How to Play Poker For Beginners?

Poker is a simple but lucky game. The beginners must be nervous and excited at the same time to play the game but before that, it is important that you should know the basic rules of the game. The main objective of poker is to get chips either from other players who have the best hand ranking or force other players to fold their cards. 

Basic Poker Rules

Players should familiarize themselves with general poker rules to gain a more detailed insight into particular types of poker.

How to Play Poker – Setup

• Players: The number of players allowed is between 2-10 in the game. 
• Deck: On a standard deck, there are 52 cards placed along with 2 jokers. 
• Chips: You cannot directly use cash in the game; instead, chips are considered cash. Each player must place a specific amount of bet.

Game Rounds

Poker games typically consist of several rounds:

1. Between each hand, the dealer thoroughly shuffles the cards. Hole cards, which are two cards in Texas Hold’em and four cards in Omaha, are handed to each player.
2. Depending on the possible value of their opening hands, players might choose to call, raise, re-raise, or fold at this first betting stage and this is called Pre-Flop.
3. The next round is known as Flop in which a clockwise sequence runs till the next 3 face-up cards are distributed on the table by the dealer. 
4. Another round is Turn where the 4th community card will be turned face-up so that you can place more bets. 
5. In the last round named River, a final bet will be placed with the last community card. 
6. If two players are standing in the winning position after the last round then the Showdown round will be conducted to decide the winner. 

Understanding Poker Hands

It is very important to understand the different variants used in Poker. Let’s know about the same so that you will get the benefit at different stages of the game at Your Gambling Guru.

Poker Hands: Strongest To Weakest

• Royal Flush: Same suit card as Ace, King, and Queen from Diamonds.
• Straight Flush: Sequence of 5 cards from the same suit. 
• Four of a Kind: 4 cards of the same rank. 

• Full House: A type of pair.
• Flush: Five cards in the same suit
• Straight: A Basic number sequence but in different Suits.
• Three of a Kind: 3 cards of the same rank. 
• Two Pair: A pair of two different cards. 
• One Pair: Two cards of the same rank.
• High Card: If the player has no card sequence mentioned above then a combination of the high cards will be declared as the winner. 

Note: If the player has an understanding of poker hands then he/she can be able to make a good move and increase the chances of winning the game. 

Betting Basics

Poker is a casino table game that requires practice and serious thinking ability. Here is the list of different types of bets:

Types of Bets

• Check: In this type, you have to stick in the game but don’t want to place a bet then you can transfer your turn to the following player. 
• Bet: Placing chips into the pot.
• Call: This type was launched in 1995 in which the sum of previous bets will be matched.
• Raise: This type helps to double up the current bet value. 
• Fold: In this type, you have to give up in the round and fold the cards. 

Betting Structures

• No-Limit: There is no limit for the players to place bets at whatever value they want.
• Pot-Limit: A certain size of the pot is mentioned that allows the player to place a maximum bet. 
• Fixed-Limit: When the player has to place or raise a fixed amount of bet then it is called fixed-limit.

Once you have complete knowledge of betting structures then you change the flow of the game in your favor while playing. 

Poker Positions

Each position of Poker has its pros and cons. Here we discuss the different important positions of Poker. 

Key Positions

• Early Position (EP): In this position, the players have to do action first. 

• Middle Position (MP): Once the first round is completed then mid-position players will move ahead. These players have details more than the early positioned players but less than late-positioned players. 

• Late Position (LP): The players who do the action at last and consist of the higher information. The decisions of these players are better as compared to others. 

Beginner Tips To Play Poker

Several tips that beginners should understand and learn before starting to play poker so that they will get a better experience. 

1. Play Fewer Hands – Never involve yourself in too many hands because this will increase the chances of losing a higher amount. Don’t place a bet on a weak hand and choose only those hands to play that show real chance to win. If you play fewer hands then your chances of winning are more. 

2. Pay Attention to Position – Keep an eye on the position of cards because that can immensely affect your position and strategies. The late position players have the highest information so they may play aggressively whereas early positions have the least information so they play more conservatively. Therefore, you must pay attention to the card position without missing any move. 

3. Learn to Read Your Opponents – Learn to read the facial expressions and specific moves of your opponents. This will help you to guess whether the other player is weak or strong. 

4. Manage Your Bankroll – Fix a limit on bankroll before spending money on betting. If you do not manage your financial limit then end up losing all your cash without winning anything. 

5. Practice Patience – We all know that if you practice anything concentratedly and properly then you will be the master of that particular thing. The same goes with Poker, if you play the game regularly then your moves will become perfect, and your chances of losing decrease. 

6. Study the Game – Poker is a game of chances and luck but you have to specifically understand the strategies thoroughly. 

Conclusion

One of the most interesting and engaging games is Poker. It gives you several chances to learn and understand new strategies and tricks. There is a proper strategy, position, and trick to play Poker. It is essential for beginners to not start playing the game before having proper knowledge. Always start your Poker journey when you are sure about your decisions.