Poker is a game of skill in which players use the principles of mathematics and an ability to bluff or ‘read’ the body language of other players to win the pot, or part of the pot, on the table. Whole books have been written on playing Poker, so we will cover basic Poker and its rules
Number of Players:
Between four and eight is best.
Cards:
52, Aces ranking high. In some games, players may agree that Aces can be used high or low (for example in low sequences or runs). Sometimes, the Joker may be added to the pack as a wild card.
To Win:
Stay in the game long enough to win the pot by bluffing or holding the best hand.
To Deal:
The dealer can be chosen by cutting the cards (with the player drawing the highest or lowest card, by agreement, dealing first) or by someone dealing out the cards face up, one at a time, until one player gets a Jack. That player then becomes the first dealer.
Players can either sit where they please around the table or the cards can be cut to decide where each player sits, with the player drawing the lowest card sitting to the left to the immediate left of the dealer, the player drawing the next lowest sitting to the left of that player, and so on. If two players draw a card of the same rank, then they draw again.
The dealer shuffles the cards and offers the pack to the player on his or her left to cut them. The player can either cut them or refuse. If the player refuses, then the dealer offers the pack to the next player to cut the cards, and so on. If all the players refuse to cut the cards, the dealer deals out five cards to each player, starting with the player to his or her left. The cards are usually dealt in tow packets or two, face down, then a single card face up.
To Run The Pot:
In most games, one player becomes the banker and looks after the counters, or Poker Chips, and the pot. Before the first deal, each player puts up or antes, a number of Poker Chips into the pot.
The amount of the ante should be decided at the beginning of the game as well as how much eat bet should be, how many times a bet can be raised and a timeframe for the game.
Poker Hands:
Poker hands are as follows, starting with the highest:
Royal Straight Flush
A sequence of five cards of the same suit running Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10. This hand is unbeatable if the joker isn’t being played. If the Joker is being played then theoretically five of a kind –four cards of the same rank combined with the Joker – is the highest possible hand.
Five of a Kind
Five cards of the same rank, which is only possible if the Joker is being played as a wild card (or any other cards are given the status of wild card)
Straight Flush
A sequence or run of five cards of the same suit ranked by the highest card in the run, so a run with a nine as its highest card would be termed a ‘straight flush nine high’
Four of a Kind
Four cards of the same rank. If tied, then higher ranking cards beat lower ranking cards. For example, four Jacks beat four tens.
Full House
Three of a Kind (three cards of the same rank) and a pair, such as three Queens and two eights. If tied, the triplet determines the winner, so three Queens and two eights beats three Jacks and two tens.
Flush
Five cards of the same suit but not in a sequence. If tied, the highest card in the flush wins. If still tied, then the second-highest card wins, and so on.
Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same rank with the other two cards unmatched. If tied, the highest ranking triplet wins.
Two Pairs
(with one unmatched card). If tied, the hand holding the highest pair wins. For example a pair of tens and fours beats a pair of nines and sevens.
One Pair
(with three unmatched cards) If tied, the hand with the highest pair wins.
High Card
No card combination but with one card simply being the highest help in the hand. If tied, the hand with the second highest card wins.
A higher Poker hand beats a lower Poker hand, with a hand holding a straight flush being the highest and a ‘high’ the lowest.
To Play:
Each player looks at his or her hand and then one player makes the opening bet (or ‘opens the pot’). Rules vary according to which player opens the pot first and the minimum (and maximum) bet.
Before the pot is open, each player in turn can do one of the following:
Make a bet (or ‘check’), with the first player to do so therefore opening the pot.
Pass (or ‘check’)
Fold or drop out by lying his or her cards face down on the table.
A player who folds can take no further part in the hand and has no claim on the pot.
If no player opens the pot, then all players throw in their hands and there is a new deal.
Once the pot is open, each player who has not folded can:
Match, by increasing his or her stake in the pot to match that put in by the previous player.
Raise, by matching the stake of the previous player an increasing it further.
Call, by matching the previous players raised stake and call an ending to the bidding.
Fold, by throwing in his or her cards.
Once a player has been called, he or she cannot raise the stakes again and the betting is over. In some games of Poker, this may be allowed by a showdown in which each player reveals his or her hand and the best hand wins the pot, with the cards speaking for themselves.
If a player raises and none of the other players call but throw in their cards, then the player wins the pot without having to show his or her cards to the players.
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