General Poker Rules
In poker, each card is given a specific ranking. This ranking
is as follows: Ace (the highest), King, Queen, Jack, 10,
9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (the lowest). However, Ace, contrary
to the rest of the cards, may alter its features and become
the lowest card, depending on the patterns used. In standard
poker, there are usually 52 cards, but when playing some
variation of poker, wild cards such as joker may sometimes
be added fluctuating the total of cards.
There are four suits in poker (spades, hearts, diamonds
and clubs). No suit is higher than another. All poker hands
contain five cards, the highest hand wins.
The use of Wild Cards depends on the poker card game played
and on the variations; wild cards take on whatever rank
or suit you want it to take. A wild card can either be a
separate card added like a joker or you may specify a certain
card in the standard deck to be wild.
The number of cards dealt is dependent on what type of
poker card game you are playing: 5-card stud, you are dealt
five cards and 7-card stud, you are dealt seven. Five-card
draw is the standard poker card game where 5 cards are dealt
to each player face down.
General Poker Rules (cont'd)
1. If the first hole
card dealt is exposed to all players, the dealer must
reshuffle and deal again.
2. If any other hole card is revealed during the initial
deal, that card will be taken by the dealer and replaced
with an unseen card. The revealed card will then become
the burn
card for the flop.
3. Each player is responsible for protecting his or her
hole
card. They must either put a marker on top of them or
make it clear somehow that they are still in play. If a
situation arises in which a player’s hole
card is not marked and the dealer takes them, that player
is out of the hand.
4. If any sort of error occurs in the dealing of the flop,
it must immediately be reshuffled and re-dealt.
5. Whenever a dealer turns a board
card before a betting round is finished, it must be
removed from play for that round.
6. When a player reveals their hole
card, they must not allow them to touch any of the board
cards. If the cards become mixed with the board
card (even if it is possible to distinguish and remove
them), the player’s hand is forfeited.
Please Note: Some of these poker rules may not apply to
online poker card games because you can not physically touch
the poker cards.
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Hand
Rankings
The hands ranked from highest to lowest are as follows:
Royal Flush, Straight Flush, 4-of-a-Kind, Full House, Flush,
Straight, 3-of-a-Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, High Card.
If two or more hands are of the same ranking, the winner
is the one having the higher images/cards. For example,
a Flush with an Ace high beats a Flush with a King high.
If the hands are still tied, then it is the highest card
not being held in common (the kicker)
that determines the winner.
In the event of hands being absolutely identical in ranking,
the pot will be split evenly between the two or more winning
players. If there is an odd chip, the winning player to
the left of the button/dealer will receive it
Click on Image for
Poker Hand Rankings
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Omaha
Omaha is a community card game in which each player receives
4 face down cards and shares 5 community cards. The winning
hand must use exactly 2 down cards and 3 community cards.
Omaha Hi is a fast paced game with relatively simple game
rules for between 2 – 10 players.
Omaha
begins by each player being dealt four down hole
cards followed by a round of betting. Once the initial
round of betting has been completed 3 community
cards are placed in the middle of the table, these cards
are called the flop.
Another round of betting occurs followed by another community
card (the turn)
and once again a round of betting. Lastly a final community
card is revealed (the river)
and a final round of betting concludes the game. Any players
still left in the hand turn over their cards and attempt
to make their best possible 5-card poker hand. Each player
must use 2 down cards along with 3 cards from the community
board.
Sequence of game play for Omaha:
1. Each player is dealt two cards face-down (pocket cards)
2. First betting round
3. Dealer turns over three community board card (the flop)
face-up
4. Second betting round
5. Dealer turns over 1 more community board card (the turn)
6. Third betting round
7. Dealer turns over 1 final community board card (the river)
8. Final betting round
9. Showdown
At the showdown
the best possible five-card poker hand, using exactly two
hole
card and three community
cards, wins the pot.
General Poker Rules for Omaha:
1. In the event that the first hole card dealt is revealed
to all players, the dealer must reshuffle and deal again.
