Beginner Poker Guide

Poker has become the most popular card game in the world. From the televised World Series of Poker to your family game on holidays, everyone is playing.

But how does poker work? What do you do to get started?

For the most part, almost everyone plays one game right now – Texas Hold ‘Em.

But getting started doesn’t take much. A deck of cards, a dealer button and some chips.

The next thing to understand is hand rankings. You have to know which hands beat what in a card game: 1) Royal Flush: A, K, Q, J, 10 all of the same suit.
2) Straight Flush: Any five card sequence in the same suit. (Ex: 8, 9, 10, J, Q and A, 2, 3, 4, 5 of same suit).
3) Four of a Kind: All four cards of the same index (Ex: K-K-K-K).
4) Full House: Three of a kind combined with a pair (Ex: A, A, A, K, K).
5) Flush. Any five cards of the same suit, but not in sequence.
6) Straight. Five cards in sequence, but not of the same suit.
7) Three of a kind.
8) Two Pair.
9) Pair.
10) High Card.
Once you know the hand rankings, playing the game is easy.

For Hold ‘Em, each player gets two hole cards, which are dealt face down. One player has a small blind, which is a forced wager. Another has a big blind, which is usually double the small blind.

The player with the dealer button gets the last card. Cards are dealt left to right, the small blind gets the first card, the dealer button the last.

You are trying to make the best five-card hand from seven cards; your two hole cards plus five community cards.

After you get your hole cards, there is a round of betting. Following that is a three-card community deal call the flop. After that is one community card called the turn. The final community card is dealt and is called the river. The there is a showdown and all betting ends.

It is important to understand what is on the board in addition to your hand so you know what hands are out there.

The first part of that is identifying "the nuts". The nuts is the best possible hand on the board. If you have the nuts, you can’t lose.

If you do not have the best possible hand, you have to be careful, as your opponent might have it. Some other things to remember when you just get started; remember the hand rankings and what it takes to be successful.

You have to understand your hands strength relative to the board. If you have a straight, but there are four diamonds on the board, you are likely beat. Also, if you have a flush to a double paired board with other players firing, you are likely beat.

That is why it is important to not only understand what hand you have, but what other players might have as well. Betting patterns and reads will help you figure that out.

Beginning poker players should play tight as possible early, only playing premium hands. And it is recommended you try some free play online before getting serious.

Once you have done that, you are ready to play for real against the best in the world.