Poker Rules

One of the most popular games that have progressed throughout history itself, poker is now at a stage where it is having a paradigm shift to the online gaming players, with poker online gathering a bigger audience with the passing of each day. The old saying “it takes a minute to learn but a lifetime to master” stands true in the case of poker and that is exactly why we were here today.
This blog shall cover the basics of poker, including an introduction to the game, the history, and also how to play the game in detail. We believe that by the end of this article, you as a poker player will be proficient in a game of poker online and start your journey to becoming a master.

The topics that we shall cover in this article are as follows:

History of Poker
How to Play poker online
Poker hand rankings
Variants of Poker
Conclusion

1. History of Poker

According to popular belief, the game of poker was developed in the United States in the early 1800s as a variation of a French parlor game known as Poque, which was believed to have been brought to New Orleans by French sailors and businessmen. Colonists and traders have been known to have brought the British game “brag” to the United States, which was a version of a very famous German bluffing game. The game “Brag” was also considered to be a major influence when developing the very first versions of poker, which made use of a 20 card deck.
What started as a recreational game in the saloons of New Orleans soon became an important part of the United States of America. Another piece of the evolution of poker was when a deck of playing cards got enlarged to 52 cards from 20, enabling the game to grow from a five-card game to a drawing game. In order to sweeten the payouts, another betting round was also added in. The game was also enjoyed by rebel federal soldiers during the time of the American Civil War, and once the soldiers went back home, they took the game with them. This was majorly responsible for spreading the game all across the United States.
After years of playing, evolution, and growth, a game of poker is what we see today. The game has also shifted to the internet, making online poker one of the most accessible and entertaining games of all time. Multiple poker tournaments are also held all year round, giving players the potential to win a lot of money, whilst being a source of entertainment, played with passion.

2. How to Play Poker Online

The main aim of any game is to beat your opponents and take home the win. Even in poker, the main objective is not just to understand the basic poker rules, but to also use different strategies and defeat your opponents in order to win the pot. This subtopic is a quick rundown on the basic poker games rules and how to play the game utilizing all of poker’s game rules.
All players will always have these options when it is their turn to play: fold, raise, bet, or call. Players can ultimately win the game by utilizing their two hole cards and five community cards to form the best combo there is in order to win the game. Here are a few terminologies to understand the game better:

A. Flop

"The flop" refers to the first three community cards that are dealt in poker tournaments or online games. The community cards can be used by all remaining players to try to form the best poker hand possible. The game then proceeds with a betting round. The action is initiated by the player who is sitting to the immediate left of the dealer.

B. Turn

Following the completion of the flop betting round, another community card, known as the turn (AKA Fourth Street), is dealt. Active players have a total of two hole cards and four community cards to attempt and construct the strongest five-card hand. In the second betting round, the action is once again initiated by the player to the left of the dealer. The betting round ends when all players on the table have played their turn.

C. River

The River (also known as Fifth street) is the final community card on the table. There is a final round of betting that takes place. When the game reaches a showdown- the point at which all of the action in poker online comes to a close- The players all raise their hands. The final player who bets (also known as the last aggressor) is the one who must show their hand first. The player who holds the best five-card hand wins the game. This final action ends the hand and the game proceeds to the next one.
That is basically how a hand works and now you know the rules too! The only thing to keep in mind is that when the game gets complicated, you will have to rely on some strategies in order to win the pot. Another small tip that can help you play better is by knowing where the dealer sits and deciding whether to play first or last.

3. Poker Hand Rankings

Poker hand rankings are a list of combinations that you can use to your advantage and form your betting or folding strategies accordingly. Here's a list of the hands that players may use as a reference when playing on online poker sites, and which, when used correctly, can easily help you land a big victory. The hand rankings for poker online are quite similar as compared to the 3 Patti rules. The following cards have been ranked from worst to best:

A. High Card

A high card is a set of cards that consist of a group of 5 cards with varying rankings. This could also include cards that are not of the same suit or that are not arranged in any particular order. In a poker tournament, if you ever land up with a hand of high cards, it is advisable to use bluffing strategies in order to trick your opponents and get the win instead of relying on the cards themselves.

