How to Play Poker for Beginners

Four of a kind is the third-best poker hand.

There are variations to the game of poker. These can confuse a person 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.

Things You'll Need

• Deck of cards

Instructions

1. Understand the order of cards in a deck. The weakest card is the 2. From 2, cards go in order (3, 4, 5, and so on) 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. Basic poker hands are as follows: pair, two of the same card in your hand; two pair, two separate pairs in your hand; three of a kind, three of the same card in your hand; straight: five consecutive cards in your hand from any suit or suit combination; flush, five random cards of the same suit; full house, a combination of three of a kind and a pair in your hand; four of a kind, four of the same card; straight flush, a combination of a flush and a straight; and a royal flush, a straight flush that starts with the ace and counts down.

3. Know the order of winning poker hands. The order from strongest to weakest hand is -- royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, one pair, and lastly, the highest card in your hand.

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 their cards.

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 Five-Card Draw Poker. 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. 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 from Seven-Card Stud. Both games are played differently than Low Hole Poker.

Resources

• Full Tilt Poker