In this poker online free learn to play poker free guide you will learn to interpret lots of the weird words and phrases used in poker to name the different cards hand combos. At the end you will not be completely lost when playing poker and words such as Route 66, Jackass and Union Oil (to mention just some) are being quoted!!
First lets look at individual card names. Then the ranked order of 'pocket cards' (what you get dealt at the start of a poker game).
Here we’ll define pocket pairs and the better meaning playable) unpaired starting hands. Finally you’ll learn some of more popular and famous hands.
The 13 cards used in poker are often nicknamed. They are also commonly referred to by a letter or their number.
- Ace - Bullet, Rocket (A)
- King - Cowboy, Monarch (K)
- Queen - Lady, Dame, Dyke (Q)
- Jack - Knave, Hook, Fishhook, (J)
- 10 - Dime (T)
- 9 - Niner (9)
- 8 - Snowman, Fat Lady, Ocho (8)
- 7 - Hockey Stick (7)
- 6 - Boot (6)
- 5 - Spot (5)Jesse James
- 4 - Sailboat, Sharp Top, Four spot (4)
- 3 - Trey, Crab (3)
- 2 - Deuce, Duck (2)
Now when a poker game starts you're given 2 cards known as pocket cards.
About once every 16 times you will get a pair of the same, known as a pocket pair.
In order of relative strength or potential they are:
- AA - Pocket Rockets, Rockets, Bullets, or American Airlines
- KK - Cowboys, King Kong, Gorillas, Kangaroos, Monarchs, or Krispy Kreme
- QQ - Ladies, Hookers, or Siegfried & Roy
- JJ - Fishhooks, Hooks, Jokers, or Jay Birds
- TT - Dimes or Tension
- 99 - Gretzky, Popeye's, or Phil Hellmuth
- 88 - Snowmen, Fat Ladies, Dog Balls, or Race Tracks
- 77 - HockeySticks, SunsetStrip, or Mullets
- 66 - Route 66, Kicks, or Cherries
- 55 - Presto, Speed Limit, or Nickels
- 44 - Magnum, Sail Boats, or Middle Age
- 33 - Crabs or Treys
- 22 - Ducks, Pocket Swans, or Deuces.
You'll always at least want to go onto the flop with pocket pairs but of course once every 16 isn't often.
Unpaired pockets are what you will get 15 out of 16 or 93% of the time so you will be playing with them more often than not, not all unpaired combinations are worth playing, these ones though, in order of potential, are considered playable.
- AK - Big Slick or Walking back to Houston
- AQ - Little Slick, Big Chick, or Doyle Brunson
- AJ - Blackjack, Ajax, or Jackass
- AT - Bookend or Johnny Moss
- A5 - High Five
- A4 - Topped Four
- A3 - Ashtray or Baskin and Robbins
- A2 - Hunting Season or Acey-Deucy
- KQ - Marriage (if suited) or Mixed Marriage (if not suited)
- KJ - Kojak, King John, or Tucson Monster
- KT - Kate or Katie
- QJ - Maverick or Oedipus
- QT - Quentin Tarantino
- JT - Days of Old
- T9 - Paint Plus Connector
- 98 - Oldsmobile
- 87 - RPM
- 76 - Union Oil
- 65 - Medicare
- 54 - Jesse James or Colt.
There are loads of names for larger hand combinations and finishing hands, here are a few of the better known ones.
- KKK - Alabama Night Riders or Three Wise Men
- TTT - Thirty Miles of Bad Road
- 222 - Huey, Dewey and Louie.
- AA88Q - Dead Man's Hand
- AKQJT - Broadway
- A5432 - Wheel
- 3 of a Kind - Set (if you possess a pocket pair matched by a 'community card')
- 3 of a kind - Trips (if one is in your pocket and two are 'board cards')
- Full House - Boat or All The In-Laws
- 4 of a Kind - Quads or Quad Set.
