If you find yourself in a position of playing one of your first poker games online, you are probably not looking to win big and move on to the World series. You just want to be able to hold your own hand and not look like a newbie. The poker hand rankings guide below helps you to get there and be able to confidently play with your mates, and even win a few hands. Let's dig right in!
1. Know the Rules of the Games
The gameplay is not that complicated as compared to betting strategies and knowing your table position. That being said, you should know how to play the game before you start playing poker games online. Rather than jumping right into it, try a few tutorial videos and learn about the rules of the game.
2. Get Familiar With the Poker Hand Rankings
One of the many things new players struggle with most is knowing which hand of card wins. Between the pairs, straights, and flushes, it can get a little confusing. Familiarize yourself with how the poker hand rankings work and then start playing at tables.
3. Know the Terminology
Even in a casual game, it is imperative to know the basic terminology of poker. Here is a list of terms that are most commonly used while playing poker games online:-
- Blinds : Blinds are also known as forced bets, generally put in by the two-player to the left of the dealer. Blinds are placed before any of the cards are dealt.
- Button : The button is a poker chip that indicated the dealer's position at the table. This rotates to the left of each hand and when someone is out of the game, he/she often takes over the actual dealer. But, the button must continue rotating one to the left amongst the active players.
- Call : Placing a bet equal to the last bet or raise is known as 'call'.
- Check : It basically means to not bet at all and see what other players are doing. You can only check if no bets have been placed.
- Flop : The first three community cards that are dealt at the same time after the dealer has burned one card is known as a 'Flop.'
- Fold : Fold means to forfeit your cars and any bets made by you previously in the game.
4. Know Some Basic Poker Strategy
Betting in poker is one of the hardest parts to figure out. How much to bet? When to call or raise? When to check or make a bet? If you think you have a winning hand, you would want to bet just enough to keep as many people in the game as possible. However, if you bet too high, everyone folds, and you lose the chance to win as much as you wanted to. So, having a basic poker strategy is a must. It helps you find the balance between betting too low and betting too high.
Take notice of these guiding tips and you'll no longer be the one at the table who gets taken advantage of. Maybe you'll not win every hand or every game, but you will have fun.