B. One Pair

Quite easy to understand by the name, the one pair is those set of cards which consist of one pair and the other three unpaired cards. The hand comes second last when it comes to strength in the combination and the chances of you landing with one pair in a poker online game are about 40%.

C. Two Pair

Very similar to the one pair, a two pair card hand is just one extra pair in hand with the remaining cards being unpaired. When faced with a showdown, the two pairs will always be ranked higher than the one pair.

D. Three of a Kind

The cards that follow are not so common to find in-game. The three-of-a-kind cards are the ones where three cards form a combination and the remaining two cards are unpaired. Despite being a strong card as compared to the one pair, two pair, or the high card, it is good to play cautiously with these cards since they are not the highest-ranked.

E. Straight

A set of 5 cards that all form a combination when they are ranked sequentially, the Straight is the first hand that utilizes all 5 cards of a poker hand. The only restriction when it comes to a straight is that not all cards can be of the same suit.

F. Flush

A set of combinations where all the cards are going well in a combination but only by the suit. What differentiates the flush from a straight in poker tournaments is that the straight needs the cards to be from a different suit and here the cards are all from the same suit.

Full House

A hand where there are cards of three of a kind and also a pair is known as a full house. A full house consisting of a three of a kind is generally considered a stronger hand as compared to a weaker hand of three of a kind.

H. Four of a Kind

A four of a kind hand is that poker online hand where four out of 5 cards are of a particular combination and the remaining one card is the odd one out. One of the rarest combinations on the poker rankings chart, the chance of landing a four-of-a-kind hand is 0.26 percent.

I. Straight Flush

The most legendary card hand of all time, the straight flush is when you have the perfect 5 card combination. As it happens, it is the rarest combination to find in the entire game of poker online, with many players not having seen it ever in their entire lives. If you ever get lucky enough to land a straight flush, you can keep betting aggressively because there is a high chance that you will definitely win.

4. Variants of Poker

As it happens, the game of poker also has a ton of variations that players can explore and play. A few of them have been listed below:

a. Texas Hold ‘Em
b. Omaha Hi
c. Omaha Hi-Lo
d. 7-Card Stud
e. Badugi
f. 3 Patti and more!

Conclusion

We hope that this article was able to give you an in-depth understanding of poker online, both when playing recreationally and in poker tournaments. The poker community in India is still quite young as compared to some other countries but the features and developments that are being brought into the poker space have only made the game feel more real and a lot of fun to play.

FAQ

1. What is the main objective of Online Poker?

The main objective of any online poker player is to hold the highest possible hand combination, which is strong enough to beat the remaining hands on the poker table. Keep in mind that all the players at the table are here to win, so you must play your hand cautiously.

2. What are poker hand rankings?

The poker hand rankings categorize the potency of the various hands you can use and are a crucial tool for making choices when playing. All variations of the game are supported by a standard system for classifying the relative strengths of various poker hand types so that players may decide which hand is the best.

3. Which is the strongest card in poker?

The strongest hand that a player can hold in any game is the Straight flush. Being the strongest hand in the game, the player holding the hand can comfortably bet large amounts of money without worrying about getting outranked.

4. When was poker invented?

5. What is River in Poker online?

The River is one of the betting options available to players in an online poker game. The River in a game is generally played after the Turn and before the showdown, making it the 4th betting option available to players in a game.

Trending Offers

SpartanPoker
SPARTAN300

1st time deposit offer of 300% Bonus up to Rs.30K, Min. deposit of Rs.200
SpartanPoker
SPARTAN200

2nd time deposit offer of 200% Bonus up to Rs.20K, Min. deposit of Rs.200
Adda52
NO CODE

100% Deposit Value + 25% R.B