Poker Hand Rankings
Now that we know poker's immense popularity, let us go over some basic rules and facts to get introduced to online poker. Poker is each player uses a game wherein five cards to make a hand from the entire deck of 52 cards. At the end of the game, the player who has the best or highest ranking hand is declared the winner. Even in the case of the seven-card stud game where the players are provided seven cards to choose from, the player with the best five-card combination wins the game. In a regular poker game, players buy their way in (buy-in) the game. Two hole cards are given to all the players for the first round or 'flop' round, ,and three community cards are dealt. The players have to set their actions as 'call,' 'raise,' or 'fold' for each betting round. A 'showdown' takes place in the last round, and the player with the highest hand wins all the money in the pot.
If you observe the 52 card deck, you will see that it is divided into four suits, namely heart, diamond, club, and spade. Each of these suites contains 13 cards ranging from Ace to King. Ace can be used as the highest-ranking card or the lowest ranking card. Each of these suits is equal in its ranks.
1. Royal Flush
It is a royal flush if the five-card combination includes cards belonging to the same suit and with sequential ranking. The important point to note is that the sequence should be from 10 to Ace. This combination is the most powerful of all and thus rare to get as well.
2. Straight Flush
In the case of a straight flush, we need any five cards which can be arranged in sequential order and simultaneously belong to one particular suit. There is no fixed sequence that should be followed, as with royal flush. Any five cards arranged according to their ranking will be considered as straight flush.
3. Four of a kind
As the name suggests, four of a kind is formed when four out of the five-card hand belong to the same rank's denomination. For example, if your hand contains 4 7's and one Queen, you have a four-kind hand. The relative strength of this hand depends on the rank of the cards in hand. If you hold 4 Jacks and one four and another player has four 7s and one Ace, your hand is stronger.
4. Full House
This hand comprises three cards with the same denomination but belong to different categories. The leftover two cards should have the same rank again but belong to different suits. For example, if there are three 9s from different suits and two aces again from different suits, it is termed a full house. A full house with a higher rank of cards in three of a kind will be stronger than another full house.
5. Flush
Five cards that belong to the same suit will form a flush, irrespective of their order. For example, 2-5-10-9-K belonging to the diamond category will be termed a flush. A flush with a higher card will be stronger than another flush.
6. Straight Flush
The requirements to get a straight are that the five cards should have their ranks in sequential order and belong to at least two different suits. For example, if you have 6-7-8-9-10 and 2 of those cards are hearts, 1 is a club and the two left are clubs, then it is a straight. Again, a straight which is made of cards from a higher ranking can beat another straight with lower cards.
7. Three-of-a-kind
Three of a kind, same as four-of-a-kind, features three cars with the same rank but belong to different suits. The other two leftover cards should be of the highest rank available to the player. If you have three 10s from different suits and the leftover two cards are Jack and Ace, you have a three of a kind.
8. Two pairs
Under two pairs, two cards with the same rank but belong to different suits make up a pair. Two such pairs and one leftover card with the highest rank make up two pairs.
9. Pair
If two cards have the same denomination and belong to different suits and the other three have the highest denomination possible, it forms a pair.
10. High Card
This hand is the lowest in strength. It comprises a card that belongs to the highest denomination. The higher the rank of the card, which is the King of Spades, the stronger the hand.
You should ensure that you are well-versed with the hand rankings as they play a crucial role in forming your gaming strategy. There are only two ways by which you can win at poker. First, you try and get the strongest hand of all players at the time of 'showdown .'Second, you try and pressure your opponent players to fold by bluffing; that is, you make the other players think you possess a stronger hand than them. Other additional terms that you should be aware of are-
1. Blinds
Blind if a forced wager that two particular players need to put forth before the dealer deals the cards. The big blind is double the amount of the small blind.
2. Action
The action in online poker games is the gameplay by players in every round of betting. You can choose to act under – (1) Check wherein you do not wager (2) Fold wherein you withdraw from the round (3) Bet where you place a wager (4) Raise wherein you wager an amount additional to that of your opponent players (5) Call wherein you place a bt equal to your opponent’s bet.
3. Wagering Rounds
The poker card consists of different rounds-
A. Preflop- This is the betting round that takes place before the cards are dealt
B. Flop- This round takes place after the cards are dealt, and the first three community cards are out
C. Turn- wager round after the fourth community card is dealt
D. River- Last round before showdown and the fifth card is dealt
4. Showdown
Showdown takes place after the last round, and the players have to show their cards. The player who has the best/highest ranking hand will win the money in the pot.
Conclusion
After reading this article, you should now consider yourself equipped with the basics of playing poker. However, this is not enough; only practice will make you a better player. You can look for free poker games offered by many online websites like PokerBaazi, 888poker, Khelo 365, etc. Try and test your skills by playing without any real money first and then advance towards earning more and more money as you go forward.
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