Poker School

FULL HOUSE

Three cards of one rank plus two cards of another rank.

In a showdown among players holding full houses, the hand with the highest three of a kind wins. 7h 7s 7d 3h 3s beats 6s 6c 6h Ad Ah. If multiple hands each contain the same three of a kind (which could occur in a community card game), the hand with the highest pair wins. Kd Kh Ks As Ac beats Kd Kh Ks Qh Qd.

FLUSH

Five cards of the same suit.

In a showdown among players holding flushes, the hand topped with the highest one or more cards wins. When the top card is tied, the next card is compared; when the top two cards are tied, the third card is compared; and so on. Ah 8h 7h 6h 5h beats Ks Qs Js 9s 8s, and Jd 10d 9d 8d 4d beats Jc 10c 9c 7c 6c.

STRAIGHT

Five consecutive cards. An ace can be high or low.

In a showdown among players holding straights, the hand with the highest top card wins. Ts 9d 8d 7c 6c beats 8s 7h 6h 5c 4c.

FOUR OF A KIND

Four cards of the same rank. Also known as quads.

In a showdown among players holding four of a kind, the hand with the highest rank wins. Kd Kc Kh Ks 5d beats Jc Jh Jd Js Ad. If multiple hands each contain the same four of a kind (which could occur in a community card game), the hand with the highest side card wins. Kd Kc Kh Ks Ah beats Kd Kc Kh Ks Qd.

ROYAL FLUSH

Five cards in sequence with all five cards of the same suit.

The highest straight flush, having an ace as its high card, has a special name, royal flush.

THREE OF A KIND

Three cards of the same rank. Also known as trips or, especially in flop games, a set.

In a showdown among players holding three of a kind, the hand with the highest rank wins. Jh Jc Js 3d 2c beats 10s 10c 10h Ah Kc. If multiple hands each contain the same three of a kind (which could occur in a community card game), the hand with the highest side cards wins. Jh Jc Js Ah Kc beats Jh Jc Jd Ah Qd.

TWO PAIRS

Two cards of one rank plus two cards of another rank.

In a showdown among players holding two pair, the hand with the highest pair wins. As Ac 2h 2s 3d beats Kd Kc Qh Qs Jd. In a showdown among players holding the same top pair, the hand with the highest second pair wins. 10s 10c 8s 8c 4d beats 10h 10d 7s 7h Ad. In a showdown among players holding the same two pairs, the hand with the highest side card (also known as kicker) wins. Jh Jd 9h 9d 4h beats Js Jc 9c 9s 3s.

ONE PAIR

Two cards of the same rank.

In a showdown among players holding one pair, the hand with the highest pair wins. Ah Ad 5d 4h 3c beats Kh Kd Ac Qd Js. In a showdown among players holding the same pair, the hand with the highest one or more side cards wins. Js Jh 9d 8s 4d beats Jc Jd 9h 8c 3s.

1. The two players to the left of the dealer put out blind bets. The player directly to the dealer's left puts out the small

blind while the player two to the dealer's left puts out the big blind.Don't know what blinds are?

2. Every player is dealt two cards, face down. These are called hole or pocket cards.

3. The action, or the first move, falls on the player to the left of the big blind. She can either call the bet, raise it, or fold.

Betting continues around the table, clockwise.

4. After the betting is completed, three cards are dealt face up in the center of the table, which is referred to as the board.

The first three cards in Texas Hold'em are called the flop. These cards are “community cards” meaning everyone can

(and will) use them in combination with their own hole cards to make the best hand.

5. From the flop on, betting begins with the player to the dealer’s left, who can check or bet.

6. A fourth card is dealt face up onto the board. This is called Fourth Street or the turn card.

7. Another round of betting.

8. The final card is dealt face up. This card is also called Fifth Street or the river.

9. A final round of betting occurs. The remaining players show their cards and the person who can make the best five

card hand by combining their pocket cards with the cards on the board wins.Note: In some rare cases in Texas

Hold'em, the five cards making up the board will actually be the best hand, in which case everyone left in the hand

divides up the pot.

10. And now you know how to play and all the basic Texas Hold'em rules!

Let’s start off with a list of poker terms that you’ll need to be familiar with.

All-in- When a player puts all of his chips into the pot he is said to be all-in. That player does not participate in anymore bets above his all-in amount. A side pot is created for the other players. The all-in player is eligible for the main pot only.

