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Poker Basics

Poker games are generally played with a standard deck of 52 cards. A standard deck consists of of thirteen different ranks of cards, and they are: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Each of these cards comes in four different suits: Clubs, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades.

Poker games involve rounds of betting into a common fund, or "pot", and rounds of replacing/receiving cards. The number of betting rounds and card draws depends on the particular variation of the game you are playing. Action proceeds in a clockwise direction.

Generally betting begins with players making an "Ante" or a "Blind Bet" (called so because the player bets without having seen their cards). During the remaining betting rounds, players will take one of the following actions:
Check - if there is not bet already on the table, the player may in essence bet 0, and pass the action on to the next player.

Call - if there is a bet on the table, the player may choose to match the bet.

Bet or Raise - if there were no bets on the table, the player places one by betting. If there was a bet on the table, the player may increase the bet by raising.

Fold - the player does not choose to match the bet on the table, and they forfeit any chance at winning the pot. They also surrender their cards.

At the end of the game, the highest hand wins. The hands are ranked as follows:

Royal Flush - which is a series of cards, all of the same suit ranking Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten.

Straight Flush - a five card sequence where all the cards are of the same suit. For instance, 5,6,7,8,9 of diamonds is a Straight Flush. If two straights should tie, the one containing the highest card wins. Should both hands contain the same high card, the pot is split.

Four-of-a-Kind - Four cards of the same rank with one other card of varying rank. The highest ranking Four-of-a-Kind would win in case of a tie.

Full House - is a hand comprised of both a three-of-a-kind (three cards with the same rank) and a pair (two cards with the same rank). An example would be K-K-K-6-6. If two full house hands should tie, the hand containing the higher three-of-a-kind wins. (5-5-5-2-2 beats 3-3-3-A-A)

Flush - consists of 5 cards of the same suit. In the case of a tie, the hand with the highest card wins. Should the high cards be the same rank, the next highest cards are compared (and so on).

Straight - five cards in sequence, of mixed suits. Should straights tie, the hand with the highest card wins. Should the hands be identical in rank, the pot is split. "Around the corner" (K-A-2-3-4) straights are NOT allowed.

Three-of-a-Kind is three cards of the same rank with two other cards of varying rank (not a pair). The highest ranking three-of-a-kind would win in the event of a tie.

Two Pair - A hand that contains two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank, and a dissimilar fifth card. Ties are awarded to the higher of the "high" pair, followed by the higher of the "low" pairs, and finally by the remaining card.

One Pair - A hand that contains one set of cards with the same rank. Highest pair wins ties. If both pairs are the same, highest card wins. Followed by next highest card and so on.

High Card - the weakest of poker hands. The highest ranking card wins the pot. In the event of a tie, the next highest card wins, and so on.