Texas Hold 'em
Texas
hold'em poker is a card game. It is played with a typical 52 card
deck. You can find it in countries all around the world in
casinos to card rooms, online and in home games. Hold'em can be
played with as little as two players (going "heads up"), up to a
max of eleven players. Regular poker hand ranks apply to this
game. For example a flush beats a straight. A straight beats
three of a kind and so on. You can review the hand rankings for
poker here. In some home poker games you'll find a joker in the
deck (a "bug"), but in casinos and card rooms you'll rarely find
that.
The
typical hold'em game goes as follows and is broken down into five
categories. I have intentionally simplified betting and the
blinds so not to over complicate the article. Betting structure
can be read more about here:
Preflop:
Starting with the dealer button, each person is dealt one card.
Then a second card. Both cards are face down. After everyone
receives their pocket/hole cards (the two cards face down just
dealt), then betting occurs.
Note: the dealer button is a actually a button that says "dealer"
on it or "d" that is passed around the table after each hand. It
signifies where the dealing is done from.
Flop:
The dealer turns over three cards in the middle of the table
(called "the flop"). These are community cards that each player
can use to create the best hand possible out of. Once again
betting occurs.
Turn:
The
dealer turns over another card making four community cards. This
fourth card is called "the turn" or sometimes "fourth street".
Betting occurs again.
River:
The
dealer turns over the fifth and last community card. This is
called "the river" or "fifth street". Betting occurs for the last
time.
Showdown:
The
remaining players in the hand show their cards in order from the
person who bet first. Each player uses his two cards, and the
five community cards to create the best hand (5 cards total). A
player can use any combination so even if one card from his pocket
cards and four of the community cards creates the best hand, it is
fine. When all five of the cards in the community make the best
hand then everyone splits the pot. This is called "the board
plays". Also note that in any time during the game a player can
fold and get out of the hand. All bets will be lost at that
point.
7 Card
Stud Poker - Seven Card Stud Poker Rules and Strategy Tips
The basic principles and strategies
for 7 Card Stud Poker shown here are those generally agreed to and
recommended by the experts for bet limit games. An understanding of
these basics is needed for all levels of competitive play. Solid
intermediate and expert level poker normally require study of the
more advanced game tactics and significant hours of actual casino or
online playing experience.
7 Card Stud
Poker - Game Rules
Highest hand wins
|| Ace plays both high and low for
straights || Three raise limit per
round || Cards speak
7 Card Stud
- Card Distribution and Betting Procedure
Example: $2/$4 Seven Card Stud games.
After all players have anted $.50, (1.)
Each player is dealt two cards face down and one face up. The player
with the lowest up card makes an forced bet of either $1 half
minimum bet or $2 full bet (player's choice) to start the game. The
rest of the players, in clockwise order, either call the opening
bet, raise it, or not call and "fold" their hands back to the
dealer. (2.)
All get a fourth card face up followed by a round of $2 betting.
From this round on, the player with the highest up card(s) is always
first to check or bet. (3.)
After the fifth card is dealt face up, the minimum bet goes to $4.
(4.)
The sixth card is dealt face up and there is another round of $4
betting. (5.)
The seventh and last card is dealt face down and followed by the
final round of $4 betting. The dealer then determines the highest
hand and awards the pot.
Seven Card
Stud Strategy
General
Strategy:
Seven Card Stud is a HIGH card game. More winning hands are decided
by the highest pair of two pair or just the highest pair, than by
straights, flushes and other big hands. So if you start with a
straight or flush draw, it should have at least two high cards or at
least one card that is higher than anything up on the board. These
draw hands and low pair starting hands need to improve or turn a
high pair quickly to justify continued play. Any time your high hand
is beaten on the board, fold, unless you think you still have the
best draw hand. Fast play early high hands ( that could win without
improvement) to thin out the competition. Slow play draw hands to
keep other players in to increase the pot odds in case you hit.
Definitions:
HIGH CARDS - 10 thru A .
LOW CARDS - 2 thru 9
SPLIT PAIR - Starting hand with one of your pair cards down
and the other up.
CONCEALED PAIR - Starting hand with both of your pair cards
in the hole and your side card kicker up.
DOOR CARD - The exposed upcard of a starting hand.
