How to play poker rules. Rules of poker. Card games

One of the most entertaining and famous card games in the world is poker. Every year in all corners of the planet, more and more fans of this entertaining card game become more and more. And with the spread of poker on the Internet, it became even easier to play it. The most popular version of this exciting game is Texas Hold'em. More and more people are interested in how to play poker. The rules of the game can be studied in a short time, and their development will not cause serious difficulties. To better understand the psychology of poker, it is advisable to study its history.

The history of the game

Among poker theorists, there is no consensus on the origin of this card game. Reliable information about what game was the predecessor of poker, also does not exist. Researchers agree that he is a symbiosis of several card games.

Some people believe that poker, like most ancient gambling games, originated in China in the tenth century AD. Instead of cards, the Chinese used dominoes with a special pattern. Also, the predecessor of poker may be the German game "Pochspiel" or the Indian 96-card game "Ganjifa". The course of the game and the rules of poker have some similarities with these ancient variants.

Most likely, the progenitor of poker in modern form was the French game of the XV century called "Pogue". In the game process, 52 cards were used (as in the modern one) and four jokers. The game included bets and the possibility of a bluff. It was in this form that it was brought by French travelers to Canada, and then to the United States.

She was also fond of the military during the Civil War. However, the progenitor of the modern version of poker, which gave the game a name, is Jonathan Green, who in prison learned how to play poker. He learned the rules thoroughly, because he was a real fan of this gambling pastime.

Texas Hold'em: History and Modernity

It is believed that the first time in Texas Hold'em played in the town of Robstown, which is, of course, in Texas, in 1900. Since then, a lot of time has passed, and poker has won a lot of fans - largely due to the World Series of Poker (World Series of Poker). For the first time this holiday of excitement was held in Las Vegas (in the casino "Podkova") and still gathers a large audience around the world.

The desire of more and more people to play poker, as well as the development of Internet technologies, allowed to hold tournaments on card games online. Many websites provide services for online tournaments and cash games on poker, since the nineties of the twentieth century.

How to play poker? Poker Rules

There are several modern versions of the game:

1. Texas Hold'Em (Texas Hold'em). The rules of Texas poker are the simplest, therefore the number of fans of this variety is greatest. The player is given two cards on his hands. It is necessary to collect the strongest combination of five cards, that is, choose from their two that are distributed in closed, and the five common ones that are laid out on the table.

2. Omaha (Omaha). The principle of the game is the same as hold'em, but four cards are dealt on the hands, two of which must necessarily participate in the composition of the combination. A variation of Omaha is Omaha Hi / Lo, the feature of which is that at the end of the auction the winning bank is shared by players with the strongest and weakest combination.

3. 5 Card Draw (five-card draw-poker) is the traditional and oldest kind of poker. Five cards are dealt into the closed hands, and the opponents do not have the opportunity to look at common cards, which complicates the possibility of guessing the desired combination.

4. Seven Card Stud (seven-card Stud Poker). The rules of poker provide for the distribution of seven cards to each player. Thus three surrender in closed, and four - shine. After that, the player also makes a combination of five cards.

There are also other types of poker, however they are not so popular.

Kinds of Hold'em

Whenever possible increases in rates and the way the bank is formed, the rules of poker include the following types of hold'em:

1. Fix limit - the bet size is limited for each round, this is a predetermined value.

2. Pot limit - the player's bet size should not exceed the total value of the pot.

3. No limit - the player's bet is not limited to anything.

4. Mixed - the type of bet limit is alternated from unlimited to fixed and vice versa.

Seniority and varieties of combinations

Whichever poker is chosen, the rules of the combination of cards and their seniority are preserved. Thus, the hierarchy of card combinations has the following form.

Possible actions of players

Poker Texas Hold'em rules provide for the following actions of players during the auction:

1. Bet (bet) - the attacking bet of the player in the absence of bets in front of it.

2. Call (call) - equalizing the rates of previous players.

3. Raise, re-raise (raise, re-raise) - raise the rate of previous players.

4. Fold (pass) - an action that indicates the discard of cards and the refusal to continue the game until the next hand.

5. Check - a zero bet that transfers the right to the next player. A check from all players allows you to see the next card for free.

6. All-in (all-in) - a bet equal to all the player's chips. It is put as a confirmation of the strength of your own hand, or if the number of chips a player has less than the opponent's previous bet.

Card distribution - start of the game

At the beginning of each game, the player is dealt two "hole" cards, which in many ways prejudge the prospects of the future distribution. An analysis of the cards dealt, as well as the position of the player at the table lead to a conclusion about the strength of the hand and the need to continue the game or reset the cards in pass. The same cards in different positions can have absolutely different strength.

Why put the blinds

The defining feature of poker is the need to make mandatory bets in each hand. This increases the gambling and dynamics of the game as a whole. Further - extremely important information for those who want to learn how to play poker. The rules of this game include the position of the dealer, which is symbolically denoted by a large button (button) and moves clockwise throughout the game. The position of the dealer is the most promising and profitable, since it leaves the player with the right of the last move.

Two players who are after the loaf have the worst position, since they must make binding bets regardless of the strength of the hands handed to them. From their contributions, called blinds, the initial bank is formed.

So, the first mandatory player is to the left of the dealer and is called the small blind. Then follows big blind (big blind) - a player whose mandatory bet is twice as large as that of the small blind. After the compulsory bets are placed, these two players are given complete freedom of action.

Preflop

The first round of betting, at which bets are made depending on the strength of the hands handed out and the position relative to the loaf. If the cards are too weak, or the position is unprofitable, it is advisable to fold the cards into the pass. In other cases, you can call, raise, or put all your chips. After this round of trading, a primary bank is formed.

Flop

On the flop (flop), three community cards are distributed and laid out on the table, which are primary when forming combinations and prospects (draws) in a combination. Seeing this, players make decisions about the strength of their cards (available and possible) and conduct a second round of bidding.

Turn

The next stage, which is not reached by all players, is the turn. On the table is the next common card (already the fourth). All players who have not folded the cards in a pass, in the same order, make bets using the options of the actions considered earlier.

The River

At the final stage of trading, the fifth card, called the river (river), is laid out on the table. Now all players have fully formed combinations. The last round of trades is held, which clarifies the winner of the hand.

Opening and determining the winner

After the completion of the last round of bidding, the winner is determined who will take the bank. The rules of poker for beginners say that when compiling the best combination of the player can be used as 2 pocket cards, and general, lying on the gaming table. The winner is the player who collected the best combination of five cards. Also, players can divide the banks with equal combinations both between two and several players (split-bank).

Learning the rules of poker will allow you to plunge into the world of excitement with a cycle of bets, combinations and beautiful hands.