Poker: Basics, Types, Techniques and History
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Poker is a popular card game that most historians are not sure when it originated and list various old games to have influenced it, such as Poque or As-Nas, but it is believed that poker as we know it today developed in the early 1800s in the USA.
In the modern era, poker lives through numerous tournaments and competitions, such as the World Series of Poker (WSOP), World Poker Tour (WPT), Super High Roller Bowl and World Championship of Online Poker (WCOOP), to name a few.
The most popular and successful poker players are Daniel Negreanu, Phil Ivey, David Singer, Vanessa Selbst, Victor Bloom and Philipp Gruissem, among others.
The basic rules of poker require the player to create the highest-ranked poker hand, usually with five cards, but in some variations of poker it can be seven or three cards. In the several rounds of betting, a poker player can raise their bet, fold their hand, call (equal the amount wagered by the player who raised) or pass on their option to bet if no one at the table has raised. There is a hierarchy of hands, and the better hand you have, the bigger the chances of winning.
At least 2 players are enough to play poker, but the number can go up to 14 players. Most poker analysts agree that 6-8 players is an ideal range. A poker game can last from one hour to several hours, depending on the number of players and the type of game.
Poker has been the object of various strategies and poker techniques that involve a mathematical approach, adopting different playing styles or developing bluffing skills. Good poker players have discipline and invest a lot of effort to accomplish better poker results.
What are the Basics of Poker Card Game?
Some of the basic principles and actions in poker include:
- Placing the main bet
- Dealing of the cards
- Actions of raising the bet
- Folding the hand
- Passing on the bet
- Actions of calling
- Understanding poker hand rankings
- Understanding Blinds or Ante bets
Some of the common techniques in poker revolve around knowing when to play aggressively when you have a strong hand, knowing when and how to bluff and knowing when it is best to fold. How to bet in poker? Betting in poker is a set of protocols that develop over the course of a poker game, and it typically starts with Blind or Ante bets, which are preliminary, obligatory bets upon which the players have to act in the following segment of the round. Initial cards are dealt and one by one the players act on their hand and their bet.
Betting basics rely heavily on the betting options, which are check, fold, call and raise. Betting strategies in poker can differ depending on whether you are playing poker offline or online. In offline poker, it is important to build a table image, to know your opponents and analyze their behavior, and to learn how to bluff when your opponents show signs of weakness.
What are the Strategies for Poker?
Poker strategy is a systematic approach to a game of poker, where the player applies a set of recommendations and skills to obtain the best result in poker.
The player can understand poker strategies if they learn poker hand rankings and basic poker rules. Several strategies and poker tactics can apply in modern poker, including exploitative strategy and game theory optimal strategy.
One of the significant strategic tips for poker is to check-raise often from the Big Blind position. If you have a strong hand, like a two-pair or better, it is a good idea to check-raise.
Famous poker players have all developed their personal strategies over the years and some have even published books on their poker tactics. Doyle Brunson’s Super System: A Course in Power Poker by Doyle Brunson is a good example of explaining poker fundamentals. Hold’em Wisdom for all Players by Daniel Negreanu is another example of a relevant poker strategy book that reveals key winning concepts.
Bluffing in poker is a common way of implementing a strategy that aims to overthrow the opponents thanks to mental advantage rather than having an advantage in the form of a strong hand. A bluff in poker is when a player makes a bet or raises a bet with a lesser hand, trying to convince other participants that their hand is strong and ready to win, which makes them fold and forfeit. If the player is taking too much or acting too quickly, or using a very large bet sizing, it is possible they are bluffing.
Card tracking is also something that some poker players apply to track cards that are being dealt. Tracking cards can help with calculating odds and overall being aware that certain cards have not been in play yet. Card tracking in poker is similar to card counting in blackjack.
How to win in Poker?
To win in a poker game the player needs to learn the basic rules of the game and understand the hand ranking. The player needs to know which hand beats what. The player also has to recognize which action is best to take when their time comes to act on their hand, whether to call, raise or potentially fold. Players should implement poker strategies to win in a poker game.
