Learn Poker

Poker is played with a standard single 52-card deck. An ace is the highest value card followed by the king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2. The four suits, spade, club, diamond and heart have no value in determining winning hands.

The object of poker is to win the money in a pot, the accumulation of bets in the center of the table. The winner of a pot is the last remaining player in a given hand or the player with the highest ranking hand after all dealing and betting rounds have ended.

Before a hand is dealt, players must post big blinds, small blinds and/or antes. These are mandatory bets that entice action during a hand. The big blind position is to the left of the small blind. The blinds rotate clockwise after each hand. Antes do not rotate and are posted by each player at the table.

To the left of the big blind is the button. The button represents the position of the dealer, who has the advantage of being last to act. The button rotates around the table one spot at a time in clockwise fashion, so that each player has a chance to enjoy the advantages of acting last.

After blinds and/or antes are posted, players are dealt a round of cards, after which, there are subsequent betting and dealing rounds. During a betting round, a player can:

1. Bet:

Wager money if no player has done so before you.

2. Call:

Match a bet if one has been placed before your turn.

3. Raise:

Increase the size of a current bet such that opponents, including the original bettor, must put additional money into the pot to stay active in a hand.

4. Fold:

Give up your cards and opt out of play if a bet is due and you do not wish to match it. This forfeits your chance of competing for the pot.

5. Check:

Stay active in a hand without making a bet and risking chips. This is only possible if no bets have been made.

Texas Hold'em

Over the past decade, Texas hold'em has fast become the most popular variation of poker. Its popularity is due in large part to television, particularly the World Series of Poker telecasts on ESPN.

Players are dealt two face-down cards which are theirs alone. Five community cards are later dealt which are used by all players at the table along with their face-down cards to make the best five-card hand possible. Players can use any combination of face-down and community cards to form their hand.

Texas hold'em is a fast-paced, analytical game that requires cunning and wit. Played online, in a casino or between friends, Texas hold'em is not only a fun, but for many a lucrative pastime. Click the more info button to learn everything there is to know about this exciting game.

Omaha

Omaha is a variation of poker very similar to Texas hold'em. In Omaha, players are dealt four down cards which are theirs alone. Five community cards are later dealt which are used by all players at the table along with their face-down cards to make the best five- card hand possible. Players must use exactly two of their four down cards and three of the five community cards to form their hand.

Omaha is fast becoming a popular game with many experienced hold'em players looking for new variations of poker. Click the more info button to learn more about Omaha.

Poker Games played in the World Series of Poker

In its long history, the World Series of Poker has been a venue for players from all over the globe to put their abilities to the ultimate test in not only hold'em, but in a wide range of poker variations. The WSOP has showcased over 20 variations of poker over the decades including hold'em, Omaha, seven card stud, deuce to seven lowball, ace to five lowball, and H.O.R.S.E. Even games like five card draw and Chinese poker have found a place in World Series of Poker history.

No-limit hold'em

- In addition to the standard version, there are three other variations of no-limit hold'em played at the World Series of Poker

* No-limit hold'em shootouts - No limit hold'em shootouts are played like a conventional game of no-limit hold'em except that there are ten players per table instead of nine. Play continues until there is one remaining player at each table. Those players are then assigned to new tables. Play resumes and continues until again there is only one remaining player at each table.

This format continues until only one player in the tournament remains. Shootouts emphasize short-handed play and generally require players to play cards out of the range of starting-hand requirements. In a sense, each round is a "final table."

* No limit hold'em six-handed - No limit hold'em six-handed events are the same as conventional no-limit hold'em events except there are six players at each table instead of nine. Six-handed events emphasize short-handed play.

* No limit hold'em heads-up - Heads-up matches follow standard no limit hold'em rules of play but with two players at each table instead of nine. Heads-up strategy has conventions different from general no-limit hold'em strategy and is emphasized in this format.

Seven-card stud

- In seven-card stud, players form their best five-card combination out of the seven dealt to produce their final hands.

Players will receive a total of seven cards if they play through to the end. After the first three cards are dealt (two face-down, or closed, and one face-up, or open), the first betting round commences. The following three cardsÑthe fourth, fifth and sixthÑare dealt open, one at a time, to each active player, with a betting round accompanying each card. The last card, the seventh, comes "down and dirty," that is, face down.

All players who have not folded now hold three hole cards and four open cards. A final round of betting follows the seventh card, and then the showdown occurs with the best hand (or hands, as may be the case in hi-low) claiming the pot. In each variation of seven-card stud, a player can also win the pot before the showdown by forcing out all opponents through bets and raises that opponents won't match. In seven-card high stud, the highest-ranking hand at the showdown wins the pot.

There are three main variations of seven card stud:

* Seven card stud high: More commonly referred to as seven card stud or simply, stud. In seven card stud high, the highest hand wins the pot.

* Seven card stud low: More commonly referred to as razz. In this variation, the lowest hand claims the gold. Aces are low.

* Seven card stud hi-low: In this game, players vie for either the highest-ranking or lowest-ranking hand, with the best of each claiming half the pot. It is also referred to as seven card stud hi-low eight-or-better because for a low hand to qualify for the pot, the highest card in the five card low hand must be an eight or lower. In hi-low, aces are both high and low.

Deuce-to-seven lowball

- The WSOP offers a form of draw poker known as deuce-to-seven lowball. This interesting draw poker variation presents a different twist to poker. In deuce-to-seven lowball, also known as Kansas City Lowball, the lowest hand is the strongest. In this game, each player is dealt five face-down cards to start and the action begins with the first player to the left of the big blind. Each player either calls the big blind bet, raise or fold..

After the first round of action is completed, there is a draw, where active players can exchange anywhere from all five of their cards to zero cards (standing pat). The draw occurs in the same order as the betting, beginning with the first active player to the left of the button. The cards should be tossed face-down toward the dealer, who will issue an equivalent number of new cards from the deck. This is followed by a second round of betting, after which there are two more drawing and betting rounds. The player with the lowest hand wins the pot. The lowest and best card is a deuce and the highest, and therefore worst, is an ace. Flushes and straights count against the player, so the best hand is 7-5-4-3-2 of mixed suits, with 7-6-4-3-2, 7-6-5-3-2, and 7-6-5-4-2 being the next three best hands

H.O.R.S.E.

- The introduction of the $50,000 H.O.R.S.E championship event in 2006, won by Chip Reese, generated a lot of excitement, especially among professional players, many of whom consider it their championship event. More WSOP H.O.R.S.E tournaments have been added since then, so players who might not want to pony up five dimes can compete at more affordable levels. H.O.R.S.E combines five gamesÑlimit hold'em, Omaha 8-or-better, razz, seven-card stud high, and seven-card stud hi-low split 8-or-better–with levels rotating among the five variations every eight hands. All H.O.R.S.E events will be played as limit.

Mixed Games

- An exciting new entry to the palette of World Series of Poker events are the new mixed games tournaments. As opposed to the five games of H.O.R.S.E., the mixed games combine eight different styles of poker: deuce-to-seven triple draw lowball, limit hold'em, Omaha hi-low 8-or-better, razz, seven-card stud (high), pot-limit high, seven-card stud hi-low split 8-or-better, and no-limit hold'em.

To excel in the H.O.R.S.E. and mixed games tournaments, you need to be an all-around player, well versed in the strategies of the different games.

Courtesy Cardoza Books Please visit www.cardozabooks.com for more details.