How Poker Games Work: Rules, Betting and Hand Rankings
Hand rankings, betting rounds and the main poker formats explained for new players
Most people learn a card game or two when they are young. Poker is different from the games you play at the kitchen table. In real money poker you play against other people, not against the house, and every decision costs or wins you money.
This guide explains how poker games work online. It covers the cards, the betting rounds, the main game types and the way online tables run. By the end, you will know enough to sit down at a table without feeling lost.
The Basics of How Poker Games Work
Betting is the first thing that makes a game poker. The second is the cards and what you do with them. Each player builds a hand, which is a set of cards ranked against everyone else’s.
The player with the best hand wins the pot at the end. However, you can also win without showing a good hand. If everyone else folds, the pot is yours. That is why bluffing is part of the game.
Poker is a game against other players
Casino games like roulette or blackjack pit you against the house. Poker is different. The casino or poker site only hosts the game. It makes money by taking a small fee, called the rake, from each pot or by charging a tournament entry fee.
As a result, your skill matters more than in most other casino games. A strong player can beat weaker opponents over time. If you prefer games against the machine, our guide to video poker explains how that version differs.
Poker Hand Rankings
Before you play, learn the hand rankings. They run from the strongest hand to the weakest, and they decide who wins at the showdown.
| Rank | Hand | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | Ace, king, queen, jack and ten of the same suit |
| 2 | Straight flush | Five cards in order, all of the same suit |
| 3 | Four of a kind | Four cards of the same rank |
| 4 | Full house | Three of one rank and two of another |
| 5 | Flush | Five cards of the same suit, in any order |
| 6 | Straight | Five cards in order, of mixed suits |
| 7 | Three of a kind | Three cards of the same rank |
| 8 | Two pair | Two different pairs |
| 9 | One pair | Two cards of the same rank |
| 10 | High card | No matching cards, so the highest card plays |
Betting in Poker
In poker there are forced bets. In some games they are called antes. If you play a game with an ante, you must place the bet before you get your cards.
In other games the forced bets are called blinds. In those games, two players post a bet before the cards are dealt, and the duty rotates around the table. A marker called the dealer button shows where the action starts. It moves one seat to the left after every hand.
These bets make sure there is action. Otherwise, nobody would bet until they were dealt a great hand.
Betting Options Available in Poker
On your turn you choose from a handful of actions. Which ones you can use depends on what the players before you did.
| Action | What it means |
|---|---|
| Fold | You give up your hand. You put no more money in the pot, but you cannot win it either. |
| Check | If nobody has bet, you pass the action without betting. You stay in the hand, and the round moves on once everyone checks. |
| Bet | You put money into the pot. Other players can match it if they want to stay in. |
| Call | If someone has bet, you match that amount to stay in the hand. |
| Raise | You increase the size of the previous bet. The original bettor then has to decide whether to stay in. |
| All-in | You bet every chip you have left. |
The skill element of poker is knowing the right time to take each action. Your chip count matters too. Our guide to poker stack sizes explains how the size of your stack changes your choices.
How a Hand of Texas Hold’em Works
Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker game online. Here is how a hand plays out from start to finish:
- Blinds and deal. Two players post the blinds. Every player then gets two private cards, called hole cards.
- Pre-flop betting. Players act in turn, starting with the player to the left of the big blind.
- The flop. The dealer puts three shared cards face up. Another round of betting follows.
- The turn. A fourth shared card appears, and betting continues.
- The river. The fifth and last shared card appears, followed by the final round of betting.
- The showdown. Players still in the hand show their cards. The best five card hand wins, using any mix of hole cards and shared cards.
That is four betting rounds in total. Many hands end earlier, because every player but one folds.
Popular Poker Games
Hold’em gets most of the attention. However, several other games run at online poker rooms.
Omaha
Omaha looks like Hold’em. The difference is that each player gets four hole cards. You must use exactly two of them, plus three shared cards, to make your hand. This produces stronger hands and bigger pots.
Seven Card Stud and Razz
Stud games have no shared cards. Each player builds a hand from their own cards, some face down and some face up. Razz is a stud game where the lowest hand wins. Our guide on how to play Razz poker walks through the rules.
Five Card Draw
In Five Card Draw you get five private cards. You can swap some of them for new ones once. It is one of the simplest forms of poker, so it suits beginners.
Betting Structures
The same game can run with different betting rules. The structure tells you how much you can bet or raise.
- No-limit: you can bet any amount up to all of your chips.
- Pot-limit: the biggest bet you can make is the size of the pot.
- Fixed-limit: bets and raises must follow set amounts.
No-limit Hold’em is the format you will see most often online. It also has the biggest swings, so new players should start with small stakes.
How Online Poker Differs From Live Poker
The rules are the same online and in a card room. The experience is not. Online poker is faster and more flexible. For example, you can play from home and join a table in seconds.
- Software deals the cards. A random number generator shuffles the deck, so no dealer is needed.
- Hands are quicker. Online tables deal many more hands per hour than a live game.
- Timers run each turn. You get a limited time to act, and some sites offer a short time bank for hard decisions.
- You cannot see opponents. You read bets and timing instead of faces and body language.
- You can play several tables. Some players join more than one table at once.
Because hands come so fast, losses can pile up quickly. Set a budget before you play and stick to it.
Ways to Play: Cash Games and Tournaments
Cash games
In a cash game, the chips on the table are real money. You can join or leave whenever you like, and you can top up between hands. The blinds stay the same.
Tournaments
In a tournament, you pay an entry fee and get a stack of chips. The blinds rise over time. Players drop out when they lose all their chips, and the last players share the prize pool. Sit and go events start as soon as enough players join. Scheduled tournaments start at a set time.
Tournaments let you play for a small fixed cost and still chase a big prize. For that reason, many beginners start there.
Tips for New Online Poker Players
- Learn the hand rankings until you know them without thinking.
- Start with low stakes or play money tables.
- Play fewer hands and play them well, because position matters.
- Pay attention to how your opponents bet.
- Do not play when you are tired, upset or in a hurry.
- Keep your poker money separate from everyday spending.
Our article on getting better at poker has more advice for moving up the stakes. When you are ready to pick a site, compare the options in our list of the top poker rooms. You can also read our overview of poker for the bigger picture.
FAQs
Do you play against the casino in poker?
No. You play against other players. The poker site earns money through the rake or tournament fees.
What is the most popular poker game online?
Texas Hold’em. Omaha is the next most common, followed by stud and draw games.
What are blinds in poker?
Blinds are forced bets that two players post before the cards are dealt. They create a pot to play for.
What is the rake?
The rake is a small fee the poker room takes from each pot in cash games. Tournaments use an entry fee instead.
Is online poker fair?
Licensed poker rooms use random number generators to shuffle and deal. Always play at a licensed site, and check the terms before you deposit.
Can I practise poker for free?
Many poker rooms offer play money tables. They are a good way to learn the flow of a hand without risking real money.
How many cards do you need to make a poker hand?
A poker hand uses five cards. In Hold’em and Omaha you build it from your own cards and the shared cards on the table.
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