Find the Best Poker Rooms Online with Free Rolls Follow our Tips & Strategies to Win Real Money

Texas is a poker game where players are not playing against the casino, players are playing against each other. The number of players at the table, in general, is between 2-10.

Each player is dealt 2 cards face down, not allowing other players at the table to know the value of the two cards is paramount to the game. These cards are known as the players ‘hole cards’. A further 5 cards will be drawn face up in the centre of the table over several rounds of betting, these cards are known as the ‘community cards’.

The basic idea of the game is for players to make a 5-card hand using their 2-hole cards and 3 out of the 5 community cards.

What makes the game so interesting and popular is the fact that not all 5 community cards are revealed at once and the rounds of betting between the following 2 cards are overturned. Of course, knowledge of the ranking of each poker hand is key to playing poker. We have listed and described all of the possible 5 card poker hands further on this page.

In order to enter a poker game or tournament a player first needs to buy-in. The value of the buy-in depends on the limits of the game. In a cash game, it is the initial amount of money a player exchanges for chips when they sit down at the poker room or table. The amount of the But-in in a poker tournament normally determines the prize money for the tournament finalists.

Each hand begins with the dealer's button (a small round disc) moving one seat clockwise around the table to the player next to the button's previous position. The first two players sitting to the immediate left of the button are required to post a 'small blind' and a 'big blind' to initiate the betting.

The big blind bet must be double that of the small blind. In each game, the value of the blinds will change depending on the status of the game. A high roller game may have Blinds as high as 100, 200 or even higher. In tournament games, the Blind Bet value will increase during the game. In both cash games and tournaments, the blind bets stay the same.

Each player is dealt 2 cards face down. Depending on the value of the hole cards the players will decide to play or fold. The player to the left of the big blind begins the betting. To play, they must match the big blind bet (known as ‘call’), or they may ‘Raise’ the bet to a higher value.

If the player does not wish to continue with the hand they will fold their cards and not continue in the hand. This continues in a clockwise direction, with each player wishing to play either matching the big blind or the raised bet.

After the first round of betting is complete the dealer will reveal 3 cards face up known as the ‘Flop’. Players who have not folded their cards then have a further round of betting where they can again fold, call or raise. Players also now have the opportunity to ‘check’.

If no betting has occurred in the betting round the player can defer their bet, If someone else bets, any player that has checked must call, fold, or raise.

The turn card is the fourth community card to be dealt. Players now have another round of betting as with the flop, however, players now have more of an idea of how their hand and their opponent's hand may develop. The betting at this stage will be strategic and can be aggressive.

The ‘River’ card is the final community card to be overturned. Players now have a final round of betting before revealing their 2 hole cards (known as the ‘Showdown’). Any remaining players will expose their 2 hole cards for the dealer to determine which player has the strongest hand and win the ‘pot’ (the chips that have been wagered during the hand).

The player closest to the left of the dealer must open their hand first, continuing clockwise around the table. Final poker hands must be exactly 5 cards made up of the 2 hole cards and 3 of the community cards and only those five cards are used to evaluate the winning hand.

The initial amount of money needed to enter a poker game or tournament.

The 5 shared cards the dealer deals face up at the centre of the table used by all players to make their hand.

Represents which player is the small blind, and rotates clockwise to the next player after each hand.

The first round of betting before the first 3 community cards are overturned.

The first 3 community cards.

The 4th community card to be dealt.

The final (5th) community card dealt.

To call is to match a bet.

To raise the value of the bet to be matched.

To defer your bet if no betting has taken place.

Where the players in the final round overturn their cards to determine the winning hand.

In Texas Hold’em, players are dealt with two down cards as hole cards. Then players receive a set of three additional cards and then a card after each round. Players make the best 5-card hand from the set of the provided cards.

This is an online poker game where you play against the house, not fellow players. You also get to place your ante bets before starting a round of free poker. Players of Caribbean Stud Poker also have an option to participate in the online poker progressive jackpot.

This is a community card online poker game where players get four cards each at the start and an additional five cards later. They must make the best 5-card hand using two of the initial cards and three of the later cards. The game is only available on selected online poker tournaments and sites.

A 7-card stud is a classic online poker game where players get dealt with seven cards in the course of the game but must make the best five-card hand out of them. In this 7-card stud poker online game, the bets are in fixed increments.

High/low Chicago is a stud poker game like 7-Card Stud. However, players make ante bets at the start. Then, each gets dealt two face-down cards and one face-up. They get additional cards with bet increments until they hit the best 5-card hand. Some poker sites offer it as a variant of 7 Stud poker.