2. If any other hole card is revealed during the initial
deal, that card is taken by the dealer and replaced with
an unseen card. The revealed card then becomes the burn
card for the flop.
3. Each player is responsible for protecting their hole
cards by either placing a marker on top of them or making
it clear that they are still in play. In the event that
a players hole
card are not marked and are taken by the dealer, the
player is out of the hand.
4. If there is any error in the dealing of the flop,
it must be reshuffled and re-dealt.
5. Whenever a dealer turns a board card before a betting
round is finished, it must be removed from play for that
round.
6. When a player reveals his hole
card, he must not allow them to touch any of the board
card. If they become mixed with the board
card (even if it is possible to distinguish and remove
them), the player’s hand is forfeited.
Please Note: Some of these poker rules may not apply to
online poker card games because you can not physically touch
the poker cards.
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Omaha Hi/Lo
Omaha Hi/Lo uses the same rules as traditional Omaha, except
for the fact that the pot is split between the highest and
lowest possible 5 card hands. A low hand must qualify, however,
in order for a split to occur. Qualifications may differ
but usually an 8 low is the standard. This means that the
low hand must not contain a card higher than an 8 to qualify.
In the event that there is no possible low hand, the entire
pot goes to the highest 5-card hand.
Omaha begins by each player being dealt four down hole card, followed by a round of betting. Once the initial
round of betting has been completed, 3 community
cards are placed in the middle of the table. These cards
are called the flop.
Another round of betting occurs, followed by another community
card (the turn) and another round of betting. Lastly, a
final community
card is revealed (the river)
and a final round of betting concludes the game. Any players
still left in the hand turn over their cards and attempt
to make their best possible 5-card poker hand. Each player
must use 2 down cards along with 3 cards from the community
board.
Sequence of game play for Omaha Hi-Lo:
1. The dealer deals each player their own four cards face
down (pocket cards)
2. First betting round.
3. The dealer turns over three-community board card (the
flop) face-up.
4. Second betting round.
5. The dealer turns over one more community board card (the
turn).
6. Third betting round.
7. Dealer turns over one final community board card (the
river).
8. Final betting round.
9. Showdown.
At the showdown players must use exactly two of their pocket cards and three board card. Players are entitled to use
any two of their pocket cards and any three board card
for both their high and/or low hand. It is possible to win
both high and low hand.
General Poker Rules for Omaha Hi-Lo:
1. In the event that the first hole card dealt is revealed
to all players, the dealer must reshuffle and deal again.
2. If any other hole card is revealed during the initial
deal, that card is taken by the dealer and replaced with
an unseen card. The revealed card then becomes the burn
card for the flop.
3. Each player is responsible for protecting their hole
cards by either placing a marker on top of them or making
it clear they are still in play. In the event that a player’s
hole
card are not marked and are taken by the dealer, the
player is out of the hand.
4. If there is any error in the dealing of the flop,
it must be reshuffled and re-dealt.
5. Whenever a dealer turns a board card before a betting
round is finished it must be removed from play for that
round.
6. When a player reveals his hole
card he must not allow them to touch any of the board
card. If they become mixed with the board
card (even if it is possible to distinguish and remove
them), the player’s hand is forfeited.
7. In the event that no low hand qualifies, the entire pot
goes to the highest possible 5-card hand.
Please Note: Some of these poker rules may not apply to
online poker card games because you can not physically touch
the poker cards.
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5 Card Stud
The major difference between Five
Card Stud and Seven Card Stud is that in Five Card Stud;
each player receives five cards as opposed to seven. The
first is dealt face down followed by the following four
being dealt face-up. Aside from that, the two games are
played in a very similar manner. Before any cards are dealt,
all players must ante.
The amount of the ante
reflects that table’s limits, the lower the limit,
the lower the ante.
$0.50/$1.00 tables have no ante,
while $10.00/$20.00 tables have a $1.00 ante.