Ante – A small forced bet that all players are required to post before the deal. An ante is used in stud poker versus posting blinds as in hold‘em. Antes are also common in tournaments in addition to the blinds at the later levels.

Back Door – A hand which is made back door requires both the turn card and river card to make the hand. An example would be holding a three flush after the flop and needing two more of the same suit to complete your flush. This is also called runner/runner.

Bad Beat – A good hand that is “cracked” or beaten by a better hand that usually was way behind but hit a lucky draw. Every poker player has more than one bad beat story to tell!

Big Slick – This is the nickname for the two card holding of Ace-King.

Blinds – The mandatory bets made by the first two players to the left of the dealer button. They are called the small and big blinds.

Bluff – Making a bet without the best hand in the hope that your opponent(s) will fold and you will win the pot.

Calling Station – A player who calls too often is a calling station. The term is used in a derogatory manner mainly since these players call without the correct pot odds they many times hit long shot winning hands which frustrates other players.

Cards Speak – The best hand is determined by each of the players turning their cards face up with no declaration. The values of the cards speak for themselves.

Check Raise – To check when it is your turn to bet and then, after someone else bets, to raise that player’s bet.

Donkey – An opponent who plays poorly and seems to be throwing his money away. This is the current term for a pigeon, a sucker or a fish.

Double Belly Buster – This is a hand with two inside straight draws. As an example, 79TJK can become a straight with either an 8 or a queen. This draw has the same number of outs (8 winning cards) as an open ended straight draw except the double belly buster is much more deceptive.

Drawing Dead – A draw such that no matter what card you get you will lose. As an example: You have four spades with the King while your opponent holds a pair of Aces along with four spades including the Ace of spades. You’re hoping to draw a spade on the river to make a King high flush. If the spade comes you will lose to an Ace high flush and since your opponent already has a pair of Aces you cannot win. You are said to be drawing dead.

Fish – See donkey – a player who plays the game poorly.

Flop – After the first round of betting, three community board cards are dealt called the flop.

Gutshot – An inside straight draw with only four outs. Drawing to a QJ98 would require one of the four tens to make a straight.

Heads-up – Playing against a single opponent.

Implied Odds – This is an extension of pot odds and represents the ratio of the total amount you expect to win if you complete your hand to the amount you would need to call to continue. While pot odds are an exact calculation, implied odds takes some guess work and knowledge of your opponents’ tendencies.

Inside Straight Draw – See gut shot.

Isolate – To make a raise with the intention of forcing others to fold in hopes of being able to play heads up against a single opponent is to isolate him.

Limp – To just flat call the amount of the big blind is to limp into a hand.

Monster – A very strong hand that is almost certainly the winner.

Muck – Folding your hand is to muck it. The pile of dead cards is called the muck.

Nuts – Based upon the board it’s the best available hand. An unbeatable hand is often called “the Brazils” and “a lock”.

Out – An out is a card that improves your hand, usually to winning status. If you hold the and there are two hearts on the flop, you have nine outs to the nut flush – the remaining nine hearts in the deck.

Pocket Rockets – A pair of Aces in your hand in hold’em.

Pot Odds – The ratio of the amount of money in the pot to the amount of money it will cost to call the current bet. If the pot holds $100 and it will cost you $20 to call, the pot is laying you 5-to-1 odds.

Quads – The nickname for four of a kind – e.g. “he had quad Kings”.

Rags – Refers to a worthless card. Rags are normally small board cards in hold’em.

Rainbow – Three or four board cards of different suits. If a flop contains three different suits it is said to be rainbow. If the turn is a card of the fourth suit, a flush will not be possible.

River – The fifth and final community board card dealt in hold’em.

Runner-Runner – A hand that is made with both the turn and the river cards. Two running cards are runner-runner. If, on the flop, you have a three flush and both the turn and river are of the same suit making you a flush, you’ve gone runner-runner.

Sandbag – Hiding the strength of your hand by slow playing it early on in order to make more money later in the hand. It’s a deceptive ploy to increase profit.

Set – When holding a pocket pair, having one of that same rank hit the board creates a set.

String Bet – This is an illegal move which occurs when a player does not orally declare his intention to raise but puts out chips to call and then reaches back to his stack to get more chips for a raise.

Tilt – A player who has lost his discipline and is playing too loosely and very aggressively in a desperate attempt to win a pot is said to be on tilt. This is normally caused by a series of bad beats that has frustrated the victim.

