The Basics of Poker
Poker is hugely popular and for a good reason: it’s social, you can play it for real money, or even free; and there’s a deep element of strategy to keep you interested. So, if you’re thinking about trying your hand at this addictive card game, here are some things to keep in mind as you start out:
The Basics
Poker involves getting dealt cards and betting over a series of rounds. The person with the best five-card hand wins the pot. The rules and hand rankings vary slightly between different poker variants, but the core principle remains the same: you’re playing your own cards against other people’s hands.
First, players place the ante – a small amount of money that’s placed into the pot before any betting begins. This ensures that everyone will see their cards, and also gives the dealer a chance to check for blackjack.
In the next step, the dealer deals each player two cards face down – known as their hole cards – and then a further three cards are dealt in stages, referred to as the flop, turn and river. Once the flop has been dealt, betting starts again. Players can either call or raise, based on their own assessment of the strength of their hands.
If you’re playing Texas Hold ‘em, for instance, your hole cards are your only information on the strength of your hand, so you want to open your range only with strong hands in EP position (players in the early positions). As you move up the tables, you can increase your opening range a little bit, but always remember that your opponents will have a better idea of how weak or strong your hand is than you do.
Once the betting is complete, players reveal their cards and whoever has the best hand wins the pot. If nobody has a winning hand, the pot is shared among the remaining players. If you’re new to poker, try finding a local home game where you can practice your skills in a relaxed, friendly environment. Or, you can ask around to find out if anyone in your community is hosting regular poker games and request an invite. The more you play, the more you’ll improve – but it’s important not to let the pressure get to you. If you don’t feel comfortable, it’s okay to fold a hand when you think you have no chance of winning. That’s what separates the good players from the great ones! Just don’t lose too much money!