In Five Card Stud, players are dealt one down card (hole
card) and one up card. The player showing the lowest
card by suit (highest - spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs
- lowest) must bring-in the first round of betting with
a forced bet of half the lower limit. The software will
prompt the player who is to begin the betting. The next
player to act, left of the first better, has the option
to either complete the bet, call or fold. After the initial
betting round, three more up cards are delivered, with a
round of betting after each card. In Five Card Stud games,
a bet and three raises are allowed. The final raise is capped
and the only option that a player has at that point is to
call or fold. The first person to show their hand is the
last person to show strength with a bet or raise. At the
Showdown,
all five cards are used and the player holding the best
poker hand wins the pot. Should multiple hands tie, the
pot is split with any odd amount going to the player who
last showed strength with a bet.
Sequence of game play:
1. All players ante.
2. Each player is dealt one card face-down (hole card) and
one card face-up (door
card)
3. First betting round
4. Each player is dealt one card face-up (3rd
street)
5. Second betting round
6. Each player is dealt another card face-up (fourth
street)
7. Third betting round
8. Each player is dealt a last card face-up (river)
9. Final betting round
10. Showdown
General Poker Rules for Five Stud:
1. A maximum of one bet and four raises are permitted per
round in a multi-handed pot.
2. Check raising is permitted before and after the draw.
3. Any card exposed by the dealer before the draw must be
kept by the player.
4. 5 cards make a playable hand. If dealing and drawing
cards is finished, and less then 5 cards are in any player’s
hand, it is a misdeal.
5. Draw rules are subject to house change. In most cases
a player may draw up to 4 cards during any one round.
6. In the event another player asks you how many cards you
drew, you are obligated to answer unless a betting action
has taken place since your draw.
7. During the draw an exposed card cannot be accepted. In
the event of an exposed card the draw is completed in order
and the next available card replaces the exposed card.
Please Note: Some of these poker rules may not apply to
online poker card games because you can not physically touch
the poker cards.
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7 Card Stud
In Seven
Card Stud, each player receives seven cards, three of
which are "down" cards (that only they can see)
and four are "up" cards (that everyone can see).
Your hand is determined by using any of the seven cards
to form the best hand. There are five betting rounds in
Seven Card Stud. One bet and three raises are allowed on
each betting round. Everyone must ante
(put a predetermined amount in the pot before the cards
are dealt). This amount is based on the size of the game.
Sequence of game play for Seven Card Stud:
1. All Players Ante
2. Each player is dealt two cards face-down (hole card)
and one card face-up (door card)
3. First betting round
4. Each player is dealt one card face-up (Fourth
street)
5. Second betting round
6. Each player is dealt another card face-up (Fifth
street)
7. Third betting round
8. Each player is dealt another card face-up (Sixth
street)
9. Fourth betting round
10. Each player is dealt a last card face-down (river)
11. Final betting round
12. Showdown
At the showdown, players use any 5 of their 7 cards to
make their best possible poker hand. Rarely a situation
occurs where there are not enough cards left in the deck
to give each player their own river card. However, if this
occurs, the dealer will turn one board card face-up and
it will be used as a community card.
General Poker Rules for Seven-Card Stud:
1. The player initiates the first betting round with the
lowest ranking up card. Since this is a forced bet, the
player must open for the minimum and cannot fold at this
time.
2. If the dealer accidentally flips your first or second
hole card up it will become your face up card and the third
card will be dealt face down to replace it.
3. If you are not present to act when it is your forced
bet or ante,
your hand will be taken and your bet or ante
will be forfeited.
4. In the instance that more than 7 cards are dealt to a
player, that hand is deemed dead.
5. The dealer must announce the low card before the first
round of betting.
Please Note: Some of these poker rules may not apply to
online poker card games because you can not physically touch
the poker cards.
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7 Card Stud Hi-Lo
7
Card Stud Hi/Lo (also known as Stud 8 or Better) is
a split-pot game where players receive seven cards, three
down cards (that only you can see) and four up cards (that
everyone can see). Your hands are determined by using the
best five of seven cards for your high hand and your best
five of seven cards for your low hand (if you qualify for
low).
