Poker rules

It's always a good idea to learn the rules of any new game you're about to play and the same applies to poker - with knobs on if you're about to play for real money! One good way to learn them is by practising at the free play tables in an online poker room or by playing with a guest account at a regular online casino. However, all casino sites always include a section detailing the rules of their games, poker included, so be sure to check them.

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Poker Rules

There are numerous versions of poker each with its own set of rules, which may differ from casino to casino. The rules as summarised here are therefore best regarded as a general guide and you may wish to check at your chosen casino for any differences before you play.

Texas Hold 'Em poker	Seven card stud poker	Omaha poker
Five card stud poker	Seven Card Stud Hi Lo. poker	Omaha Hi Lo poker

Texas Hold'Em Poker Rules

Texas Hold'em (or just plain Hold'em) is the most popular poker game in the world and also one of the fastest poker games. It involves two down / private / pocket cards (dealt for your view only) and five community cards (dealt face up in the middle of the table for all to see), consists of four rounds of betting, allows between 2 and 10 players to play during each hand and usually has the lowest betting limits. The objective, unsurprisingly, is to finish with the best hand and win the pot.

How to Play Texas Hold'em: The players to the dealer's left start off by posting the game's blind bets (the dealer's position changes after every game). The player on the dealer's left posts a small blind bet - this player is now called the "small blind". The player on small blind's left then posts a big blind bet - this player is the "big blind". Two pocket cards are then dealt to each player. First round: the player to the big blind's left plays first and can either fold, bet or raise. In the first round, betting is capped at one bet and three raises per player. Players cannot check in the first betting round because the blinds are bets, not antes. Second round: three community cards are dealt; this is called the "flop". A round of betting follows in which players can either check, fold, call or raise. Third round: a fourth community card is dealt; this is the "turn". Another round of betting follows. Fourth round: a fifth and final community card is dealt; this is the "river card". The final round of betting follows. Remaining players make the best five card hand possible using their two pocket cards and the five community cards, with the winner taking the pot. If there is a tie, the pot is shared.

Tips / Strategies for Texas Hold'em: Of the total of seven cards, five are already visible during the second round, giving a good indication of the likely strength of your final hand. Make sure you fully consider all the possibilities for how the five community cards could fit with your hidden cards - sometimes the river card can complete a very high ranking hand - or not! Sometimes, folding makes sense. You could save a lot of chips by folding early if you have a worthless hand.

Five Card Stud Poker Rules

Perhaps the most simple game on offer, Five Card Stud combines the private cards that Players are dealt with the visible cards on the table. Four rounds of betting follow, requiring skilled assessment of the likely strength of other players' hands. Best hand wins.

How to Play Five Card Stud Poker: To play Five Card Stud Poker you must have enough credits to place an ante and a bet. After placing your ante, which is set by the card room, each player receives two cards: one pocket and one visible. The player with the lowest visible card must "bring-in" the betting. In the second round, each player receives another visible and a round of betting follows. The process continues until each player has four visible cards. After the final visible card is dealt, there is a final round of betting. Remaining players display their pocket cards and the highest hand wins.

Tips / Strategies for Five Card Stud Poker: Watch your opponents' visible cards as closely as your own: you can see when you are on a losing hand and you can see if any card that you need for a winning hand is already held by another player.

Seven Card Stud Poker Rules

Seven Card Stud is a game for 2 to 8 players and ideally requires both patience and skill. Five betting rounds take place during each hand, with the maximum bet doubled after the third round. This can lead to large and exciting pots, which are taken by the player who holds the best hand.

How to Play Seven Card Stud Poker: To play Seven Card Stud Poker you must have enough credits to place an ante and a bet. After placing your ante on the table, as required by the card room, you are dealt three cards: two pocket cards and one visible card. The player with the lowest visible card must "bring-in" the betting. When all players have paid the same amount into the pot, "fourth street" betting begins. Bet amounts are raised to the high limit in the fifth street and sixth street. During each round of betting, players can either fold, call, raise or check. The final stage, seventh street, determines the result, with the best hand taking the pot.

Tips / Strategies for Seven Card Stud Poker: High pairs can be well worth worth betting on, unless another player bets high on what seems to be a strong hand. Fifth street is an important decision point; with bets doubling each round, you need to be confident that your hand can deliver a win if you continue. Otherwise, it may be better to fold and keep your loss to a minimum. It is advisable to fold if what you can see of another player's visible cards already beats your combined visible and pocket hand. If you are thinking about aiming for a straight, don' forget to check if other players already hold the cards you need. Don't hesitate to fold when appropriate; Seven Card Stud Poker is a game of patience, so don't waste your money betting on poor quality hands; bide your time instead.

Seven Card Stud Hi Lo Poker Rules

Seven Card Stud Hi/Lo Poker (also know as Stud 8 or better) is similar to Seven Card Stud, as it also consists of five rounds of betting. However, in this game there are two pots - one for the best low hand and one for the best high hand. The maximum bet is again doubled after the third betting round, so large pots are again common. There tends to be less folding in this game, as both the highest and lowest hands win.