What are the rules of Poker?
The rules of poker can be observed in the following terms, stages and actions in a poker game:
- Ante Bet: Ante bet is a forced bet made at the beginning of a poker game.
- Blinds: The Big Blind and the Small Blind can also have the function of an Ante bet.
- Dealing of the Cards: Dealing is the action of a dealer distributing cards to the players and/or onto the table for the players to use. The cards can be dealt face-down or face-up depending on the poker variant.
- Betting Options or Actions: Betting options repeat during several cycles in a poker game and they include folding, raising, calling, folding or checking.
- Showing the Hands: In a round called showdown, players present their 5-card hands and the one with the highest ranking wins.
There are many poker variants that include changes and upgrades to these basic rules of the game of poker. For example, in Razz Poker card and hand rankings are flipped so that the lowest 5-card poker hand wins. The goal of Badugi Poker is to make the lowest unsuited, unpaired 4-card hand and the game starts with players receiving 4 cards each. Pineapple Poker is similar to classic Texas Hold’em but instead of starting with two, players start with three hole cards.
What is the age limit for playing poker?
In most countries, the legal age for playing casino games, including poker, is 18 years, although in some countries the minimum age required is 21 years old. Regulated USA online casino websites accept players who are 21 or older, and players from Nevada, New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania can sign in and play legally.
Around the world legal gambling age depends on the current laws. You must be 23 to gamble in Greece, for example. In Germany, Ireland and Belgium, you must be 21 years old to gamble, whereas in Portugal the limit is 18 years of age.
How many players are necessary for playing poker?
At least 2 players must participate in a poker game, but there are various forms of poker suitable for a range of 2-14 players. In land-based casinos, it is common to have 6 players at the poker table, sometimes 8 or 9. The fewer players at a table, the more hands are played per hour.
In a theoretical poker setting, a game of Texas Hold’em can be played by 22 players, but with more players involved, hands take much longer to complete. Five Card Draw is typically played with 5 players, Whereas Seven Card Stud is played with 8 players.
When there’s a limit to the number of players involved in a poker game, it is easier for new players to adjust to the game and the number of card combinations they need to play against.
What are the common mistakes for Poker?
A poker mistake would be a poor choice or a bad decision at the poker table that will bring the player no progress or even a loss.
Poker mistakes often happen with beginners, players who are inexperienced in the game of poker. They may play too many hands because they do not want to look weak in front of other players, because they start feeling impatient or left out of the action. Beginner players may also commit mistakes because they don’t understand good starting hand selection.
Another common mistake in poker is committing to a hand because you consider “giving up” as a bad thing and folding is, therefore, not an option. Such players do not understand that in poker it is sometimes the correct thing to do.
More common mistakes in poker include improper bet sizes, chasing improper odds (staying with the hand, calling), valuing hands that appear good on the surface but can easily be beaten by other hands, bluffing too much and too obviously and having poor bankroll management.
What is the history of Poker?
Poker is believed to have evolved from various games that were played in various countries, like poque in France, primero in Spain and pochen in Germany. As a game with a long tradition, it does not have a single inventor, but it is safe to say that French settlers brought poker to the USA in the 1800s, from where it spread and became more popular. Riverboat gambling on the Mississippi River, helped popularize poker as we know it today in that early period. Colonel Jacob Schenck wrote the rules of poker in 1872.
Until 1970 when the World Series of Poker was established, poker was in a steady era when its popularity wasn’t significantly rising nor falling. The advent of the WSOP was the first thing to cause a significant increase in poker popularity. World Series of Poker became the first-ever televised poker event in 1973.
The appearance of online poker was the other thing that kickstarted a boom in poker popularity. The first online poker room was launched in 1998 and from then on poker became available to everyone worldwide.
Who are the famous Poker Players?
The most famous poker players are Phil Ivey, Daniel Negreanu, Phil Helmuth, Viktor Blom (Isildur1), Patrik Antonius, Justin Bonomo and Fedor Holz.
