Poker’s popularity has exploded in recent years and chances are you have seen it being played somewhere. Poker is not only being played in card rooms and casinos; it is now enjoyed in RSL’s, pubs and even gentlemen’s clubs. Televeised poker is proving extremely popular and games are being broadcast daily. You may have seen celebrities having fun playing on ‘Joker Poker’ or Australia’s Joe Hachem winning USD7.5 million and a coveted World Series Bracelet.
Card Academy is designed to teach you not only how to play but how to win. This site has two parts, beginners and advanced. The beginners section provides all the necessary information to get you started, while the advanced section unlocks the secrets to winning. We are continually updating our content, so if there is a new theory or strategy about poker, you can be sure we will have it covered.
An intro to Hold’em
So you’ve seen poker being played on TV or at a venue and you’re wondering what all the craze is about. The rules are surprisingly simple and fun to learn and this is part of the reason why it has become such a craze. The other reason for its popularity is because with a bit of skill you can make a lot of money from playing it. So how do you play?
Like most games, poker must be played with at least two players. A standard game is typically played with 9 players. To determine who is dealt to first, a small round disk called a button is used. The player to the immediate left of the button will be the first one dealt in and must also place out a small amount of money called the small blind. The amount of money placed out is determined by the stakes of the game. The player two positions to the left of the button must place out a big amount of money called the big blind. The amount of the big blind is usually double that of the small blind.
Now that the small blind and big blind have been placed out, dealing can begin. Each player is dealt two cards face down called ‘hole cards’. The player to the immediate left of the big blind must act first and has 3 choices. The player can fold, call or raise. Folding is as simple as throwing your hand to the dealer and ending any chance of involvement in that particular hand. If the player chooses to call, (s)he must place out an amount equal to the big blind. If the player chooses to raise, (s)he must place out an amount at least double the big blind.
Once the player to the immediate left of the big blind has acted, the action flows left again to the next player. Like a Mexican wave, it is important that players act in turn, otherwise it disrupts the quality of the game. If a player chooses to raise, then the player left of the raiser, no longer has the option of just calling the big blind. This player is now faced with the decision of calling the raise, re-raising (an amount at least double that of the raiser) or folding.
After everyone has acted and all raises have been called and all folding hands have been folded, 3-cards called the flop are dealt face up in the center of the table. The player to the immediate left of the button (the small blind) is first to act. If that player folded before the flop (pre-flop) than the first player left of the button who still has cards must act first. Just like pre-flop action, players act in a clock-wise direction and still have the same 3 options. There is only one difference in the betting on the flop. The difference is, if there has been no bet, a player can simply ‘check’ which means the player does not want to bet and does not have to call because there has been no bet which needs to be called. Once a player has bet, then the players left of the bettor no longer has the option of checking and if players want to continue on in the hand, they must call the bet.
Once all action has been played out and there are no remaining bets to be called or if everyone has checked, the turn is dealt. The turn is the fourth card which is dealt face up beside the 3 cards already facing up. In no-limit Hold’em action on the turn does not differ from the flop action in any way. In limit Hold’em turn bets must be double that of flop bets.
Once all action has been played out on the turn, a fifth and final card is dealt face up beside the turn card. Action plays out the same as the flop and turn until everyone has acted and there is a showdown. The showdown simply means, the end of the hand where players show their cards face up and the dealer determines who has the best hand. Once the best hand is established, the pot is pushed towards the winning player.
Betting Structures
Hold’em is played in many different forms including, Limit, Pot-Limit and No Limit.
The rules of the game remain the same; the only difference is in the amount allowed to bet for each variety of game.
Limit Hold’em means that each bet is limited to an exact amount. This exact amount is determined by the size of the game. For example, in a $5-$10 limit Hold’em game, the big blind will be $5, if a player wants to raise, it must be by $5, no more no less. The flop bet will also be a $5 bet. On the turn and river the betting is doubled. If players choose to bet they must do so now by betting or raising $10. Limit Hold’em is characterized by being a ‘safe’ game because players are limited to losing only a small amount on a single hand.
Pot-Limt Hold’em means players must bet more than the big blind but no more than the size of the pot. On each betting street, players have the option to bet pot size or less than pot size. For example, in a $1-$2 Pot Limit Hold’em game, player X wishes to re-raise a player’s $6 raise. The pot is $9 already; player X first announces ‘raise’, then calls the $6 raise, making the pot now $15. Player X must raise at least the amount of the previous raiser, which is $6 or player X can raise the maximum amount which is $15. Any of the other players who have yet to act and have not invested any money in the pot must call $21 if they wish to play. Pot-Limit Hold’em’s popularity is enjoyed by veterans of the game and players who like the excitement of large bet poker without too much gamble.
No Limt Hold’em means players can bet as small as the amount of the big blind or as large as their entire stack. They are able to do this on all betting streets. The term ‘All-In’ is referred to a player who has bet or called their entire stack on a single hand. No Limit Hold’em is by far the most popular form of poker and is enjoyed for its simple rules and intriguing complexity.
Internet Poker
These days there are many different ways you can enjoy playing poker. Without a doubt the most convenient way is in your home. It wasn’t all that long ago that playing in your home, meant calling 8 friends, buying drinks, snacks, cards and chips and dealing yourself. Luckily, with the advent of the Internet, playing from your home could not be easier. All you need is a computer, and an internet connection. But how do you know what to do from here? Card Academy has taken all the hassle out of trying to figure out Internet poker. We have created easy to follow videos which explain where to download the software, how to sign up and most importantly, how to start winning.
How to construct a Hold’em hand.
Just like in 5-card draw, a player must use 5 cards to construct his/her hand. Only once the flop turn and river have been dealt and all bets been called can a player show his/her hand. A Hold’em hand is constructed using at least 3 cards on the board and two in a player’s hand. It is possible for four cards on the board to be used and one card in a player’s hand. It is also possible to play the board, meaning a player will not use any of his/her hole cards and will just use the 5 cards on the board. |