I hope this was a fun and useful article, if you are at the stage of learning the card names then I suggest when you play you play poker online free where you can learn without fear of loss.
For a boatload more learn to play poker free poker online free tips and to put theory into practice and action and to play poker online free go join (free) the http://www.NoPayPOKER.com poker online free games site. There you can not only learn how to play poker for free you can play online free poker with no risk of losing money yet win real cash.
Check out our free online poker sites guide and poker games tips
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
How To Play Poker For Beginners Help With How To Play A Poker Hand
In the second part of my learn how to play poker for beginners free online poker course we're moving on from the basic game structure outlined in part one.
Where part 1 simply outlined how the game works, in this part you'll learn exactly what you do action by action in a real hand and at the end will be able to go play.
To begin, the action starts as the blind bets are laid by the Small and Big Blinds (SB and BB). Now the cards get into action. If "Blinds" means nothing to you hop on back to part 1 for an explanation.
From the Dealer Button (DB) going clockwise rounf the table each player gets 2 cards, face down, handed out one at a time (so the DB goes round the table twice). These are also called Pocket Cards or hole cards.
Now it is time for the betting to begin, that is after all, I imagine why you want to play poker! That is why I'm sure you now find yourself seated at a free online poker tournament table isn't it? Isn't that betting and winning buzz thing the reason why you've joined a free online poker site?
Of course it is, the game of poker is all about winning money! Nothing more, nothing less (with the possible exception of social interaction in the chat lobby or the table's chat box).
At this stage in the hand (holding 2 pocket cards), each player is betting on what hand they feel their pocket cards may lead to.
The betting starts with the player to the immediate left of the Big Blind (BB).
This player has the UTG (Under The Gun) position. He's given the UTG label primarily because the Small Blind and Big Blind players were forced to put up bets prior to receiving any cards.
Thus, both the SB and BB are already engaged in the hand; albeit not voluntarily, at least not yet; they'll have to wait until the betting comes around to them.
And, for this round of betting, each player has three choices:
1) To fold. You do this if you think you have rubbish cards, also called "rags" cards. By folding in this first round you won't lose anything but nor can you play the rest of the hand.
2) To raise. Usually when they think that they hold really good pocket cards.
3) Or you can call to match the Big Blind bet. You may do this if you think your cards have at least a bit of potential.
A 4th option you may have heard of, checking, often available in subsequent betting rounds, isn't a choice at this stage.
Once the betting comes round to the SB (Small Blind) if this player wants to fold then they lose their blind chips, if they have terrible pockets then this may well be the best thing to do. Or, as SB you can Call the BB by putting in the difference between the SB and BB amounts. Or, this player can call whatever raise has been made, or this player can initiate a raise; or even a re-raise, aa a beginner keep it simple and either just Call the BB or fold, watch and learn othrs to see the raise, new raise and reraise in action.
Next it is the turn of the BB (Big Blind). If there has been no raise then the BB can Check (do nothing and let the play pass by), or Call, Raise or Re-raise.
About Raises
In a No Limit Texas holdem tournament the amount a player can use to raise is limited only by the chips they hold (limit games as the name suggests have a limit) If his stack of chips is 1,500, he's allowed to raise by any amount up to and including the 1,500 (all of his chips).
Should he opt to make a 1,500 chip bet, it would be called an All-In bet. Any time a player raises with all their chips it is called Moving All-in.
And, of paramount importance, especially since you are at the how to play poker for beginners level of the game, make certain that YOUR use of an All-In bet is kept to a minimum.
Please try not to become yet another free online poker 'chip-flinger' (someone who tosses chips around without regard to the quality of their cards).
When the opening round of betting is completed it's time to see 'The Flop'. Things will now start to get really interesting!
The Flop is the set of three cards that are dealt face up in the middle of the table by the Dealer.
1) Each player can use these community cards' to build their hand. Be sure you read up on what card hands beat what so you have an idea of what you can build!
