Poker Rules

Poker: The Wild Card Extravaganza - Where Lady Luck Meets Cunning Wits. Poker is a popular card game that involves gambling, strategy, and skill. ‘No Limit’ means there’s no maximum bet – you can go ‘all-in’ by betting all of your chips when it’s your turn to act.

So to keep it short: 

Before cards are dealt, the 2 players to the left of the dealer place the initial compulsory bet. These bets are known as the blinds – the small blind and the big blind.

Pre Flop

The first stage of poker is the pre-flop, which is where players are dealt their ‘hole’ cards. These stay with them for the whole game. The people to the left of the big blind begin the action. They can do one of three things: call, raise, or fold. The rest of the players then in turn do the same.

Flop

Next is the flop, which is where 3 community cards are dealt face up on the board – these contribute to your hand. Players can choose to check during this round if no one has made a bet. The action begins with the player left of the dealer. The turn comes next, which is where a fourth community card is dealt. Just like in the flop, another round of betting follows.

River

The River is when the last community card is dealt. Players have a final opportunity to bet here. During the Showdown, which is after betting has finished, players show their hands to each other. The player with the best 5-card hand wins the game and the pot.

Knowing how and when to bluff will help your chances of success in poker. Let’s discuss these in detail- 

1. Setup:

Playing poker is a game of icing but not a vanilla one. Poker is typically played with a standard 52-card deck, and the number of players can vary from two to ten or more, depending on the game variation and the setting. 

2. Hand Rankings:

Before starting, players should familiarize themselves with the different poker hand rankings. The hands are ranked from highest to lowest as follows: Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and High Card.

3. Betting Rounds:

A hand of poker usually consists of several betting rounds. The most common variants are "Texas Hold'em" and "Omaha," so let’s focus on those.

• In Texas Hold'em, each player is given two private cards (hole cards), and five community cards are face-up in the center of the table. Players use their hole cards and community cards to make the best possible hand. The best hand wins. 
• In Omaha, each player is dealt four private cards, but they must use exactly two of them, along with three of the five community cards, to make the best hand.

4. The Rounds:

• Preflop: In Texas Hold'em and Omaha, the first round of betting occurs before any community cards are dealt. Players decide whether to fold, call (match the previous bet), or raise (increase the bet).
• Flop: Three community cards are dealt face-up on the table. Another round of betting takes place.
• Turn: A fourth community card is dealt. After which another round of betting follows.
• River: A fifth and final community card is dealt. There is one last round of betting.

5. Showdown:

If there are two or more players remaining after the final betting round, there's a showdown. Players reveal their hands, and the player with the best hand wins the pot.

6. Winning: The pot is awarded to the player with the best hand or, if all other players fold during the hand, to the last remaining player.