Everyone has to start somewhere, and someone new signs up to play , either live or online, every few minutes. While it’s a pretty simple game to pick up (as you’ll learn in our ) it does help to know a few things before you invest any time or money. Here’s a quick look at some of the most common things we get new players asking about.
How to track your online poker results
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How is Poker Played?
In almost all cases as a new player you’re going to want to start out by playing Texas Hold’em. Texas Hold’em is by far the most popular version of poker both online AND off and is the only version of poker offered in many poker rooms and cardrooms. The good news is Texas Hold’em is also one of the easiest versions of poker to learn. You can pick up the basics in just a few minutes and graduate to within hours.
Casinos That Offer a Free Welcome Bonus With No Deposit RequiredOnce you've picked up the basics of Hold'em, then the real fun begins as you try to climb the . Ultimately, how long it takes to learn poker is really up to you and how quickly you are able to absorb information and apply it while playing online poker.
The action is faster in online poker but you can still take as much time as you need to figure out your moves. There is no clock running. If you need to leave the table for any reason, say to read up on the rules or some strategy tips, that’s perfectly okay too.
Where Do I Learn The Rules of Poker?
One place to start is with our . Another great tool are the in-game tutorials offered at most major online poker sites.
Here’s a quick run down of the basic, basic rules:
- You’re dealt hole cards. You will be dealt two private cards face down. Only you can see them.
- Betting rounds. After everyone has their two hole cards there are three consecutive betting rounds separated by community cards. You only have to keep your hand until the best five cards to make up a potential poker hand.
- Flop. The first two community cards are dealt. This is the flop.
- Third Street / Turn. A third community card is added to the board. This is called the turn or 3rd street.
- River. A fourth and final community card is added to complete the board for the street named the river.
- The Showdown. If you and at least one other player are still left in the hand after the river is dealt and did not fold earlier, the cards are revealed and the player with the highest five card combination using either their hole cards or the community cards wins the pot.
There are also a few minor strategic differences between live and online poker you should be aware of right from the beginning but nothing major.
For example live poker games will typically play an extra hand (on average) per hour due to player collusion at the table (eg. One player might signal to another what they plan to do before they actually make their move). Online poker rooms have much lower collusion so poker games online play slightly tighter because players are only averaging 25 hands per hour. To adjust for that online players tend to play stronger hands earlier.
More Poker Learning Tools:
Can I Play Poker for Free?
Yes. Absolutely. In fact we always recommend new poker players play for free as much as possible before they start playing real money poker. Playing poker for free is less intimidating and it gives you room to make mistakes without feeling the sting of losing your own cash. Most offer both play money and real money poker so you can easily switch back and forth. Just remember if you are playing for free don’t expect the same level of service if you have problems. Customer service is usually reserved for real money players.
What Kinds of Poker Games Are There?
When you get past Texas Hold’em - and trust us there is a whole lot more to explore in the poker world once you master the basics of Hold’em - there are DO Ezens of other poker variations out there. We lose count after about 30 different version of poker played against other people but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Poker variations involving poker games against casino games are even more abundant with Carribean Poker, Pai Gow Poker, Poker Pursuit, Criss Cross Poker, Spanish 21 Poker, PAI Gow Tiles, Video Poker and Let It Ride among the most popular. Each variant has its own unique set of rules and strategies. We have guides for each of those games on the site but again, it is always a good idea to brush up on the rules before you sit down and play for real money.
There are also several non-poker casino games where you can use strategy to win - like blackjack - but we won't get into those here.
Is It True You Can Use Unused Cards After a Deal?
No. Once the dealer deals the hands there is no going back. If you feel you have been dealt unfair hand, such as more than two hole cards, you must show them to the floor manager immediately. If you fold any of your cards or fail to reveal them directly to the dealer you forfeit any claim of an unfair deal.
Who Deals Like That?
