How To Play Poker (for Beginners)

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How to Play Poker: The Basics

We’ll look more closely at Texas Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and other popular poker variations below, but first, there are a few principles you should know that are common to almost all forms of poker.

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Standard Poker Hand Rankings

In standard poker games, your poker hand is made up of the best five cards available to you. These hand rankings apply to games like Texas Hold’em and Pot-Limit Omaha, and run from strongest to weakest as follows:

Rank	Hand name	Example	Description
1	Royal Flush		Description A Royal Flush is made out of 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, all of the same suit.
2	Straight Flush		Description A Straight Flush is five cards in a row, all in the same suit.
3	Four of a Kind		Description A Four of a Kind is the same card in each of the four suits.
4	Full House		Description A Full House is a pair plus three of a kind in the same hand.
5	Flush		Description A Flush is five cards in the same suit, not in numerical order.
6	Straight		Description A Straight is five cards in numerical order, but not in the same suit.
7	Three of a Kind		Description Three of a Kind is three of one card and two non-paired cards.
8	Two Pair		Description Two Pair is two different pairings of the same card in one hand.
9	One Pair		Description One Pair is a pairing of the same card.
10	High Card		Description A High Card refers to a hand with no matching cards.

A hand from higher up on this list always beats any hand below it for standard games. Some poker variants use additional or altered hand rules. For example, Omaha Hi-Lo includes a low-hand element, while games like Badugi follow a different ranking system entirely.

You can bookmark our poker hands page to have this useful information available whenever you play online until you feel confident that you remember the basics.

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How Betting in Poker Works

Poker games all have betting rounds, but what exactly does this mean?

In a betting round, players wager on the strength of their hands. For a betting round to end, every player must either fold or put the same amount of chips in the pot (or, if they can’t, all their remaining chips).

When it is your turn to act, you will usually have one of these options:

• Check: pass the action without betting, as long as no one has bet before you
• Bet: put chips into the pot
• Call: match the current bet to stay in the hand
• Raise: increase the size of the current bet
• Fold: discard your hand and do not take any further action in the round
• All-in: put all your remaining chips into the pot

With a good hand, you want to raise to get more chips in the pot. Betting is a sign of strength, which means that players with weaker hands will often fold. Remember that if the other players all fold, you’ll win the pot, regardless of the hand you have. This is exactly where bluffing comes in.

The core betting actions listed above are used in poker games like Texas Hold’em and Omaha, although there are key differences in the betting format. For example, Hold’em is often played as a no-limit game, whereas Pot-Limit Omaha caps the maximum raise to be no higher than the size of the pot.

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Learn Texas Hold’em – A Step by Step Example

Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker variant in the world, both live and online. The good news is it’s also an easy game to learn.

In Texas Hold’em poker, players attempt to make the best poker hand they can out of seven cards. Those seven cards are made up of the two private hole cards only seen by the player holding them, and the five shared community cards. Players may use any combination of community cards and their hole cards to make the strongest hand possible. The pot is won either by the player with the best five-card hand or by the last player remaining after everyone else folds.

When learning how to play any type of poker, it’s helpful for beginners to watch a hand from start to finish, so let’s review how a Texas Hold’em hand would play out, step by step. Remember, any player can fold whenever it’s their turn to act.

1. Pre-Flop

The player to the left of the dealer position must put in a small bet called the small blind, with the player to their left putting in a larger bet called the big blind. Every player then receives two hole cards: cards that can only be used or seen by them. This starts off the pre-flop betting round, as – moving around the table, clockwise – any player who wishes to stay in the hand must at least match the amount of the big blind.

Sometimes, no player will call, which means the player in the big blind position wins the pot, and the hand is over. Sometimes a player will raise, all others will fold, which means the raiser will win the pot, and the hand is over. Players who call each other’s bets and stay in the hand then see the flop.

In this example, the player in middle position raises with A J, and two players call.

2. The Flop

The dealer places three communal cards in the center of the table, which can be used by any player to make their strongest five-card poker hand. A betting round follows, during which players who wish to continue with the hand must again make sure they put in the same amount as each other.

