A Beginners Guide To Online Poker
Poker is one of the most popular games in the world of gambling, but it's not as easy to understand as other popular games such as blackjack or roulette. As a new player, you will have to learn how to play poker effectively before playing for real money. If you're a beginner and just starting out in the world of online poker, you can read our detailed poker guide and learn everything that you need to get started.
Which Poker Game Should I Play?
Texas Holdem is the most popular poker version of poker. This does not come as a surprise since you can learn everything about the game in a matter of minutes. While you can’t become a pro poker player overnight, you will be able to play against amateur players with the possibility of walking away with cash prizes. Do not look further than Texas Holdem if you want to enjoy an exciting poker game that has a short learning curve.
What You Need to Know Before You Start Playing Poker
Before you start betting on poker online, the two main terminologies you should be familiarized with are:
Dealer
The dealer is also known as the first dealer, the dealer button, or button. You can know who the dealer is at any poker table by checking for the label ‘D.’ The dealer shuffles and deals cards to the players on the table, and they do more than that as you will discover below.
Blinds
There are two blinds on the No Limit Holdem table. You can find the first one to the left of the dealer, and it is known as the small blind. To find this blind on the table, search for ‘SB,’ and it should be on the left side, the dealer label ‘D.’
The second blind on the poker table is known as the big blind, and you can identify it on the poker table by the name ‘BB,’ and it is to the left of the SB.
Players sitting on the small blind and big blind positions on the poker table will make predetermined bets, and you will find more about it when we are discussing gameplay during different poker rounds.
How does Poker Betting Begin?
The opening round of betting begins with the dealer shuffling the deck then deals two cards to the players on the table with the cards facing downwards. The player on the SB position will be the first to play because Poker is played in a clockwise direction from the dealer button. The player in the BB position will place the next bet, after which the player to the left of the BB position will place the third bet
As hinted earlier, players on the SB and BB positions will place predetermined bets. You should note that the player on the big blind position will place a bet twice the amount placed by the player on the small blind position.
Other Poker Terms You Should Know
Community Cards
The two cards you will receive from the dealer facing downwards are known as community cards. They are also known as pocket cards on some platforms. You should never reveal these cards while you are playing poker even when you win a round, and this is considered good etiquette.
The Burn
Poker has four betting rounds. Before the beginning of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th rounds, the dealer removes the card which is currently on top of the deck, and this move is known as the burn. Being a high-stakes game, some players might want to unfairly get ahead, and the burn prevents this as it discourages cheating.
The Flop
After the first round of betting, the dealer deals three community cards in what is known as The Flop. These cards are not dealt to the players, instead, these cards are placed on the middle of the poker table facing upwards and players will use them to form the strongest possible hand.
The Turn
The dealer will deal one additional community card facing upwards before the third round begins and this is what is known as The Turn. You should note that this move brings the total number of community cards to five.
The River
After the burning of the card at the beginning of the fourth round, the dealer will deal the fifth and final community card, and the card will be placed facing upwards on the middle of the table.
How to win
The player who has the strongest or most attractive hand at the table walks away as the winner. Knowing this, you need to have your poker face on to convince your opponents that you have the best hand on the table.
Your opponents will fold and leave you to claim the pot if they believe that you hand is the strongest even if you are bluffing, and this is why you should avoid revealing your cards after claiming a win at the poker table.
Split Pot
You might be planning to walk away with the entire pot of cash, but this will not be possible if another opponent has the cards that are of equal value as yours. Ties in poker table end up in the sharing of the winnings and this is known as split pot.
If you have the strongest hand by the end of the 4th round, you will win the round. Consequently, you will get to walk away with the pot. When two or more players tie, the pot is distributed evenly among the players, and this is known as pot chopping.
