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Poker hands are ranked from highest (Royal Flush) to lowest (High Card) also remember to follow some simple rules when playing. Hands are ranked identically to the method used in any standard poker card game. The general rule of ranking poker hands applies to all online poker room games, free play money or real money poker games.
How To Get Started
- Download The Free Poker Room Software.
- Playing the poker software, it's a good idea to play for free when beginning to understand how the software works before jumping right into the real money games.
- If you don't understand how to play using the free poker software, download a different poker rooms software and try playing their games.
- When your ready for the Real Money games grab some poker chips, remember start with small bets.
All Poker Rooms listed on this site have Free Poker Software and Free Poker Games for you to play and learn the poker software and the poker games, so play for free until your ready to kick butt and win some real money!
Don't act like a high roller if you're just starting out. If you're new to poker in general, start off on lower-stake games using small poker chips to really get the feel of the poker games before you move up to higher limit tables and the bigger poker chips.
A good poker player generally has some practice under their belt, poker is a game of skill - and skills are developed playing poker. Who knows maybe you'll make to the World Series Of Poker some day.
Mix Up Your Playing Style
What works against one table of poker players may not against another, adjust your poker playing style accordingly.
Don't Get Predictable
Once other poker players have your strategy figured out (especially in regard to bluffing), you're on your way to losing your bankroll. Holding the best poker hand is only a part of playing poker, making sure others don't know when you're holding it is what's important.
Don't Always Call
If people don't raise until the last round of a poker hand, or you thought you had a better poker hand coming to you than you wound up with, you might end up in the last round of betting without having contributed much to the pot.
When this happens it's tempting to stay in even with a weak poker hand, but you should consider the amount of the pot in relation to what it costs to call. Even if other poker players have weak hands, when the pot is small it's often not worth the risk when there's not much to win.
Don't Switch Tables Frequently
You can't expect to read other poker players when you keep switching tables, and you can't expect to win if you don't pick up on peoples habits.
Don't Expect To Win Every Hand
Winning at poker means having more poker chips when you leave the poker table than when you started, not winning every hand. Cut your losses when you can, and do your best to drive up pot values when chances are you're holding the winning poker hand.
Don't be too bold until you get a feel for the poker table. Try to figure out the habits of the players around you instead of being the one figured out. You can't tell who's bluffing and who's not when you've only been seated for two hands, so don't risk too much money until you're really ready.
Don't Play Without Adequate Money
Many online poker rooms allow players an occasional "All-in", meaning they can stop further betting in a poker game by putting in the remainder of their bankroll (sparing them from folding because they can't afford to stay in). Regardless - it's not wise to play without an adequate stack of poker chips.
When you only have a few bucks left on the table, it's hard to bluff - so when you "DO" raise people will assume you've got a good hand (most people won't risk their last few poker chips on a losing hand right)?
It's also easy to get bullied off a table when other players raise more than you can afford. Generally speaking, you should have 40-50 times the table limit available in poker chips when you start, and should buy or bring in more before you run out or get even close.
Don't Forget How Good Your Hand Really Is
In a 5 card poker game, below is the probability of getting particular hands on your first deal.
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Royal Flush 1 in 650,000
Ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace of the same suit.
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Straight Flush: 1 in 72,200
Straight with all five cards in the same suit. |
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Four of a Kind: 1 in 4,200
Four cards of the same number or face value ("quads"). |
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Full House: 1 in 700
Three cards of one number or face value and two cards of another number or face value. If more than one player has a full house, the full house with the highest ranking three of a kind ("trips") wins. |
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Flush: 1 in 510
Five cards of the same suit. If there is more than one flush, the hand with the highest card(s) wins. |
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Straight: 1 in 250
Five cards in sequence. Cards can be in any suit. An Ace can be used in the highest straight (10, J, Q, K, A) and the lowest straight (A, 2, 3, 4, 5). |
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Three of a Kind: 1 in 48
Three cards of the same number or face value ("trips"). |
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Two Pair: 1 in 21
If two players have two pair, the hand with the highest pair wins. If they have the same high pair, whoever has the second highest pair wins. If they have the same two pair, whoever has the highest fifth card ("kicker") wins. |
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One Pair: 1 in 2.4
Two cards of the same number or face value. If two players have the same pair, the highest outside card(s) wins. |
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High Card:
The hand with the highest card(s) wins. |
As you can see, in a poker game like Texas Hold'em with only five cards dealt and no "drops" or wild cards - even low hands can be hard to achieve. So while a single pair isn't hard to find when there's 6 or more players at a table, even a low two pair is a strong hand and should be treated accordingly.
Rule Of Poker Hands & Rankings
If two or more poker hands are the same ranking, the winner is the one having the higher cards. For example, a Flush with an Ace high beats a Flush with a King high. If the poker hands remain tied, then the highest card not being held in common (the kicker) determines the winner.
All online poker rooms follow this standard rule of poker. "Poker Tip" of the trade is to make sure you have these poker hand rankings memorized.
Should poker hands be absolutely identical in ranking, the rule of poker pot distribution will be split evenly between the two or more winning poker players. If there is an odd poker chip, the winning player to the left of the button/dealer will receive it. This poker rule applies to both free play money and real money poker games.
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