Phil Ivey is a 10-time bracelet winner, all won over the course of 14 years. Phil was elected to the Poker Hall of Fame in 2017 and won one World Poker Tour. He earned more than $26 million in live poker games and remains known for his confident style of play.
Daniel “Kid Poker” Negreanu is the most successful Canadian in poker history. By 2018, Daniel won 6 WSOP bracelets and accumulated a fortune of over $40 million in live tournaments. Many poker experts agree that Negreanu’s success is owed to his ability to read opponents.
Phil Helmuth “The Poker Brat” is another successful professional poker player with 15 WSOP bracelets and more than $21.7 million in earnings from playing poker. Helmuth’s controversial personality was what gave him the nickname “Poker Brat”, as he was known to overreact on several occasions, like during Poker After Dark on NBC or 2008 WSOP. He typically played a tight-aggressive (TAG) strategy in tournaments.
Viktor Blom is a Swedish high-stakes online poker player who’s online poker name is Ilsidur1. He is not the richest poker player, but likes risky plays. Blom won around €35,000 at the 2010 WSOP when he was only 19 and won his first live poker tournament in 2012. In 2009 Vikot played a game of poker against Brian Hastings and lost $4.2 million, which is still the biggest loss in online poker history.
Fedor Holtz is a German-born player with 2 WSOP bracelets and over $32,500,000 in live tournament winnings. Holz allegedly has an IQ of 155, which makes many poker enthusiasts believe brainpower helped him become one of the greatest poker players in history.
Justin Bonomo is an American high-stakes professional poker player with winnings of over $48,508,778 from live tournaments. Justin “ZeeJustin” Bonomo is a controversial bettor due to using several different accounts to register for major tournaments. That did not stop him to become second on the All-Time Money List. Strategy-wise, he is a fan of the bet/3bet line.
Patrik Antonius never won a WSOP bracelet, yet he has millions in his bank account, more than $12 million earned from playing live poker and online. Antonius beat Viktor Blom in Full Tilt Poker, collecting $1,356,946 – the biggest pot in the history of online poker. Patrik Antonius has a commanding table presence, he is collected and has the knowledge of how to play medium-strength hands.
What are the poker tournaments?
The most relevant poker tournaments are World Series of Poker (WSOP), European Poker Tour (EPT), PokerStars Players No-Limit Hold’em Championship (PSPC), Asia Pacific Poker Tour (APPT) and the World Poker Tour (WPT).
WSOP Main Events hold the majority of the largest prize pools in poker history. The 2019 WSOP Main Event was won by Hossein Ensan and it had a prize pool worth $80,548,600. The first prize alone in this competition was $10,000,000. The 2019 PokerStars NL Hold’em Players Championship was won by Ramon Colillas who took home a prize worth $5,100,000. Justin Bonomo, who we already mentioned as one of the most successful poker players of all time, triumphed in the 2018 WSOP Event 78, bagging a $10,000,000 first prize.
The World Series of Poker (WSOP) bracelet is a non-monetary prize awarded to poker players – winners of WSOP annual events – since 1976.
How does the point system of Poker work?
Poker tournaments make use of various point systems to rank participating players more easily. Different poker leagues and competitions may choose to use different point systems for the purpose of their events. Points are used to reward good players but also to motivate them to attend all the required events in one tournament, allowing them to miss some matches without making it impossible for them to earn a seat in the championship game. Some poker leagues do not even hold a championship game, instead they declare a winner based on the season points total.
The various point systems used in poker are the payout structure points system, the linear points system, the proportional points system and the point system based on a formula. The linear points system is one of the most popular as it is quite simple. According to the linear system, one point is awarded according to the number of players in the tournaments. If there are 20 participants, the winner gets 20 points, the runner-up 19 and so on.
What are the Poker Hand Rankings?
The poker hand rankings are, in no particular order: High Card, One Pair, Two Pair, Three of a Kind, Straight, Flush, Full House, Four of a Kind, Straight Flush and Royal Flush. In total, there are 10 card hand rankings in poker that every player should know and recognize. It is essential for all players, beginners and others, to know the rankings well because the player with the best hand ranking wins. In poker, face cards are ranked higher than number cards, which coincides with the specific card ranking mentioned above. Sets of cards containing face cards are normally ranked higher than those with number cards only.
