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Placing Your Bets in Poker
Poker is played in a clockwise direction. To play the game, the first thing you have to do is wager your chips. Depending on the variation, you may need to "ante up" or place "blinds". In poker games that use ante bets, all players will be required to place a minimum bet on the poker table.
For variations using "blinds" such as Texas Hold'em, the player closest to the dealer will be required to place a "small blind" that is typically half the minimum bet. The next player is then required to place a "big blind" which is the minimum bet.
Understanding Poker Gameplay
Once the small blind and big blind bets are placed, the dealer deals each player on the table two cards each, one after another starting from the small blind's position. These two cards are referred to as the hole cards because they are dealt face down.
After the hole cards are dealt, the first betting round of the game called the pre-flop begins. This is where players make their decision on whether to continue with the game or not. The player next to the big blind (under the gun) has to either call the existing bets, raise the bet, go all in or fold.
The Post-Flop and Showdown in Poker
After the pre-flop round, the dealer will reveal three cards face up (the flop) at the center of the table. A post-flop round then begins where players will attempt to form a good hand using the flop and their hole cards. Players will decide to either check, call, go all in or fold in this round as well.
After that, the dealer reveals two more cards sequentially, the turn and the river. At this stage a showdown takes place and the player with the best poker hand wins the game. Poker hands include high card, 4-of-a-kind, two pairs, straight, full house, flush, 3-of-a-kind, straight flush, one pair, and royal flush.
Summary and Final Thoughts
Throughout this article, we have explained how to play poker. Regardless of the poker variations, whether Texas Hold'em, Seven-Card Stud or Omaha, these basic rules apply when playing them. We suggest that you should play the free version of poker to fully grasp how the game works.
Playing free poker will also allow you to test different strategies without the risk of losing money. Some of the strategies which you can use in the game include the Calling Station and the Rock. These strategies can help to increase your winning chances in the game. Why not go ahead and play a poker game today!
