How to Play Online Poker

In this era wherein almost everything can be accessed online, the casino industry is following through. Online games such as poker become widespread, that players can instantly play their favorite poker game in no time. The online gaming site has endless advantages. Players love the convenience that it brings to them. There is no need to drive going to the nearest casino just to experience the game. Similar with the land-based poker, the online counterpart also gives the same excitement for the players.

Poker is a card game that uses skills and strategies in order to win. The main goal here is to have higher hand compared to the opponents. Know more about this game to earn huge amount of cash.

How to Play Online Poker

Playing poker online is almost similar with the land-based game. The basic rules are the same. The common poker game uses a standard 52 playing cards. It has four suits namely heart, spade, club, and diamond. These suits have an equal value, thus there is no suit higher than the other. The cards are being ranked based on the value from ace, king, queen, jack, to the numbers 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2. There are instances wherein ace is treated as 1 or given a low value, but most of the time, Ace bears the highest rank.

During the game, players are dealt with five cards and there are series of round betting. Players may raise their bet or fold their cards depending on the value they are holding. Everyone on the table who placed their bet will then have a showdown. It is the time to reveal their cards and determine whose cards have the higher rank. The player with the highest hand value will win the game. But what if there is only one who placed a bet and the rest folded their cards? Then, that lucky player will automatically win the game.

Although there are different types of pokers, the basic rules mentioned above are almost the same across the variants. It is just a matter of additional rules being implemented or different number of cards given to the players. Nonetheless, knowing the basic will really help the players during the game.

Types of Online Poker

Among all the types of online pokers, the Texas Hold'em is the most famous because it is the one used in most tournaments. Players are given here two initial cards and they will use three cards from the five face up community cards.

On the other hand, Omaha poker lets the players get four cards where they can choose their two initial cards. Players will then use three cards from the community cards, like Texas Hold'em.

Seven-card Stud showcases seven community cards. Players are also given two initial cards in this type of game. The sixth and seventh card are being played, but not as frequent as the first five cards in the community.

Similar to Seven-card Stud, Razz has also seven community cards. However, the player with the lowest hand will win the game. Players of Razz should avoid getting pair or good hand.

Other online poker variants simply differ on the bet limit. Nonetheless, they are all worth trying.

How to Find an Online Poker Site

Once a player knows the rules on how to play the poker game, it is time to look for the online poker site where to play. Actually, searching the words "online poker site" in Google can instantly provide the list of gaming sites, but players should be wise in choosing the best among the rest.

First thing to check is the reputation of the online poker site. It should be trusted by many players and it should have good reviews. Players may read reviews on the gaming sites and see how other players perceive the site.

The banking methods available are another item to verify. See the list of deposit and withdrawal options. It will help players get an idea on how they can transact on the gaming site. Ensure that the online poker site is dealing with the trusted financial institutions as well. Encryption for any money transaction is a plus point for the gaming site, too. It assures the players that their personal data and money are secured.

Another thing to consider in looking for poker sites is the available rewards. The wagering requirements are terms and conditions that players should meet in order to cash out the winnings from the rewards.

Learn the Different Poker Hand Rankings

At first, it may be confusing to label the poker hands but it is not that difficult at all. The card combination is called a hand. To determine which combination is higher among the cards, poker has a default hand ranking. Below is a list of poker hands arranged from highest to lowest rank.

• Royal Flush • Straight Flush • Four of a Kind • Full House • Flush • Straight • Three of a Kind • Two Pair • Pair • High Card

Royal Flush is the highest hand ranking of all. It consists of ace, king, queen, jack, and 10 under the same suit. Since ace is the highest card value, it is impossible to beat a royal flush. Next to it is the Straight Flush, which consists of five cards in order with a single suit. A sample of Straight Flush would be 5-6-7-8-9 of hearts. When two or more players have Straight Flush, the winner will be determined based on the highest card they have.

Four of a Kind is pretty straightforward. This hand has four cards of same value. Similar with Straight Flush, if there are two players with Four of a Kind, the one with higher card value will win the game.

When a player has three cards of a similar value and a pair of cards with similar value, it is called Full House. One example of Full House is 3-3-3-J-J.

Next to Full House is Flush. This hand includes five cards of any order with a single suit. The sequence of the card value does not matter because the suit is what's more important in Flush.

Meanwhile, Straight is a hand consisting of five cards in consecutive order, regardless of the suit. Next to it is Three of a Kind, which means there are three cards of similar value. Two Pair consists of two cards of matching value and another two cards of another matching value. In cases wherein players have similar Two Pair, then the value of their extra card will determine the winner. Pair is a hand consisting of two matching cards.

High Card is not really a hand, but in cases wherein no one has a hand mentioned above, the player with a highest card will win the game. It is important to know the hand ranking prior to the game to get some edge.

Play Against Real Players Online

Even though online poker removes the necessity of going to the casino and meeting the co-players, there is still a way to play again real players online. In fact, some gaming sites offer live video feature during the game. It enables players to see their opponents in real time. Playing online poker can absolutely be an enjoyable activity and it can definitely be shared with other players too.