Poker Rules and Variations

Game variations
Recently the popularity of poker has exploded in all forms; Online gaming, land-based casinos, television tournaments, and impromptu games in dining rooms across the country. Texas Hold?em has enjoyed the majority of the attention but there are many classic and new versions that deliver the same excitement.

Texas Hold?em is played with 3-10 players. Each player is dealt two cards, followed by a round of betting. Three table cards are flipped followed by another round of betting. A fourth table card is turned with more betting. Finally the fifth card (the river card) is flipped accompanied with the final round of betting. Your hand consists of the best 5 card hand composed of any 5 of your 2 cards and the 5 table cards.

Omaha Hold?em is the same as Texas Hold?em except each player receives 4 cards on the deal. Also, the final hand must use 2 of the 4 personal cards and 3 of the 5 table cards.

Caribbean Stud can be played with 3-8 players. All players are dealt 5 cards and put up an ante. The dealer shows 1 of her cards. You now have the option to fold; If you decide to stay in, bet twice the ante. The dealer must have A, K or better to qualify. If she doesn?t qualify and you stayed in, you get the ante back. Should the dealer qualify and you have a better hand, you get paid a multiple of your bet on a scale from 2x - 200x depending on the strength of your hand. And of course if the dealer has a better hand, you help them pay the light bill.

7-Card Stud begins with each player being dealt two cards face-down and one face-up then a round of betting. After the bets, each player gets 3 cards face-up, then more betting. Finally, everyone gets a 7th card face-down and a last round of wagering. The best poker hand wins.
(5-Card Stud differs in that it progresses 1 card up & 1 down - bet - 3 up - bet.)

There are numerous alternate versions of poker; however, these are among the most common. Most games follow a similar premise as the games mentioned above.

Poker Hand Ranks (in descending order)

Individual cards are ranked A,K,Q,J,10,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2. No one suit is any more powerful than another.

Royal Flush
Straight Flush
Four of a Kind
Full House
Flush
Straight
Three of a Kind
Two Pair

Calculating odds
In order to play successfully you need a method for play decisions. Going on instinct or ?a feeling? typically isn?t a good idea. You have two channels of information to help with decisions in a sit down game with other people: Statistics and Player tells. When playing online your only friends are the cold hard numbers. To calculate odds you need to know what it is you are calculating:

Outs => number of cards which would complete your hand. (I have 4 hearts, 9 cards would complete the hand.)

You do not consider cards you think another player may have or cards that have been discarded in the burn stack. That is purely speculation and will have a negative effect on the statistical result.

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