Dealing cards in a poker game is regulated by strict protocol. The dealer is not necessarily the best player at the table. Instead in a live setting the dealer is the person who rotates around the table in a clockwise direction with a marker that designates them as the dealer. This is to ensure that *"," who rakes in the pot, is always the same person. At an online poker site the role of the dealer shifts around among the players at the end of each hand/hand history to keep track of the dealer for chip-tracking purposes.
The dealer has certain responsibilities including shuffling the cards (in a live game), protecting the pot from being fouled (ie. No collusion or touching the pot by players not in contention) and paying attention to the play of the hand so they know when the betting is complete around the table and a showdown is necessary.
Free No Download Slots You Can Play Right NowIn a live game the dealer also controls the pace of the game and determines the amount of time a player has to make a decision (such as checking, betting or folding) based on repeating the following phrase: "?" (meaning 'are you ready to act') three times. If the player has not acted in some way after nine times rehears (meaning 'careful') the dealer can rule the player has folded his or her hand.
At an online poker site a timer regulates the speed of the game and time is generally more abundant.
Why Am I Dealt the Button?
See above re: bringing in the pot. As the button moves around the table the next time it gets to you, you get the bring-in.
Does “Under the Gun” Mean I’m a Fighter Pilot Now?
Nope. Being "under the gun" means you are the first player to make a decision on a hand after one or more players have already had to act. For example: You're second to act pre-flop and the player to your left checks. You now are under the gun because all players to your left have folded and you are first to act on the next betting round.
Similarly if you are the first player to bet in a hand you are said to have taken the initiative or initiated action.
What’s All This Talk About Suits?
Cards in a deck come in four suits: Spades, Clubs, Diamonds and Hearts. It does NOT matter what suit you hold. When the board cards are laid out on the table it isn’t uncommon to see four hearts. Does everyone play their heart? No. The suits are only used to differentiate one card from another when they have the same ranking.
This hand has all four suits represented. Regardless of suit, all these cards rank as high cards and would share the Pot from this low stakes online poker game.
Okay, Rankings Then: What’s My Grandma’s Hand Worth Then?
If you've seen your grandma's 7-2 offsuit while she was watching TV one day, don’t tease her. That hand never won anyway. In poker rankings are everything. Anytime two players (or more) have been dealt their hands after the initial deal, or are still holding their hands at the showdown, the hands are evaluated based on standard poker hand rankings.
Hold onto your hands! This hand - 6-4 offsuit - was good for the win in this $0.05/$0.10 cash game on PokerStars.
Even suit and even value of the highest card:
:: 9♠ 9♣ > 9♥ 9♦
:: 9s > 9s (if players, likewise have exact same hands)
:: (they are equal)
:: (they are equal)
The only time suit comes into play is when all other hand rankings are equal. Even then it isn’t the most important thing to consider as it happens very infrequently and live poker pros haven’t had a heads-up showdown where suits were the deciding factor since December 1987 ... at least that's what Steve Driesleben thinks.
So Hands Can Be the Same Value but Different Cards?
Yep. And it gets confusing at first. Pairs are ranked in order starting with 1. So a pair of Aces is higher than a pair of Kings. But if you have an Ace and a King that Ace-King is actually LOWER than a pair of Queens (because a pair of queens is value 10 while AK is only value 9).
Confused yet? The easiest way to wrap your head around it it to memorize the orders or carry a cheat sheet with you. Soon enough it becomes second nature. Check our complete .
How Many Holes Cards Can I Get?
Unless otherwise indicated in the specific poker variation you are playing you will always receive two holes cards from which to make the best five-card poker hand. It is against the rules to receive more than two hole cards. If you believe the dealer has dealt you more than two hole cards you should alert the dealer immediately.
games in casinosCan I Exchange My Hole Cards?
No. Once the cards have been dealt to you at the beginning of the hand you are stuck with them. You cannot trade them out for others in the deck. The only cards you will ever exchange in poker are common community cards put on the board during the hand. Even if you have pocket rockets (AK) and don’t want to let them go, you must leave them face up in front of you.
I Have an Ace-Face Card! Can I See If It Matches the Next Card?