DEAD CARDS - Cards that have been revealed and no longer in
the deck.
FAST PLAY - Bet, raise and re-raise to get as many other
players out as possible.
SLOW PLAY - Just check and call along to keep other players
in the game and increase the pot odds.
CHECK-FOLD - Check when you can and fold if you are bet into.
Gladly accept all free cards offered.
Playable
Starting Hands:
HIGH TRIPS
- (AAA down to 101010). Fast play these. Your
opponents will put you on a high pair.
LOW TRIPS - (999 down to 222). Slow play until your 5th
street bet. Keep 'em guessing.
HIGH PAIR - (AA, KK, QQ, JJ, 1010). Fast play these, split or
concealed, if they are not over-carded on the board. Try to narrow
the field and play fast until threatened by a higher hand.
LOW PAIR/ High Kicker - Slow play split or concealed low
pairs with a kicker that is higher than any upcard on the board.
Fold this hand if two or more of your key cards are dead. Check-fold
if you don't get trips or two pair on the next card.
CONCEALED LOW PAIR/ No High Kicker - Slow play for trips on
4th street. Fold if one or both of your pair cards are dead.
Check-fold if you don't make trips or two pair on the next card.
HIGH OVERCARDS - Two or three high cards that are higher than
anything on the board. Slow play and check-fold if they don't make a
high pair on the next card.
(Draw Hands):
HIGH 3 CARD FLUSH - (2h 10h Kh). Must have at least two high
cards.
Fold if three or more cards of your suit are
dead. Slow play and check-fold if you
don't make a four card flush or a high pair on the next card.
HIGH 3 CARD STRAIGHT - (9 10 J ) to Q K A). Slow play and
check-fold if you don't make a four card straight or a high pair on
the next card.
ANY 3 CARDS TO A STRAIGHT FLUSH - (5d 7d 9d). Fold if four or
more of your key straight and flush cards are dead. Slow play and
check-fold if you don't make any four cards to a straight or a four
card flush.
Strategy Tips:
When you start
with a high pair,
fast play to eliminate
as many players as possible.
Slow play starting draw hands like three to a straight or a
flush. You want to keep other players in to build the pot odds.
Slow play starting trips until the fifth card. You want some
players around with this powerful starting hand.
Usually don't begin with a small pair unless they are
concealed or your sidecard
can beat the board.
Don't play three
to a low straight or a low flush.
Watch the board closely for key cards that can seriously
diminish your chances of making a good hand and for opponents hands
that look dangerous. Play cautiously and fold out early if it looks
like the tide is turning against you.
Beware of the paired door card. If an opponent is playing a
pair in his starting hand, and pairs his door card (first up-card),
the odds are two out of three that the door card is part of his
pair. A paired door card presents a strong possibility that the
holder has a dangerous set of trips.
Unless you are playing a strong draw hand, usually fold if
your complete hand is beaten on the board by an opponent's
up-cards.
Try to find reasons to fold both your starting hands and
those that develop on the later streets. Look for a dead card in the
denomination that you need and for two or three dead cards in the
suit that you are drawing to. Look for too much strong competition
developing for the winning hand. When you can't find reasons to
fold, you can then proceed aggressively..
Study your opponents, especially when you are not playing
hands and can pay careful attention. Do they find more hands to play
than they fold? Do they bluff? Can they be bluffed? Do they have any
"tells" (give away mannerisms) that disclose information about their
hands etc.
Get caught bluffing once in a while. It is a way to vary your
play and not be too predictable. You win pots that you don't deserve
when your bluff works. You lose a few chips when it doesn't work but
it will get you calls from weaker hands down the line when you are
really strong and need the action.
The first four cards are the major key to winning at
Seven Card Stud games. If your starting hands develop according to
plan, you can be a strong favorite to win. If they don't, you get
out early and escape the expensive second best experience. The three
card starting hands recommended above are those with the best chance
of producing a dominant four card hand. Good four card hands that
are carefully played don't always win but they win a lot more than
the others.
Omaha
A
close relative of Texas Hold 'Em
Omaha
Hold 'Em (or Omaha Holdem) is a close relative of Texas Hold 'Em,
the version of Poker seen on the Travel Channel's World Poker Tour
and ESPN's World Series of Poker. These are the basic rules for
Omaha Hold 'Em Poker.
