How to Understand Poker

Before you jump headfirst into the world of poker, get a handle on its basics.

Difficulty:

Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need

• Poker Chips
• Playing Cards
• Card Tables
• Chairs

Ranking Poker Hands

1. Familiarize yourself with the values of cards. The order of increasing value is 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, jack (J), queen (Q), king (K) and ace (A). The ace can usually double as the lowest card when necessary.

2. Familiarize yourself with the definitions and values of different hands. The hands are, in order of increasing value: one pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full house, four of a kind, straight flush and royal flush. A given hand beats all hands listed before it.

3. 

   Understand that one pair is any two cards of matching numerical value, together with any three additional cards.

4. Learn that two pair means two different pairs of cards and one extra card.

5. Realize that three of a kind refers to three cards of matching numerical value and two extra cards.

6. 

   Remember that a straight refers to five cards in numerical order (3, 4, 5, 6, 7 or 7, 8, 9, 10, J, for example), with the cards belonging to various suits.

7. Note that a flush is made up of five nonsequential cards belonging to the same suit.

8. 

   Understand that a full house consists of three of a kind and a pair.

9. 

   Remember that four of a kind refers to four cards of matching numerical value and one extra card.

10. 

    Realize that a straight flush is a straight with all cards belonging to the same suit.

11. 

    Note that a royal flush contains the 10, jack, queen, king and ace of a single suit.

Tips & Warnings

• If you want to practice online, visit this free play site and poker tutorial.

• With the addition of wild cards - cards that can take the value of any card in the deck - comes the possibility of five of a kind. This hand is usually considered the strongest, although some dealers rank it second best, losing to a royal flush. The choice lies with the dealer, who informs all players of the decision before dealing the hand.