No. Resisting the urge to do this is literally hard-wired into the dealers who have to place the next card on the board without looking to see the rank of your hole cards. It is against the rules to look at your cards and then the next card up for the coming jackpot. Doing so will get you kicked out of a cardroom, online or otherwise.
Can I Bet Whatever I Want Whenever I Want?
Not really. Poker is a game of structured betting where specific bets have to be made within specific betting rounds in specific poker games at specific times. Depending on how the betting works in whatever variation of poker you are playing you may be forced to bet (meaning you have to wager something to stay in the hand), have the option to check (which means you can choose to stay in the hand without betting), or raise (essentially increasing the previous bet).
best slots to playChips used to signify action in a hand are referred to as "in play," "live chips" or simply "in." When you put chips over (on top of) your cards they are considered 'behind' your bet and are referred to as "back," "dead chips" or simply "back." The first betior raise in a first betting round is always the largest amount that can be wagered in the game. Subsequent raises are determined by whichever amount was the most recent large bet.
So if Player A makes it $5 to go, the next player can either call ($5), fold (get up and leave the hand) or raise the bet to, for example, $20. If Player A chooses to limp along (only putting in enough to call the $5 bet) the total amount in that pot at that point would be $10 (5 from original bettor + 5 from the caller).
If you pick up your chips or move them outside the betting circle (this varies depending on the cardroom or poker site) you've folded your hand and forfeit any claims on the pot. Verbal calls will often suffice but to protect yourself always show your chips you are dropping into the pot.
When Do I Get to Shuffle?
In a live game the dealer is responsible for shuffling the cards after every hand. If you feel the deck needs a better shuffle you can request a 'cut,' where a player from another table comes over and cuts the cards like a deck of cards midway through. At an online poker site the random number generator software is responsible for shuffling the cards and they are considered randomly shuffled regardless of how they hit the virtual table.
Where Did That Extra Card Come From?
Cardboards with 52 (or occasionally 54) cards in them gone with the wind. The 'extra' card you sometimes see is one from the 'burn pile.' Whenever the deck is shuffled the old deck becomes the burn pile and the new deck becomes the freshly-dealt cards on the table. The burn pillelerally exists so that players can't peer or peeps (tiny cameras) out at the bottom of the deck to get an idea of the remaining cards.
After the first three community cards are placed on the board (the flop) the deck will be shuffled again behind the table. Another card will be dealt facedown (known as the turn or fourth street). At this point the deck will be shuffled again and once a decision is made on the turn the deck will be shuffled again and a third card will be dealt facing up in the middle of the board (known as the river or fifth street). Once the river is done the deck will one final time be shuffled behind the table.
The winner of the hand will be decided using a combination of one, two, three, four or five of the eight or nine cards available (depending on how many cards are in the deck).
Why Can't I Bet on Crazy Off-Beat Poker Actions on TV like the WSOP?
If you're thinking about trying to start your own gambling empire based on all the television coverage of the , think again. While poker tournaments and cash games may provide great TV there is NO prize money or REAL MONEY betting taking place. Everything put on television is for either play money or television tokens known as 'chips.'
The only payout in tournament poker is the presentation of a beautiful gold bracelet. Some players have very impressive collections.
Some guys collect bracelets.
Every player featured on televised poker either has, or will soon receive a big ole fake check for dramatics. The actual payouts for tournaments are paid out privately between the casino and the player hours, days or weeks later when the chips have been tallied.
The exception to this is high stakes cash games that are recorded for TV. Celebrity $200/$400 cash games regularly shown on networks like CHIPSLOTIONIN and FOX Sports News are all played for real money. Those actors/players are seriously sweating ace-king!
What's a Bad Beat?
A getting wiped out by an unlikely series of cards. Generally in live play a bad beat is defined as having a very strong hand - like a full house or quads - crushed by an even stronger hand - like quints or a rare straight flush. In return for experiencing a truly mind-blowing bad beat players are often offered buy-backs to a poker tournament or a portion of the buy-ins collected from other players who wanted to get a piece of the good action.
