Poker

The object of any poker game is to win money. In home poker games the first dealer is determined by random draw of high card. The dealer shuffled the deck and offers the deck for a cut to the player at his (her) right. After the completion of the cut the cards are dealt one at the time, to each player, in clockwise rotation. In poker cardrooms there is a house dealer, and there is a "dealer button that represents the player that would normally be the dealer if the game was self-dealt. The game can be played with cash or with poker chips. A typical (standard) color combination for chips is as follows: $1 (white), $5 (red), $25 (green), $100 (black), $500 (purple), $1,000 (yellow).

• Ranks of Poker Hands

One thing that never changes is the rule that dictates the rank of poker hands. Any poker hand typically consists of a combination of 5 cards. The rank of different 5-card combinations is generally determined by the odds of a particular 5-card combination occurring. A 5-card combination that is less likely to occur ranks higher than any other combination that occurs more frequently. Also, if combinations that consist of higher-ranking cards would beat the same combination(s) that consist of lower-ranking cards.

The rank of cards in poker is as follows: (low) 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A (high)

Since the ranks of poker hands are determined by mathematical odds of occurrence, it should be noted that some specific low-ranking hands actually occur less frequently than some general higher-ranking hands. In other words, if one specifically targets a no-pair hand that consists of 2-3-4-5-7 (off-suit) it should be noted that the odds of this particular hand occurring are lower than the odds of catching a generic pair (for example, any pair followed by any 3 un-matched cards). For this reason some poker games are played for low cards, such as lowball, razz, triple-draw...

Furthermore, it should be noted that some poker variants utilize what is known as "stripped" decks. A stripped deck is a deck that has some of the cards removed. For example, if a 5-card draw game of Jacks or Better, the player that opens the betting must have at least a pair of Jacks or better. If this game is player short-handed it may take several rounds before one of the players actually catches a pair of Jacks or better. Even in that instance, the other player(s) is (are) likely to just fold. For this reason, when short-handed, this game is played with a stripped decks of 32 cards, from with all the cards from 2 to 6 have been removed. It should be noted that any change in the composition of the deck will also change the odds of some hands occurring and therefore also change the ranks of poker hands. In a 32-card deck, for example, a one-pair hands occurs more frequently than a no-pair hand (but one pair still beats no pair for the simple fact that no one in the right state of mind would ever play a no-pair hand with a 32-card deck) and a flush beats four of a kind because it occurs less frequently.

Also, in some poker games wild cards are used - either jokers or some of the cards have wild properties. In this case some of the ranks of some of the hands may also be switched.

In the interest of clarity, in this article, we will list only the ranks of high poker hands, played with a full 52-card deck and no wild cards. Other ranks, for other games and variations shall be listed separately in the respective pages, describing specific poker games and variations.

	Royal Flush (a sequence from A to 10 in same suit)
	Straight Flush (any sequence, except from A to 10, in same suit)
	Four of a Kind (any four cards of same value)
	Full House (three cards of same rank plus a pair)
	Flush (any five cards of the same suit, not in sequence)
	Straight (any five cards in sequence, in mixed suits)
	Three of a Kind (any three cards of the same value)
	Two Pair
	One Pair
	No Pair (aka High Card)

It should be noted that un-paired high cards also play an important role in determining the rank of any poker hand. For example, if two players have a flush, the player that has the highest ranking card will win; the suits play no relevance in rank and the players will tie if both have a flush that consists of the exact same ranking cards (in different suits). Also, if two players have a full house, the player with the higher ranking three-card combination has a higher-ranking full house. If two players have a pair (or two pairs) the higher-ranking pair wins, and if both have the same pair(s) then the higher-ranking card following the pair wins (this card is called a "kicker").

• Antes and Blinds

With the Exception of the classic 5-card Stud game, any other poker game starts with players putting money into the pot, before the cards are dealt out. There is a difference between antes and blinds, however.

An ante is a small amount of money that all the players must put, at the beginning of every round, into the pot before the cards are dealt out. During this action the players are said to "ante up".

A blind is similar to the ante, except that it is not required for all the players to pay the blinds before the cards are dealt. Blinds are typical for Hold'em games, where the first player after the dealer must pay the "small blind" and the next player must pay the "big blind". The big blind equals the amount of the minimum bet and the small blind is typically half of the big blind (although some other variations are common). The player behind the big blind is first to act and may either call, raise or fold (unlike in ante-structured games, that player does not have the option of checking).