7 Card Stud Hi/Lo uses the same rules as traditional 7
Card Stud with the exception that the pot is split between
the highest and lowest possible 5-card hands. However, in
order for a split to occur, a low hand must qualify. An
8-low is often the standard, meaning that the low hand must
not contain a card higher than an 8 to qualify, however,
qualifications may sometimes differ. In the event that there
is no possible low hand the entire pot goes to the highest
5-card hand.
7 Card Stud is played with two down cards and one face
up card dealt to each player. As soon as each player is
given his or her cards, there is an initial round of betting.
Once the first round of betting is concluded each player
is dealt one card face up and another round of betting occurs.
This is repeated twice for a total of four face up cards
each with a round of betting. Next, a final card is dealt
face down followed by the last round of betting. During
fixed limit games the first two rounds of betting are for
the lower limit amount. All additional betting rounds are
for the higher limit amount. The player who assembles the
highest and lowest 5-card hands equally split the pot. In
the event two or more players assemble the same valued hand
the pot is divided equally amongst the winners.
In order to qualify for the low half of the pot you need
a five-card hand with different numerical values from ace
through eight. The best Low hand is A,2,3,4,5 (also known
as the wheel or bicycle). The winning Low hand is the one
with the lowest high card in it. If two or more players
qualify for Low but have the same highest card, the second
lowest high card (and if necessary progressing down to the
third, fourth, or fifth lowest high card) would be the winning
hand. For example, a 2,3,4,6,8 would be a better Low hand
than an A,2,4,7,8.
Sequence of game play
1. All players ante
2. Each player is dealt two cards face-down (hole card)
and one card face-up (door card)
3. First betting round
4. Each player is dealt one card face-up (fourth street)
5. Second betting round
6. Each player is dealt another card face-up (fifth street)
7. Third Betting round
8. Each player is dealt another card face-up (sixth street)
9. Fourth betting round
10. Each player is dealt a last card face-down (river)
11. Final betting round
12. Showdown
At the showdown, players may use any 5 of their 7 cards
to make their best possible high poker hand, and any 5 of
their 7 cards to make their best possible low hand. The
highest hand wins 50% of the pot and the lowest qualifying
low hand wins 50% of the pot. If a low hand does not qualify
then the highest hand wins the entire pot. Very seldom,
a situation occurs where there are not enough cards left
in the deck to give each player their own river card. In
this event, the dealer will turn one board card face-up
and it will be used as a community card.
General Poker Rules for 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo:
1. The player initiates the first betting round with the
lowest ranking up card. Since this is a forced bet, the
player must open for the minimum and cannot fold at this
time.
2. If the dealer accidentally flips your first or second
hole card up it will become your face up card and the third
card will be dealt face down to replace it.
3. If you are not present to act when it is your forced
bet or ante,
your hand will be taken and your bet or ante
forfeited.
4. In the instance that more than 7 cards are dealt to a
player, that hand is deemed dead.
5. The dealer must announce the low card before the first
round of betting.
6. A player may use any 5 cards to make the best high hand
combinations. They may also use any combination of cards
(including ones used in the high combination) to make their
best possible low hand.
7. An ace may be used as either high or low.
8. Straights and flushes have no effect on the value of
low hands.
9. When there are an odd number of chips, the leftover chip
always goes to the high hand.
Please Note: Some of these poker rules may not apply to
online poker card games because you can not physically touch
the poker cards.
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Texas
Hold’em Poker Rules
There are three kinds of Hold'em games. In Limit games,
bets and raises are set at a fixed amount. A typical limit
game would be $10/$20 ($10 minimum bet for the first two
rounds, and $20 minimum for the last two rounds). The big
blind would be equal to the minimum bet ($10) and the small
blind would be half the minimum bet ($5). Each round of
betting is capped at a maximum number of raises, depending
on the rules of the game. In online Hold'em games, raises
are generally capped at four bets per round. New players
will start with low-limit games and gradually work their
way up to higher limits as their skill progresses.