The entire idea behind poker is to have players try to complete the best possible hand with a starting hand containing only a part of their complete hand by the end of the session. The initial hand is also called a starting hand, and there are more than 1,300 different starting hand possibilities in Texas Hold’em poker, for example.
By knowing the hand rankings, new players can make good decisions when choosing their right starting hands that they will further upgrade as the round develops. They can know which hand beats what and how to build the best hand with what they have at their disposal.
There are charts available online which present how a player should act based on their starting hand, the actions of previous players and their position. Such charts can improve a player’s poker strategy and you can find them for No-Limit Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, Multi Table Tournaments and more.
What are the Poker Terms?
Poker players are expected to know specific terms that make up the terminology of the game. In a poker glossary, words like shuffle, bet, dealer, cuts and poker table are common and they serve to better define the game and give it structure.
To shuffle means to produce a random order of the cards in use for the purpose of a fair and random game of poker. To bet means to place a wager, to risk a specific sum according to the rules of the game in order to potentially win a prize. To cut the cards means to split the deck into two packets and this often occurs during the shuffle, by the dealer. The dealer is the person who distributes, deals, the cards to all players at the poker table.
What is set in a Poker Game?
A set in poker is a specific type of the Three of a Kind hand ranking. Particularly in Texas Hold’em or Omaha Poker, a set is when a player has a pocket pair (a pair made out of the two hole cards) and one of their cards matches a card on the board. The odds of hitting a set on the flop is 10.78%. Having a set is typically beneficial, as they are not as easy to be detected by opponents.
What are the Types of Poker Card Game?
According to the main classification there are three types of poker: draw poker, stud poker and community card poker.
Five Card Draw is one of the types of poker that belongs in the draw poker classification. Seven Card Stud is an example of a poker stud game, whereas Texas Hold’em and Omaha are the popular community card poker variants. There are at least 40 different variants and sub-types of poker and they vary in style, length and complexity.
Many poker types originate from the United States where they were created through the early 1900s. Rules variations in different poker types involve the introduction of Wild cards, different scoring of cards (for example, Ace can be seen as a low card or a high card) and even the hand rankings can be reversed.
Draw poker types are the oldest kinds of poker games, while community cards types are the newest and most popular today. Poker experts typically recommend Texas Hold’em as the best game for beginners, followed by Omaha Poker. Players would also agree that variants such as Razz or Seven Card Stud are harder to master. H.O.R.S.E. poker combines Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Razz, Stud, and Eight-or-Better, which makes it a complex and demanding poker variant, as it requires the player to switch context game after game.
1. Hold’em
Hold’em poker is the most well-known version of poker played today. Texas Hold’em and Omaha are the most popular sub-types of poker in this category. In Texas Hold’em, players initially receive two hole cards, then wait for the five community cards to be revealed on the table – three flop cards, one turn card, and one river card. A game of Texas Hold’em includes four betting rounds (hole, flop, turn and river).
Omaha is very similar to Texas Hold’em and in this game players also have to make the best 5-card poker hand over the course of 4 betting rounds. The difference between these two is the fact that in Omaha poker players get 4 hole cards initially, not 2.
Texas Hold’em and Omaha are some of the easiest poker variants to learn and play. Some of the common mistakes in playing Texas Hold’em include playing too many hands pre-flop, overplaying medium-strength hands, not taking into consideration other players’ hand ranges and acting too rashly. The tips and strategies used in Texas Hold’em include preflop poker strategy forms, limping and different playing styles (Tight-Aggressive, Loose-Aggressive, Tight-Passive and Loose-Passive), as well as postflop poker strategy.
The rules of Texas Hold’em require standard playing cards, a table (two to ten seats) and players. A Texas Hold’em game consists of a setup part, the betting rounds and the showdown. The setup involves obligatory bets called the “Big Blind (BB)” and the “Small Blind (SB)”. These bets also determine specific seats at the table. The amounts of these wagers are predetermined, and the SB is usually half the BB.