In some poker tournaments the players pay antes as well as blinds in some later rounds (typically at the final table). Also, in blind-structure games there some players have the possibility to place a "straddle bet" or a "sleeper bet". However, those variations do not fall under general rules of poker so they are discussed separately.

• Betting Structure

Every poker game and variation has its own betting structure. However, some general rules of betting apply to all the games.

Any player can act only when it is his (her) turn to do so. Any action out of turn does not count and is considered to be bad poker etiquette. To act a player may to one of the following:

• check (or pass) - if no other player has yet put any money into the pot during the active round, a player is allowed to "check", i.e. pass the betting to the next player to see what the next player will do
• bet - a player may bet any amount within the pre-agreed limit
• raise - a player may raise any previous bet by adding an amount equal or greater than the last bet
• re-raise - a player may re-raise the pot by adding an amount equal or greater than the last raise
• fold - a player may throw the hand away if he (she) does not wish to continue playing

There are a few rules that should be noted, regarding the betting structure.

Since poker is a money game, a player is never allowed to take any money out of the pot. For example, if a player was not paying attention and was not aware that the pot has been raised and therefore throws a smaller amount into the pot, thinking that (s)he is betting or calling a minimum bet, the player is not allowed to take take this money back under the excuse that (s)he didn't know there was a raise. In this case the player may do one of the following: a) fold and leave the money in the pot, or b) call the previous raise by adding an amount that brings the total committed to the pot even with the action. This player is no longer allowed to raise, however. Also, if a player verbally announced "call" without realizing there was a raise, the player is committed to the verbal declaration and may not use the excuse that (s)he did not realize there was a raise.

Although acting out of turn does not count, a player that folds out of turn by tossing his (her) cards into the discards (aka into the muck) may no longer play in the hand. This is because under no circumstances can cards ever be fished out of the discards.

Any verbal declaration, in proper turn, is binding.

A player may choose not to make verbal declaration but to act silently, instead, by moving money or chips into the pot. In this case certain rules should be observed.

1. A player may call a bet (or raise) by placing an equal amount of chips into the pot.
2. A player may call a bet (or raise) by placing a single high-denomination chip of a greater amount into the pot. If a player did not verbally declare a raise, this action automatically counts as a call and the player will receive change at the end of the round, when all the players have acted in the round.
3. A player may raise (or re-raise) the pot by placing more than one chip, that add up to an amount greater than what would constitute a call, at the same time into the pot. If the chips committed to the pot do not add up to the right amount necessary for a raise, the player must add the necessary amount to make a minimum raise; if this occurs the player can only make a minimum raise.

A player is not allowed to make a "string bet". A string bet would be the act of saying "I call, and I raise you more." This is not allowed because the first verbal declaration (i.e. "I call...") is binding. Also, if a player acts silently it is not allowed to reach back into the chip stack and add more chips, once the initial chips have been committed to the pot. All the action, when acting silently, must be done in one motion, unless there is a discrepancy and money needs to be added to complete the minimum action.

By today's standards poker is played as "table stakes". This means that each player can only bet the money (or chips) that (s)he had on the table before the cards were distributed. In other words, a player may not reach into the pocket, for more money, once the round is in progress. Also, a player can not be forced out of the game by another player that happens to have more chips. If a player does not have enough money to call a bet, a side pot is formed for the rest of the players, and the short-stacked player may only win the main pot if (s)he has the best hand at the showdown. In a large poker tournament, when many players go all-in, several side pots are often known to happen during late rounds.

• The Showdown

During the showdown, the last aggressor must show his (her) cards first. The last aggressor is the player who made the last bet or raise. The other players called the bet, so they are entitled to see the hand before deciding if they desire to show their hand(s). The other players are not required to show their hands, unless they want to claim the pot. In other words, if the other players see that they have been outranked, they do not have to show their losing hand.

Furthermore, any player that wants to claim the pot must show all his (her) cards. In other words, if a player is declaring a pair, he must show all the cards, to win the pot, even if the other cards do not play an active role in winning the pot.

Poker games can be intricate and sometimes at first complicated to understand; with many rules and variations depending on the game played, the structure, or the venue. However, in the interest of clarity, all these specific rules shall be discussed separately.