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Poker FAQ - What is Poker?

What is poker?

Poker is the name given to a family of card games in which the objective is to win with the best "hand," or to stay in the game after everyone else has withdrawn or "folded."

Where did poker come from?

No one knows for sure. Some say it originated with Persian seamen who taught it to early settlers of New Orleans. The word "poker" itself is of uncertain origin and can mean either "pocket' or "bluff" in different European languages.

What is a poker hand?

A poker hand is a set of cards that match with one another in certain ways. Each type of hand has its own quality and rank. For instance, a flush means five cards of a single suit. A three of a kind is three cards of the same rank such as three jacks.

The higher the probability of making a hand, the lower it is ranked in standard poker hand rankings. But the rarer a hand appears, the higher it is ranked.

What are the standard poker hand rankings

From highest to lowest:

Royal Flush - ten, jack, queen, king and ace . Straight Flush - five sequenced cards in a single suit, ex: 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 of spades. Four of a Kind - all four cards of same rank, ex: the four queens. Full House - three cards of same rank and two cards of same rank Flush - five suited cards, not sequenced Straight - five sequenced cards of different suits Three of a Kind - three cards of same kind (rank) ex: three fives Two Pair - two pairs of different cards, ex: two aces and two eights One Pair - a single pair High Card - when two or more contestants are left in the game, and neither makes a hand, the player with the highest ranking single card wins

Single cards are ranked (highest to lowest): ace, king, queen, jack, ten to two.

What are the different kinds of poker?

There are basically three types of poker based on how cards are dealt:

Community Card- Each player is given cards face down; but aside from these "pocket" (hidden) cards, the dealer also deals "open" cards face up. These are the common property of all the players. One has to make the best hand they can by combining their pocket cards with the open cards according to the rules of the poker variant being played.

Draw- Each player is dealt cards face down. The player has the option discard one or more cards and draw new ones. The objective is to get the best hand possible by replacing undesirable cards and hoping for better ones.

Stud- Each player is dealt a mixture of face down and face up cards. That is, some of their cards are hidden, others are visible to their opponents. Players cannot opt to have any of their cards replaced.

Which poker game should I play?

Start with Texas Holdem, a community card game and the most popular of all poker games. It's easy to learn and the most widely available. You can also play video poker games like Jacks or Better. These are slot games based on poker.

How can I learn to play poker?

Learn the rules of the game you want to play. Then play with family and friends, or online. The more you play, the more you learn.

To play online, just go to poker site, register with a username, e-mail and password, and (if it's a casino), deposit money with an approved payment method. Then you can play with players from all over the world. Enjoy!