Poker may be an intimidating game for those who are new, but with our guide to poker rules, you can learn to play and can master the game. We discuss the different poker hands that can be created and also offer some tips on how to use poker strategy to get the best results. With our guide, you will be able to learn how to play poker like the pros and will be able to engage in exciting games found at leading online casinos.
Poker rules are not difficult to understand. You will want to also become familiar with popular poker terms, which we go over with the provided poker glossary later. The rules will vary depending on what variation of the game is being played, so you may benefit from accessing some free games. With these, you can learn game rules and practice some skills before you make any monetary wagers.
Best Poker Sites in UK
Poker Hands
In most forms of poker including Texas Hold ‘Em and Omaha Hi/Lo, the following values are assigned to hands:
Royal Flush is the best and rarest hand in poker. This flush consists of 5 cards of the same suit (diamonds, hearts, spades, or clubs). If you get a Royal Flush, it’s really your lucky day! Kind of like finding a four clover…
After Royal Flush, the Straight Flush reigns supreme. This flush consists of any 5 consecutive cards that are all of the same suit. If the cards aren’t of the same suit, it’s just called a ’straight’
A Four of a Kind consists (big surprise) of four cards of the same kind. The fifth card of the hand is the highest card in your hand or on the table. If another player should also have a four of a kind hand, it’s the highest four of a kind cards that win.
A Full House is the fourth best hand, and it’s fairly easy to get: It’s just three of a kind together with any pair. If it should happen that another player will also get a full house, it’s the player with the highest three of a kind in the house that wins. I still wonder why it’s called a full house, though. Haven’t figured that one out yet!
A Flush consist of any five cards that are all of the same suit. The cards in a flush doesn’t have to be in any specific order – as long as they’re of the same suit, you’re good. And why is it called a flush then? To be honest, I have absolutely no idea, but I kind of like the taste of the word: Flush. Mmm…
A Straight is five cards in numerical order. They don’t have to be of the same suit, which makes it fairly easy to get a straight.
Three is a magic number, and that most certainly also counts when you get Three of a Kind in a poker game. It could be three 2’s or three Aces, it doesn’t really matter, as long as there’s three of them. Once you’ve found your three of a kind, you will complete your hand with the two highest cards that you can find.
As the name suggests, the Two Pair hand consists of two pairs plus the highest card that can be located. Simple, yet effective!
Find two cards of the same kind, pick them up in your hand, and you got yourself a Pair! Now just complete your five-card hand with the three highest cards available, and you’re in business!
High Card is the hand that isn’t a hand. You’ve got none of the other poker hands, so you just have to make do with the highest card available. Good luck partner!
-
With Deposit 200 £ + 100 Free Spins Play here Read the review Terms and ConditionsTerms and Conditions apply. New players only. 18+. Min deposit £10. Wagering requirement apply 35x. Offer valid for 72hr. 100 spins includes 3 deposit.
-
With Deposit 100 £ + 0 Free Spins Play here Read the review Terms and ConditionsWelcome bonus for new players only. Maximum bonus is 100% up to £100. Min. deposit is £20. No max cash out. Wagering is 35x bonus. Maximum bet while playing with a bonus is £5. Eligibility is restricted for suspected abuse. Cashback is cash with no restrictions. Skrill & Neteller deposits excluded. Cashback applies to deposits where no bonus is included.
-
With Deposit 1.000 £ + 100 Free Spins Play here Read the review Terms and ConditionsSignificant conditions: 18+. New players only. Up to 20 (18p) free spins (FS) on Fire and Gold at registration (Max Withdrawal £50). Up to 100 FS on first deposit, awarded in sets over 10 days. 24hr expiry. Locked to Fire and Gold. Up to £1000 deposit match on first 5 deposits. Min £10 deposit. Dep1: up to 300%, Max £50. Dep2: up to 200%, Max £100. Dep3: up to 100%, Max £150. Dep4: up to 100%, Max £200. Dep5: up to 50%, Max £500. Bonuses and FS winnings subject to 40x wagering requirement. Withdrawing qualifying deposit excludes player from promotion. T&Cs apply, BeGambleAware.org
-
With Deposit 150 £ + 0 Free Spins Play here Read the review Terms and ConditionsNew accounts only. Wagering and terms apply. A minimum deposit of £20 is required.
Common Traits Seen in Poker Rules
Poker hands are played out in steps, so to be successful, you must learn these and follow them when playing any game offered at leading UK casinos. Below, we explain the different steps that are taken when accessing any of the supported poker titles offered. These games can offer hours of entertainment and will provide you with great opportunities to win payouts.
It’s fun and easy to play poker. Poker Rules may seem tricky at first, but once you try out the game for yourself, it makes a lot more sense! I will go through each trait of poker with you and briefly explain each step. But first things first.
Poker requires a dealer and a minimum of 2 players, and more than 10 people may play at once. Exact Poker Rules depends on which variant of poker is played. Some tables will allow fewer or more players based on the software being used and the poker rules at the casino itself.
