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UK
Casino Times
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> Croupier
14 August 2005
Online Poker: A Beginners'
Guide
Online
poker is one of
the biggest successes in internet casinos. We look at how
online gamblers unfamiliar with the game can get
started.
As the enormously
successful flotation
of PartyGaming
shows, online poker is simply huge. With televised games,
Hollywood celebrities getting to grips with green felt, and
high-profile tournaments, poker has never been more
fashionable, and it's not surprising that many online
punters who usually prefer roulette or blackjack would like
to give it a try.
Online casinos are a great
place to get started, because unlike land-based casinos,
they offer a wealth of opportunities to practice. Most
online poker rooms, such as William
Hill Poker Room,
offer free games where you can brush up on your new skills,
as well as tutorials and plenty of information about the
rules, all of which you can study at your leisure before you
begin.
There are several types of
poker available to play online. All these variations have
different rules. However, the most popular, and the easiest
to learn, is Texas Hold 'Em.
The aim of the
game...
...is to build the best
five-card hand from the cards available. Betting patterns
vary depending on what limits are set and the type of game.
Texas Hold 'Em kicks off with the posting of the blinds -
the compulsory bets that get the game going. A big and small
blind are posted, with the big blind being 2x the small
blind. These are usually posted by the players to the left
of the dealer. Everyone takes it in turns to be
dealer.
Once the blinds are
posted, two cards are dealt face down to each player. These
are the pocket or hole cards. A round of betting
follows.
Three community cards,
which players can use to build their hands, are then placed
face up in the centre of the table. This is called the flop.
A round of betting follows.
The dealer then puts the
fourth community card in the centre of the table. This is
called the turn. A round of betting follows.
A fifth card is then
placed by the dealer in the centre of the table. The players
then know their best five-card hand from the seven cards
available and a final round of betting follows.
The end of the game is the
showdown. All players must show their hands or concede
defeat without revealing their cards. The winner is the
player with the best hand.
Hands are ranked as
follows:
1. Straight
flush
A straight of one suit,
for example: Q, J, 10, 9, 8 of diamonds. A royal flush is an
Ace high straight of one suit, for example: A, K, Q, J, 10
of hearts.
2. Four of a
kind
A hand with four cards of
the same rank, for example: four fours.
3. Full house
Three of a kind plus a
pair, for example: three eights and two sixes.
4. Flush
Five cards of the same
suit.
5. Straight
Five cards in
sequence.
6. Three of a
kind
Three cards of the same
rank.
7. Two pair
Two cards of one rank plus
two of another rank, for example: two eights and two
fives.
8. One pair
Two cards of the same
rank, for example, two threes.
9. High card/no
pair
When you have none of the
above, your hand is determined by your highest
card.
Best
UK Online Poker Rooms
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Online At Party Poker
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