Online Poker Rules

The winning of hands in poker is based on the ranking of the cards. When two or more hands turn up as being in the same category, the winning hand is determined by the ranking of the cards. For example, there might be two players who are both holding four of a kind. In that case the hand with the highest ranking would win, such as four Jacks beating four eights.

Cards are ranked in the following order (descending):

ACE, KING, QUEEN, JACK, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.

In poker all suits have equal rank.

A ROYAL FLUSH, which is the best possible straight flush, is sometimes considered as a separate category. When you are holding five cards that are all of the same suit and in consecutive order, you have a Straight Flush. When you have five cards that are all of the same suit descending consecutively from the Ace, in the order of A-K-Q-J-10, you have a Royal Flush. When you have a Straight, and this also refers to a Straight Flush, the you can also play the Ace low. So, if you are holding for instance 5-4-3-2-A, and they are all of the same suit, you have a Straight Flush. In this case the highest card is a 5 and can be beat by a 6 high straight flush such as 6-5-4-3-2 of the same suit. This is true even though the first hand includes an Ace. It is the highest high card that determines rankings and winning hands, when you are holding a Straight Flush.

2. FOUR-OF-KIND .

An example might be a hand containing 3-3-3-3-Q. When there are two hands that both have four of a kind the deciding hand is the one with the highest four cards of the same ranking, rather than the odd card.

3. FULL HOUSE .

Three-of-a-Kind plus a pair. It is the ranking of the Three-of-a-Kind that determines the relative ranking rather than the pair.

4. FLUSH .

Five cards that are all of the same suit. When there are two or more hands that are all holding a flush, the hands with the highest ranking cards is the winner. If the highest ranking card also ties the other hand, than the second ranking card determines the winner and so on. For example, if you are holding A-J-9-4-3 of Hearts you would beat a hand with A-J-8-7-6 of Spades.

5. STRAIGHT .

When you have five cards that are in consecutive order you have a straight. An example would be Q-J-10-9-8. When there are two or more hands with straights the hand with the highest ranking top cards is the winner. In the case that both hands have the identical ranking cards, than the hand result in a drawn.

6. THREE-OF-A-KIND .

When there are more than one player holding Three-of-a-Kind, the ranking of the three matched cards is used to determine the winner.

7. TWO PAIR .

If there are two or more players holding Two Pair it’s the highest Pair that determines the winner. If both players hold the same ranking high pair it is the second pair that decides the winner. It is the higher ranking second pair that decides which hand is the winner. For example, if two players hold the hands 9-9-8-8-4 and 9-9-5-5-A, then the first hand would win. In the case that both pairs are tied, it's the remaining unpaired card that decides who the winner is. In this case an 8-8-4-4-8 would beat 8-8-4-4-3.

8. ONE PAIR .

When two players both are holding Pairs, it is the higher Pair that wins. In the case that both of the pairs are the same, it is the highest ranked remaining cards that determines the winner, on down to the last card when necessary. For example, A-A-K-5-2 beats A-A-Q-J-9 and K-K-9-8-4 beats a hand holding K-K-9-8-3.

9. NO PAIR .

When there is no winning pair winners are decided by the simple ranking of the cards. Therefore, A-7-6-4-2 would beat K-Q-J-10-6 and a hand holding Q-8-7-5-3 beats Q-8-7-5-2.

In the rare event that poker hands end up tied, and the hand is considered as being a draw, the pot is divided evenly between the winners.

Common Beginner Mistakes

1. Most players like to play as many hands as possible in the beginning, but a player should remember that bad opening hands are generally an indicator of the rest of the game and should therefore be avoided.

2. Beginners might like to play above their bankroll ‘just in case’ they win big. Greed and irrational play will not pay in the long run. Most poker games offer tight competition and a player should pace their wagers and have consistent lower limits.

3. Emotions might run wild for new players due to both excitement and frustration. Experienced players keep their emotions controlled (most of the time) and new players should learn to do this too. Every player will have bad runs and good runs, but one should not get too upset or excited about any of these issues, as it will simply cloud one’s judgment for the rest of play.

4. Not using pot odds can be to a player’s disadvantage. While some new players might find the concept too confusing, it is not too complicated to grasp once explained.

5. Using a two color deck can cause confusion as often the ‘reds’ and ‘blacks’ are lumped together and a player can misread their hand. Many online poker rooms offer the 4-color suit option and this should be used.

6. A player should always be aware of etiquette whether playing at a land casino or online. Many new players are so fixed on keeping up with the rules and the play, that they forget that there is another entire system of unwritten rules called player etiquette.

7. Other players at the table should not be imitated because a player could easily pick up on all their bad moves and habits. Trying to reenact a hand that one saw during a tournament or on TV is also unadvisable as these hands are normally very situational. The most important element of watching other people play is trying to understand why they made a specific move, but not to copy their play.

8. New players often place too much value on a suited hand and ignore other basics. When a player considers their opening hand, the first two factors should be the ranks of one’s cards and whether the cards are paired or not. These elements are much more important than two suited cards.