The Card Values

The cards in a standard deck consist of 13 cards per suit. You have A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, and K. The suits of the cards are diamonds which has the highest value, the hearts which has the second highest value, the spade which is third in ranking, and, lastly, the clubs which has the lowest value of all.

The Hand Ranking

The highest hand ranking that you would want to see in your hand is the Straight Flush, so you better hope for cards that are in sequence and of the same suit. The next hand ranking is the Four of a Kind, which will give you four cards of similar ranks and one dissimilar card. Then you have the Full House which is made up of three cards from similar ranks and two cards from similar ranks. Flush is simply five cards from similar suits but different ranks, and Straight is five cards in sequence, no matter the suit. Three of a Kind is the hand ranking which is made up of three cards of the same rank coming from different suits, and the last two cards are random cards. Two Pairs is made up of two sets of two cards from similar ranks and one random card, while One Pair is simply one set of two cards from similar ranks, the rest of the cards are random cards. The last hand ranking, which has the lowest value, is the High Card.

Basic Poker Rules

The rule in a poker game is very simple, and all that you have to do is to come up with the best hand ranking amongst your opponents, but throughout the betting rounds (this depends upon the poker variation that you are playing), you have to either place a bet or check, after which you can either call, raise, or fold, provided you have placed a bet.

Betting means that you place an amount of money on the table as your wager because you think that you have a good hand; while checking means that you will not place a bet but will continue playing the game. Calling means that you are going to match the bet placed by your opponent; raising means that you are going to match the bet but will add an additional amount; and fold means that you are going to withdraw from the round.

Early Beginnings

Although there is no clear-cut information that points to the start of poker, it can be said that this originated from Persia from a game called As Nas. Some researches about the history of poker also points to the Chinese as being the creator and inventor of this popular game, stating 969 AD was year that poker was invented. However, there are some historians that claim that it was the Egyptians who invented poker during the 12th to 13th century. But the earliest game that poker is most similar to is the As Nas by the Persians which makes use of 25 cards made from ivory or wood. The reason why As Nas is most closely related to poker is the fact that this game also includes rounds of betting as well as the utilization of hand rankings.

During the 17th and 18th century, France and Germany had their own card games, called Poque and Pochen respectively, that closely resembles Spain’s card game known as the Primero, which dates ack to the 15th century. The game of Primero involves dealing three cards to the players, and it also incorporates the technique called bluffing to lure opponents into thinking that they have a good hand when they have, in fact, poor cards. Bluffing in the Primero game is very important. With its close resemblance to poker, historians are saying that this is the mother of poker.

Popularity of Poker

The fact that this card game involves skills, especially since you have to form a hand with a good ranking to be able to beat your opponents, and the many techniques that you can employ like bluffing and being aggressive easily made poker the most popular and the favorite card game. Another factor that entices many people into playing poker is that this can be a very lucrative game.

With the advent of the Internet, this very humble game that started centuries ago has now conquered not only the land based casinos but the online casinos as well. Now, it has invaded our homes and our televisions, bringing this card game to millions of people.

Common Terms Used in Poker

Here are some of the most common terms used in a game of poker:

1 Action. When you hear the word action, it simply means to act. It can be betting, calling, raising, or folding.
2. Ante. At the start of a poker hand, a little part of the bets made by each player is taken out and placed into the pot. This is called ante; however, in holdem games, the term used for this is blinds.
3. Blind. As stated above, this is much like an ante and is a forced bet placed by the players into the pot before the cards are dealt to them by the dealer. There is a small blind and the big blind, and these are posted by the first and second players from the dealer’s left respectively.
4. Burn. This is the term used to dispose of the topmost card on the deck so as to prevent cheating.
5. Call. This is used to described the action in which a player places an amount of cash into the pot, the amount of which is similar to that of the player who made the last bet or raise.
6. Check. When you hear the word check, this simply means that you are not going to bet, but you do have the choice to raise or call during the succeeding betting rounds.
7. Fold. This term simply means that you are giving up the opportunity of landing the pot.
8. Muck. Muck is nothing but the pile of cards that can be found in front of the dealer, and these cards are the cards that have been folded and burned.

Why Understand the Poker Terms?

As stated above, knowing the terms in poker is very important especially when it comes to understanding the basic rules of the game as well as the strategies involved in poker. Remember, these terms and the rules of poker will be your foundation, so you really should read about them first before trying the cash games to better increase your chances of winning.

For Fun

Of course, the very first reason why a lot of people play poker is that it is a very fun card game to play. Not only does it involve a whole lot of luck to have the best cards, but it also involves a lot of skill, especially since you have to know the card values in order to create the winning card combination. Furthermore, poker is a very social game since you are going to play against opponents.

For Money

Of course, poker is a very lucrative game to play, especially if you participate in major poker tournaments. There are poker tournaments that could give you hundreds of dollars in poker earnings, but if you get to join in the major ones like the WSOP or the WPT, then you get the chance to win millions of dollars in cash prize.