2) Again, as here-to-fore mentioned, the middle of the table where these cards are dealt is commonly known as 'The Board'.
3) With 'The Flop' exposed, it's time for another round of betting. And, the betting that will occur is based on the 5 cards now available to each player, i.e., 2 Pocket cards and 3 Board' cards.
The betting starts with the player to the immediate left of the Dealer Button, regardless of whether the Dealer is still active in the hand or not.
The player to the left of the Dealer Button will keep the initial betting action for the rest of the hand. Later, you'll come to learn that this is the worst position to be in at the table.
Apart from that, the betting process is the same as it was in 'pre-flop' betting. However, keep in mind, all of the players who have been dealt 'Pocket' cards may not be currently playing the hand as they could have folded during the opening round of betting.
So, whichever remaining player is 'to the immediate left' of the Dealer Button (DB), it is that person who is the first player to act; throughout the hand providing he doesn't fold.
He is able to check or bet.
A) If he checks, he's simply passing the choices of checking or betting to the player who sits to his left.
B) If he doesn't check, and decides to bet, then those who follow will have 3 choices:
1) They can fold
2) They can call
3) Or they can raise. But, since a bet was made, those who follow do not have the option of 'checking'.
When the round of betting has finished, it's time for another card to be dealt face up on The Board.
This fourth card is called The Turn card, or 4th Street, and, again, the card can be employed by all of the remaining players (those players who have not folded). It's another 'community card'.
Thus, each remaining player now has use of 6 cards, 4 Board cards, and 2 Pocket cards. There are 4 cards on The Board, one additional card to come.
It is now time for the fifth and final community card to be dealt: The River, or 5th Street.
And, given that all the cards have now been dealt, each player remaining in the hand can see what their finest five card hand is. Therefore, it's now time for the final round of betting. And, once the betting ends, the hand is over.
It's time to see who wins.
Each player who has remained in the hand shows their cards, starting with the last person to initiate a bet. At a cash or free online poker site the software will handle the process of showing the cards.
The winner is decided via use of the universal poker hand rankings. You'll find that in subsequent chapter; entitled 'What Beats What'.
If a player wins a pot because every other player has folded, he can decide whether to show his cards or not.
Most people don't, and it's almost always advised by me never to show your cards. If you're not required to do so; keep 'em guessing!
Yet, when you reach an 'advanced level' of play, you'll get an entirely different perspective from me. You see, there are occasions when 'deceitful strategies' are going to be added to your acquired set of playing skills. And, a part of the 'deceitful strategies' will have you showing your cards. Not now though.
Summing up How To Play Poker For Beginners Free Online Poker Rules Part 2
In part 1 you learned the bare bones of poker, the structure and concepts of the game. Now that you've read part 2 you ought to now understand the actual mechanics of a hand of poker. In part 3 we will move on to more poker words and terminology, all those crazy card and hand nicknames will be unveiled! But so long as you've understood the first 2 parts you can now go and start to play poker. It's a very good idea though to firstly read and print off a sheet on what card hands beat what! Then you'll get a feel for how to build your hand in the game stages and be able to think about whether to fold, call, raise or check.
At this point I strongly urge you not to try and play on sites where real money is involved, you are likely to lose all or nearly all of it 99% certain!
Be patient (incidentally that is a key poker skill you have to master) and start out on one of the excellent free poker sites you'll find online. Later when you're more skilled there is plenty of time for you to win lots of money and the time spent playing free online poker will pave the way for this.
Nick runs marketing for leading free poker site NoPayPOKER.com. www.NoPayPOKER.com is USA legal and uses faux currency which makes it totally risk free and so is the perfect place to how to play poker for beginners as well as practice your game if you are more experienced or want a break from the stress of money sites!
Where part 1 simply outlined how the game works, in this part you'll learn exactly what you do action by action in a real hand and at the end will be able to go play.
