As poker’s popularity keeps growing within the united states and overseas, players new to the game itself, as well as experienced home game players, continue sidle up to the trusted safe casino poker tables asking to be dealt in.

Poker originated within the saloons of the Wild West and has probably the most game variants. It is played player against players and not just against the dealer as in Blackjack, and there is a lot of psychology involved during play. Poker takes a moment to learn as well as a lifetime to master.
The cards are ranked in descending order starting from the highest; Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace. Ace may be high or low. There are four suits; spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs, but no suit is higher than another.

You can find 2,598,960 possible combinations of cards in a poker hand you may be dealt.
In many games players must ‘ante’ a nominal amount just to have the cards dealt. After the cards are dealt, the betting starts. Players bet in to the pot in the middle of the table and it is done in turn clockwise.

The player with the highest rank showing, is the first to speak as well as to bet. He may either bet or check. By saying ‘Check’, he passes the decision to bet to the next player who can also check. If all players check, then it’s the end of the round. Everyone opens his cards and the highest hand wins.

Say you start with a $5 bet. If someone else raises $10, he puts $15 in the pot. When your turn comes again you need to add $10 difference to the pot to stay within the game, and if you want you may also raise or maybe say ‘Pot’. Pot is a raise to the maximum, meaning to bet the exact same amount as the total money accessible in the pot.

Well, I think you should now be equipped to go available and play poker. Play intelligently and carefully. Keep an eye out for tells. Know your own limits, and best of all – play to win!