The first betting round is when each of the players receives two hole cards. Then three community cards are dealt face-up and this stage is called the flop. The second betting round follows. A fourth community card is dealt, facing up. This is called the turn, and it is followed by a third betting round. The final, fifth community card is dealt in the river and the fourth betting round takes place. In the showdown, the players reveal their best 5-card hands made from the two hole cards and the five community cards.
The important terms for Texas Hold’em worth remembering are:
- Blinds – forced bets made before any cards are dealt, they take the place of the classic Ante bet.
- Flop – the stage of the game during which the first three community cards are dealt
- Steet – betting rounds are also called streets (river is the fifth street, turn is the fourth street)
- Preflop – whatever happens before the flop stage
The hand rankings in Texas Hold’em are as follows, from strongest to weakest:
- Pair
- High Card
- Full House
- Flush
- Royal Flush
- Straight Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Straight
- Three of a Kind
- Two Pairs
2. Seven Card Stud
Seven Card Stud is one of the more traditional versions of the game of poker that also requires the player to form the best 5-card hand. However, the difference with Seven Card Stud lies in the fact that players are individually dealt seven cards throughout the course of a hand/game.
Seven Card Stud is a poker game that can occupy a player during their entire life, but it is also a game that can start in a simple, easy way, for a beginner.
The common beginner mistakes in Seven Card Stud are difficulties determining the best starting hand, not keeping track of the cards that have not been dealt yet, acting impatiently and having poor bankroll management skills.
The strategies for Seven Card Stud involve paying attention to discarded cards, playing very strong starting hands, learning how to read the board and also bluffing.
At the beginning of a game of Seven Card Stud, players need to place an Ante bet, then each player is dealt three cards, two hole cards and one facing up. Players now have to act on the hand they got and then they receive a fourth card in the fourth street. This card is also exposed. Another round of action follows. Each player then receives the fifth exposed card and the cycle repeats until they receive the seventh, final card, in the river. The seventh card is dealt face-down. The final betting round takes place and if at least two players are left at the table, the winner is decided in the showdown.
As with other forms of poker, the betting actions are to fold, check, call and raise.
The important terms Seven Card Stud are:
- Suited – hole cards of the same suit
- Trips – a synonym for Three of a Kind
- Seventh Street – when all players receive the seventh card face-down
- Outs – cards that could appear in the following rounds to improve a hand ranking
- Pocket Pair – two hole cards with the same value
The hand rankings in Seven Card Stud are as follows, from strongest to weakest:
- Five of a Kind
- Straight Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Full House
- Flush
- Straight
- Three of a Kind
- Two Pairs
- One Pair
- No Pair
3. Video Poker
This is a category that stands aside from conventional poker types and forms of the game. In fact, video poker is a group of poker games that are played on an electronic machine or online, not at a physical poker table. Video poker is based on Five Card Draw, but it also has some elements of a slot machine. While they play video poker, the player interacts with the software, which produces random outcomes on the screen thanks to RMG technology.
Video poker is easy because it eliminates dealers and fellow players. It is also very popular and attractive because it offers some of the highest odds in casino gambling (RTP of 99.54% – 100.76%).
Common video poker mistakes include not betting the maximum amount on a video poker machine and facing worse paytables, not checking the paytable, playing a small number of hands and expecting great results, as well as playing incorrect strategies for a specific video poker variant.
Video poker strategies involve avoiding video poker variants with Wild cards because they reduce payouts on high-ranked hands, using mathematically derived video poker playing strategies (video poker charts) and choosing the basic Jacks or Better variant above others such as Deuces Wild or Double Bonus Poker.
The rules for playing video poker are simple. The player has to set the bet value and activate the machine. The video poker machine will present 5 random cards. The player then has to decide which cards to keep and which ones to discard and replace. The software will then replace the marked cards and pay out the player according to the value of their hand.
