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Online Poker Strategy
Welcome to InterPoker’s strategy guide.
Whether you want to learn the basics, or
pick up some advanced tips from the pros,
this section will have something for you.
Packed with valuable information from
various aspects of the game of poker, this
definitive guide will steer you towards
turning your cards into cash.
How to Play Poker
Poker has grown immensely over recent years;
the excitement of the card game, the battle
of wits against your opponents, the thrill
of winning cash straight over the table.
The game has been around for hundreds of
years, but still generates phenomenal
interest with new players getting involved
every day.
There are several varieties of the game.
InterPoker offers Texas Hold’em, Omaha High,
Omaha High/Low, and 7 Card Stud.
Choose your preferred game from the
navigation bar on the left to learn more
about that game, from basic rules to
advanced strategy!
Texas Holdem Rules
Buy-in
Players must ‘buy-in’ with a minimum amount
of chips when sitting down at a table. The
minimum buy-in amount is equal to ten times
the lower bet limit of the game. For example
on a $3/$6 table the minimum buy-in is $30,
on a $10/$20 table the minimum buy-in is
$100.
Game Summary
A ‘dealer button’ is used to indicate where
the cards are to be dealt from. The two
players to the left of the button must place
bets called the ‘small blind’ and ‘big
blind’. It is called a blind because players
must place a bet before seeing their cards.
The play then begins with two cards dealt
facedown to each player. Action starts with
a betting round beginning with the player to
the left of the big blind, and continues
clockwise around the table. Players may bet,
check, raise or fold in turn. The big blind
has the privilege of last action with the
benefit of seeing how the other players at
the table have bet in each round.
Three community cards (known as "The Flop")
are then dealt in the center of the table
and another betting round takes place
beginning with the player to the left of the
dealer button. Then another card is dealt
face up (known as "The Turn") followed by a
round of betting. The fifth and final card
(known as "The River") is dealt face up and
a final round of betting takes place.
Players remaining in the hand will then show
their cards and the winning poker hand will
be awarded the pot. Any combination of
pocket cards and community cards may be used
to make the best five-card poker hand.
Sit Down
Up to 10 players are seated around a table.
Dealer Button
The Dealer Button is a round disc that is
passed from player to player (clockwise)
just before each set of new cards is dealt.
This disc determines the order of betting
and blind posting.
Post Blinds
Before any cards are dealt, the two players
directly to the left of the dealer button
must post "blinds". To post a blind is to
place a bet before seeing your cards.
The player to the immediate left of the
dealer button must post the "small blind,"
which is half the minimum bet (e.g. $5 for a
$10/$20 table). The player to the left of
the small blind posts the "big blind," which
is the amount of the minimum bet (e.g. $10
for a $10/$20 table).
Pocket Cards
Once the blinds have been posted, two cards
are dealt face down to each player, called
the "pocket cards". At this stage, each
player can see his/her pocket cards only.
The first round of betting then takes place,
beginning with the player immediately to the
left of the big blind and continuing
clockwise around the table.
Betting
Bet amounts are fixed by the table stakes.
E.g. on a $3/$6 table, bets are $3 in the
first two rounds and $6 in the last two.
There can be one bet and three raises in
each round, i.e. the bet amount can climb a
maximum of 3 times in each round of betting.
The Flop
Next, three cards are dealt face up in the
middle of the table. This is known as “The
Flop”. These cards are "community" cards,
i.e. they can be used by all the players at
the table to make up their poker hand.
After the flop is dealt a second round of
betting takes place, beginning again with
the player immediately to the left of the
dealer button (as with all subsequent rounds
of betting).
The Turn
Following the flop, a fourth "community"
card is dealt face up in the middle of the
table. This card is called the "Turn" card
and can also be used by all players. It is
followed by a third round of betting.
The River
The fifth and final "community" card is
dealt face up in the middle of the table
known as “The River”, followed by a final
round of betting.
Showdown
Once all betting is complete, players lay
down their cards in what’s known as ‘The
Showdown’, displaying their hand to the rest
of the table. The player with the best
five-card poker hand wins the pot. Should
multiple hands tie, the pot is split with
any odd amount going to the player to the
left of the dealer.
