Poker Online

Poker has a number of variants. Each poker online game has unique features that make them different from each other and add to the fun of the game. Here we talk about some of the variations of poker online games and how they are played.

Texas Hold’em Poker
In this game there are some cards dealt facing up in the middle of the table which all players have access to use which is why this is called a community game. Every player gets two cards that are called ‘pocket cards’ which they consider with 5 community cards and players try to make the best hand with 5 cards. There is around of betting that takes place between each deal. The game is player with what is known blinds, two of them in this case. In regular poker, bets are forced so that there is a level of excitement with each hand. However in this version of the game, in the poker game rules, the first two players after the dealer place blind bets before the pocket cards are dealt. The first player places a small blind while the second places a bigger one.

Round 1 – Pre Flop, Dealing the Cards
After the first two players place their blind bets the pocket cards are dealt. The can choose to make bets and the player after the big blind starts. Players are not allowed to “check” in the first round of the game but can bet, call, raise or fold. All players have to put the same amount in the game for it to move forward. For instance, if one player raises, the others must either re-raise or fold.

Round 2 – The Flop
The dealer deals a flop, which is dealing three cards face up in the middle of the table. These are community cards so players can use them in combination with their pocket cards to make a winning hand. Now the second round of bidding begins. The first player on the left of the dealer begins the bidding. Now players can check, bet/raise call or fold. The same amount must be put into the pot or players must fold.

Round 3- The Turn
The fourth community is now displayed so players have a total of 6 cards to play with. A second round of betting takes place.

Round 4 the final round – The River
A fifth and final community card if displayed in the middle of the table and yet another round of betting begins

The Showdown
Here players show their hands so that the best hand can be determined. 5 of the 7 cards are used. They don’t have to be any of the cards you have. If that is the case it’s called “playing the board” if the best hand is displayed there.

The ranking of the hands in descending order are Royal Flush, Straight Flush, Four of a kind, Full house, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair and finally the High card.

Omaha Poker
In this game players are dealt 4 “pocket cards” also known as “hole cards” instead of just 2. This gives players much better opportunities to make better hands to begin with and therefore also needs players to be more cautious and aware of the strength and weaknesses of their hands. Another difference in this game is that even though payer may have 4 pocket cards on two can be in play. For instance to “play the board” player cannot have all four of the hole cards. Also players cannot use say 2 communal spades and three spades from their hole cards to make a flush. Players can change which cards they play during the game. But ultimately only two of the hole cards can be used. This slight adjustment in the game makes it even more intriguing and requires skill and concentration.

Omaha is considered a great variation for the pot limit game. A pot limit game can be defined as one in which the bets must be equal the current pot size. Therefore the bigger the pot, the higher the bets get making the game extra exciting.

Since Omaha involves more hole cards there are higher possibilities of hitting a huge hand. Unlike Hold’em where a flush has the most possibility of being the highest hand, Omaha offers possibilities of making even better hands. The best possible combinations, known as “nuts”, are more likely in Omaha therefore having semi- nuts, which means not so strong hands, is a losing bet.

Seven Card Stud Poker
In this variation players are dealt seven cards of which only 5 cards can be used to make the best possible combination. Players ante at the beginning of the game, which mean they place bets before the cards are dealt. Then players are dealt 2 pocket cards and then one card that is exposed. The player that has the lowest face up card, who is known as the “bring in”, has to make a bet that is either half a small bet it a full small bet. The game is played clockwise.

If all players 8 players are still in the hand on the river, then there wouldn’t be enough number of cards in that deck for all players to receive their card. In this case the river card is dealt face up in the middle of the table and is used as a community card.

5 Card Poker
This is a version of poker that most players begin their poker learning with. The game is often played even in homes. This game is usually the one we see being played in the old Western movies. The game involves no community cards and players are dealt 5 cards that are concealed. To understand how good or bad the hands of others are, players must watch the betting pattern of others. Maybe this is why the facial expressions were often a big deal during the poker games in those old Western movies! Maverick is a great movie poker players ought to watch. Also players must keep track of how many cards other players choose to draw. In this game players who choose to stay in the game after the first round of betting can change one or all his cards by “drawing”. If he does not wish to draw any more cards the player “stands”. If two or more players remain in the game after the betting is done, players go to the showdown and the highest hand wins.

Some games involve two blinds and the game may be available in limit, pot limit and no-limit.

A common strategy employed in this game is ensuring that you have a high hand that has at least a high pair before betting. Also players should vary the number of cards they draw leaving other player guessing what you might actually have in your hand.