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Bettors who want to play video poker are expected to know video poker terminology which includes these terms:
- Hold – the option to keep a card, to hold it and not replace it
- Kickers – cards that are not included in a paying hand in video poker
- Paytable – an outline that shows how much winning poker hands are worth and pay when formed
- Progressive – like slots, some video poker games can have a progressive jackpot won when the player forms a natural Royal Flush while having wagered maximum coins
- Bust – a poker hand that is not improved by additional cards
In video poker, standard table poker hand rankings are used. Specific video poker variations may include additional paid hands. These are the basic video poker hand values of Jacks or Better, the most common video poker game, presented from best to worst:
- Royal Flush
- Straight Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Full House
- Straight
- Three of a Kind
- Two Pair
- Pair of Jacks or Better
4. Five Card Draw
Five Card Draw is a form of poker that many players are quick to learn before they attempt to master any other type of poker. However, it is not as common or popular as Texas Hold’em or Omaha poker. The main difference of 5-Card Draw is the fact that players receive 5 face-down cards known only to players that have them, no community cards involved and they get to re-draw any cards they see as unfitting for the hand they are trying to make.
The common mistakes while playing Five Card Draw poker are overcomplicating the opportunity to improve the initial hand, not having enough patience, not using bluffing or slow-playing to demonstrate different styles of play to opponents.
The strategies for better results at Five Card Draw include raising with strong hands like the ones that involve Aces or Kings, drawing one card when the initial hand contains Two Pair or drawing two when there is a Three of Kind.
Five Card Draw is usually played with up to 5 players and uses a standard 52-card deck. Before any dealing of the cards occurs, selected players need to post their Blinds. The players will be dealt five cards facing down right away in the “opening deal”. The players then need to react to their hands by choosing to fold, raise, check or call. Once the first round of wagering is complete, the players have a chance to discard cards and draw new ones. It is possible to replace from 0 to all 5 cards. The players continue with one more round of action/betting and then the winner is revealed in the showdown. As per usual, the best 5-card poker hand wins.
Some of the important Five Card Draw terms are:
- Stand Pat – not wanting to draw any new cards and keeping the initial deal
- Rags – having a bad hand with little chance of improving
- Boat – Full House
- Pre-draw – the betting round before the draw, when players have the chance to replace some, all or none of their cards
Five Card Draw uses the standard poker hand rankings, presented below, in descending order:
- Royal Flush
- Straight Flush
- Four of a Kind
- Full House (Boat)
- Flush
- Straight
- Three of a Kind (Trips)
- Two Pair
- One Pair
- High Card
What is the difference between Online Poker and Offline Poker?
The greatest difference between online and offline poker is the fact that you need to leave your home and visit a casino if you wish to play physical poker with other players, whereas you can play online poker at home on your computer. In that sense, online poker is much more convenient since it provides players with the liberty to play whenever they want in the comfort of their home with privacy. Online poker also saves the player time and money they would spend on travelling to a land-based casino venue.
In live poker, players face themselves, whereas in the majority of the poker variants found online they are playing against the house. In online poker, there is no possibility of reading how other players react, so the psychological element is removed, or just stays in the form of the emotional state of the player. Bluffing in this case becomes hard, nearly impossible. The psychology of gambling, or in this case the psychology of poker is shifted and does not rely so much on opponents’ tells.
When playing poker online, the players have access to poker games and multiple tables 24/7, whereas in land-based casinos this is rare and patrons must respect working hours. While playing poker offline the players can also enjoy the social aspect of a crowded poker table.
FAQs
Is poker a casino game or not?
Yes, poker is one of the most popular casino games with cards.
Can I play poker online?
Yes, you can play poker at online casino sites and apps.
Is it better to play video poker or the real card games?
It depends on your preferences. Some people prefer the video poker games because they can be played for free in demo mode.
Where to play Poker Online?
Online poker can be played at hundreds of online casinos. The best online poker websites offer cash games, poker tournaments and live dealer poker. Their advantages are the diversity and variety of games, meaning players can play multiple poker tables at the same time and try different software suppliers.
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