To begin, the action starts as the blind bets are laid by the Small and Big Blinds (SB and BB). Now the cards get into action. If "Blinds" means nothing to you hop on back to part 1 for an explanation.
From the Dealer Button (DB) going clockwise rounf the table each player gets 2 cards, face down, handed out one at a time (so the DB goes round the table twice). These are also called Pocket Cards or hole cards.
Now it is time for the betting to begin, that is after all, I imagine why you want to play poker! That is why I'm sure you now find yourself seated at a free online poker tournament table isn't it? Isn't that betting and winning buzz thing the reason why you've joined a free online poker site?
Of course it is, the game of poker is all about winning money! Nothing more, nothing less (with the possible exception of social interaction in the chat lobby or the table's chat box).
At this stage in the hand (holding 2 pocket cards), each player is betting on what hand they feel their pocket cards may lead to.
The betting starts with the player to the immediate left of the Big Blind (BB).
This player has the UTG (Under The Gun) position. He's given the UTG label primarily because the Small Blind and Big Blind players were forced to put up bets prior to receiving any cards.
Thus, both the SB and BB are already engaged in the hand; albeit not voluntarily, at least not yet; they'll have to wait until the betting comes around to them.
And, for this round of betting, each player has three choices:
1) To fold. You do this if you think you have rubbish cards, also called "rags" cards. By folding in this first round you won't lose anything but nor can you play the rest of the hand.
2) To raise. Usually when they think that they hold really good pocket cards.
3) Or you can call to match the Big Blind bet. You may do this if you think your cards have at least a bit of potential.
A 4th option you may have heard of, checking, often available in subsequent betting rounds, isn't a choice at this stage.
Once the betting comes round to the SB (Small Blind) if this player wants to fold then they lose their blind chips, if they have terrible pockets then this may well be the best thing to do. Or, as SB you can Call the BB by putting in the difference between the SB and BB amounts. Or, this player can call whatever raise has been made, or this player can initiate a raise; or even a re-raise, aa a beginner keep it simple and either just Call the BB or fold, watch and learn othrs to see the raise, new raise and reraise in action.
Next it is the turn of the BB (Big Blind). If there has been no raise then the BB can Check (do nothing and let the play pass by), or Call, Raise or Re-raise.
About Raises
In a No Limit Texas holdem tournament the amount a player can use to raise is limited only by the chips they hold (limit games as the name suggests have a limit) If his stack of chips is 1,500, he's allowed to raise by any amount up to and including the 1,500 (all of his chips).
Should he opt to make a 1,500 chip bet, it would be called an All-In bet. Any time a player raises with all their chips it is called Moving All-in.
And, of paramount importance, especially since you are at the how to play poker for beginners level of the game, make certain that YOUR use of an All-In bet is kept to a minimum.
Please try not to become yet another free online poker 'chip-flinger' (someone who tosses chips around without regard to the quality of their cards).
When the opening round of betting is completed it's time to see 'The Flop'. Things will now start to get really interesting!
The Flop is the set of three cards that are dealt face up in the middle of the table by the Dealer.
1) Each player can use these community cards' to build their hand. Be sure you read up on what card hands beat what so you have an idea of what you can build!
2) Again, as here-to-fore mentioned, the middle of the table where these cards are dealt is commonly known as 'The Board'.
3) With 'The Flop' exposed, it's time for another round of betting. And, the betting that will occur is based on the 5 cards now available to each player, i.e., 2 Pocket cards and 3 Board' cards.
The betting starts with the player to the immediate left of the Dealer Button, regardless of whether the Dealer is still active in the hand or not.
The player to the left of the Dealer Button will keep the initial betting action for the rest of the hand. Later, you'll come to learn that this is the worst position to be in at the table.
Apart from that, the betting process is the same as it was in 'pre-flop' betting. However, keep in mind, all of the players who have been dealt 'Pocket' cards may not be currently playing the hand as they could have folded during the opening round of betting.
