Poker Rules

In case you've never played poker before in casinos or at home, you might like to take a look at our Poker Hands page, also peep in our Poker Tips section. To dive deeper into the rules of the various poker game check out these pages: Texas Holdem poker, Omaha High/Low Poker, 5-7 Card Stud poker.

This short poker rules guide is built for online online poker players:

Once the ten places are taken, the online poker game will begin and you will be given a seat.
The play begins after the dealer button (marked 'D') with two online poker players making blind bets, the small blind and the big blind.
Two cards are dealt to each online poker player. The online poker player immediately after the big blind is first to act.
When it is your turn you have the choice to call, raise or fold. If you are the small blind you have already placed half of the poker amount needed in your blind bet to see any more cards, if you are the big blind you have already placed the amount needed to see the flop unless a online poker player raises before it is your turn. If there is a raise you have the choice to re-raise, call or fold.
The Flop: Three community cards are dealt face up. Every online poker player at the table who didn't fold before the flop can now use these cards to help their poker hand, there is another round of betting at this poker stage. If nobody bets you can simply check and see the next card without placing any more money into the pot. A bet must be called or raised if you wish to see the next card, otherwise you must fold.
The Turn: A fourth community card is dealt face up. Again, every online poker player still in the hand can check, bet, call, raise or fold depending on the actions of others.
The River: A fifth and final community card is dealt face up. Here we see the last betting action. If a bet is made by one online absolute poker player and called by another, both online poker players must turn over their cards and the winner is decided.
If at any stage a bet is made but not called, the person betting takes the whole pot, this person has the choice to show his cards or simply pass them back to the dealer (known as mucking)
Once the winner is decided, a new hand starts, the dealer button is moved one place clockwise. The blinds will increase usually after a set period of time. After the final person is eliminated, the casino or poker prize money is shared out and the online poker game is complete. You can always read more in books and poker forums.