The Shuffle, The Deal and The Blinds
The
dealer shuffles a standard 52-card deck.
(In
casinos, the dealer never plays. A round disc -- known as a
"dealer button" -- moves clockwise from player to player with each
hand. The button marks which player would be the dealer if the
deal were advanced from player to player as the game went along.)
Most
Omaha Hold 'Em Poker games start with the two players to the left
of the dealer (the button) putting a predetermined amount of money
into the pot before any cards are dealt, ensuring that there's
something to play for on every hand.
This
is called "posting the blinds." Most often, the "first blind" --
the player to the left of the dealer -- puts up half the minimum
bet, and the "second blind" puts up the full minimum bet.
Each
player is dealt four cards, face down. (This is the first key
difference from Texas Hold 'Em, in which players only get two
face-down cards.) These are known as the "hole cards."
Betting Begins
A
round of betting takes place, beginning with the player to the
left of the two who posted the blinds. Players can call, raise, or
fold when it's their turn to bet.
The Flop
After
the first betting round, the dealer discards the top card of the
deck. This is called burning the card and is done to ensure that
no one accidentally saw the top card, and to help prevent
cheating.
The
dealer then flips the next three cards face up on the table. These
cards are called the "flop."
NOTE:
Eventually, a total of five community cards will be placed face up
on the table. Players will use precisely three of the community
cards and precisely two of their own hole cards to form the best
possible five-card Poker hand. (This is the second difference from
Texas Hold 'Em, in which players can use any combination of
community and hole cards.)
After
the flop, another round of betting takes place, beginning with the
player to the left of the dealer (the button). During this and all
future rounds of betting, players can check, call, raise, or fold
when it's their turn to bet.
Fourth Street
The
dealer burns another card and plays one more face up onto the
table. This, the fourth community card, is called the "turn" or
"Fourth Street."
The
player to the left of the dealer (the button) begins the third
round of betting.
Fifth Street
The
dealer burns another card before placing the final face-up card on
the table. This card is called the "river" or "Fifth Street."
Final Betting and The Winner
Players can now use exactly three of the five community cards and
exactly two of their four hole cards to form the best possible
five-card Poker hand.
The
fourth and final round of betting starts with the player to the
left of the dealer (the button).
After
the final betting round, all players who remain in the game reveal
their hands. The player who made the initial bet or the player who
made the last raise shows their hand first. The player with the
best hand wins.
Winning hands in Omaha Hold 'Em tend to be better than those in
Texas Hold 'Em, so your strategy and tactics should be adjusted
accordingly.
Razz
The lowest hand wins
the pot. The format is similar to seven-card stud high, except the
high card (aces are low) is required to make the forced bet on the
first round, and the low hand acts first on all subsequent rounds.
Straights and flushes have no ranking, so the best possible hand is
5-4-3-2-A (a wheel). An open pair does not affect the betting limit.
1. All seven-card stud rules apply in
razz except as otherwise noted.
2. The lowest hand wins the pot. Aces
are low, and straights and flushes have no effect on the low value
of a hand. The best possible hand is 5-4-3-2-A.
3. The highest card by suit starts
the action with a forced bet. The low hand acts first on all
subsequent rounds. If the low hand is tied, the first player
clockwise from the dealer starts the action.
4. Fixed-limit games use the lower
limit on third and fourth streets and the upper limit on subsequent
streets. An open pair does not affect the limit.
5. The dealer announces all pairs the
first time they occur, except pairs of facecards, which are never
announced.
Pineapple Poker
(and Crazy
Pineapple, Tahoe
Poker)
Pineapple Poker,
Crazy Pineapple, and Tahoe Poker involve variants of
Texas hold'em poker in which each poker player is initially dealt
three cards instead of two. In Pineapple Poker, each
player then immediately discards one of the three cards he is
dealt, and the game proceeds exactly as in Texas hold'em poker.
In Crazy Pineapple Poker, the players discard their third
card after the second betting round, before the fourth community
card is dealt. In Tahoe Poker, players keep all three
cards through showdown, but may not use all three of them to make
a poker hand - each player may use none, one, or two cards from
his poker hand, combined with those cards on the board, to make
his final five-card poker hand.