How to Play Seven Card Stud Hi Lo Poker: To play Seven Card Stud Poker you must have enough credits to place an ante and a bet. After placing your ante on the table, as required by the card room, you are dealt three cards: two pocket cards and one visible card. The player with the lowest visible card must "bring-in" the betting. When all players have paid the same amount into the pot, "fourth street" betting begins. Bet amounts are raised to the high limit in the fifth street and sixth street. During each round of betting, players can either fold, call, raise or check. The final stage, seventh street, determines the result, with the remaining players making the best possible five card low and five card high hand possible. The two players with the best high and low hands split the pot. One player can win the whole pot ("scoop" the pot) by winning both the highest and lowest hands. A low hand can only win if each of the cards in the hand has a different value of eight or less. It is not always therefore possible to create both a high and low hand; sometimes you can only play for one or the other. Where a hand is tied, both players win a quarter of the pot - ie half of the available winnings each.

Tips / Strategies for Seven Card Stud Hi Lo Poker: High pairs can be well worth worth betting on, unless another player bets high on what seems to be a strong hand. Fifth street is an important decision point; with bets doubling each round, you need to be confident that your hand can deliver a win if you continue. Otherwise, it may be better to fold and keep your loss to a minimum. It is advisable to fold if what you can see of another player's visible cards already beats your combined visible and pocket hand. If you are thinking about aiming for a straight, don' forget to check if other players already hold the cards you need. Don't hesitate to fold when appropriate; Seven Card Stud Poker is a game of patience, so don't waste your money betting on poor quality hands; bide your time instead. With less than four players, you will still lose money if you tie on a winning hand. You should decide quickly whether you can play for the low hand and bet accordingly.

Omaha Poker Rules

Similar to Texas Hold'em, Omaha Poker (also known as "Omaha High") involves 2 to 10 Players and involves creating the best five card hand from a total of nine cards - four pocket cards and five community cards. The high number of cards available leads to some high ranking hands and the best hand again takes the pot.

How to Play Omaha Poker: To play Omaha Poker you must have enough credits to place a blind bet and a bet. The players to the dealer's left begin the game by posting blind bets (the dealer's position changes after every game). The player on the dealer's left posts a small blind bet - this player is now called the "small blind". The player on small blind's left then posts a big blind bet - this player is the "big blind". Four pocket cards are dealt to each player. First round: the player to the big blind's left plays first and can either fold, bet or raise. In the first round, betting is capped at one bet and three raises per player. Second round: three community cards are dealt; this is called the "flop". A round of betting follows in which players can either check, fold, call or raise. Third round: a fourth community card is dealt; this is the "turn". Another round of betting follows. Fourth round: a final community card is dealt; this is the "river card". The final round of betting follows. Remaining players make the best five card hand possible using two of their pocket cards and three of the five community cards, with the winner taking the pot. If there is a tie, the pot is shared.

Tips / Strategies for Omaha Poker: Watch out for low cards; you are looking for a high hand only. Due to there being five community cards, straights and flushes are quite common.

Omaha Hi Lo Poker Rules

Similar to Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi Lo Poker (also known as Omaha 8 or better) is a game for 2 to 10 players and involves creating the best five card high and low hands from a total of nine cards - four pocket cards and five community cards. The high number of cards available leads to some high ranking hands and the best high and low hands share the pot.

How to Play Omaha Hi Lo Poker: To play Omaha Poker you must have enough credits to place a blind bet and a bet. The players to the dealer's left begin the game by posting blind bets (the dealer's position changes after every game). The player on the dealer's left posts a small blind bet - this player is now called the "small blind". The player on small blind's left then posts a big blind bet - this player is the "big blind". Four pocket cards are dealt to each player. First round: the player to the big blind's left plays first and can either fold, bet or raise. In the first round, betting is capped at one bet and three raises per player. Second round: three community cards are dealt; this is called the "flop". A round of betting follows in which players can either check, fold, call or raise. Third round: a fourth community card is dealt; this is the "turn". Another round of betting follows. Fourth round: a final community card is dealt; this is the "river card". The final round of betting follows. Remaining players make the best five card low and five card high hands possible by using a combination of two pocket cards and three community cards. A low hand can only win if each of the cards in the hand has a different value of eight or less. It is therefore not always possible to create both a low hand and a high hand. Sometimes you can only play for either the high hand or the low hand. It is possible to win the entire pot ("scoop" the pot) by having both the highest and lowest hands. The two players with the best high and low hands split the pot. If there is a tie, that part of the pot is split ("quartered").

Tips / Strategies for Omaha Hi Lo Poker: A pair is more of a hindrance than a help if one of the pair is a community card with the same value as one of your private, low cards. This means that your hidden card does not give you a low hand advantage. With less than four players, you will still lose money if you win a quartered pot. You should decide quickly if you are eligible to play for the low hand and bet accordingly. When holding a strong high hand following the flop, it is advisable to play aggressively to the end to maximise your chance of winning the high hand share of the pot.