Poker Winner Blog

Each player receives two cards face down. Five cards are placed face up in the centre of the table. These cards are called community cards and are used by all the players. Each player uses a combination of the two cards in his or her hand and the five community cards to make the best possible five-card hand.

The game begins with the players being dealt their two hole (down) cards. After they look at them a round of betting follows. The player to the left of the dealer makes an ante bet (called a small blind) and the player after him makes a second bet, normally double the value (called the big blind). The other players bet by matching at least the value of the big blind. This helps to increase the pot.

When the first round of betting is complete, three of the community cards are dealt face up (the flop). Another round of betting follows, with the players now assessing their chances of making a winning hand from the cards they hold plus the revealed community cards. Players who feel that they have no cards of any value, will fold at this stage.

After the next community card (the turn) is dealt there is a further round of betting before the final community card (the river) is dealt, followed by more betting. The way in which players bet is an indication of their hands. The flop also gives an indication of what hands are possible. Before the flop each player needs to decide whether or not his or her hand is worth playing. It is worth playing if the cards include any pair (not just a high pair), consecutive cards of the same suit, or fairly high cards of the same suit.

After the flop the players have more information and can see what their possible hands might be. Occasionally, a player may be in a position where he or she knows that his or her hand is the best hand possible — called nuts. Whatever happens, the player can’t lose. In this situation, the player needs to tread carefully, as increasing the stakes too quickly could result in other players dropping out too soon. The objective in these circumstances is to keep the other players betting for as long as possible, to keep increasing the pot.

Poker and Play: How to Play Omaha

Each player receives four cards face down (hole cards). Five community cards are placed face up in the centre of the table, to be used by all the players. Players win by making the best possible ranking hand using two of the cards in their own hand plus any three of the community cards. The game is dealt in a similar way to Hold ‘em. Four cards are dealt, followed by the flop (the first three community cards). The remaining two community cards are dealt individually.

After each deal there is a round of betting. Betting blind is also a possibility. After looking at their hole cards, each player decides whether or not the hand is worth playing.

Unlike other versions of poker, conventional scoring is not always going to produce a winning hand. For example, four of a kind is not worth playing, as only two of the hole cards can be used, which gives a pair, and this cannot be improved upon.

Three of a kind is not a good hand either, as there is only a small chance of receiving the fourth in the community cards. The same is also true of being dealt four cards that might make a flush (five cards of the same suit in any numerical order) as the chances of a player making a flush from the community cards are drastically reduced.

In Omaha, the best cards to play with are a high pair or two high cards of the same suit, either of which could lead to a flush.

After the flop, a player needs to force out any other player who could potentially beat his or her hand. In Omaha it is also possible for a player to have nuts — the best possible hand.

Poker and Play: How to Play Caribbean Stud Poker

In Caribbean stud (or casino) poker the players bet against the dealer instead of the other players. Up to seven players can play at one time. It is played on a special table and uses a single deck of 52 cards.

To enter the game, players make an initial bet by placing a chip in the box marked ‘ante‘. The dealer deals five cards face down to each player and five cards to himself (four face down and the fifth face up). After looking at their cards the players decide whether to play or fold. If a player folds, the dealer takes the cards and the ante bet is lost.

If a player decides to play, another bet (the bonus bet) of twice the ante must be made and placed in the box marked ‘raise‘. Wins are paid at a predetermined bonus rate for this bet.

When all the players have placed their bets, the dealer reveals his down cards. To play, the dealer must hold at least one ace or king. If the dealer qualifies, each player’s hand is compared with the dealer’s. If a player has a higher hand, their ante bet is paid at odds of evens and their raise (bonus) bet is paid according to the table of odds. If the player’s hand ranks lower than the dealer’s, both the ante and the raise bets are lost. If the dealer’s hand does not qualify, the ante bet is paid at even money and the raise bet is returned.

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