What Poker Is All About
Like most games, the aim of poker is to win. Whether you're
playing for fun or for money, poker will test your skills and
strategic abilities.
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!
No matter which type of poker you want to play, it's crucial
that you understand the deck and that you know the rank of
hands.
Poker is one of the most adaptable card games around. There are
almost infinite variations played in homes across the world, but
we like to focus on the 'big five' - Texas Hold'em, Omaha,
Omaha Hi/Lo, 7 Card Stud and 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo. These are
the most popular games played in casinos, card rooms and
cyberspace.
PartyPoker.com features these games in all our play money and
cash games, as well.
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Betting Rules
Limit Poker
In a game of limit poker, the amount you are allowed to bet is
limited to a specific size. This limit is in the name of the
poker game ($3/6, $20/40, etc.).
So, for example, if you're playing in a '$1/2 limit' game, the
minimum sizes of the bets would be:
Pre-flop (before the flop): $1
On the flop (when the three first community cards have been
dealt): $1
On the turn (when the fourth community card has been dealt): $2
On the river (when the fifth and last community card has been
dealt): $2
Note that you can't make a smaller bet than the big blind.
Furthermore, all raises must be done in increments of the
betting amounts.
For example, in a $1/2 limit game, the raises will be as
follows, limited to four times the first bet that was made:
Pre-flop: $1, $2, $3 up to $4
On the flop: $1, $2, $3 up to $4
On the turn: $2, $4, $6 up to $8
On the river: $2, $4, $6 up to $8
No-Limit Poker
In this type of game, there is no limit to the maximum bet that
you can make in any betting round. However, there is a minimum
bet that is equivalent to the big blind.
The minimum raise amount must be at least as much as the
previous bet or raise in the same round. For example, if the
first player to act bets $10 then the second player must raise a
minimum of $10 (total bet of $20). There is no maximum raise -
you can raise as much as you want. However, if you wish to call
a bet but don't have the chips to cover it, you'll be 'all-in'.
At this point, you can only win the portion of the pot covered
by your chips.
Pot-Limit Poker
Pot-limit is the most popular variety of poker game in Europe.
It is quite similar to no-limit poker but there are certain key
differences.
In pot-limit poker, players may bet any amount from the size of
the blind to the size of the pot. The pot includes the sum of
all bets and raises made during the current round.
Here's an example: The pot in the center of the table contains
$100. On a subsequent round, one player bets $20, and two
following players each call this $20 bet. The fourth player
could call the $20 bet and then raise by a maximum of $180. This
raise matches the $100 in the pot, the first $20 bet, the two
additional $20 calls and the player’s own $20 call, which
together add up to a $180 raise. Play a few practice games and
you'll soon get the hang of the math! |
Poker
Etiquette
In the biggest tournaments and among the world's most successful
poker players, the biggest winners almost always have two things
in common - good sportsmanship and perfect poker etiquette.
Good manners at the table make the game more pleasant for
everybody, help you get more hands per hour and in many cases
can actually help add to your winnings.
In Las Vegas, there is a saying among old time poker pros:
"Don't tap on the aquarium, it spooks the fish." More
experienced players know better than to insult the lesser
skilled players, as that's where the money comes from. They also
know the negative outcome from alerting their less skilled
opponents to their own superior skills.
Common
Sense Poker Etiquette: Do. . .
- Keep your chat to a minimum. Remember that every time
you and an opponent chat information is given and
information is received. This information can hurt you, but
it may also help you depending on who is doing the
transmitting and who is doing the receiving.
- If any of the chat content is bothering you or
interrupting your concentration, turn it off.
- If you must reply to a query or greet a friend, it is
smart to keep it brief and keep it courteous. Remember you
are in a game and that is where your attention and focus
should lie.
- Always execute your decisions in a timely manner.
Whether in a cash game or in a tournament, time wasted is
opportunity wasted.
- Keep knowledge of your level of poker skill to yourself.
Your opponents are at an advantage if they can learn your
degree of skill (or lack of it!). The way you chat can be a
strong tell, announcing your level of skill and
understanding to everybody at the table; keep it quiet.
- Always be positive in your chat. A few brief positive
words can just go with the flow of the game, while negative
words at the wrong moment can make you a target and change
your position at the table from predator to prey.
- Do feel free to contact our customer care team with any
information you might have about player abuse.
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