Bad beats are far more prevalent in poker , where quads are crushed by quints on a regular basis. In the digital world a bad beat is often used as a promotion to reward loyal players with bonuses, trips, merchandise or tournament entries.
Should I Tip the Dealer?
Tipping the dealer/card room staff is customary in live poker settings. The industry standard is to tip the dealer $1 for every hour worked. Tips are split among all employees in the room at the end of the shift.
While you aren't required to tip a dealer more under normal circumstances generous players may kick a larger tip the dealer's way if they get lucky (ie. Dealt their hole cards). During the holidays or special occasions it is also quite common for players to leave tips for the dealer.
How Old Do I Have to Be to Play Poker?
Poker players need to reach the of majority in the jurisdiction they are playing in (18 in most provinces/states/countries but 19 in Ontario, Alberta, railroad worker's kids and a few random islands) in order to participate in legal forms of gambling. Minors entering gambling facilities will assumed to be there to work and therefore will not be searched for tobacco, alcohol and drugs. They will, however, be search for school supplies to return to their dealers.
Playing online is a bit more gray in most jurisdictions although Canada and France have recently passed laws making it illegal for residents to play online poker. Players under the age of majority should definitely not be playing with their own money and ideally shouldn't be accumulating debt on a poker account. Accounts held by minors are at risk of confiscation by the poker site.
10+ Best UK Online Casinos for Slots (2023) - Top Slot SitesHow Much Money Can I Make Playing Poker?
That depends on whether you're Noelle "Popcorns" Spence or . Popcorns, despite her entertaining nickname, was a losing player for the entire 7 1/2 months she played (Sept. 2005 to April 2006) and amassed total earnings of $331.14 in popcough, popcorn and various candy snacks from her office mates (she worked for a well-known poker site).
Daniel Negreanu, meanwhile, banked more than $4.5 million in profits in 2006 alone.
Professional poker players make wildly varying amounts of money on a weekly/monthly/yearly basis so it's impossible to place a value on how much you could make playing professionally. We do know, however, that winning players take home significantly more than non-winning/losering players.
Most winning players take home anywhere from $40-$200/hour depending on the stakes they are playing while non-winning or losing players, on average, take home $10-$80/hour. Of course there are exceptions in BOTH categories.
Oh crap. I think I made a typo there. Professional poker players actually make considerably MORE money than non/bad poker players. Whoops.
I Just Hit Quads. Can I Get Paid Four Times Then?
No. Regardless of how exciting it is to hit a big hand, you can only be paid off once. Even if ten people in a nine-handed cash game all chase the flush on the board, the person who lays down the best two pairs doesn't get half the pot. First best is a single award and the rest is relegated to consolation prizes.
Best Poker Software Tools for Windows PCs - PokerListingsThe exception to this is progressive poker games offering jackpot side-bets that pay out based on getting rare hands like royals or smaller quad combinations. In that case extra money is awarded if you have the appropriate hand at the time, regardless of the strength of anyone else's hand.
I Think the Dealer Shortchanged Me On the Chips Today. What Should I Do?
First thing to remember: Chips are only as good as the ability of the casino/cardroom/poker site to make good. If you pick up five chips worth $1 each and put them in the muck, or drop three at home, you'd better believe you can't replace the two you have left with two of a different value from your stack and expecting anyone else to understand which ones are in play and which ones are out.
That means you MUST alert the dealer or a pit boss immediately if you believe you are not given the proper amount of chips, or your bet/raise was not appropriately matched. Claiming later in the hand that you didn't get in for the correct amount will be dismissed unless you made note of the error immediately.
Claiming later in the hand that you didn't get in for the correct amount will be dismissed unless you made note of the error immediately. Say "I believe my bet is not correct" or "Something feels off about my chips" to alert the dealer to the issue before the problem is compounded.
At an online poker site you should contact the to report the discrepancy. Unlike a live cardroom the customer service representatives, not floor managers, are the people to talk to about issues at an online poker site. Because of the geographical distance between you and the people operating the site delays are common in getting issues resolved so patience is a virtue.
