Poker Tips - Poker Rules- Online PokerPosted by Nick Niesen on October 26th, 2010 Amarillo Slim, a professional poker player and best friend to casino mogul Benny Binion, once said, ?If you can't spot the sucker within the first half hour at the table, then you are the sucker.? There are few poker rules, the more formal the setting the more restrictive the rules. If you?ve ever wanted to know how to play poker, either at a table or online poker, you?ve come to the right place. History Though the history of poker is debatable, it is known that a card game was commonly played in New Orleans in 1829, though only with a 20-card deck. As the game spread West along with the gold rushers, it changed a bit and eventually the English 52-card deck was incorporated, bringing the flush with it. Versions of the game like draw and stud poker were introduced during the American Civil War, along with the straight. By the early 1900?s, the wild card, split-pot and lowball poker were being played around the US. In 1970, the first World Series of Poker was played. As poker gained popularity, books and movies about strategies began to appear. Televised poker games have added to the popularity of the game. Terminology and Poker Rules Limit ? maximum bet allowed per game How to Play Poker A typical poker game is a version known as draw poker. The dealer deals five cards to each player. Each player antes. Players look at but do not share information about their cards. The players bet by placing tokens or money into the pot, starting with the player to the dealers left and continuing around the table. Each player than chooses the number of cards to trade to the dealer, receiving new cards from the deck. Betting repeats. Player with the highest hand wins. If two players have winning hands, the tie is broken with the kicker. Below is a list of possible card hands, from strongest to weakest: Player with the strongest hand wins the jackpot. Button is rotated to the left and the player possessing the button deals the next hand. Online Poker Online poker has become a very popular way to play cards. In addition to being easy to access, it is far less intimidating than entering a brick and mortar casino. Betting options are more varied, from penny-ante to $1000 ante. Overhead for online poker is dramatically less than traditionally casinos, the only physical space they need is for servers and for customer support. Online venues also offer security of fewer player collusion opportunities as they have sophisticated software to check IP addresses, betting patterns, past hands and table set ups. Four World Series of Poker players started as online players, eventually winning a spot in the tournament. It was thought that online players were less skilled than table players, but when Chris Moneymaker, one of the online entrants, won the championship, that changed. Versions There are countless versions of poker, here are some: Texas Hold?em ? usually played with blind bets and antes; first two rounds of dealing are down (players keep cards private), then a flop of three cards, with bets after the down deal and the flop. Very common in casinos and used at the World Series of Poker. Like it? Share it!More by this author |