Starting Poker Hand Tips
If you also plan to start playing Poker but are entirely new to the game, you can continue reading this article to learn the basic rules and points to remember about online Poker.
What are the best hands in Poker?
You should try and bluff your opponent players or ensure that you have the best hand during 'showdown' (the end of the game). For this, you first need to know the poker hand ranking according to their strength. Following is the order from the strongest to the weakest hand. Your goal is to have a high card or a high five-card combination like the Royal Flush.
1. Royal Flush
- If you have a five-card combination containing King, Queen, Jack, and ten all of the same suit, you have the royal flush. A player rarely ends up with such a combination. This hand is the strongest play, and you win the game.2. Straight Flush
- A five-card sequence that includes cards belonging to the same suit and arranged sequentially is a straight flush. This hand can only be beaten by a straight flush containing higher rank or royal flush cards.3. Four of a Kind
- In a five-card combination, if four cards have the same identity as King, queen jack, or any of the numbers but belong to different suits, then it is a four-of-a-kind hand.4. Full House
- This hand includes three cards of the same denomination but belonging to different suits, and the other two cards should be of the same denomination but from different suits. The higher the rank of the three cards, the better chances of winning.5. Flush
- If the five cards belong to the same suit, that is, hearts, aces, clubs, or diamond, then it is a flush; the order of the denomination is irrelevant. However, if you have a higher ranking card, then this hand's strength is higher.6. Straight
- The five cards need to be in sequential order and can belong to any suit. AN ace card can be ranked as higher or lower than the King.7. Three of a kind
- The player should have three cards of the same denomination belonging to different suits, and the leftover two cards should be the highest available cards.8. Two pairs
- The player should have two cards each of the same rank to make the two pairs, and the fifth card could be the highest available rank card to complete the hand.9. One pair
- This hand is made up of one pair of two cards with the same rank, and the leftover three cards can be made up of the highest-ranking cards available.10. High card
- This is the hand with the least strength. This is also known as ‘best hand’ and it in turn indicates the King of Spades.General Rules for Playing Poker
ThisThis section will be a general guide about the process of playing Poker. We will go over the basic rules of playing Poker.
1. Under the No-Limit Texas Hold’em variant of Poker, the players get their hands by first receiving two facedown cards. These are termed as 'hole cards.
2. Players can form their hands to win using their two facedown cards and the five shared or window cards that are handled by the game's dealer, which are visible to all the players.
3. Now, once the players receive their cards, a 'preflop' round takes place, after which the subsequent 'streets' or rounds are given different names. In the pre-flop round, the players can see their two 'hole cards and then decide if they want to ‘call’ (continue with the big blind value), ‘bet’ (raise the stakes) or ‘fold’ (sit out the game).
Following are some of the terms that a player should understand as a part of playing Poker
1. The Flop
- The very first three community cards that the dealer deals at the start of the game is called 'the flop'. All other players then start to form the best hand possible from their facedown and the three community cards. Accordingly, the process of betting starts. The player positioned at the dealer's left side starts the betting action.2. Turn
- The dealer deals a fourth card after the betting round under the flop is over. This fourth community card is termed as 'the Turn.' Now, the remaining players have the option of forming the best hand from the four community cards and the two 'hole cards. After the turn, another betting round is initiated, with the player on the left initiating the betting action.3. The River
- The 'river,' also known as the 'fifth street,' is the last round of the game. The dealer deals with the last community card. The players can form the strongest hand with the help of the five community cards and the two hole cards. A final round of betting takes place, after which the players need to 'showdown.' The players need to show their hand to all the players and the one with the best hand/ highest ranked hand wins the pot. The showdown starts with the last bettor.Tips for beginners
1. Memorize the poker hand rankings well to make decisions quickly
2. Formulate your strategies according to your position. Your position is a crucial factor that affects your win in the game. A later position allows you to observe and analyze the actions of the other players that act before your chance. Due to this, you are able to guess the strength of the hands of the other players
3. Find profitable tables, that is, tables that have multi-way pots, which implies a larger size of the pot.
4. Do not make hasty decisions. Take your time to analyze all the information and then decide your play.
5. Do not try to make an accurate guess of your opponent's holding; instead, observe his moves and then try to make possible guesses of the hands he might be holding.
6. Be aware of the concept of probabilities and odds as in the end, Poker is all about math and calculating expected probabilities and accordingly making strategies.
7. Make sure to find out different poker tools available on online platforms to take full advantage of them.
Online Poker sites in India
Good online poker websites provide players with various benefits such as welcome bonuses, bigger tournament prizes, and several different contests and opportunities to win money. Following is the list of a few of the best online poker websites available in India
1. Khelo 365
The users need not download any app to play Poker on this website. However, downloading their iOS/Android app can provide a better experience. You can enjoy different varieties of Poker like Texas Holdem and Pot-limit gaming Omaha for free and with a real-life-like experience. This site boasts of the safe payment process, quick withdrawals, and the option of playing with an anonymous handle.
2. Spartan Poker
The main attraction of this online poker website is the large number and variety of tournaments hosted by it. The minimum amount required to join the tournaments is as low as 1 rupee. Another key feature of this website is its massive promotional campaign. Players can earn additional money if they refer this website to their friends. Players who are new to the website receive a welcome bonus.
3. 888 poker
This is the most widely spread online poker website. It gives the users to choose the option of playing different types of Poker like Omaha. 7 card game and Texas Holdem. Their user interface is good and they ensure that it is constantly improving with time. One advantage of using this website is that you can look at your past hand histories and learn from them to enhance your play for subsequent games. They also make use of various resources to ensure that their website is secure.