Start Again
After a hand is completed and the pot has
been won, the dealer button is moved one
seat clockwise and the next hand begins.
Omaha High Poker Rules
Buy-in
To begin, players must ‘buy-in’ with a
minimum of ten times the lower bet limit of
the game. For example on a $3/$6 table the
minimum buy-in is $30; on a $10/$20 table
the minimum buy-in is $100.
Game Summary
Omaha High uses a marker called the ‘dealer
button’ to indicate where the cards are to
be dealt from. Prior to the deal, the two
players to the left of the dealer button are
forced to place bets called the ‘small
blind’ and the ‘big blind’. It is called a
blind because players must place a bet
before they see their cards.
Play begins with four cards dealt facedown
to each player. Action starts with a betting
round beginning with the player to the left
of the blind bets and continuing clockwise
around the table. Players can bet, check,
raise, or fold, in turn. The big blind has
the privilege of the last action and the
benefit of seeing how the other players at
the table are betting.
Three community cards known as "The Flop"
are then dealt in the center of the table,
at which point another round of betting
takes place, starting with the player to the
left of the dealer button. Another card is
dealt face up (known as "The Turn") followed
by a round of betting.
The fifth and last card called "The River"
is dealt face up. A final round of betting
takes place, following which the remaining
players must show their cards to the table.
The winning poker hand will then be awarded
the pot. This winning hand must be formed
using only two pocket cards, and any three
community cards.
Sit Down
From 6 to 10 players are seated around a
table.
Dealer Button
To determine the order of betting and
posting of blinds, a marker is used, known
as the ‘dealer button’. This button moves
clockwise around the table, being passed to
the next player at the start of every new
hand.
Post Blinds
Before cards can be dealt at the start of
each hand, the two players directly to the
left of the dealer button must post
“blinds”.
The player to the immediate left of the
dealer button posts the "small blind" (half
of the minimum bet, e.g. $5 for a $10/$20
game). The player to the left of the small
blind must post the "big blind" equal to the
amount of the minimum bet (e.g. $10 for a
$10/$20 game).
Pocket Cards
Once blinds have been posted, the first
round of cards are dealt. These consist of
four cards dealt face down to each player
known as "pocket cards". At this stage, each
player can see his or her own pocket cards
only.
Then the first round of betting is initiated
by the player immediately to the left of the
big blind, and continuing clockwise around
the table.
Betting
Bet amounts are fixed by the table stakes.
For example, on a $3/$6 table bets are $3 in
the first two rounds and $6 in the last two.
The bet amount can climb a maximum of 3
times in each round of betting, i.e. there
can be one bet and three raises in each
round.
The Flop
Next, three cards are dealt face up in the
center of the table, known as “The Flop”.
These are “community cards”, meaning all
players at the table can use them to make
their best possible Poker hand.
Once the flop has been dealt, there is a
second round of betting, again starting with
the player immediately to the left of the
dealer button. All subsequent rounds of
betting will begin with this same player.
The Turn
Following the flop, a fourth community card
is dealt. This card is called “The Turn"
card, and is followed by a third round of
betting.
The River
The fifth and final community card is now
dealt, known as “The River” and again is
followed by a round of betting. This is the
forth and final round.
Showdown
Once all betting is complete, the winner is
determined by who has the best five-card
hand consisting of two of their four pocket
cards and three of the five community cards.
Only two of the four pocket cards dealt can
be used, therefore if a player is dealt four
kings, only two of the kings count toward
the final hand; the remaining three cards
must come from the community cards.
If multiple hands tie, the pot is split with
any odd amount going to the player
immediately to the left of the dealer. As in
Texas Hold'em a marker is used to indicate
the dealer's position. The button moves
clockwise around the table, passed to each
player in turn at the start of each new
hand. Position is vitally important in the
game of Poker, so this will give every
player an equal chance to capitalize on good
positional play.
Start Again
After a hand is completed and the pot taken
by the winner, the dealer button is moved
one seat clockwise and the next hand begins. |
