How to Play Poker for Beginners

There are variations to the game of poker. These can confuse somebody who has never played poker before. Regardless of which brand of poker you are playing, there are rules basic to playing games such as Texas Hold 'em or 7-Card Stud. Use the following tips for poker beginners.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Understand the order of cards in a deck. 2 is the weakest card. From 2, cards go in order (3, 4, 5, etc.) until 10. After this, the face cards come into play. The order of face cards from weakest to strongest is jack, queen, king, ace. Here is the full order beginning with the weakest card:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A

2. Learn poker hands. Here is a rundown of your basic poker hands:Pair: Two of the same card in your hand (two 6's, two jacks, two aces, etc.).Two Pair: Two separate pairs in your hand (two 6's AND two jacks). Three of a Kind: Three of the same card in your hand (three 6's, three jacks, three aces, etc.)Straight: 5 consecutive cards in your hand. Examples are 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and queen, jack, ten, 9, 8. In a straight, the cards can be of different suits. Flush: Five cards of the same suit (five diamonds, five spades, etc.). In a flush, the five cards are random and do not run together as they do in a straight. Full House: Combination of three of a kind and two of a kind in your hand (three 6's AND two aces in your hand). Four of a Kind: Four of the same card (four 6's, four aces, etc.).Straight Flush: Combination of a flush and a straight. Example would be a hand with 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, all of diamonds. Royal Flush: A straight flush that starts with the ace and counts down (ace, king, queen, jack, 10).

3. Know the order of winning poker hands. The order from strongest to weakest hand is:Royal FlushStraight Flush4 of a KindFull HouseFlushStraight3 of a Kind2 Pair1 PairHighest card in your hand (High Card)

4. Learn how to deal cards in poker. How many cards you deal will depend on which type of poker you are playing. The procedure, though, is the same. Always deal from the top of the deck. Begin dealing to the person on your left and go in the order of players at the table until you end at yourself. Repeat this process until all players, including yourself, have all of his cards (five cards for 5 Card Poker, seven cards for 7-Card Stud, etc.).

5. Become familiar with basic poker terms. “Bet” is rather self-explanatory as it simply means that you would risk money on the fact that your poker hand is the best at the table. “Raise” means that you bet more than what has been previously bet by other players. “Check” means that you choose not to bet when your turn comes around. When you “fold,” you discard your hand because it is not good enough to win.

Tips & Warnings

• Start with 5 Card Draw Poker (see Resources below). This is a simple poker game and is much easier for beginners than the type of poker often seen TV, such as Texas Hold 'em. Practice this type of poker with your friends and use these sessions as a way to learn the rules and strategies used in poker.
• Practice playing poker online for free. Websites such as Full Tilt Poker (see Resources below) allow you to play different types of poker for free. Playing against other players from around the world is an excellent way to hone your skills.
• Don't play poker for money until you've had plenty of practice. Doing so is a good way to lose money in a hurry.
• Be aware that different poker games have different rules. Texas Hold 'em is different than 7 Card Stud. Both games are played differently than Low Hole Poker.

Resources

• How to Play 5 Card Draw Poker
• Full Tilt Poker

[sunshine11219]

on 10/25/2008 i like playing my friends online a real cheap no pay way to learn

[iamageniuster]

on 10/18/2008 Great tips. 5 stars! Thanks for sharing.