In No
Limit Hold'em, the number of chips you have in front
of you determines the maximum bet. Players can bet and raise
by any amount, and at any time, a player can go all-in by
pushing all their chips toward the center of the table.
To call, the other players at the table must push in all
of their chips, up to the amount of their opponent's all-in
bet. This is the type of Hold'em that is played on the pro
level, and on TV shows such as the World Poker Tour and
the World Series of Poker.
Pot Limit Hold'em is similar to No Limit, except that the
number of chips currently in the pot determines the maximum
bet. This allows players to experience the excitement and
strategy of No Limit Hold'em without the necessity of a
large bankroll. Pot Limit games usually have a maximum buy-in
(the number of chips you start with) to keep the game competitive.
The game begins with each player being dealt two pocket
cards face down with five community
cards dealt face up. The player who makes the best five-card
poker hand with any combination of their two face down cards
and the five community
cards wins
the round. In a Texas
Hold'em game, a disc or other marker is used to indicate
which person is the dealer for the round. Action is always
initiated to the left of the dealer and continues in a clockwise
manner. At the end of each hand the button is moved clockwise
to the next player, who then becomes the dealer.
There are no ante in Hold'em instead; forced bets called
blinds are used. Before the cards are dealt, the person
to the left of the dealer posts a bet called the small blind,
which is usually equal to half of the minimum bet. The person
to the left of the small blind posts the big blind, which
is equal to the minimum bet.
The first two cards are dealt to each player face down
(these are called the hole
card), and the person to the left of the big blind starts
the first round of betting. (Notice that the big blind and
small blind do not get to look at their cards before betting,
thus the term blind).
In the first round of betting, each player has three options:
call, raise or fold. To call, the player must place a bet
that is equal to the last bet placed. (For the first player
in the round, this would be equal to the minimum bet.) A
player may choose to raise their call bet by an additional
amount, which the other players will then have to call.
If one's hole card are not favourable, the player may simply
choose to fold and sit out the round.
After all the players have finished the first round of
betting, the first three community
cards are dealt face-up on the board. This is called
the flop.
The second and all subsequent betting rounds start with
the first player to the dealer's left, and players now have
the option to check. By checking, the player indicates interest
in the pot without placing a bet. Any player may choose
to place a bet, which the other online
poker players must then call. Players can still raise,
if a bet has been made, or fold, if their hand is not favorable.
After the second betting round, the fourth community card
is dealt face-up (this is called the turn
card). In limit games, the minimum bet doubles in the last
two rounds of betting. After the third betting round, the
fifth and final community card is dealt (this is called
the river
card). A final round of betting ensues, and afterwards each
player turns his or her hole
card face up. The highest hand that can be made with
any combination of a player's hole
card and the five community
cards wins the pot. If two or more players have the
same hand, the next highest card in the player's hand (the
kicker)
is used to break a tie. If there is no kicker
card (the tied players have used both hole cards, or have
the exact same hand), then the pot is split between them.
The dealer button is then passed clockwise to the next player
and another round of play begins.
General Sequence of Texas Hold'em Poker play:
1. The dealer deals each player 2 down cards.
2. 1st round of betting.
3. The dealer burns a card and deals the flop.
4. 2nd round of betting.
5. Another card is burned and a fourth community card the
turn
is dealt.
6. 3rd round of betting.
7. A last card is burned and the final community card or
river
is dealt.
8. The last round of betting.
9. All remaining players participate in a showdown.
Each player makes his or her best 5-card poker hand. The
10. The person who initiated the last round of betting shows
his/her cards first.
Texas Hold’em 5 card hands may contain any combination
of the following:
A. Both of the player’s hole
card along with any three cards from the community board.
B. One of the player’s hole
card along with any four cards from the community board.
C. None of the player’s hole
card and all five cards from the community board
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