So, whichever remaining player is 'to the immediate left' of the Dealer Button (DB), it is that person who is the first player to act; throughout the hand providing he doesn't fold.
He is able to check or bet.
A) If he checks, he's simply passing the choices of checking or betting to the player who sits to his left.
B) If he doesn't check, and decides to bet, then those who follow will have 3 choices:
1) They can fold
2) They can call
3) Or they can raise. But, since a bet was made, those who follow do not have the option of 'checking'.
When the round of betting has finished, it's time for another card to be dealt face up on The Board.
This fourth card is called The Turn card, or 4th Street, and, again, the card can be employed by all of the remaining players (those players who have not folded). It's another 'community card'.
Thus, each remaining player now has use of 6 cards, 4 Board cards, and 2 Pocket cards. There are 4 cards on The Board, one additional card to come.
It is now time for the fifth and final community card to be dealt: The River, or 5th Street.
And, given that all the cards have now been dealt, each player remaining in the hand can see what their finest five card hand is. Therefore, it's now time for the final round of betting. And, once the betting ends, the hand is over.
It's time to see who wins.
Each player who has remained in the hand shows their cards, starting with the last person to initiate a bet. At a cash or free online poker site the software will handle the process of showing the cards.
The winner is decided via use of the universal poker hand rankings. You'll find that in subsequent chapter; entitled 'What Beats What'.
If a player wins a pot because every other player has folded, he can decide whether to show his cards or not.
Most people don't, and it's almost always advised by me never to show your cards. If you're not required to do so; keep 'em guessing!
Yet, when you reach an 'advanced level' of play, you'll get an entirely different perspective from me. You see, there are occasions when 'deceitful strategies' are going to be added to your acquired set of playing skills. And, a part of the 'deceitful strategies' will have you showing your cards. Not now though.
Summing up How To Play Poker For Beginners Free Online Poker Rules Part 2
In part 1 you learned the bare bones of poker, the structure and concepts of the game. Now that you've read part 2 you ought to now understand the actual mechanics of a hand of poker. In part 3 we will move on to more poker words and terminology, all those crazy card and hand nicknames will be unveiled! But so long as you've understood the first 2 parts you can now go and start to play poker. It's a very good idea though to firstly read and print off a sheet on what card hands beat what! Then you'll get a feel for how to build your hand in the game stages and be able to think about whether to fold, call, raise or check.
At this point I strongly urge you not to try and play on sites where real money is involved, you are likely to lose all or nearly all of it 99% certain!
Be patient (incidentally that is a key poker skill you have to master) and start out on one of the excellent free poker sites you'll find online. Later when you're more skilled there is plenty of time for you to win lots of money and the time spent playing free online poker will pave the way for this.
Nick runs marketing for leading free poker site NoPayPOKER.com. www.NoPayPOKER.com is USA legal and uses faux currency which makes it totally risk free and so is the perfect place to how to play poker for beginners as well as practice your game if you are more experienced or want a break from the stress of money sites!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Free Online Poker Guide To Basic Poker Rules
In this learn how to play poker for beginners lesson you'll learn the basic rules and processes of poker. While poker looks complex when you're new to it it's actually not so bad at all once you know it and will become second nature after a short time. So, let's begin by looking at free online poker freeroll tournaments which is the sort of game you should start with as a poker beginner.
free online poker freeroll tournaments vary from 20 to hundreds of players. A good point with these game is that most of the other players you'll find on them are no more than average and many are beginners too.
So, to start, you login to your free online poker site and go join a game. As mentioned each of these tournaments will have multiple tables. You can divide the number of players by 10, and you'll know how many tables are a part of the tournament. You round up to eliminate the decimal point, if any; e.g., 68 players divided by 10, equals 6.8, rounded up, means there are 7 tables in the tournament.
Now the online poker software of the site you play at will seat you at a randomly selected table and seat. There are loads of games running daily round the clock on good free online poker sites so don't worry about your success (or lack of!) initially, there are always more games to enter.
