cautious about starting my own.

[Fox You Forest]

If you can't pick it up from watching it on TV a couple of times, I wouldn't bother.

[Samilktray]

Cheds the man to go to, taught me everything I know.

[Simi]

Play your position not your cards.

Defintley, you read about that girl, think it was Anette, who played a whole tournement without looking at her cards, just playing posistion. It's very powerful when you know how to use it properly.