However, playing at small cash games will also be very beneficial for you. When having a good rakeback deal in place will make sure you always get part of your paid rake back to your players account no matter if you win or lose. In fact, this is the most common way that many poker players do to increase and pad their bankrolls. With a small starting bankroll, they can build this into hundreds, thousands, and even millions of dollars, provided, of course, that you know how to handle your money well.

Right now, there are many poker pros that make a living just by playing poker in live tournaments as well as online tournaments.

For Fame

Another reason why poker is such a favorite game is that, if you win often, especially in major poker tournaments, you can really get your name out there. Famous and popular poker pros such as Phil Helmuth and Daniel Negreanu enjoy all that poker games give them. They have the money to burn that they have received from all their poker winnings, and they have fame to boot. With fame comes more money because they get to endorse popular brands.

Because of all these reasons, many poker players are hoping to reach the top like the other poker pros did and enjoy all that the game has to offer. So, if you want to reach the top, then you should practice, practice, practice.

The Signup Bonus

The signup bonus is the most common form of online poker bonus, and this is given to first-time members of the online poker site. There are online poker sites that offer 50% to as much as 200% of your initial deposit, and this free money will be credited to your player’s account. Other online poker sites also offer free cash bonus when you register, and you do not even have to deposit any money just to avail of their signup bonus.

This type of bonus may be a good one though and could really increase your bankroll, but there is one thing that you should be aware of though if you avail of such, and this is the wagering requirement. You can only claim your signup bonus when you have placed a wager equivalent to the deposit and the bonus that you have initially made.

The Reload Bonus

You get a reload bonus each and every time you make a deposit after your initial one. Of course, the value of the reload bonus is smaller than that of the signup bonus, but if you want to increase your reload bonus, then you have to climb up their loyalty ladder, which is another type of online poker room bonus.

The Loyalty Ladder and the Comp Points

One of the perks of playing at online poker rooms is that you also get the chance to become a member of their loyalty club or VIP program. Here, you get to enjoy more bonuses as your reload bonuses increase the higher up the level you climb. Furthermore, you also get to take advantage of the comp points that you gather each and every time you make a bet. These comp points can be exchanged into cash or other freebies like electronic gadgets.

Of course, not all online poker rooms offer the same bonuses, so it would be very much advisable that you take a look at their bonuses first before signing up with them. Also, it will do you a lot of good if you research about the online poker site first and check them for legitimacy and trustworthiness before you risk your money and, most especially, your personal information.

As you all know, there are four suits in a deck of cards. You have the diamond, the heart, the spade, and the clubs – the diamond having the highest value and the clubs having the lowest value.

These are the poker hands, arranged from the highest value to the lowest value:

1. The Straight Flush consists of five cards of the same suit and in sequence, an example of which is K, Q, J, 10, 9 of diamonds. This is also called as the Royal Flush.
2. Four of a Kind consists of four cards coming from the same rank and one card coming from another rank, an example of which is the K of diamonds, K of hearts, K of spades, K of clubs, and Q of diamonds.
3. The Full House is the poker hand that consist of three cards coming from the same rank and two cards coming from another rank, an example of which is K of diamonds, K of hearts, K of spades, Q of diamonds, and Q of hearts.
4. The Flush is made up of five cards coming from the same suit but not necessarily in sequence, an example of which is the K of diamonds, J of diamonds, 8 of diamonds, 6, of diamonds, and 4 of diamonds.
5. The Straight requires that your five cards are in sequence but not necessarily coming from the same rank, an example of which is the K of diamonds, Q of hearts, J of spades, 10 of clubs, and 9 of diamonds.
6. Three of a Kind consists of three cards coming from the same rank but of different suits and two cards coming from different ranks and suits, an example of which is the K of diamond, K of hearts, K of spades, Q of clubs, and J of diamonds.
7. In Two Pairs, you will need to have two cards coming from the same rank and another set of two cards coming from a different rank plus one unmatched card, an example of which is the K of diamonds, K of hearts, Q of spades, Q of clubs, and J of diamonds.
8. One Pair only requires that you have one set of two cards coming from the same rank, while the rest of the unmatched cards coming from different ranks, an example of which is the K of diamonds, K of hearts, Q of spades, J of clubs, and 10 of diamonds.
9. The High Card simply means that you do not have any two cards coming from the same rank, or any five cards arranged sequentially, or any five cards coming from the same suit.

I understand this can be a touchy subject, as most poker players, no matter how much their game depends on luck, simply do not like to hear that they are simply lucky poker players, and not necessarily skilled poker players. That being said, in all honesty, with a few exceptions, if you are playing any other combinations besides the ones I am about to show you, then you my friend are depending on luck to win poker hands.

