Playing Poker Games Online Articles | Poker

By: Richard Bleuze

Playing Poker Games Online

Although there are many different poker games online, playing poker online is relatively easy.   The most important thing to remember about all poker games online is the value of the cards, the value of the hands, and how to bet.

As in most card games, there are 52 cards in poker games online.  The deck of cards rank from low to high as 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and the Ace.  Thus, the hands rank in poker games online rank from low to high as: the highest card in a hand wins in case of none of the following; a pair; two pairs (the highest pair wins in case of two or more two-pair hands); three cards of a kind; straight (five cards with consecutive values, the straight with the highest card wins in case of two or more straight hands); flush (five cards of the same suit, the flush with the highest card wins in case of two or more flush hands); full house (three cards of a kind and a pair, the full house with the highest three cards of a kind win in case of two or more full house hands); four cards of a kind; straight flush (a straight and a flush at the same time); royal flush (a straight flush to the Ace).  Remember, that there are a few poker games online that have “wild” cards (replacing other cards, a Joker usually) and special hands such as the skip straight (a straight of five cards with consecutive values, differing by two points; it ranks just below the straight), the round-the-corner straight (a special straight as if the cards were in a circle, a J-Q-K-A-2 hand for instance; it ranks above the skip straight and below the regular straight), and the bobtail (a flush of four cards or a four-card straight with both ends open to continue; it ranks just below the single pair).

A betting round in a poker games online is also similar in all poker games at land based casinos.  Usually there is an “ante” to pay to enter the game, a small amount paid by all the players, or a blind, paid by some of the players in certain (community) games in turn.  These are not betting rounds.

A poker game online player has the following choices in a betting round when it is the player's turn:

•To check – if there is no bet in the pot yet, the player bets nothing and passes.

•To bet – make the first bet.

•To call – if there is a bet, the player matches it.

•To raise – to pay the bet by matching it and betting more over it.

•To fold – not to call or raise, but surrender the cards instead.

Many poker games online differ in terms of how the cards are dealt and the number of betting rounds.  Basically there are community games, in which there are cards to be used by all players, draw games, in which betting starts after the players receive all their cards and they can also replace some of them, and stud games, in which the players receive cards both face down and face up. Thus, I suggest that you get to know in detail the rules of the poker game you are going to play.

Learning how to play poker games online is obviously not hard, learning how to play it successfully takes years however.  Below are some quick tips that many pros have provided:

•If you have poor first cards, do not expect that they will improve much in the next rounds.  Thus, do not have a closed mind to folding.

•Try to give no clues to the other players how good or bad your cards are.

•Do not drink alcohol or use drugs when playing poker games online or in land based casinos.

•Try to play it for fun by entering many freeroll tournaments.  Most poker game online players are more likely to lose a lot than win a lot at the poker tables, unless of course, you are a professional.

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