Who Wins and How?
Basically the winner of each hand is the one with the best combination of cards.
The outline of the game process is this:
You are seated and the game begins. The software selects the "Dealer Button" (DB) and the "Blind" players make their blind bets (don't worry this is covered below!)
The games first action is to give 2 cards to each player that only the player can see, these are called pocket cards. Next there is a round of blind betting, it's called blind as there is no way to guess or infer what cards other players have, no more than 3 raises to the first blind bet are allowed which is a rule that remains so in future rounds.
After the first round of betting is done the dealer lays 3 cards on the table for all to see. These are known as community or board cards and can be used in conjunction with pocket cards by all players.
At this point, another round of betting occurs.
Then the Dealer will add another card to the community cards; there are now 4 cards that can be used by all of the players who remain in the hand.
This is followed by another round of betting.
Last, the Dealer will add a 5th card to the community cards. Again followed by another round of betting.
Now lets look at this in more detail:
Your 2 face down cards are known as "Pocket Cards". They are dealt from left to right, 1 at a time round the table. You only see your own pocket cards.
The Dealer then exposes 3 "community cards" to all players on the table. This stage is known as "The Flop".
When he exposes the 4th "community card", it's known as "The Turn" (or, 4th Street).
And, when he exposes the 5th "community card", it's known as "The River" (or, 5th Street).
All 3 to 5 "community cards" that are exposed on the poker table at any one time are known as "The Board".
Every player who is participating in the hand through the process of betting (if you "folded", you're no longer in the hand), attempts to make the best possible five-card hand.
They can use any 5 of the 7 cards that are available to them; one, both, or none of their pocket cards, together with 3, 4, or 5 of the "community cards".
The player with the best 5 card hand wins all of the money that has been bet (The Pot).
The "Dealer Button" is involved in every hand to be played. One of the game's participants gets the Dealer Button (DB); the selection of the player who first receives the DB is done by the free online poker software.
If you are playing at a live game such as in a casino then the DB is a round disc, normally with a D printed on it. If you're playing paid or free online poker a symbol on the screen shows which player is the DB.
And, the position of the Dealer Button on the poker table is important since the 2 players to the left of the DB are forced to place the blind bets.
The DB is the best position to have and blind the worst, no something to worry about now, the NoPayPOKER.com intermediate level article series Building A Bankroll goes into great depth on this subject. Additionally, at the end of every hand, the Dealer Button (DB) moves one position to the left; thus, everyone acts as the "virtual dealer" in an Internet game, and, everyone is forced to place "blind" bets.
Blind Bets? What are they?
This is how the game starts.
The player to the immediate left of the Dealer Button (DB) is compelled to put up the Small Blind (SB).
The player to the immediate left of the Small Blind (SB) is compelled to put up the Big Blind (BB).
These "blind bets" are placed in the pot, in front of the dealer. This essentially kickstarts the betting, and, it"s all done before anyone has gotten any cards!
This, for the lack of any other rational reason, means that the winner of the hand that's about to be played, will, at a minimum, collect the small amount of money that has been "forced" into the pot by the blind bets.
In a multi-table freeroll, or any No Limit free online poker tournament game, the size of the Small Blind (SB) and the size of the Big Blind (BB) are very low at the start of the game. And, every player in the game begins the game with the same amount of free online poker faux-money; or, for practical purposes, poker chips.
Usually, in 15 minute intervals, the size of the "blinds" increase.
As an example, if the beginning "blinds" were $10 (SB) and $20 (BB), within 15 minutes the "blinds" would change to $20 (SB) and $40 (BB).
And, thereafter, as the game progresses, the "blinds" continue to go up every 15 minutes.
In the end, at the final table in a tournament (the last remaining 10 players), the "blinds" could easily reach the point of being $2,000 (SB) and $4,000 (BB).
