How to Play Poker

Poker is a very simple game. Although there are many variations, the basis is the same – the best five-card hand wins. Simple really – a five year old could learn. But this doesn’t really tell you how to play the game. If it was just a matter of the best hand winning, one might as well just deal all the cards face up and whoever gets the best hand dealt has won.

Leaving aside lowball games where the worst hand wins, or high-low split pot games where the pot is split between the best hand and another, agreed upon low hand, this is a list of the hands in poker – from best to worst. There is actually more than 2.5 million possible combinations from a 52-card deck, and the more unlikely you are to make a hand, the more valuable the hand is.

• Royal Flush
• Straight Flush
• Four of a kind
• Full House
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a kind
• Two pair
• One pair
• High card

So, the object of the game is to make the best hand possible and thereby beat the other players. But – this does not really tell you how to play poker. Playing poker for fun is one thing, but playing poker for money is a totally different game. There is nothing wrong with sitting ‘round playing poker for fun with your friends, but to get the best appreciation for the game it is necessary to play for money. If you are just playing for fun, you will miss all the nuances that make poker one of the best card games ever invented.

There are numerous claims as to who invented poker, the French game of “poque,” is similar as is the German “pochspiel,” the English “bragg,” and Persian “As Nas.” I don’t buy any of that – what makes poker a separate game from these is the betting and attitude – not which are the best hands, and there are any number of other games that could claim to have spawned poker.

No - Poker is an American game; it started in New Orleans, and was spread by the Mississippi river boats during the 1800s. If you have ever been to New Orleans, and have understood how to play poker, you will see I am right. The game couldn’t have come from anywhere else. The earliest games were played using only 20 cards, and the first published reference to poker was in 1829. Around this time a full 52-card English deck started to be used, and the flush was introduced. The draw was also added - when it was first mentioned in print in a handbook of games. During the American Civil War, many additions were made including five-card stud and the straight. The game continued to develop in America and developments followed, such as the wild card, which was introduced in 1875; lowball and split-pot games around 1900, and community card games around 1925. Perhaps one of the biggest influences on the way the game is played was the first World Series of Poker tournament. Tournament play is different to cash play, and very much put poker in the spotlight.

None of which helps teach you how to play poker.

There are a number of things you need to do to learn how to play poker. First job is to understand the hand rankings, which will take about three minutes - there is a list above this. Next job is to take a deeper look at the hand rankings and determine what the odds of making those hands are. This will vary from game to game, depending on the amount of cards dealt, whether it is a draw or community card game, both of which increase the amount of cards you have to choose from thereby increasing the chances of making any particular hand. And of course, whether you are using wild cards, which also increase the probabilities. As an example – the probability of making a straight flush in five-card stud is 0.00000154, but in Omaha it is 0.000795. Both pretty low, but a substantial difference. I have only ever seen one straight flush in several years of playing – and it cost me $15,000 – but that is another story.

There are numerous books on the subject but an easy read is Mike Petriv’s “Hold’em Odds Book.” Once you have determined the basic odds, you are heading towards learning how to play poker. You do not need to memorize all this information, but it will help as a background to be able to make decisions. Playing the odds alone will get you into all sorts of trouble and you could do worse than read Doyle Brunsen's "Super System."

Once you have an understanding of the odds of drawing a particular hand, another type of odds should be taken into consideration. Quite honestly – I am more interested in implied odds than the actual odds. I almost only ever play no limit or pot limit. I find limit games about as exciting as watching paint dry. So what are “implied odds,”?

Simple. In a no limit Texas Hold’em game, if some one raises before the flop I will look at the amount of chips that person has in front of them and determine whether or not to call that raise based on how much money I think I can win if I hit my hand. Let’s say I am holding 8/9 suited. That is a very weak hand before the flop, but playable against some one who is announcing a strong hand by raising pre-flop. So – as an example – if he makes it $50 to go, and has $500 in front of him (or her) I am getting 10:1 “implied odds” to call that and try to make a hand – because I think I will take all his money if I hit my hand on the flop. The odds of me making a hand are almost besides the point. I will either hit and take his $500 or I will miss and lose $50.

Different games require different strategies, but a common theme to any good play is to be aggressive when you have a hand, or think you can win with a poor hand and to back down when you think you have lost - regardless of the odds – implied or otherwise.

Bluffing is a vital part of making money playing poker. If you cannot learn to bluff, you are better off sticking to limit games where the actual cards are far more important then in no limit or pot limit games.

Once you have understood the odds, it is time to develop your own style. There are dozens of poker books and I advise you to read a selection. You will then be able to determine what sort of player you are, which games appeal to you most and what strategies you wish to apply. Me – I go with controlled aggression, stick almost exclusively to no limit or pot limit and will play just about any poker game. Except the few that are serious gambling games such as banana, or games where the wild card changes mid game.