Poker Rules, Bets, Odds & PayPoker Rules, Bets, Odds & Payoutsouts

Would you like to learn more about the rules of poker at best online casinos or just refresh your knowledge? Then you will be well helped here. This article provides a detailed explanation of the poker rules, bets, odds, payouts, hand values ​​and other basic concepts.

Essential Part of the Poker Game at Non GamStop Casinos: Learn the Poker Rules! 

In the game of poker you have no control over the cards you get in your hand, but you do have control over what you do with them. In addition to a portion of luck, skills such as strategy, probability calculation, insight and timing play an important role. In order to make the right decisions, it is essential to be familiar with the poker rules, hand values ​​and possible card combinations. 

The rules are an essential part of the game of poker and the basis for any success at the poker table. Those who rely solely on luck often miss the mark more than once. Fortunately, with this poker explanation for beginners (and advanced players who need some refresher), you will learn in no time everything you need to know before you start playing poker for money. 

Purpose of Poker

Let’s start at the beginning: the game objective. The goal of poker is to make the highest possible card combination. In each variant you have an x ​​number of cards in hand (hole cards) and open cards on the table that you can use to create the best poker hand. For example, Texas Hold’em rules require you to have two face-down and five face-up community cards to create the best five-card hand. 

However, the actual goal of poker is mainly to come out on top and get the chips from the opponent(s). During the poker game there are various moments when you can bet with the aim of winning the pot. You can bet because you have the strongest card combination in poker, but you can also bluff. Of course, all within the lines of the applicable rules.  

Poker Hand Order at Non GamStop Casinos: Hand Values ​​in Poker 

The poker rules distinguish ten poker hands, combinations of cards with a specific value. Below you will find an overview of the order in which cards are arranged in poker – from highest to lowest:

Ranking of the hand values ​​of poker hands: from high to low

In most community card poker games, such as Texas Hold’em, the game is divided into different phases, called ‘pre-flop’, ‘flop’, ‘turn’, ‘river’ and ‘showdown’. The first four are not only well-known betting rounds, but also refer to the community cards that are dealt face up on the table and can be used to create the best poker hand. 

Pre-flop

The first betting round in poker before the flop, in which everyone has received two cards face down from the dealer. 

Flop

The first three community cards that the dealer turns face up on the table. This happens immediately after the pre-flop. It is immediately the signal for the second betting round.

Turn

The fourth community card that is turned over by the dealer, resulting in a third betting round.

River

The fifth community card that comes face up on the table and can be used to make a good hand. This is followed by the final betting round and a possible showdown.

Showdown

If two or more participants remain after the last betting round, they must show their cards to determine who has the best poker hand. The winner will of course take the pot! 

All Betting Rounds in Poker at Non GamStop Casinos

Dealer Button

The ‘dealer button’ or ‘button’ for short is a flat plastic disc that makes it clear who the dealer is in each round. It also immediately indicates the order in which the game is played, clockwise from left to right.

That is important to know, because in poker order is crucial, and not just in terms of cards. On the button you play against others from a late position, which gives you more information to make the right decisions. The later your turn in a hand, the better. 

Big & Small Blinds

The blinds refer to two positions at the poker table that require mandatory wagers to be paid at the start of each hand: 

• Small blind (SB): first mandatory bet in poker, for the player immediately to the left of the dealer. This is usually half of the big blind; 

• Big blind (BB): second mandatory bet at the table, for the player to the left of the small blind. This is the minimum bet at the table. 

In some games and tournaments you will encounter another mandatory bet in the poker rules: antes – extra amounts that all participants must put into the pot before the round starts. In this way, they want to ensure that players do not play too tight poker and bet (more).

No Limit, Pot Limit & Fixed Limit Explained

If you want to play real money poker, you need to be familiar with the betting structures and associated poker rules. Every poker game comes with its own limits. We briefly go through the most important ones below: 

No Limit

The name says it all: in No Limit Poker there is no limit to play poker. Players can bet or raise any amount on any hand, making it easier for players with a large budget to bluff players with high stakes. 

Pot Limit

In the Pot Limit Poker rules, the amount with which someone can play poker is linked to the size of the prize pool. Players can bet up to and including the amount of the current pot in the hand. That is the limit, hence the name. 

Fixed Limit

In Fixed Limit Poker, players can only bet, call or raise up to a fixed amount. This ‘fixed limit’ is explicitly mentioned in the poker rules and varies per table.