Poker is actually a general word that can represent lots of card games all over the world. Sometimes, it can also refer to the popular casino game Texas Holdem. Some people compare it with a traditional Indian card game called Teen Patti. Here we are going to talk about Texas Holdem Poker games.
Table of Contents
How to Win Poker?
In short words, the one who has the highest ranking of hands wins, and it will happen when all the cards are exposed at the end-also called the ”showdown.” Or, the player who makes the last uncalled bet wins, even winning before the showdown.
Playing Steps of Poker
Step 1. First Betting Round
Place your first bet called blind (or “ante”). Generally, players place the minimum starting bets at the beginning of the game.
Step 2. Get the Hand of 2 Cards
Each player will get 2 cards in the clockwise direction, and this is your “hand”. Remember not to show your card to others, otherwise, they’ll know your strategy and how you might play.
Step 3. Start Acting-Bet/Check/Call/Raise/Fold
Once another new card is dealt in each round, players can choose to “Bet,” “Call,” or ”Raise.” The betting movement happens in the same order as the beginning of the game. Here are several options you can choose from during the betting round:
| Act | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Bet | If there’s no one placing another bet in the round, you can be the first and place an initial bet. |
| Check | If you’re still not sure about the situation, you can choose to “check” and avoid wagering in the round. |
| Call | Most of the time, ”Call” to follow the bet that another player does is an option that players make to keep their hand unknown. |
| Raise | Calling “raise” means you add more money to the prize pool, and normally this is telling your opponent that you might have a strong ranking of hand. If you “raise,” the other players need to go around in a circle and choose if they want to “call” your bet or “fold.” |
| Fold | If you feel that you have a weak hand, you can choose to “fold” and quit the game. Just remember to keep your cards face-down so that other players won’t take advantage of this. |
The Meaning of Each Movement.
Step 4. Flop Comes and Bet Again
Look at the community cards (aka “flop”) in the middle of the table to see if you can make a good hand to compete. After the first round of wagering, 3 cards will be dealt face-up on the table, and each player needs to form their best hand by their 2 cards and community cards. Eventually, there will be 5 community cards on the table, so you will have 7 cards in total. You need to form the best hand with 5 out of the 7 cards.
In some variants, you have the chance to switch your hand cards. This often happens when the betting round or after that.
Step 5. Turn Card as the 5th Community Card
After the first betting round, the dealer deals 4th card in the flop, and that’s called the “turn card.” And here comes another betting round. This step goes on until the 5th community card comes.
Step 6. Showdown-Win or Lose
Once the last raise or bet has been called when the final betting round, the game moves forward to “showdown.” It means that all players need to expose their cards and compete with each other. The one with the highest rank of the hand wins all the money in the prize pool.
Ranking of Hands
Generally, the ranking can be similar in different types of poker games, and here is the order of them.
- Royal Flush- The highest poker hand, containing an Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and a 10, all of the same suit.
- Straight Flush- It consists of five cards of the same suit in sequences, such as 10, 9, 8, 7, and 6 of hearts.
- Four of a Kind- When comparing the same types of hands, higher-ranking quads defeat lower-ranking ones.
- Full House- When comparing the same types of hands, the higher-ranking set of three wins.
- Flush-Contains five cards of the same suit, not in rank or sequence. When comparing the same types of hands, the highest-ranking card wins.
- Straight- Contains five cards of sequential rank but in more than one suit. Two straights are ranked by comparing the highest card of each. Two straights with the same high card are of equal value.
- Three of a Kind- Three cards of the same rank, plus two unmatched cards. When comparing the same types of hands, the higher-value three of a kind defeats the lower-value three of a kind.
- Two Pair-Two cards of the same rank, plus two cards of another rank (that match each other, but not the first pair), plus one unmatched card. When comparing the same types of hands, Higher ranking pair of two defeats the lower-ranking pair.
- One Pair- Two cards of the same rank, plus three other unmatched cards. When comparing the same types of hands, the higher-ranking pairs defeat the lower-ranking pairs.
- High Card- No two cards have the same rank, the five cards are not in sequence, and the five cards are not all the same suit. When comparing the same types of hands, the higher-ranking card defeats the lower-ranking card.
If you think it’s a little bit difficult to remember all of this, the amazing website wikihow provides a downloadable cheat sheet of the ranking. As a beginner, you should try to get familiar with this as soon as possible so that you can improve your poker-playing strategy.
Thank to WSOP for making this excellent chart as a picture to explain the ranking of hands:
Common Poker Terms
| Terms | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Blind/Ante up | Generally, the player next to the dealer needs to place the first small bet called “blind” or “ante up.” Then this becomes the minimum wager of this game. |
| Flop | The first 3 community cards dealt face-up on the table called “flop.” Each player that stays in the game is able to use these cards to form their hand. |
| Turn | Finishing the betting round after the flop comes, another card called “turn” will be dealt face-up on the table. |
| River | This refers to the 5th card dealt as the community card, and the final betting round happens at this moment. |
| Showdown | The final movement reveals all players’ cards, checking who owns the highest rank of hand and wins all the money. |
| Bet | It’s a movement that happens at the beginning of the betting round, and the minimum wager then is set from here. |
| Call | Follow the amount of the latest bet. |
| Raise | Add the money and make it higher than the latest wager. Add the money and make it higher than the latest wager. |
| Check | Pass the betting round without wagering, but be still in the game. |
| Fold | Quit the game, and fold your hand cards on the table. |