How to Play Poker Tutorial

Casino games are a big hit in online gambling sites, and poker is one of the most popular games. The profit margin for poker may not be as high compared to other gambling options, a lot of casinos, sportsbooks, and bookies still make money from it. How do bookies make money from it you ask? It’s pretty easy. Bookies can earn from the Rake, which is a small commission that is collected for each hand.

Its fairly easy to see how poker can be profitable as most modern online poker rooms and sportsbooks use a gambling software to keep track of the wagers made, and the rake collected. But what about the poker player? Our poker tutorial will teach you how to play the game, and how to make money from poker.

Poker is a casino game that can be played by several players. With poker, the dealer will not interfere with the gameplay as the dealer will just deal the cards, and monitor the game. Poker has a few variations, but the basics share the same goal: to beat your opponents. You win by having the best hand in the showdown, or to be the last player standing by bluffing and getting the other players to fold. If you watch casino news, you can see strategies from poker players during tournaments. But first, learn how to play poker.

How to Play Poker

The rules of poker are easy: a dealer will give the players two cards each. This is for Texas Hold’em, which is the most popular game. The players will then wager and decide to call, fold or raise. Once finished, the flop will be dealt, which are three community cards on the table. Another betting round will happen, then the turn will be dealt. Again, a round of wagering will happen which will then be the time where the last card, or the river, will be dealt. This will be the most exciting round in terms of wagering. Either they all call and they reveal cards to see who has the best hand, or someone bluffs and everyone else folds.

Any player at any given wagering round can bluff and raise wagers until everyone folds, so having a great hand is not the only skill you will need. One will also need to bluff, and to read bluffs by players.

Poker Hands

Here are the various poker hands in order of rank from lowest to highest:

1. High Card. This is the highest card in your hand if no other player has any hand that is a pair or higher. A kicker is necessary to back up the high card.
2. Pair. A pair is having a hand with two cards of the same denomination, and its strength will also be based on the kicker.
3. Two Pairs. A hand where there are two sets of pairs. The kicker will also determine the winning hand.
4. Three of a Kind. Similar to a pair, but with three similar cards of the same denomination.
5. Straight. This is when a player gets 5 consecutive cards regardless of suit.
6. Flush. This is when a player gets 5 cards of the same suit, regardless of value. So if you have 5 cards that are all hearts, then you have a flush.
7. Full House. A full house is a combination of three of a kind and a pair.
8. Four of a Kind. Four of a Kind is when you have 4 identical cards.
9. Straight Flush. This is a combination of a flush and a straight. You must have five consecutive cards of the same suit.
10. Royal Flush. This is the highest-ranked hand where you a player forms a straight flush, but with the numbers 10 and Jack, Queen, King and Ace.

Poker Strategies

Once you know how to play poker, you can now focus on the strategies you can use to win. Here are a few strategies you should learn to become a great poker player.

1. Call or Raise. In each round of wagering, you will choose between calling, where you do not put pressure on other players, or raising, where you increase the stakes of the game. By raising the bet, you are making other players react, and giving yourself a chance to win before even reaching showdown. Bluffing your way to a win is a skill worth knowing, as the payoffs could be big.
2. Reading the Players. You can read your fellow players’ skill level by how they play. Most new player pokers tend to go on and call way more than they should. So bluffing may not be the best strategy to use against them. If you do have a good hand, you can pressure them along the way, and up to the river, and win big. Of course, more experienced players will be bluffing, and you should learn when to raise, to check, or to fold.
3. Price of bets. When placing bets, or raising bets in a round, never decrease the value of your bet. If your last bet was $5, do not bet lower than that in the later rounds. It shows weakness as you have less confidence in your hand, and expert players will easily see that.
4. Set Your Poker Face. In online betting, you probably won’t literally show your face, so this strategy focuses on your behavior. If you predictably raise bets after the flop, then expect players to call or raise your bets always. If you like to fold a lot during bets and raises, then players may bet into you more. This can be used as a strategy, as players will take pause whenever you raise your bets. But it may also reveal that you connected with the flop, and can lead to problems building a substantial pot. Change your betting style often.