Crazy
Pineapple Poker and Tahoe Poker are often played high-low split,
and play reasonably well that way, though plain Pineapple Poker
does not.
Lowball
Lowball is draw poker with the lowest hand winning the pot. Each
player is dealt five cards facedown, after which there is a
betting round. Players are required to open with a bet or fold.
The players who remain in the pot after the first betting round
now have an option to improve their hand by replacing cards in
their hands with new ones. This is the draw. The game is normally
played with one or more blinds, sometimes with an ante added. Some
betting structures allow the big blind to be called; other
structures require the minimum open to be double the big blind. In
limit poker, the usual structure has the limit double after the
draw (Northern California is an exception). The most popular forms
of lowball are ace-to-five lowball (also known as California
lowball), and deuce-to-seven lowball (also known as Kansas City
lowball). Ace-to-five lowball gets its name because the best hand
at that form is 5-4-3-2-A. Deuce-to-seven lowball gets its name
because the best hand at that form is 7-5-4-3-2 (not of the same
suit). For a further description of the forms of lowball, please
see the individual section for each game. All rules governing kill
pots are listed in “Section 13 – Kill Pots.”
RULES OF LOWBALL
1. The rules governing misdeals for hold’em and other button games
will be used for lowball. [See “Section 16 – Explanations,”
discussion #7, for more information on this rule.] These rules
governing misdeals are reprinted here for convenience.
“The following circumstances cause a misdeal, provided attention
is called to the error before two players have acted on their
hands:
(a) The first or second card of the hand has been dealt faceup or
exposed through dealer error.
(b) Two or more cards have been exposed by the dealer.
(c) Two or more extra cards have been dealt in the starting hands
of a game.
(d) An incorrect number of cards has been dealt to a player,
except the button may receive one more card to complete a starting
hand.
(e) The button was out of position.
(f) The first card was dealt to the wrong position.
(g) Cards have been dealt out of the proper sequence.
(h) Cards have been dealt to an empty seat or a player not
entitled to a hand.
(i) A player has been dealt out who is entitled to a hand. This
player must be present at the table or have posted a blind or
ante.”
2. In limit play, a bet and four raises are allowed in multihanded
pots. [See “Section 16 – Explanations,” discussion #6, for more
information on this rule.]
3. As a new player, you have two options:
(a) To wait for the big blind.
(b) To kill the pot for double the amount of the big blind.
4. In a single-blind game, a player who has less than half a blind
may receive a hand. However, the next player is obligated to take
the blind. If the all-in player wins the pot or buys in again,
that player will then be obligated to either take the blind on the
next deal or sit out until due for the big blind.
5. In single-blind games, half a blind or more constitutes a full
blind.
6. In single-blind games, if you fail to take the blind, you may
only be dealt in on the blind.
7. In multiple-blind games, if for any reason the big blind passes
your seat, you may either wait for the big blind or kill the pot
in order to receive a hand. This does not apply if you have taken
all of your blinds and changed seats. In this situation, you may
be dealt in as soon as your position relative to the blinds
entitles you to a hand (the button may go by you once without
penalty).
8. Before the draw, whether an exposed card must be taken depends
on the form of lowball being played; see that form. (The player
never has an option.)
9. On the draw, an exposed card cannot be taken. The draw is
completed to each player in order, and then the exposed card is
replaced.
10. A player may draw up to four consecutive cards. If a player
wishes to draw five new cards, four are dealt right away, and the
fifth card after everyone else has drawn cards. If the last player
wishes to draw five new cards, four are dealt right away, and a
card is burned before the player receives a fifth card. [See
“Section 16 – Explanations,” discussion #9, for more information
about this rule.]
11. Five cards constitute a playing hand; more or fewer than five
cards after the draw constitutes a fouled hand. Before the draw,
if you have fewer than five cards in your hand, you may receive
additional cards, provided no action has been taken by the first
player to act (unless that action occurs before the deal is
completed). However, the dealer position may still receive a
missing fifth card, even if action has taken place. If action has
been taken, you are entitled on the draw to receive the number of
cards necessary to complete a five-card hand.
12. You may change the number of cards you wish to draw, provided:
(a) No card has been dealt off the deck in response to your
request (including the burncard).
(b) No player has acted, in either the betting or indicating the
number of cards to be drawn, based on the number of cards you have
requested.
