For many years on end, poker has always been a popular game in brick and mortar casinos as well as online casino sites. To the naked eye, a game of poker may seem simple but experienced players will know that it takes patience to master good gameplay. If you’re new to poker, however, this article will help you learn how to play poker from scratch.
Getting started: How to play poker
As we’ve mentioned, learning to play poker is a simple task. In fact, here are 6 quick steps to help you learn how to play poker:
Step 1: You’ll begin the game by putting down a bet. This buys your seat in the game and the dealer will give you 2 cards. These 2 cards are known as your hand. You may have a look at your hand but be careful not to reveal them to the other players around you.
Step 2: When all the players have received their cards, you may now begin the 2nd round of the game. This is the stage where you can raise your bets, call bets to match your opponent’s bet, check your bets to avoid increasing your bets, or fold if you wish to opt-out of the round. Do be aware that if you raise your bets, the dealer will ask that everyone either matches your raise, raise higher, or fold in the game. This also works vice versa. If you wish to fold, you can then put your cards facing down and you will lose the bet you have in the pool.
Step 3: Once all players have completed step 2, the dealer will place 3 cards facing up on the table. You may now compare your hand to the cards that have just been placed down to see if you’re able to match up a winning hand. In some games, you may be allowed to replace one card from your hand if you wish. This can be done if you assume the replacement card can give you a better chance at winning. A round of betting usually occurs again at this point.
Step 4: The dealer will place another card facing up on the table. You may compare all the cards that are on the table to your hand and make the best winning matches. Unlike the previous round, you won’t be able to change your hand anymore, so you’ll have to decide whether to continue with your bets or to fold. A round of betting will occur before moving on.
Step 5: This is the 2nd last step to your poker game. The dealer will place a final card on the table, and you will have to compare all the cards laid open to your hand. If you’re able to make a good match between the cards on the table to your hand, you may choose to check or raise your bets. If you don’t wish to continue, you may choose to fold, and you will lose all the bets you have placed up to this stage.
Step 6: This is the final stage of a poker game where players reveal their hands. Each player may match their hands to any of the 5 cards that are on the table to create the biggest winning hand. If there are no winning hand matchups, the player with the highest value of the card will win.
