Poker is one of the most popular card games globally. It's played by millions of people both casually with friends and professionally in high-stakes tournaments like the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and the Asian Poker Tour (APT).
This is a card game that combines skill, strategy, and chance. Players bet on the strength of their hands, competing to win chips or money, often referred to as "the pot."
In this article, we’ll dive into the basics of poker, including its structure, popular variants, and essential concepts like bluffing, hand rankings, and betting strategies.
The Basic Structure of a Poker Game
Like many card games, this game is typically played with a standard 52-card deck. Players are dealt a specific number of cards depending on the variant. In most poker variants, players take turns betting, calling, raising, or folding. The goal is to either have the best hand at the showdown or force all your opponents to fold, leaving you to collect the pot.
The pot is the collective pool of chips or money that players compete for during a hand. The player with the strongest hand at the end will win the pot. You can also win by making everyone else fold through well-timed bets or raises.
Understanding Poker Hands
One of the key aspects of poker is understanding the ranking of poker hands. The rankings determine which hand wins the showdown if multiple players remain in the game. Here’s a quick overview, from the strongest to the weakest hands:
Royal Flush: 10-J-Q-K-A of the same suit.
Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards with the same suit.
Four of a Kind: Four cards with the same rank.
Full House: Three of a kind combined with a pair.
Flush: Five cards with the same suit
Straight: Five consecutive cards (doesn't have to be the same suit).
Three of a Kind: Three cards with the same number
Two Pair: Two sets of pairs.
One Pair: One pair of cards.
High Card: If no one has any of the above hands, the highest card wins.
To help you out so, we have created this Poker Hand Rankings Chart that you can download and print out.
Popular Poker Variants
After hundreds of years, the poker that we know of today bears only some resemblance to the original game. In fact, we have so many different types of poker nowadays that it can be difficult to learn all of them!
Let's take a look at some of the popular variants.
Texas Hold'em
Texas Hold’em is the most well-known poker game, especially in major tournaments like the WSOP. All players are dealt two "hole cards" face down each.
Everyone will share the five "community cards", which are dealt face-up in the center of the table. You will use a combination of your hole cards and the community cards to form the best possible poker hand.
The game includes four betting rounds: pre-flop, flop, turn, and river. Note that after the River card, there will be a final betting round. Anyone who thinks that they have the best possible 5-card hand will raise the bet for the last time here.
Omaha
Omaha is similar to Texas Hold'em but with a twist. First, Omaha is mostly played as a Pot-Limit Omaha. Second, in PLO, players are dealt four hole cards instead of two.
To form the 5-card hand, you must use exactly two of your hole cards combined with three community cards. This game can be a little difficult for players who are new to poker. The additional hole cards make it easier for multiple people to have strong hands, and more difficult for you to guess your opponents' hands.
Nowadays, multiple variants of Omaha can be found both online and offline. In fact, Natural8 has just introduced PLO-6, where instead of 4 hole cards, you will get 6!
We have written an in-depth guide on how to play Omaha poker, so go ahead and read them if you are interested in becoming an Omaha poker player.
Short Deck
Short Deck is a fairly new game structure. Here, instead of the 52-card deck, players will be playing with a 36-card deck. All cards from 2s - 5s are removed. Due to this, a Straight hand could be formed with A-6-7-8-9.
The other important difference to note is that, when you play Short Deck, Flush beats Full House due to the increased difficulties to form a Flush Hand. So, make sure there's no Flush potential before you go all-in with your Full House hand!
Having less cards than usual doesn't make it any easier to play. Hence we have created a Short Deck guide for you: How to Play Short Deck Poker.
Betting Structure and Strategy
Poker is as much a game of strategy as it is about the luck of the draw. Understanding the different types of bets and when to use them is crucial to becoming a skilled player.
Bluffing: This is one of the most essential skills to learn if you want to be a good poker player. It involves betting or raising as if you have a strong hand when you actually don’t. The goal is to convince your opponents with to fold, allowing you to win the pot without showing your cards.
Betting: Knowing when to bet or raise is vital to success in poker. You can bet to build the pot when you have a strong hand or bet to force weaker players out of the game. However, you must also understand when to call or fold to avoid losing more chips than necessary. Don't get married to the hands!
Big Blind and Small Blind: In games like Texas Hold’em and Omaha, two players are required to place forced initial bets called the "small blind" and "big blind" before any cards are dealt. This ensures there’s money in the pot for players to compete for.
Poker in Tournaments and Casual Play
Poker is played in many different settings, from casual home cash games to prestigious tournaments like the WSOP and APT.
Tournaments usually involve a "freezeout" structure, where players are eliminated when they run out of chips. The last player remaining wins the prize pool or a significant portion of it.
Casual games may have different structures, often allowing players to rebuy chips or set a predetermined end time. Regardless of the format, poker is always a blend of skill, strategy, and the excitement of not knowing which cards will come next.
Conclusion
Whether you're playing Texas Hold'em, Omaha, or any other poker variant, the thrill of betting, bluffing, and trying to make the best poker hand keeps the game exciting and competitive.
With countless strategies, hand rankings, and betting tactics, poker is a game that can be enjoyed by both beginners and seasoned professionals alike. However, we advice you to read more of our Poker School articles to gain more knowledge and strengthen your poker skills before you jump straight into the world of poker.
But if you’re ready to start your poker journey, you are more than welcome to sign up at Natural8, where we have plenty of freerolls that you can practice with while winning real money at the same time. Not to mention our New User Specials worth $3,358!
Good luck, and all the best!
