There are different kinds of
poker games to play online.
The most common are
described below. These are'7
Card Stud' and 'Texas
Hold'em'. Furthermore there
are a table where the
different hands are ranked
in order of which one there
is the best!
7 Card Stud
THE BUY-IN
You must buy-in a minimum
amount of chips when sitting
down at your chosen table.
The minimum limit is equal
to ten times the lower bet
limit of the game. For
example on a $1/$2 table the
minimum buy-in is $10, on a
$5/$10 table the minimum
buy-in is $50.
SIT DOWN
Up to 8 players plus a
dealer are seated around a
table.
ANTE
You like all other players
must ante before any cards
are dealt. The amount of the
ante reflects the table
limits. The lower the limit,
the lower the ante.
$1.00/$2.00 tables have an
ante of $0.25, and
$10.00/$20.00 tables have a
$1.00 ante.
BETTING
You are dealt two down
cards ("Hole" cards) and one
up card. The player showing
the lowest card by suit (highest
to lowest: spades, hearts,
diamonds, clubs) must
bring-in the first round of
betting with a forced bet of
half the lower limit.
The player who is to begin
the betting will be prompted.
After the initial bet,
three more up cards are
delivered (with a round of
betting after each card),
then a final down card and a
final round of betting.
There are betting limits at
each table at
InterCasinoPoker.
The stakes being offered
at the particular table
determine the limit or
maximum bet on any player's
turn. For example, at a
$1-$2 table, the limit on
any bet is $1 on the first
two betting rounds and $2 on
the final three betting
rounds. We allow one bet and
three raises in our card
room. The final raise is
capped and the only options
you have are to call or fold
at this point.
The action of the first
two rounds is set at the
lower limit of the table
structure. The exception to
this rule is when a player
shows a pair after the 4th
street the bet is the lower
limit multiplied by two. All
players have the option to
bet the higher limit for the
second round of betting. If
a player does bet the higher
limit, subsequent bets must
also be at the higher limit.
THE SHOWDOWN
Any five of your seven
cards can be used to make up
your best poker hand. The
best poker hand wins the
pot. Should multiple hands
tie, the pot is split with
any odd amount going to the
player immediately to the
left of the dealer.
If all eight players are
still in the hand on the
river, the total number of
cards needed for all the
players to receive their own
card would not be available
in a standard deck of cards.
In this case the river card
will be dealt face up on the
table and it will be used as
a community card.
START AGAIN
After a hand is completed
and the pot taken by the
winner, the dealer button is
moved one player to the left
and the next hand begins.
Texas Hold 'em
THE BUY-IN
You must buy-in a minimum
amount of chips when sitting
down at your chosen table.
The minimum limit is equal
to ten times the lower bet
limit of the game. For
example on a $3/$6 table the
minimum buy-in is $30, on a
$10/$20 table the minimum
buy-in is $100.
THE GAME
Texas Hold 'Em uses a disc
called a dealer button to
indicate where the cards are
to be dealt. Prior to the
deal, the two players to the
left of the button place
live bets called the small
and big blinds. It is called
a blind because players must
pay this amount before
seeing their cards. It's
called live because it
counts as part of any
further bets in the first
betting round.
The play begins with two
cards dealt facedown to each
player. Action starts with a
betting round beginning with
the player to the left of
the blind bets and
continuing clockwise around
the table. Players may bet,
check, raise or fold in turn.
The big blind has the
privilege of last action and
may check or raise the bet.
Three community cards called
"The Flop" are then dealt up
in the center of the table
and another betting round
takes place beginning with
the player to the left of
the dealer button. Another
card is dealt face up (called
"The Turn") followed by a
round of betting.
The fifth and last card
called "The River" is dealt
face up and a final round of
betting takes place. Players
remaining in the hand will
then show their cards and
the winning poker hand will
be awarded the pot. Any
combination of pocket cards
and community cards may be
used to make the best
five-card poker hand.
SIT DOWN
Up to 10 players plus a
dealer are seated around a
table.
DEALER BUTTON
In front of one of the
players is a round disc or
button. This disc determines
the order of betting (posting
the blinds) and moves to the
left one player at a time,
after each hand.
POST BLINDS
Before the cards are dealt
at the beginning of each
hand, the two players
directly to the left of the
dealer button must post "blinds".
To post a blind is to place
a bet before getting cards.
The player to the immediate
left of the dealer button
posts the "small blind,"
equal to half of the minimum
bet (Example: $5 for a 10-20
game). The player to the
left of the small blind
posts the "big blind," equal
to the amount of the minimum
bet (Example: $10 for a
10-20 game).
POCKET CARDS
Once the blinds have been
posted, the first round of
cards is dealt. These
consist of two cards face
down to each player and are
called the "pocket cards".
Each player can see his or
her own pocket cards. Then
the first round of betting
takes place, beginning with
the player immediately to
the left of the big blind
and continuing in a
clockwise direction around
the table.
BETTING
Bet amounts are fixed by
the table stakes. For
example, in a 3/6 table,
bets are $3 in the first two
rounds and $6 in the last
two. The bet amount can
climb a maximum of 3 times
in each round of betting. In
other words, there can be
one bet and three raises in
each round.
THE FLOP CARDS
Next, three cards are
dealt face up in the middle
of the table. These cards
are called the "Flop". All
three cards are "community"
cards and can be used by all
the players at the table to
make up their best possible
hand. After the flop is
dealt, a second round of
betting takes place, again
beginning with the player
immediately to the left of
the dealer button. All
subsequent rounds of betting
begin with the player to
left of the dealer button.
THE TURN CARD
Following the flop, a
fourth "community" card is
dealt face up in the middle
of the table. This card is
called the "Turn" card and
can also be used by all
players. It is followed by a
third round of betting.
THE RIVER CARD
Finally, a fifth and final
"community" card is dealt
face up in the middle of the
table. It is called the
"River" card and is followed
by a fourth and final round
of betting.
SHOWDOWN
Once all betting is
complete, players determine
the best five-card hand that
they can make. The player
with the best five-card
poker hand wins the pot.
Should multiple hands tie,
the pot is split with any
odd amount going to the
player immediately to the
left of the dealer.
START AGAIN
After a hand is completed
and the pot taken by the
winner, the dealer button is
moved one player to the left
and the next hand begins.
HAND RANKING
At the showdown all
remaining player's hands are
compared to determine who
has the highest ranking hand.
Listed below are the
universally accepted Poker
hand rankings (from highest
to lowest).
ROYAL FLUSH
The highest possible
ranked hand. To achieve
this hand you need an
Ace, King, Queen, Jack,
and 10 of the same suit.
STRAIGHT FLUSH
Five cards of the
same suit in
ascending order.
FOUR OF A KIND
Four cards of the same
value.
FULL HOUSE
Three of a kind and a
pair. The player with
the higher value three
of a kind, wins in the
event of a tie.
FLUSH
A hand containing five
cards of the same suit.
If two players have the
same hand the winner is
the player holding the
highest valued cards.
STRAIGHT
Five cards of any suit
in ascending order. The
ace can be either high
or low and the high
straight wins the tie.
THREE OF A KIND
Three of a kind is
simply three cards of
the same value.
TWO PAIR
Two sets of pairs.
PAIR
One pair of cards in a
hand.
HIGH CARD
Highest card takes all
in the event there is a
complete absence of the
above hands.
Notice that some of the rules
may occur different depending on
where you play. So we request
that you check up on the rules
at the site you are playing at.
