As poker's popularity keeps growing in the country and overseas, players new to the game itself, and experienced home game players, continue sidle up to the casino poker tables asking to be dealt in.
Poker originated within the saloons of the Wild West and it has probably the most game variants. It really is played player against players and not just against the dealer as in Blackjack, and there's a lot of psychology involved during play. Poker takes a moment to learn and also a lifetime to understand. The cards are ranked in descending order starting from the highest; Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace. Ace can be high or low. You will find four suits; spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs, but no suit is higher than another.
There are actually 2,598,960 possible combinations of cards in a poker hand you may be dealt. For most games players must 'ante' a nominal amount just to have the cards dealt. After the cards are dealt, the betting starts. Players bet into the pot in the middle of the table and it is done in turn clockwise.
The player with the highest rank showing, will be the first to talk and to bet. He may either bet or check. By saying 'Check', he passes the decision to bet to the next player that can also check. If all players check, then it's visit the site end of the round. Everybody opens his cards as well as the highest hand wins.
Say you start with a $5 bet. If someone else raises $10, he puts $15 in the pot. When your turn comes again you will need to add $10 difference to the pot to stay within the game, and if you want you may also raise and even say 'Pot'. Pot is a raise to the maximum, meaning to bet the exact same amount as the total money obtainable in the pot.
Well, I think you should now be equipped to go out there and play poker. Play intelligently and carefully. Keep an eye out for tells. Know your own limits, and most significantly - play to win!