How To Play
Basic Poker Rules
There are many varieties of poker games but they all follow the same basic format: Players contribute toward a central pot that contains play chips or chips representing actual money Players are dealt cards (a hand), some or all of which are concealed. Wagers are made on the strength of the cards in rounds of betting. After the betting rounds are over, the player with the strongest hand — or the last player left standing after the others have folded — wins!
Fixed Limit or Structured Limit
This means that the amount that can be bet is set. These games will be called things like ½ or 20/40 games. In Hold 'Em, the amount that can be bet pre-flop or on the flop is the first number. In a 5/10 game, you'll be betting 5 at a time. On the turn and river, the second number is the only amount that can be bet (this is typically, although not always, double the first amount). In that same 5/10 game, players bet 10 at a time after the turn card is dealt.
There is a limit of four bets per player per betting round. That means a player can bet, get re-raised, re-raise again, and be re-raised.
You may encounter a structured game with three betting amounts, like 5/10/20. This is the same as before except on the river. On that round of betting, players can bet either of the two final amounts. In the case of a 5/10/20 game, that means a player can bet 10 or 20 on the river.
No Limit
This is where you can bet any amount between the cost of the big blind and the amount of money you have at the table on any betting round. When two amounts are used in reference to a no limit game (like "3/6 no limit"), the amounts are just the costs of the blinds and have no relationship to the amount that a player can bet, except that the minimum bet will be the larger of those two numbers.
Spread Limit
This is where players can bet within a certain range of amounts. In a 1-5 game, a player can bet between 1 and 5 during any betting round.
If there are four amounts, like 1-5-10-10, that means you can bet between 1 and 5 pre-flop and on the flop. On the turn it goes up to the 3rd number (between 1 and 10), and on the river it goes up to the last number (between 1 and 10).
If there are three amounts, like 1-5-10, that means that you can bet from 1 to 5 during any betting round, but on the river you can bet between 1 and 10. This would be the same as a 1-5-5-10 game.
Pot Limit
This is where a player can bet any amount between the cost of the big blind and the size of the pot on any betting round. When two amounts are used in reference to a pot limit game (like "1/2 pot limit"), the amounts are merely the costs of the blinds and have no bearing on the amount you can bet, except that the minimum bet will be the larger of those two numbers. Often in pot limit, the first person to bet will be allowed to bet 3 or 4 times the size or the pot, although this is sometimes only allowed pre-flop. That rule can change depending on the game.
Hand Rankings
Royal Flush — A, K, Q, J, 10, all the same suit
Straight Flush — Five cards in a sequence, all in the same suit
Four of a Kind — All four cards of the same rank
Full House — Three of a kind with a pair
Flush — Any five cards of the same suit, but not in a sequence
Straight — Five cards in a sequence, but not of the same suit
Three of a Kind — Three cards of the same rank
Two Pair — Two different pairs
Pair — Two cards of the same rank
High Card — The highest card (in this example the King) in your hand
