Poker Game Rules
Poker is the name given to a number of card games where players wager on the strength of the cards they hold. Poker is a game that involves a communal “pot” consisting of the players’ wagers which is awarded to the poker player who either holds the highest ranking hand or makes a wager which goes unmatched by his or her opponents.
At PokerStars
our Seven Card Stud and Omaha poker games are played in both “high-only” and “high-low split” form. In these high-low games
the best five-card poker hand for high wins half the pot
and the best qualifying five-card hand for low wins the other half. Our Texas Hold’em poker games are always played high-only with a No Limit
Pot Limit and Limit option. For a detailed breakdown of hand rankings
visit our poker hand ranks page.
All poker games begin with some forced wager over which poker players compete. In Seven Card Stud
there are two forced wagers
an ante and a bring-in. In Texas Hold’em and Omaha
the forced wagers are a small blind and a big blind. In any basic poker game
players strategically wager using a number of actions available to them. The actions are as follows:
1. CHECK – If there is no wager on the current betting round
a player may check. The act of checking passes the action to the next poker player immediately clockwise from him or her. A check does not forfeit interest in the pot
only the current right to bet If all players check during a round of betting
the round is considered complete.
2. BET – If there is no wager on the current betting round
a player may bet. If a player bets
the poker player immediately clockwise from him or her (and any subsequent poker players) may fold
raise
or call.
3. FOLD – The act of folding forfeits all interest in the pot. A player who folds is not required or allowed to wager any further money for the current poker game.
4. CALL – If there has been a wager on the current round of poker play
a player may call. The act of calling requires the player to match the current bet made by his or her opponent(s).
5. RAISE – If there has been a wager on the current betting round
a player may raise. The act of raising requires the poker player to match the current bet
and make a greater one. All subsequent players are required to call the raise or raise again (“re-raise”) to maintain interest in the pot.
On each betting round
betting continues until the person immediately counter clockwise the last bettor or raiser acts. When this person acts
the next poker round begins
or the hand is complete.
When the last bet or raise on the final betting round is called
the “showdown” occurs. This is when it is determined who wins the pot
as players show their hands one-by-one. It may be the case that there is no showdown. This occurs when a player bets or raises
and no active players choose to call the player’s bet (in other words
all players fold). In this case
the player doing the betting or raising wins the full amount of the pot.
Basic Poker Play: Table Stakes and All-In
Basic poker play is typically played “table stakes”
meaning only the chips in play at the beginning of each hand may be used throughout the hand. The table stakes rule has an application called the “All-In” rule
which states that a player cannot be forced to forfeit a poker hand because the player does not have enough chips to call a bet. A player who does not have enough chips to call a bet is declared All-In. The player is eligible for the portion of the pot to the point of his final wager. All further action involving other players takes place in a “side pot”
which is ineligible to the All-In player.
Poker has hundreds of variants. PokerStars features the most popular casino and poker games in the world. F
or more information about these poker variants
visit our Poker Room page.
–
Poker Discipline: Knowing When to Stop
Poker Discipline: Knowing When to Stop Poker is very challenging
exciting and is thus addictive. Novices get drawn into its clutches and they find it hard to get out. They want to make poker their source of income. What could be more ideal than playing your fill of poker while earning money to pay the bills? [...]