Now don't be alarmed, the dollar amounts tied to the Small Blinds (SB) and Big Blinds (BB) in the preceding paragraph, during all freeroll games played on free online poker sites are "fictional" amounts of money. It's not real money. It's merely a "tournament representation" of money; it's free online poker faux-money, they're poker chips, not real dollars.
This is one reason why it is a very good idea to learn to play poker as a beginner on free poker sites, it can get very expensive very quickly if you start on a real money site!
Winning and Money
The good news with a poker tournament is that the 1st place player doesn't take all the money. Yes, the absolute winner does get a lions share but other players do get a cut too. How many players and how much is determined by the number of players who enter and the size of the pot. You an find out this information before the game starts.
As the game progresses players are knocked out and tables amalgamate. At some point only those who will share the money are left. If you are still in at this stage then you are now "in the money" or "in the bubble" as it is also commonly called.
When just 10 players are left you will be on the "Final Table", typically to win any decent amount you need to be here even in very large poker tournament though places lower than this can often at least pay back your cost of joining the game if it is a buy in game.
Right at the end with just 2 players left you will be "head to head"...but that is a story for another day!
Summing up How To Play Poker For Beginners Part 1
In this stage we looked at basic game processes. In part 2 we'll get into more detail on the stages described and look at what you actually physically do and consider some essential basic free online poker strategy.
Nick runs marketing for leading free online poker site NoPayPOKER.com. NoPayPOKER.com uses a faux currency called FreeD which means the poker is 100% risk free, this makes it the perfect place to learn how to play poker for beginners, plus if you're more experienced it's a great place to practice, oh and the the fact that the FreeD can be cashed in for real Dollars is a nice tounch too!
free online poker freeroll tournaments vary from 20 to hundreds of players. A good point with these game is that most of the other players you'll find on them are no more than average and many are beginners too.
So, to start, you login to your free online poker site and go join a game. As mentioned each of these tournaments will have multiple tables. You can divide the number of players by 10, and you'll know how many tables are a part of the tournament. You round up to eliminate the decimal point, if any; e.g., 68 players divided by 10, equals 6.8, rounded up, means there are 7 tables in the tournament.
Now the online poker software of the site you play at will seat you at a randomly selected table and seat. There are loads of games running daily round the clock on good free online poker sites so don't worry about your success (or lack of!) initially, there are always more games to enter.
Who Wins and How?
Basically the winner of each hand is the one with the best combination of cards.
The outline of the game process is this:
You are seated and the game begins. The software selects the "Dealer Button" (DB) and the "Blind" players make their blind bets (don't worry this is covered below!)
The games first action is to give 2 cards to each player that only the player can see, these are called pocket cards. Next there is a round of blind betting, it's called blind as there is no way to guess or infer what cards other players have, no more than 3 raises to the first blind bet are allowed which is a rule that remains so in future rounds.
After the first round of betting is done the dealer lays 3 cards on the table for all to see. These are known as community or board cards and can be used in conjunction with pocket cards by all players.
At this point, another round of betting occurs.
Then the Dealer will add another card to the community cards; there are now 4 cards that can be used by all of the players who remain in the hand.
This is followed by another round of betting.
Last, the Dealer will add a 5th card to the community cards. Again followed by another round of betting.
Now lets look at this in more detail:
Your 2 face down cards are known as "Pocket Cards". They are dealt from left to right, 1 at a time round the table. You only see your own pocket cards.
The Dealer then exposes 3 "community cards" to all players on the table. This stage is known as "The Flop".
When he exposes the 4th "community card", it's known as "The Turn" (or, 4th Street).
And, when he exposes the 5th "community card", it's known as "The River" (or, 5th Street).
All 3 to 5 "community cards" that are exposed on the poker table at any one time are known as "The Board".
Every player who is participating in the hand through the process of betting (if you "folded", you're no longer in the hand), attempts to make the best possible five-card hand.