Can I Count Down Cards to Figure Out Where I Am?
Sort of. Poker Etiquette allows you to ask for "Live cards" or "Dead cards." Live cards are the Community cards on the board while dead cards refer to the cards in players' hands (living, of course, unless they fold).
Counting down lets you get a general idea of where your hand ranks but it will rarely give you the actual cards. There are simply too many opportunities for you to miss the actual cards (especially if you are counting the "dead" cards and the cards in your hand).
In most cases the outcome of the hand will tell you everything you need to know about your hand anyway. Unless you are playing for millions of dollars and every single card counts toward the end of a major tournament, knowing you had a chance at running queens-over-nines vs. someone's cowboys probably won't keep you up at night.
Why Does the Dealer Keep Looking at His Hands!?
Dealers are trained to look at their hands a lot. While you think they might be trying to see your cards or peek at the next card up, they are actually keeping track of how many hands they's dealt, what position the blinds are in and which players have bought into the game (among many other things).
Laterality is tested prior to EVERY deal to make sure dealers are right or left handed depending on where the button is sitting. Right-handed dealers when to the left of the button and left-handed when to the left of the big blind.
Because they are constantly moving money around, dealing cards and giving themselves repetitive strain injuries from shuffling so many decks, dealers are normally allowed to collect tips from dealers' skills (DSK) and from dealing seconds (DSS).
Tip: Don't do this.
They Kept Touching Their Chips. Can They Tell How I'm Going to Bet?!?
Nope. At least not deliberately. It is acceptable for players to tap or move their chips slightly before calling out a bet or raise to demonstrate they are not attempting a foul play, such as attempting to grab another player's bet before they snatch it back.
Without saying a word players can use their stack of colored chips to indicate a betting amount. Stacking one color of chip represents a bet equal to the lowest denomination of that chip (for example, four white chips, each worth $1 on PokerStars is a $4 bet). Stack of mixing colors together is considered adding all chips up to and including the highest denomination in the stack.
For example, four white $1 chips and two red $25 chips would be considered a $25 bet (plus the $4 side pot). Brushing chips across the line indicates a call or check while pushing chips forward (sliding them towards the center of the table) is a sign of a bet.
I Thought Poker Was Supposed to Be Fun! Why Are There So Many Rules?!?
Rules, quite frankly, are FUN. Without rules poker would descend into chaos. Depending on how you define chaos you may find that appealing, but in poker chaos equals no one knowing who is actually close to the money, players stealing other player's chips, players playing their hands out of order, no one knowing who is supposed to deal what card, no one knowing how much anyone is betting or whether that's a legal raise, etc.
Much like a game of football requires rules to dictate scrimmage, downs, touchdowns and penalties, poker NEEDS structure to run smoothly and fairly. Luckily the rules of poker are nowhere near as convoluted as the .
I'm Ready to Play!
Great! Welcome aboard! We suggest starting with our 101 poker lessons to familiarize yourself with the basics of play.
If you're not sure where to go from here check out our Beginners Guide to Poker. It walks you through all the steps needed to become a competent Holdem poker player.
Once you've completed our free poker lessons you can move on to our comprehensive poker strategy section or jump right into some free poker games at one of our .
As you progress through the poker lessons and strategies you'll be ready to try a few . Eventually you'll want to move on to low stakes online poker to continue building your skills and confidence.
Good luck at the tables! Let us know if you have any questions along the way.
I Still Have Questions!
We hope not, but if you do we've got a couple resources that might help answer your additional questions.
First, check out our poker glossary. It defines hundreds of poker terms from A to Z. For more advanced questions or concepts you can always turn to the greatest source of knowledge on the planet - the Google Search Box below.
Enter a keyword related to your question in the search box below and click "Search". Every instance of that keyword found on PokerListings.com will be highlighted in yellow and should provide the answer you're looking for.
If that fails you can always email us and we'll answer your question as part of a future update to this page.
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