Trips – Differentiated from a set, trips occur when two of the same rank is on the board and you hold another of them in your hand. The reason it differs from a set is that only one person can hold the three cards to a set while two people can have the same trips when two of them are on the board.

Turn – The fourth community board card dealt between the flop and the river.

Under the Gun – The first player to the left of the button who must act first is said to be under the gun.

Wheel – The smallest possible straight consisting of Ace-2-3-4-5. It is also called a bicycle wheel or just a bike.

All-in Bets

When a player puts all his chips into the pot he is said to be “all-in”. The important thing to know is that a player can never be bet out of a pot because he always has the option to call for all of his chips. For example, a player with $50 goes all-in, and everyone folds apart from a player who only has $30 left:

This player cannot match the $50 bet, but he can also go all-in for his last $30. When nobody else is involved, the first player would get back the unmatched $20 bet (i.e. his bet is $30 rather than $50). In this example the shorter-stack wins the pot, but the surplus $20 is returned to player 5.

The whole point of this is that players can take back any extra money when another player is all-in for less, when nobody else has called. The same applies to an extreme no limit example, where a player might bet $10,000 in a $1/$2 game. Here’s an example where it’s folded around to the big blind, who has $10 remaining in his stack.

He has $12 in total and clearly can’t match the $10,000 – but he can go all-in. If he does then the player with $10,000, would take back $9,988. No more betting would take place, as there isn’t anything left to wager. After the flop, turn and river, the player with the best hand would win the $25 pot ($12 from each plus the small blinds $1).

Side Pots

It can be a little more complicated when there’s more than two players involved in a hand. This is when a side pot is created for the other players, and any further bets cannot be won by the all-in player. The all-in player is eligible for the main pot only.

Two players have $50 each, and another has just $10 remaining. In this example the pot already contains $40 from the previous betting rounds. Player 5 makes a bet of $20:

Player 6 only has $10 but he can call for his last $10 (and would therefore be “all in”) or fold. If player 6 decides to go all-in for his last $10, then the last active player (player 7), who has $50, can call, but must call for $20, which is the original bet, or he can raise. If he calls then a side pot is created.

The main pot now contains $70, which is made up of the existing $40 in the pot, plus $10 x 3. Player 6 is “all in” and can only win this main pot. A side pot containing the extra $20 is created, and can only be won by the players who contributed to this side pot (players 5 and 7). The next card will be dealt and further betting will take place. Any further bets are added to this side pot, and not the main pot. Players 5 and 7, who contributed to the side pot, can win the side pot and the main pot, if their hand beats the “all in” player. If player 6 has the winning hand after the final betting round, then he will win the $70 pot, but the side pot will be won by either player 5 or player 7.

STRAIGHT FLUSH

Any lesser straight flush does not have a unique name.

In a showdown among players holding straight flushes, the hand with the highest top card wins. 10d 9d 8d 7d 6d beats 9s 8s 7s 6s 5s.

HIGH CARD

None of the above.

If no hand has a pair or better at the showdown, the hand topped by the highest one or more cards wins. When the top card is tied, the next card is compared; when the top two cards are tied, the third card is compared; and so on. Ac 9s 5d 4c 2h beats Kd Qs Jd 10c 8h, and Jh 10c 9h 7c 4d beats Jc 10h 9s 7s 2d.

Hand Rankings

Poker hands are always five cards. For example, even though each player in a seven-card stud game has seven cards, only the best five of those cards play. Poker has no six- or seven-card hands. Thus, the seven-card stud hand As Ad Qs Qd 6h 5d 3c beats Ks Kd 9h 9s 7s 7d 2s, even though the second hand contains three pairs while the first has two pairs. Similarly, if a Hold 'em board was 9s 9h 7d Js 7c, the pot would be split between two players holding 6s 6d and 5c 5h, even though the player with the two sixes was ahead until the river card. At the end, both players hold the two pair hand 9s 9h 7d 7c, with a jack kicker. Neither player can produce a higher kicker from his hand; neither player's pocket pair can result in a higher five-card hand than what is on the board.

These are the winning high hands in high only and high-low split games, from highest to lowest. Any hand in one category in the list beats any hand in any category below it. For example, any straight flush beats any four of a kind; any flush beats any straight.

Basic Rules

The Lingo

Betting

Game Variations

Cards

Legalized Social Gaming,

21+ club

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