Classic Poker Online

Featuring over forty variations, played at dozens of prestigious international tournaments and having a history of several hundred years, Poker should be rightfully considered the most popular gambling game in the world. And although Roulette holds the honourary title of ‘the King of Casino Games,’ it is Poker that’s played by gamblers in nearly every country of the world.

History

Poker is one of those very few games that has been steadily popular for centuries. It’s by no means a newcomer in the world of gambling since its predecessor games were played in Europe as early as the 6th century, whereas Poker in its current form has a hundred-year history. AlthoughPoker enjoys particular popularity in the US, this game originated in Europe, spreading in a number of major European nations, such as France, Italy and Spain. Needless to say, Poker rules followed at that time differed from those used today. It’s been speculated that the name of the game itself stems from the French word ‘poque’, the name of a card game similar to modern Poker, while ‘poque’ originates from ‘pochen,’ German for ‘to knock’ or ‘to tap.’

Another theory, however, claims that not only did Poker come into existence much later, but it emerged in the US, not Europe. Perhaps that’s why at some point it was even considered the national game of the United States, still remaining one of the most popular games in American casinos up to this day. This theory has it that Poker originated in the South of the US, so that as early as 1829 a four-player, 20-card Poker game was already known in New Orleans. During the Gold Rush, adventure-seekers brought this game to the West, and by the beginning of the 20^th century Poker had developed into its current form with the rules followed by contemporary players.

General principles

Although there's a vast variety of Poker games (a total of over 40), all of them share two main principles. First, the objective of the game is always the same, to collect the pot by building the strongest card combination possible or by forcing other players to withdraw from the game (fold), which can be achieved by using special bluffing techniques or play strategies. Secondly, no matter what kind of Poker game is played, players always have to bet. A standard deck with 52 cards is used in all Poker games, and up to 10 players can participate. A Poker game has several rounds, each round begins with dealing news cards to players (five cards are dealt).

Betting

An important distinctive feature of Poker is betting in each round. Every player makes bets until he or she wins or withdraws from the game (folds). The order of making bets may vary depending on the type of Poker being played.

• Prior to the beginning of the main part of the game, initial bets, or antes, are made. Mandatory only in some Poker games, antes are placed by all players and have the same value. In some Poker games blind bets are made.
• Immediately after the cards are dealt, players can ‘call’ (match the bet), raise (for example, double the bet), ‘fold’ (withdraw from the game) or ‘check’ (keep everything as is and pass the turn to bet to the next player). Checking is allowed only where no bet has been made in the round by any participating player.
• All-in. An all-in bet allows a player to bet all the money he or she has. This option is available only in Poker games with no limit.

Poker’s most important glossary terms as used in traditional casinos and online Poker rooms include the following:

1. Bet – to make a bet
2. Call – to match the bet another player has made
3. Raise – to increase the bet
4. Fold – to withdraw from the game and throw the hand away
5. Check – to pass the turn to bet to the next player

After all players have made their bets or folded, a new betting round begins and players’ money is put in the pot. The last remaining player collects the pot. If in the last round two players remain, they open their cards, and the player that has the strongest combination of cards collects the pot. When the game is played at a casino, the house withholds part of the pot as a service charge, so to speak.

Winning combination in Poker

The gist of any Poker game is to build the strongest combination of cards. Standard combinations (hands) are as follows, in descending order:

1. Straight Flush. This is a combination of consecutive cards of the same suit, for example, a 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of hearts or a 10, jack, queen, king, and ace of diamonds. If two or more players have a straight flush, the player whose highest card is higher or the highest, wins the game. By and large five-card Poker has over forty possible straight flush combinations (this includes four combinations of royal flush), and the chance of building a straight flush hand here is quite low, 0.0015%. In a seven-card game, for example, in Texas Hold’em (one of its most popular variations) this chance is a little higher, 0.0311%.
2. Royal Flush (Flush Royal) is a type of Straight Flush and is the highest possible hand in any Poker game. It contains a combination of ace, king, queen, jack and 10 of the same suit.
3. Four of a Kind (Quads) is a combination of four cards of the same rank, for example, four aces, four jacks, four 5s or four 2s and a ‘kicker,’ any other unmatched card. In Poker games where multiple decks are used, so that two or more players can have the same four of a kind, the hand with a kicker of higher ranking wins the game.
4. Full House (Full Boat) is a combination of three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank. An example of Full House is three aces and two 10s. If two or more players have a Full House, the hand with a higher three-card combination wins. Thus, a Full House of three 10s and two queens beats a Full House of three 7s and two aces.
5. Flush is a combination of any five cards of the same suit, not necessarily in consecutive order as it is required for building a Straight Flush. If two or more players have a Flush, the player with the highest rank card becomes the winner. If both players have the same highest card, determination is made by comparing second-highest cards, etc.
6. Straight is a combination of five cards in a consecutive order regardless of the suit. If two or more hands have a Straight Hand, the winning hand is determined by comparing the highest cards in each hand.
7. Set (Three of a Kind, Trips) is a combination of three cards having the same rank (for example, three 2s) and any other two cards of different ranks. In Texas Hold’em a Set is a combination of a pocket pair and one card of another rank. It is called ‘Trips’ in Hold’em only if the combination is comprised of one card in the hole and two matching cards that are on the table.
8. Two Pair is a combination of two pairs of the same rank and a kicker, an unmatched fifth card. An example of a Two Pair is two queens and two 3s. Pairs are compared by the rank of the cards in the higher-rank pair. For example, the combination of two queens and two 7s prevails over the combination of two jacks and two 10s. Where all of the pairs are equal, the winning hand is determined by the rank of the kicker.
9. One Pair, the lowest-rank hand in Poker hierarchy, contains two cards of the same rank and three unmatched cards. The probability of having One Pair, the most common combination in Poker, is approximately 42%. One Pair bets are compared by the higher cards, and if the higher cards are equal, the determination is made by comparing kickers in descending order.

Rules

There are more than forty types of Poker, with various rules depending on what type of Poker is played. Sometimes the differences are quite substantial. Some rules, however, are general in nature and apply to the majority of Poker games.

Card Ranking. Cards are ranked in descending order:

• The highest card is an Ace, followed by a king, a queen, a jack, a ren and onward ​to a two, the lowest-rank card. If in the last round none of the remaining players has a winning combination of cards, the winner is determined by comparing the highest card in a hand.
• Split Pot Rule. If more than one player wins, the pot is equally divided between or among the winners.
• Side Pot Rule. If a player runs out of money and can no longer bet (for example, after the player has made an all-in bet), a side pot may be created. Only the remaining players are allowed to use it.
• Stack Rule. The amount of a player’s bet should be based on the amount that the player has put on the table prior to the game. The stack may be refilled only after the whole game is completed, but not between the rounds.

Classic poker — video review