Poker Rules
Poker is a game of chance. However, when you
introduce the concept of betting, poker gains quite a bit of skill and
psychology. (This isn`t to say that there isn`t skill at poker when nothing
is at risk, there just isn`t nearly as much). This is meant as a very basic
primer into the rules of poker, for more information, get a book on the game (or
start playing with a group of people who know how. It`s more expensive than
reading a book, but the group won`t mind. *Snicker*).
This list is currently broken into several parts:
The Very Basics
Poker is played from a standard pack of 52 cards. (Some
variant games use multiple packs or add a few cards called jokers.) The cards
are ranked (from high to low) Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3,
2, Ace. (Ace can be high or low, but is usually high). There are four suits
(spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs); however, no suit is higher than another.
All poker hands contain five cards, the highest hand wins.
Some games have Wild Cards, which can take on whatever suit and rank
their possessor desires. Sometimes jokers will be used as wild cards, other
times, the game will specify which cards are wild (dueces, one-eyed jacks, or
whatever).
How the hands are ranked
Hands are ranked as follows (from high to
low):
Descriptions of Hand Ranks
Five of a Kind
A five of a kind (which is only
possible when using wild cards) is the highest possible hand. If more than one
hand has five of a kind, the higher card wins (Five Aces beats five kings, which
beat five queens, and so on).
Straight Flush
A straight flush is the best natural
hand. A straight flush is a straight (5 cards in order, such as 5-6-7-8-9) that
are all of the same suit. As in a regular straight, you can have an ace either
high (A-K-Q-J-T) or low (5-4-3-2-1). However, a straight may not `wraparound`.
(Such as K-A-2-3-4, which is not a straight). An Ace high straight-flush is
called a Royal Flush and is the highest natural hand.
Four of a Kind
Four of a kind is simply four cards of
the same rank. If there are two or more hands that qualify, the hand with the
higher-rank four of a kind wins. If, in some bizarre game with many wild cards,
there are two four of a kinds with the same rank, then the one with the high
card outside the four of the kind wins. General Rule: When hands tie on the
rank of a pair, three of a kind, etc, the cards outside break ties following the
High
Card rules.
Full House
A full house is a three of a kind and a
pair, such as K-K-K-5-5. Ties are broken first by the three of a kind, then
pair. So K-K-K-2-2 beats Q-Q-Q-A-A, which beats Q-Q-Q-J-J. (Obviously, the three
of a kind can only be similiar if wild cards are used.)
Flush
A flush is a hand where all of the cards are
the same suit, such as J-8-5-3-2, all of spades. When flushes ties, follow the
rules for High
Card.
Straight
A straight is 5 cards in order, such as
4-5-6-7-8. An ace may either be high (A-K-Q-J-T) or low (5-4-3-2-1). However, a
straight may not `wraparound`. (Such as Q-K-A-2-3, which is not a straight).
When straights tie, the highest straight wins. (AKQJT beats KQJT9 down to
5432A). If two straights have the same value (AKQJT vs AKQJT) they split the
pot.
Three of a Kind
Three cards of any rank, matched with
two cards that are not a pair (otherwise it would be a Full
House . Again, highest three of a kind wins. If both are the same rank, then
the compare High
Cards.
Two Pair
This is two distinct pairs of card and a
5th card. The highest pair wins ties. If both hands have the same high pair, the
second pair wins. If both hands have the same pairs, the high card wins.
Pair One pair with three distinct cards. High card
breaks ties.
High Card This is any hand which doesn`t qualify as
any one of the above hands. If nobody has a pair or better, then the highest
card wins. If multiple people tie for the highest card, they look at the second
highest, then the third highest etc. High card is also used to break ties when
the high hands both have the same type of hand (pair, flush, straight, etc).
Betting
So, how do you bet? Poker is, after all, a gambling game. In
most games, you must `ante` something (amount varies by game, our games are
typically a nickel), just to get dealt cards. After that players bet into the
pot in the middle. At the end of the hand, the highest hand (that hasn`t folded)
wins the pot. Basically, when betting gets around to you (betting is typically
done in clockwise order), you have one of three choices:
Call When you call, you bet enough to match what has been bet since the last
time you bet (for instance, if you bet a dime last time, and someone else bet
a quarter, you would owe fifteen cents).