In no particular order, here are the top fifteen starting poker hands:
A-A, A-K, A-Q, K-K, Q-Q, J-J, 10-10, 9-9, 8-8, 7-7, 6-6, 5-5, 4-4, 3-3, 2-2

If you find any of the above combinations in your pocket, then what exactly should you do? There are truly endless options here, but if you want to play it safe and protect your chip stack, while at the same time slowly building it then I would recommend the following:

If you get A-K, A-Q, or any pocket pair of 10’s or above than I would move all in before the flop. This may sound funny as it is likely all of your opponents will fold and you will not even be able to play the hand, but it is by far the safest way to go. By moving all in pre-flop, and getting your opponents to fold you will eliminate the possibility of another player; one who is depending on luck; making a straight, a flush, a full house, or three-of-a-kind; in which case you would end up losing all of your money. Now, would you rather win $10 right off the bat by buying the pot, or lose $100 or more by playing the hand and allowing your opponents to catch a hand?

If you have any of the pairs from 9‘s on down to 2’s, then you should play the hand completely differently. If it is not overly expensive always try to see the flop when you have these cards. If you make a set (three of a kind) with the cards on the flop you should move all in and buy the pot to avoid another player making a hand that could beat yours on the turn or the river. If you do not hit three of a kind then it is time to fold (unless all other players check giving you the opportunity to see another card).

When you are just starting out in the world of Texas NL Hold’Em poker, if you stick to this strategy, and only play these fifteen hands you will nine times out of ten come out on top. Sure there will be times when someone will call your all in and end up catching a hand, but these are rare exceptions; and the exact reason you should only ever bring 5-10% of your bankroll to any given poker table at a time.

Once you feel completely comfortable playing these hands and only these hands, they are a few other hands that you can incorporate into your reservoir of playable hands; such as having an ace and another card of the same suit in your pocket, giving you the possibility of hitting an ace high flush. But these hands and the others are for another discussion after you have mastered playing the top fifteen hands I have discussed in this article.
Please do keep in mind that above all else, the practice of playing on the fifteen top poker hands is mostly about teaching yourself control; something that is of the utmost importance to all professional poker players; and something that will ensure you are a profitable poker player!

The Card Values

The cards in a standard deck consist of 13 cards per suit. You have A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, and K. The suits of the cards are diamonds which has the highest value, the hearts which has the second highest value, the spade which is third in ranking, and, lastly, the clubs which has the lowest value of all.

The Hand Ranking

The highest hand ranking that you would want to see in your hand is the Straight Flush, so you better hope for cards that are in sequence and of the same suit. The next hand ranking is the Four of a Kind, which will give you four cards of similar ranks and one dissimilar card. Then you have the Full House which is made up of three cards from similar ranks and two cards from similar ranks. Flush is simply five cards from similar suits but different ranks, and Straight is five cards in sequence, no matter the suit. Three of a Kind is the hand ranking which is made up of three cards of the same rank coming from different suits, and the last two cards are random cards. Two Pairs is made up of two sets of two cards from similar ranks and one random card, while One Pair is simply one set of two cards from similar ranks, the rest of the cards are random cards. The last hand ranking, which has the lowest value, is the High Card.

Basic Poker Rules

The rule in a poker game is very simple, and all that you have to do is to come up with the best hand ranking amongst your opponents, but throughout the betting rounds (this depends upon the poker variation that you are playing), you have to either place a bet or check, after which you can either call, raise, or fold, provided you have placed a bet.

Betting means that you place an amount of money on the table as your wager because you think that you have a good hand; while checking means that you will not place a bet but will continue playing the game. Calling means that you are going to match the bet placed by your opponent; raising means that you are going to match the bet but will add an additional amount; and fold means that you are going to withdraw from the round.

Playing online allows gamers to experience the thrill associated with playing the game without actually leaving their homes. Players have the chance to compete against different types of rivals, thus improving their game.

Poker tournaments played online have added to the game’s popularity. The chance to compete against players from around the world and win large sums without the need to travel to a distant casino makes this a very popular online application.

What is Online Poker?

Online poker is simply poker that is played over the World Wide Web. The cards used in online poker as well as the rules are basically the same, and you can also use the same strategies that you would normally use when you play in land based casinos. One major difference though in online poker is that bluffing may not work for you since you cannot read your opponents’ tells. Furthermore, if you are used to reading your opponents’ poker tells, then you will find online poker very different since you are staring at your monitor, not at your opponents.

Advantages of Playing Online Poker

There are many advantages that you could benefit from when you decide to play at online poker as compared to land based casino. The same applies to when you play bingo online.

For one, you do not have to spend extra money just so you could play a round of poker. You can simply sit in front of your computer, log into the Internet and into the online poker room or online casino, and then you are good to go. When you go to land based casinos, it cannot be denied that you have to allot some money to pay for the cash games, and if you live far from casinos, then you still have to allot a big part of your budget for your accommodation and foods.

Another big advantage that online poker gives is that you could play for free. With this, you can practice your skills until such time that you are confident enough to play at cash games.

The third and biggest advantage so far is that online poker offers a far more beneficial bonus and promotions. It cannot be denied that online poker rooms provide bigger and better bonuses to its players, especially the new members, and this is because they have lesser overhead expenditure as compared to land based casinos.

Fourth, online poker rooms provide privacy, security, and safety when it comes to playing poker games as well as depositing and withdrawing money. These online poker sites are protected by high and state of the art security to provide the comfort and ease that many players need.