Unlike pre-flop, there are no blinds to get the betting started, so it is possible for all players to check (i.e., bet nothing) and stay in the hand. If one player chooses to bet chips, however, any other players must call that amount to stay in.

The player in the middle position has flopped a pair of jacks – the top pair – and so makes a bet. The player on the button calls.

3. The Turn

A fourth communal card is dealt, alongside the three from the flop, and another betting round takes place.

In our example, we can see the turn has made a straight now possible, while two diamonds mean a possible flush draw too. The player in the middle position makes another bet and is called again by the button.

4. The River

A fifth and final communal card is dealt, so all remaining players now have seven cards from which to construct their best five-card hand. The final betting round ensues, ending when every remaining player has put the same amount of chips in the pot (or, if they have fewer than they need, all their chips), or when all players but one have folded.

The K on the river means there is no flush possible, but the player in middle position still fears the possibility of a straight, or that their opponent has a king in their hand for a higher pair than their jacks. Both players check.

5. The Showdown

Assuming more than one player remains, players reveal their hands face up and the strongest hand – as per the rankings above – wins the pot.

In our example the pair of jacks beats the pair of nines of the player on the button, who was probably hoping to hit a straight.

Pot Limit Omaha – A Step-by-Step Example

Omaha is another widely played poker variant, probably second only to Texas Hold’em in terms of popularity. You may have also heard the game called ‘PLO’ or ‘PLO poker’, which stands for Pot-Limit Omaha, since this game is most often played using the pot-limit format.

The good news is that if you’ve already played and learned Texas Hold’em, PLO poker rules will be fairly easy to pick up, with a few differences we’ll take you through. The key difference is that each player receives four hole cards instead of two, and must use exactly two of them along with three community cards, to make their final hand. Let’s follow a hand from start to finish to demonstrate:

1. Pre-Flop

Every player receives four hole cards, which only they can see and use. The player to the left of the dealer puts in the small blind, the player to their left puts in the big blind, and the remaining players must call that forced bet to stay in the hand.

In this example, the player in early position raises and is called by the button, with J♣️-T♣️-9♦️-8♠️, and the big blind.

2. The Flop

Just as in Texas Hold’em, the dealer spreads three communal cards in the center of the table, for all players to use. Unlike in Hold’em, however, players already have various options for different hands they can make, given that they have a choice of four hole cards from which they must use two to make their hand.

The big blind checks and the pre-flop raiser bets. The button has flopped bottom two pair, with the chance to improve even further to a straight or a flush. so makes the call while the big blind folds.

3. The Turn

A fourth community card (known as the turn) is dealt, followed by a further round of betting.

In the example above, the turn card doesn’t seem to change much. The player in the early position bets again, and the button calls, still hoping to improve on their two pair.

4. The River

Just as in Texas Hold’em, the river is the fifth and final community card to be dealt, and is followed by the final betting round.

The early position player bets out again, only to be raised by the button. The original bettor calls, and the hand heads to a showdown.

5. The Showdown

When betting is complete, all remaining players reveal their hole cards. In Pot-Limit Omaha, the winning hand must be made using exactly two of their hole cards and three community cards.

In our example, the early position player started off with a pair of aces and improved to three of a kind when the flop brought a third ace. The button, however, had the potential to improve to a straight or a flush and eventually used their T♣️-J♣️ to make a straight (8♣️-9♥️-T♣️-J♣️-Q♠️) on the river and win the pot.

It might seem at first glance that the player in early position has a full house (aces full of queens), but that is not the case. Since Omaha rules necessitate that players have to use exactly two of their hole cards, the best hand this player can make is actually three aces.

How is Omaha Hi-Lo Different?

Omaha Hi-Lo is a natural next step if you already know Texas Hold’em or Pot-Limit Omaha. Like Omaha, each player receives four hole cards and must use exactly two of them with three community cards to make a five-card hand. The difference is that Omaha Hi-Lo is a split-pot game: half the pot goes to the best high hand, and the other half can go to the best qualifying low hand.

The high half of the pot uses the same standard poker hand rankings as other high-hand games. The lower half follows a different set of rules. To qualify, a low hand must contain five unpaired cards ranked 8 or lower. Aces count as low, and straights and flushes do not count against the low. The best possible low hand is A-2-3-4-5, also known as the wheel.