Raise When you raise, you first bet enough to match what has been bet since the last time you bet (as in calling), then you `raise` the bet another amount (up
to you, but there is typically a limit.) Continuing the above example, if you
had bet a dime, the other person raised you fifteen cents (up to a quarter),
you might raise a quarter (up to fifty cents). Since you owed the pot 15 cents
for calling and 25 for your raise, you would put 40 cents into the pot.
Fold When you fold, you drop out of the current hand (losing any possibility of
winning the pot), but you don`t have to put any money into the pot.
Betting continues until everyone calls or folds after a raise or
initial bet.
Some Standard Betting Rules In the group I play in, we ante a nickel.
The maximum first bet is fifty cents, and the maximum raise is fifty cents.
However, during one round of betting, raises may total no more than one dollar.
An Example Five Card Draw Hand.
Five card draw is one of the most common types of poker hands. Each player is dealt five cards, then a round of betting follows. Then each player may discard up to 3 cards (4 if your last card is an ace or wild card, in some circles) and get back (from the deck) as many
cards as he/she discarded. Then there is another round of betting, and then
hands are revealed (the showdown) and the highest hand wins the pot. So you are
the dealer at a five card draw game (against four other players, Alex, Brad,
Charley and Dennis (seated in that order to your left). Everyone puts a nickel
into the pot (Ante) and you deal out 5 cards to each player.
You deal yourself a fairly good hand Ks-Kd-Jd-5c-3d. A pair of kings isn`t
bad off the deal (not great, but not bad). Then the betting starts...
Alex `Checks` (checking is basically calling when you don`t owe anything
to the pot).
Brad bets a dime.
Charley calls (and puts a dime into the pot).
Dennis raises a dime (and puts twenty cents into the pot).
Well, it`s your turn. Twenty cents to you. You can fold, call or raise.
Like I said before, pair of kings isn`t bad, not good but not bad. You call
and put twenty cents into the pot.
Back to Alex, who grumbles and tosses his cards into the center of the
table, folding. (Note, when folding, never show your cards to anyone).
Brad calls. The total bet is twenty cents, but he had already bet a dime,
so he owes a dime, which he tosses into the pot.
Charley is in the same position as brad, and tosses a dime into the pot.
The round of betting is over. After Dennis`s raise, everyone else
folded or called (there weren`t any raises) so, everyone is all square with the
pot. Now everyone can discard up to 3 cards. Brad discards 3 cards, Charley
discards one card, Dennis discards two cards. (You deal replacements to
everyone) and now it`s your turn. You have a pair of kings, three spades, and no
chance for a straight. It`s best to just keep the two kings and hope to get a
3rd or fourth king. You discard three cards, and your new hand is:
Ks-Kd-Kc-4c-8h. Three Kings! A nice little hand.
What do you suppose the others were trying for? Well, Brad kept two cards, so
he probably had a pair (just like you) but it probably wasn`t aces, so even if
brad got a three of a kind, you probably beat him. Charley kept four cards, so
he was probably trying for a straight or flush. (If Charley had four of a kind,
he might have bet much harder). The big problem is Dennis. He raised earlier,
and only drew two cards. He might be bluffing, but he could have had three of a
kind off the deal... In any case, the second round of betting starts (with
dealers left).
Brad bets a nickel.
Charley folds (I guess he didn`t get his straight or flush).
Dennis raises twenty cents (to a quarter total).
You call.
Brad looks at his cards, then calls (betting twenty cents).
Again, everyone called Dennis`s raise, so the round of betting is over.
Well, the betting is over, everyone reveals his hand:
Well, the highest hand is three of a
kind, and the highest three of a kind is your three kings. You win!
Conclusion
After this and an hour of play, you`ll be right at home playing poker. (Maybe not very good, but right at home).
Reproduced with permission from
www.pagat.com
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