Poker has taken the internet by storm over the last few years and in this part of our website we are going to take a look at online Poker and show you not only how to play Poker but we shall also tell you all about the Poker rules and Poker strategy you will need to know to help make you hopefully, into a much better Poker player!
Not only is Poker a game of luck, it also requires a lot of strategy and the beauty of playing Poker online is that you can play poker free of charge whilst you are mastering the skills needed to sit down and play for real money.
All of the Poker sites listed on our website have free Poker rooms whereby you can sit down and play with fellow worldwide players and play free online poker with plenty of free poker chips, and all of them also let you chat and fully interact with your fellow players.
One site where you will find a large range of Poker games and both free poker tables along with a huge number of real money tables is InterPoker, check them out they are one of the Internets' biggest Poker sites and you will be made most welcome, you can download their poker software for free and they have plenty of information on their website to help you learn about how to play poker, making a hassle free deposit and also a good guide on the odds and table stake limits.
How to Play Texas Hold 'Em Poker
There are several different Poker game variants available to play online, we have listed these below, but the most popular of all is Texas Hold 'Em Poker. To the left you can see and image of the instant play poker site available at Party Poker
The aim of the game Texas Hold 'em is to simply make the best five card hand from the seven cards that are available to you.
In the online version of Texas Hold 'em as found at Cool Hand Poker
there can be as little as 2 and a maximum of 10 players in each game, and the game uses just one, single deck of 52 standard playing cards.
Each player in the game will be dealt two cards unique to them, and these are known as the hole cards. Every player must then simply make the best possible five card Poker hand.
These five cards can be made up of both, one or even none of his hole cards and any of the five community cards, these community cards are dealt into the middle of the Poker table by the Dealer face up, and are available to all players to help them make up the best hand.
Each player takes it in turn to be the Dealer, however in online Poker games the software will deal out the cards, the current Dealer is indicated by a small disc placed in front of whichever players' turn it is. The Deal always moves clockwise around the table to the next player after each game has been completed.
The player sitting to the left of the Dealer is always obliged to make what is called a Small Blind wager and the player sitting next to him places a large wager known as the Big Blind (the amount needed to be placed by each player is indicated on the game menu). This allows a pot to start to build up and gives players an incentive to play.
Once the blinds have be made (termed posted) then the player sat to the left of the player who posted the big blind wager can either fold his hand (throw it away and be removed from that particular game), call (place a wager equal too the big blind amount) which means he continues in the game, or raise the amount of the big blind (by any amount he wishes to place onto the Poker table).
All other players then have the same betting options, once each player has made their betting choice the Dealer then deals three cards into the centre of the table, players can use these cards to help them make up a Poker hand, the name given to the first three cards dealt is the Flop.
Once these three cards have been dealt another round of betting takes place and this time as well as either folding, calling or raising their hand the first player may opt to check, this means they wish to stay in the game but not place another wager into the pot, as long as the remaining players all check no further wager is required, if a player raises or calls the bet then the players are obliged to either match this bet or fold their cards and be removed from that game.
Once all players have made their betting decisions another one card is dealt by the Dealer alongside the three cards already dealt. This card is known as the Turn.
Another round of betting then ensues with players being above to check, call, raise or fold their hand, once done a fifth and final card is dealt by the Dealer into the middle of the table and this card is known as the River, and another round of betting begins.
Once all players have made their final betting decisions then it is time for the Showdown, here all of the remaining players cards are turned over and the Player with the best ranked Poker hand takes the pot, in the event of a tied hand (two players having the same ranked Poker hand) then the pot is split 50/50.
Texas Hold 'Em Poker Hands
Below is the Poker hand rankings in play in Texas Hold 'Em Poker starting with the lowest ranked and rising up to the strongest hand.
High Card - This is the highest valued card in a hand when no other card ranking is present.
Pair - Two cards the same i.e. 2 X Jacks or 2 x 6's along with any other three cards.
Two Pairs - Two sets of cards the same i.e. 2 X Jacks and 2 x 6's along with any other one card.
Three of a Kind - Three cards the same i.e. 3 X Jacks along with any other two cards.
Straight - This is five consecutively valued cards i.e. 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 (of a mixed suit).
Flush - This is five un consecutive cards that all share the same suit.
Full House - This is two cards the same and three cards the same i.e. 2 x 5's and 3 x Queens.
Four of a Kind - Four cards the same i.e. 4 X Jacks or 4 x 6's along with any other one card.
Straight Flush - These are five consecutive cards that all have the same suit.
Royal Flush - This is a Ten, Jack, Queen, King and Ace all of the same suit.
Poker Strategy
There are so many different ways of playing poker and this means that each player has to devise his own unique poker strategy when playing. Some players tend to use the Bluff Poker strategy a lot, and this means they will raise a bet even with a poor hand to scare the remaining players out of the game, this however is not a fool proof Poker strategy as other players will soon cotton onto this!
The Best Poker Strategy may sound strange but it is to get as much practice in as possible, the more you play the better a player you will become, and never go raise crazy and raise every hand hoping for a lucky card or cards to be dealt out!
Poker Rules and Tips
One very good Poker tip for a beginner is to take part in one or more of the Poker Tournaments that our featured poker sites have, this will cost you a small entry fee and yet allows you to play for a large prize pool which is split between those players left in the final table.
Another cool Poker tip is to track down a Free Roll Tournament, this is a free to enter tournament that allows you to take part completely free of charge and still offers a cash prize pool. InterPoker is the place to go if you like Free Rolls!
The following Poker rules are in play regarding the Blinds:
1.Should a new player be sat to the left of the blind, then that player may choose to either post the big blind or wait, should the player post, then their wager is active.
2.Should a new player be sat in the big blind, then that player is treated as such.
3.Should a new player be seated between the button and any blind, then that player must wait for the button to pass.
Poker Games
Texas Hold 'Em Poker - The most popular poker game of all time, learning to play it is easy, however mastering it will take some time! A poker game full of bluffs, skill and strategy.
Omaha Poker - When playing Omaha Poker your objective is to end the game with the best 5 card hand using two out of your four dealt pocket cards along with three out of five community cards.
Omaha Hi-Lo Poker - The objective of the game of Omaha Hi-Lo Poker is identical too Omaha Poker but at the end of the game the pot will be shared between both the highest and lowest ranking hands.
Seven Card Stud Poker - This variant of poker is played with a fixed betting limit in each round.
Five Card Draw One of the all time classic poker games that is easy to play and even easier to master.
Play Free Poker and Real Money Poker Games
Below are our top rated online poker sites where you can play for free or for real money, and each one offers a unique array of both real money and free roll Poker Tournaments.