Because Omaha Hi-Lo still uses the Omaha rule of exactly two hole cards and three community cards, a low hand is only possible when the board allows it. That means the board must contain three unpaired cards ranked 8 or lower. If no qualifying low is possible, the high hand wins the entire pot.

It is also possible to win both halves of the pot in the same hand, which is known as scooping. That can happen by making the best high hand and the best low hand at the same time.

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Other Poker Variants at a Glance

While Texas Hold’em and Omaha are two of the best-known poker games, they are far from the only ones. Some variants use familiar formats and rules for things like hole cards, community cards, and betting rounds, while other variants change the pace or use completely different rules.

The games below are just a few variants available, but they go a long way towards showing just how varied poker can be. From fast-fold formats and mixed games to point-based games and lowball draw poker.

Zoom

Zoom poker isn’t a different poker variant exactly, but it is a fast-fold format of online poker, often played with Texas Hold’em. Instead of staying at one table, players join a pool and move to a new table as soon as they fold. This allows you to play many more hands per hour than you would in a standard cash game or tournament. The core rules of Hold’em remain the same.

Zoom poker is an ideal choice for players who enjoy fast-paced action and want to play more hands than they would at a regular table. However, it should be noted that the frequent changes come at the cost of traditional table dynamics, meaning you will often play without being able to gain knowledge of your opponents’ playing styles.

HORSE

HORSE is not strictly a single game, but a mixed game made up of five poker variants played in rotation. The table is typically eight-handed, and each game below is played in a fixed-limit format for eight hands before switching to the next game:

• Hold’em
• Omaha Hi-Lo Eight or Better
• Razz
• Stud
• Stud Hi-Lo Eight or Better.

HORSE has been part of the World Series of Poker since 2002 and is the most common mixed game, often the first one new players encounter. It’s an ideal choice for players who get bored sticking to the same game and can be rewarding for players who are able to adjust to new games and strategies.

Open-Face Chinese Poker

Open-Face Chinese poker (sometimes also called OFC poker) is a relative newcomer to the world of poker and has a few key differences from traditional games. It is usually played for points rather than chips, there are no betting rounds, and games are usually played with just 2-4 players at once.

Players arrange their cards into three hands: a three-card front hand, a five-card middle hand, and a five-card back hand. The back hand needs to be stronger than the middle hand, while the middle hand needs to be stronger than the front. A popular variant called OFC Pineapple Poker has players receive three cards and place two after the initial five-card deal, allowing for greater skill.

OFC poker can be appealing to players who want a different experience from traditional poker variants. It is best suited to players who excel at planning ahead, building hands carefully, and managing a more strategic points-based format.

Badugi

Badugi is an uncommon lowball draw poker variant where players try to make the lowest possible four-card hand. This game uses an entirely different hierarchy of poker hands, meaning that traditional winning hands like a straight or full house do not carry the same power at all. Each card in a Badugi hand must be of a different rank and a different suit, with Aces counting as low cards. This means that the best possible hand in Badugi is A-2-3-4 in four different suits.

This variant is a great choice for players who want to try an unfamiliar form of poker. If you enjoy draw games, lowball formats, and the challenge of learning a new set of rules, this could be the variant for you.

Cash Games and Tournaments

Once you understand the basics of how poker works, the next thing you need to know is how the game is played. In practice, most poker games fall into one of two main formats: cash games and tournaments.

Cash games are typically played with poker chips, which have a real-money value, and players can join or leave when they like. In tournaments, everyone starts with the same stack and plays until one player has all the chips. We’ll take you through the differences in more detail below:

Cash Games

Cash games, also known as ring games, are ongoing poker games where each player may buy in for different amounts and may leave at any time. As players leave, new players can join, meaning these games can technically go on forever.

Cash game tables are usually defined by their stakes, which in turn relate to the size of the blinds. Buy-ins are often capped at 100x the big blind, so a ring game table with blinds of $0.01/$0.02 may be referred to as a $2 table, or a $0.01/$0.02 game.