In most game variants, a gaming round proceeds as follows:
- The game begins with all players making a forced bet (ante)
- Players bet according to the value they give their hand
- Play proceeds clockwise, and each player must match, call or fold.
- A player who matches a bet may also raise the bet
- A player who folds loses his ante and is out of the round
- The round ends when all players have either matched or folded
- If more than one player remains, a showdown will reveal the winning hand.
Top 3 highest ranked poker hands
When playing a game of poker, your goal is to create the highest-ranking hand possible. The best payout will come when you are able to get a Royal Flush. This is also the hardest hand to make, so the rewards are quite high. Following this top-paying hand, the next hands that can offer the best returns are a Straight Flush and a Four of a Kind.
Blinds bets
Blinds bets will be in play when you are enjoying a game of poker that uses a flop. There are usually two blinds, the small and big. The small blind is a bet placed by the player that is seated to the left of the dealer while the big blind is placed by the next player to the left. These bets are both placed before any cards are dealt.
Limit vs. No limits Poker Games
When looking at poker rules, you will find games listed as being limit or no limit games. With a limit game, the amount of the bet is et before the game is played. For example, a limit game with $5/$10 will also a $5 bet at a time and on the turn and river, $10 can be bet. With no limit games, you can bet any amount starting at the big blind bet and higher.
Pot-limit
Pot limit poker games are a bit different. With these games, you are allowed to bet an amount between the big blind and the pot size. Some games will reference bets like $1/$2. In this case, the minimum bet allowed is $1 and the maximum is $2.
Fixed-limit
With a game that uses a fixed limit poker rule, the amount of the bet will be fixed for every round that is played. You will only be able to bet a predetermined amount and can only raise a certain number of times during the game.
The action
When you are learning how to play poker, you will hear of action. This refers to any decisions that are made while playing the game and is related to placing wagers. Below is a brief explanation of the basic actions.
Check
When you check, you are passing when no other players have bet. This can happen if you are the big blind or when playing any other round and all other players have also checked.
Fold
If you do not wish to continue playing the hand, you can fold. You will forfeit your bets and cannot win the hand.
Bet
You can bet after a flop when no other player has bet before you. Prior to the flop, a bet is actually a raise of the big blind.
Raise
If you have a strong hand or want to weed out weaker players, you can raise. Many players will use this as a poker strategy to get others to fold. Raised bets must be higher than the size of the prior bet.
Call
To call during a poker game means you will be matching the largest bet that has been placed or are raising the bet. If playing flop games, if no player has raised, you can call the amount of the big blind, which is referred to as limping.
The betting rounds
As you learn how to play poker and master poker rules. You will want to become completely familiar with the rounds of play. Each round allows you to engage in a betting action and can lead to a pot increase, players folding, and a win of the game.
Preflop
This is the first round of betting after hole cards have been dealt. The first player to place a preflop bet is the one to the left of the big blind.
Flop
This second betting round will consist of three community cards being dealt to the middle of the table. You will then use your hold cards to create the best possible hand and will bet on the value of that hand during this round.
Turn
The turn adds one card to the middle of the table. You can use three out of the four community cards to create the best possible hand and place your wager according to hand strength.
River
This is the final round of betting and another card is added to the community cards. Now, you will create your best ranking hand using three of the community cards and your two hole cards. After placing a bet on this last round, all hands are exposed and the winner is declared.
Table stakes for poker games
The stakes used when playing poker will vary per game and table. Each casino can set a minimum and maximum stake amount. You will find that most sites catering to UK poker players will have multiple tables featuring the same game. Each table has different stakes, catering to low, mid, and high rollers.
You have learned the basics of poker rules – Get ready to play online
Different Poker Games
Online poker is a game that combines skill, luck and strategy. That’s what makes the game so exciting!
There are several kinds of poker. They differ with regard to the number of cards used, the betting sequence, and game play. In some poker rules, it is the highest hand that win, while in others, it is the lowest. Others yet are split games where both the highest and the lowest hand can win. Below you can read about a few of the most popular poker games:
Texas Hold ‘Em
Texas Hold ‘Em is the most widespread form of poker, and the one that is played in all the big tournaments. It’s where the big money and the big fame is. Are you ready to reach for the deepest pods with superstars like Gus Hansen, Daniel Negreanu and Phil Hellmuth? Check or fold!
Omaha Hi/Lo
Omaha Hi/Lo also known as Omaha/8 and Omaha 8-or-better, is probably the most popular form of poker after Texas Hold ‘Em. Its poker rules are different from many other games in that players can choose to aim at assembling either the highest or lowest possible hand. It takes a lot of daring to go for the lowest possible hand!
Five Card Stud
Five Card Stud is one of the oldest kinds of poker, and likely had its origins in the American Civil War. Five card Stud isn’t that popular any more. Oddly enough, Five Card Stud is still played a lot in Finland under the name sökö. But Finland is a pretty strange place, too!