13. If you are asked how many cards you drew by another active
player, you are obligated to respond until there has been action
after the draw, and the dealer is also obligated to respond. Once
there is any action after the draw, you are no longer obliged to
respond and the dealer cannot respond.
14. Rapping the table in turn constitutes either a pass or the
declaration of a pat hand that does not want to draw any cards,
depending on the situation.
15. Cards speak (cards read for themselves). However, you are not
allowed to claim a better hand than you hold. (Example: If a
player calls an "8", that player must produce at least an "8" low
or better to win. But if a player erroneously calls the second
card incorrectly, such as “8-6” when actually holding an 8-7, no
penalty applies.) If you miscall your hand and cause another
player to foul his or her hand, your hand is dead. If both hands
remain intact, the best hand wins. If a miscalled hand occurs in a
multihanded pot, the miscalled hand is dead, and the best
remaining hand wins the pot. For your own protection, always hold
your hand until you see your opponent’s cards.
16. Any player spreading a hand with a pair in it must announce
"pair" or risk losing the pot if it causes any other player to
foul a hand. If two or more hands remain intact, the best hand
wins the pot.
ACE-TO-FIVE LOWBALL
In ace-to-five lowball, the best hand is any 5-4-3-2-A. Straights
and flushes do not count against your hand.
1. If a joker is used, it becomes the lowest card not present in
your hand. The joker is assumed to be in use unless the contrary
is posted.
2. In limit play, check-raise is not permitted (unless the players
are alerted that it is allowed).
3. In limit ace-to-five lowball, before the draw, an exposed card
of seven or under must be taken, and an exposed card higher than a
seven must be replaced after the deal has been completed. This
first exposed card is used as the burncard. [See “Section 16 –
Explanations,” discussion #8, for more information on this rule.]
4. In limit play, the “sevens rule” is assumed to be in use (the
players should be alerted if it is not). If you check a seven or
better and it is the best hand, all action after the draw is void,
and you cannot win any money on any subsequent bets. You are still
eligible to win whatever existed in the pot before the draw if you
have the best hand. If you check a seven or better and the hand is
beaten, you lose the pot and any additional calls you make. If
there is an all-in bet after the draw that is less than half a
bet, a seven or better may just call and win that bet. However, if
another player overcalls this short bet and loses, the person who
overcalls receives the bet back. If the seven or better completes
to a full bet, this fulfills all obligations.
DEUCE-TO-SEVEN LOWBALL
In deuce-to-seven lowball (sometimes known as Kansas City
lowball), in most respects, the worst conventional poker hand
wins. Straights and flushes count against you, crippling the value
of a hand. The ace is used only as a high card. Therefore, the
best hand is 7-5-4-3-2, not all of the same suit. The hand
5-4-3-2-A is not considered to be a straight, but an ace-5 high,
so it beats other ace-high hands and pairs, but loses to
king-high. A pair of aces is the highest pair, so it loses to any
other pair.
The rules for deuce-to-seven lowball are the same as those for
ace-to-five lowball, except for the following differences:
1. The best hand is 7-5-4-3-2 of at least two different suits.
Straights and flushes count against you, and aces are considered
high only.
2. Before the draw, an exposed card of 7, 5, 4, 3, or, 2 must be
taken. Any other exposed card must be replaced (including a 6).
3. Check-raise is allowed on any hand after the draw, and a seven
or better is not required to bet.
NO-LIMIT AND POT-LIMIT LOWBALL
1. All the rules for no-limit and pot-limit poker (see Section 14
- No-limit and Pot-limit) apply to no-limit and pot-limit lowball.
All other lowball rules apply, except as noted.
2.2. A player is not entitled to know that an opponent does not
hold the best possible hand, so these rules for exposed cards
before the draw apply:
(a) In ace-to-five lowball, a player must take an exposed card of
A, 2, 3, 4, or 5, and any other card must be replaced.
(b) In deuce-to-seven lowball, the player must take an exposed
card of 2, 3, 4, 5, or 7, and any other card including a 6 must be
replaced.
3.3. After the draw, any exposed card must be replaced.
4. After the draw, a player may check any hand without penalty
(The sevens rule is not used).
5. Check-raise is allowed.
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