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Poker Basics
APoker is the name given to a number of card games where players wager
on the strength of the cards they hold. Poker involves a communal "pot"
consisting of the players' wagers that is awarded to the player who either
holds the highest ranked hand or makes a wager that goes unmatched by his
or her opponents.
QQonlinegames, our Hold'em Seven Card Stud and Omaha 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. For detailed
breakdown of poker hand rankings, visit our hand hand
ranks.
All poker games begin with a forced wager over which 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 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 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 to be
complete.
2. BET - If there are not any wagers
on the current betting round, a player may bet. If a player bets, the
player immediately clockwise from him or her (and any subsequent 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 deal.
4. CALL - If there has been a wager on
the current betting round, 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 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
counterclockwise from the last bettor or raiser acts. When this person
acts, the next round begins and the previous hand is complete.
When the last bet or raise is called for the final betting round, 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.
Table Stakes and All-In
Poker 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 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 the All-In player is not
eligible for.
Poker has hundreds of variants. QQonlinegames features the most popular
casino and cardroom games in the world.
Texas Hold’em (or simply, "Hold’em") is the most popular poker game in the
casinos and cardrooms of North America and Europe. Each player is dealt
two cards ("hole cards") that belong only to that player. Five community
cards are dealt face-up on the "board". All players may use these cards in
conjunction with their own hole cards to make the best five-card poker
hand possible. To view the rankings of poker hands, visit our
hand rankings page.
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