Five Card Draw
Five Card Draw is often considered the simplest form of poker. According to its poker rules, the player is dealt 5 cards Face Down, one at a time. The objective is then to assemble the best possible five card hand. This kind of poker was used as the basis for video poker, which today is much more popular than Five Card Draw itself.
Poker Glossary
A.
Action: Action refers to a player’s turn to play or make bets according to the poker rules.
Action card: This refers to a community card that causes much betting activity, since how it is of benefit to multiple players.
Advertising: To make deliberate moves that strongly indicate one’s style of play with a malicious intent.
All in: When a player bets it all; at least in the hand he is currently playing.
Ante: The forced bet made before the round begins.
B.
Bank: Same as the house. The player responsible for distributing chips.
Bankroll: The full amount of money that a player has at his disposition.
Big blind: The larger of the two forced bets made in for example Texas Hold ’Em.
Bleed: To repeatedly loose a lot of chips due to bad play.
Bluff: Making a bet with a poor hand, so as to confuse opponents and gain advantage.
C.
Call: To match or raise a bet.
Cap: The limit to the number of times a bet can be raised during a round.
Chase: To continue playing a statistically hopeless hand because one has money in the pot.
Check: To pass over one’s opportunity to make a further bet.
Continuation bet: The bet made after the flop by the player who was in the lead with regard to betting.
D.
Dead hand: A players hand that may not participate in the deal, because some sort of foul play has been made.
Dealer: The person dealing cards. Depending on context, this may either be a casino employee or a passive player.
Deuce: A playing card with the value two.
Donkey: A player that is obviously weaker than the other players. Sometimes also called a fish.
Drop: Same as to fold.
F.
Flash: A flash is when a card is exposed by accident to one or more players, and must be shown to all players before it is discarded.
Float: To call a bet with the intention to bluff in a later round.
Fold: To discard one’s hand and thus loose one’s ante as well as the ability to compete for the pot.
Fouled hand: A hand that is ruled unfit for play, because of some irregularity or break of the poker rules.
Full ring: A poker game of six or more players, often between 9 and 11 players.
H.
Heads up poker: A game played one against one.
H.O.R.S.E.: A tournament involving five different poker games with different poker rules played in succession.
P.
Pat: A hand that is already complete without having to resort to the community cards.
Poker face: A facial expression and bodily posture that does not reveal anything about what cards the player might be holding.
Pot: The sum of money wagered by players during a game.
Push: To make an all in bet.
R.
Raccoon: A bad/in-experienced player.
Rake: A commission payed to the casino or card room by players prior to a tournament.
Rakeback: A refund of part of the rake that was payed by the player. The donor is usually a third party with financial interest in the given player.
River: The expression ’a river card’ refers to the final card that is dealt in a hand of poker. Hereafter follows a final round of betting, and, if necessary, a show down.
Rock: A player with a very strict approach to the game. He or she will play only play the best of hands and discard others.
Royal cards: Royal cards is a synonym for picture cards.
S.
Satellite tournament: Tournaments in which the main prize is the entrance ticket to other larger tournaments.
Scoop: A scoop refers to winning both the high and low halves of the pot in a high/low poker game.
Shoe: Refers to a collection of multiple decks of cards, in land-based casinos held in a plastic container.
Shorthanded: A game with six people or fewer participating.
Showdown: If more than one player is left after the last betting round, they will put their cards down and the one with the best hand wins.
Sit and go: Tables where you can come and go as you like, within a pre-given time frame.
Straddle bet: A straddle bet is an optional bet made after the blind bets are posited.
T.
Tell: A tell is anything that can hint at a players true intention or state of mind during play.
Tilt: A player acting through mental confusion or upset.
Toke: A tip given to a dealer in a casino by the winner of a pot.
U.
Under the gun: Being to the direct left of the blind in Omaha or Texas Hold ’Em, thus being obliged to bet first according to the poker rules.
Up the ante: To make the bets bigger.
W.
Window card: A card that is turned up in Stud Poker.
Walk: When all players choose to fold to the big blind.
Frequently asked questions about poker rules
The best poker game to play is Texas Hold’Em. This is the most popular version of poker and with the use of community cards, you have better chances of creating a strong poker hand and enjoying the possibility of winning the pot.
When learning how to play poker, you must understand how limit and no limit games vary. The main difference is that limit games allow large bets to be placed by the best players while no limit games are driven by implied odds and smaller bet amounts are placed during rounds.
With poker rules, there is the All In rule. This means that you will not be forced to forfeit a hand if another player bets more than what you have in your bankroll. Instead, to stay in the game, you will declare All In, which means you are betting the remainder of your chips.
The ability to buy more chips will be determined by the poker rules that are in place at the casino. Some sites will allow you to buy more chips if you want to raise the bet. Other sites will limit a buying option after a game has already started.