They can use any 5 of the 7 cards that are available to them; one, both, or none of their pocket cards, together with 3, 4, or 5 of the "community cards".
The player with the best 5 card hand wins all of the money that has been bet (The Pot).
The "Dealer Button" is involved in every hand to be played. One of the game's participants gets the Dealer Button (DB); the selection of the player who first receives the DB is done by the free online poker software.
If you are playing at a live game such as in a casino then the DB is a round disc, normally with a D printed on it. If you're playing paid or free online poker a symbol on the screen shows which player is the DB.
And, the position of the Dealer Button on the poker table is important since the 2 players to the left of the DB are forced to place the blind bets.
The DB is the best position to have and blind the worst, no something to worry about now, the NoPayPOKER.com intermediate level article series Building A Bankroll goes into great depth on this subject. Additionally, at the end of every hand, the Dealer Button (DB) moves one position to the left; thus, everyone acts as the "virtual dealer" in an Internet game, and, everyone is forced to place "blind" bets.
Blind Bets? What are they?
This is how the game starts.
The player to the immediate left of the Dealer Button (DB) is compelled to put up the Small Blind (SB).
The player to the immediate left of the Small Blind (SB) is compelled to put up the Big Blind (BB).
These "blind bets" are placed in the pot, in front of the dealer. This essentially kickstarts the betting, and, it"s all done before anyone has gotten any cards!
This, for the lack of any other rational reason, means that the winner of the hand that's about to be played, will, at a minimum, collect the small amount of money that has been "forced" into the pot by the blind bets.
In a multi-table freeroll, or any No Limit free online poker tournament game, the size of the Small Blind (SB) and the size of the Big Blind (BB) are very low at the start of the game. And, every player in the game begins the game with the same amount of free online poker faux-money; or, for practical purposes, poker chips.
Usually, in 15 minute intervals, the size of the "blinds" increase.
As an example, if the beginning "blinds" were $10 (SB) and $20 (BB), within 15 minutes the "blinds" would change to $20 (SB) and $40 (BB).
And, thereafter, as the game progresses, the "blinds" continue to go up every 15 minutes.
In the end, at the final table in a tournament (the last remaining 10 players), the "blinds" could easily reach the point of being $2,000 (SB) and $4,000 (BB).
Now don't be alarmed, the dollar amounts tied to the Small Blinds (SB) and Big Blinds (BB) in the preceding paragraph, during all freeroll games played on free online poker sites are "fictional" amounts of money. It's not real money. It's merely a "tournament representation" of money; it's free online poker faux-money, they're poker chips, not real dollars.
This is one reason why it is a very good idea to learn to play poker as a beginner on free poker sites, it can get very expensive very quickly if you start on a real money site!
Winning and Money
The good news with a poker tournament is that the 1st place player doesn't take all the money. Yes, the absolute winner does get a lions share but other players do get a cut too. How many players and how much is determined by the number of players who enter and the size of the pot. You an find out this information before the game starts.
As the game progresses players are knocked out and tables amalgamate. At some point only those who will share the money are left. If you are still in at this stage then you are now "in the money" or "in the bubble" as it is also commonly called.
When just 10 players are left you will be on the "Final Table", typically to win any decent amount you need to be here even in very large poker tournament though places lower than this can often at least pay back your cost of joining the game if it is a buy in game.
Right at the end with just 2 players left you will be "head to head"...but that is a story for another day!
Summing up How To Play Poker For Beginners Part 1
In this stage we looked at basic game processes. In part 2 we'll get into more detail on the stages described and look at what you actually physically do and consider some essential basic free online poker strategy.
Nick runs marketing for leading free online poker site NoPayPOKER.com. NoPayPOKER.com uses a faux currency called FreeD which means the poker is 100% risk free, this makes it the perfect place to learn how to play poker for beginners, plus if you're more experienced it's a great place to practice, oh and the the fact that the FreeD can be cashed in for real Dollars is a nice tounch too!
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