Success in cash games comes from establishing good habits and solid fundamental poker play, but emotional control is also a key element. If the game technically never ends, then you only leave when you choose to do so or when you run out of chips. Make sure it’s the former!

Poker Tournaments

Each player in a poker tournament pays an entry fee and then starts with the same amount of chips, and the size of the blinds increases at set intervals until only one player remains. Rising blinds means it’s not possible to wait for good hands as the blinds eat away at your stack, so winning any poker tournament requires aggression and good timing, as well as a dose of good luck.

It’s not just the winner who receives prize money in most poker tournaments, as most pay out the top 10-20% of the field, with prizes increasing in value as they near the last player standing. One aspect that attracts many players is how tournaments have a limited downside – you can only ever lose what you pay to enter – yet often have a very large upside. It’s possible to win many, many times what you paid to enter a tournament, and big tourneys such as the World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event offer prize money in the millions, even for those who don’t actually win.

Poker tournaments can take different formats, but the main ones to be aware of are:

• Sit & Go: begin as soon as the required number of players have registered.
• Multi-Table Tournaments (MTTs): start at scheduled times, feature many players, and may offer a guaranteed prize pool.
• Satellites: award entry to more expensive tournaments instead of cash prizes.

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Limit, No Limit, and Pot Limit Explained

Limits in poker refer to how the betting works. You’ve likely heard of ‘No Limit’ Texas Hold’em, but how about ‘Limit’ or ‘Pot Limit’ games?

No Limit

Just as it sounds, there is no limit to the amount you can bet at any one time in these games. When going ‘all-in’ is a weapon in anyone’s arsenal, you never know when a small pot might suddenly turn into a huge one!

Texas Hold’em is almost always played no limit these days, but other games like Omaha, Omaha Hi/Lo, and Draw Poker are also often no limit games.

Pot Limit

In a pot limit game, the maximum any player may raise is dictated by the size of the pot. Let’s say the small blind is $1, the big blind is $2, and you want to raise the maximum, or ‘raise the pot’. Calling the $2 bet you are facing would make the pot $5, which would then be your maximum raise, so to raise the pot, you would need to put in $7. Handily, when playing online, you can bet the maximum at the push of a button, without doing any mental calculations!

Omaha is the game most often played in a pot-limit format.

Limit Poker

In limit poker games, players can only ever bet or raise in set amounts. A limit game with stakes of $1/$2, for example, means all bets must be in units of $1 for the early betting rounds (pre-flop and on the flop in Hold’em, for example), and in units of $2 for the later betting rounds.

Seven Card Stud and other stud poker games, like Razz, are usually played in a limit format.

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Advice for New Players

The sections above cover the basics and rules of poker you need to get started. We all have to start somewhere, but if you take our advice, at least you’ll be starting off with some words of wisdom from our experts.

1. Try Texas Hold’em first
   If you’re completely new to poker, we recommend Texas Hold’em as the best place to begin. It’s one of the easiest poker games to learn, and once you’ve got the basics down, it gets much easier to pick up other games like Pot-Limit Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo.
2. Practice for free before risking money
   Spend some time getting comfortable with the basics and understanding hand rankings, betting rounds, and when to check, call, raise, or fold. You can try some of our free poker games until those fundamentals start to feel natural.
3. Learn a few core concepts
   If you’re looking to advance your game, we recommend learning the basics of pot odds, getting familiar with which poker starting hands to play, and giving some thought to poker bankroll management.
4. Focus on fundamentals first
   You do not need to master advanced odds calculations right away to enjoy poker and start making good decisions. Learn the rules, pay attention to the betting, and build from there.
5. Choose the right format for your experience level
   Try to stick to standard cash games or tournaments if you’re just starting out. Many of the fast-paced variants and unusual formats we talked about above – like HORSE, Zoom poker, and Badugi – are more enjoyable once you have already mastered the basics of poker.

Interested in speeding up your poker progress? Check out our 30-day poker course, where pro players explain the concepts and principles of winning poker. It’s all broken down into a series of short videos that can help you learn to play poker at your own pace. You can also find many more articles available in our Strategy section to help you become an expert poker player online. Don’t forget to pay a visit to our Forum, where the community of friendly fellow players is ready to answer your questions.

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