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How to play poker
Online Poker is an exciting card game with many different variations that pits the player against the dealer to see who will make the best hand. There are many variations of the game including being dealt just three cards to up to seven cards, as well as wild cards and different payouts depending on the game chosen!
Poker Odds & Hand Rankings
While there are many variations of Poker, the ranking of hands always remains the same. The player’s hand is compared against the dealer’s hand once all the cards have been dealt and the final hands for each are in place. Most Poker games are played with a standard 52 deck of cards, though some games may include additional wild cards. Cards are generally ranked with Ace being the highest card and two being ranked the lowest card. Below are the rankings of hands from best to worst:
Royal Flush - Combination of ten, jack, queen, king, ace, all of the same suit. For example, ten of clubs, jack of clubs, queen of clubs, king of clubs, and ace of clubs.
Straight Flush - Five cards of the same suit in sequential order. All five cards must be of the same suit, for example all cards are hearts. The cards must also be in sequential order, for example 6-7-8-9-10.
Four-Of-A-Kind - Any four numerically matching cards. Four cards must be of the same value, for example the hand contains four 7’s.
Full House - Combination of three of a kind and a pair in the same hand. For example, the hand contains three Queens and two 10’s.
Flush - Five cards of the same suit, in any order. Unlike a straight flush, the cards do not have to be in sequential order, they just need to be all the same suit. For example, and five cards that are all hearts.
Straight - Five cards of any suit, in sequential order. For example, 3 of clubs, 4 of hearts, 5 of spades, 6 of hearts, 7 of diamonds. The suits do not need to be the same, only that the hand contains five cards in sequential order.
Three-Of-A-Kind - Any three numerically matching cards. For example, three Kings or three 4’s.
Two Pair - Two different pairs in the same hand. For example, two Jacks and two 5’s in the same hand.
One Pair - Any two numerically matching cards. For example, two 8’s.
High Card - The highest ranked card in your hand with an ace being the highest and two being the lowest. For example, if neither the player or the dealer have any of the other ranked hands above, then the winner is determined by who has the highest card. A Jack for the player would beat a 9 for the dealer.
Ultimate Texas Hold’em
In Ultimate Texas Hold'em, players compete against the dealer. Players make equal bets on the Ante and Blind. The player and the dealer each receive two cards. They combine them with five community cards to make their best five-card poker hand. The player's objective is to make a better five-card hand than the dealer. Ultimate Texas Hold'em allows players to bet aggressively. The earlier players commit to their hand, the more they can risk and win.