Basic rules of playing classic poker for beginners. Poker rules for beginners

The rules will vary slightly, so beginners should first familiarize themselves with the basic laws of classic poker, as well as learn about the fundamental differences between most subtypes of this diverse game.
The rules of the game of poker are very simple, and the main difficulty in learning the intricacies of this activity is to become unreadable to your opponent and at the same time learn to calculate your opponent’s next steps in advance.
Many beginners often wonder: how to learn to play poker? Many also, not unreasonably, think that this is a whole complex science that takes years to understand. In fact, you can learn the basic rules of playing poker in just a few minutes, after which the player can calmly proceed to the opening hand, but this does not mean that a person will be able to immediately win the game for money. It is the winning game, which is the ultimate goal of any player, that is difficult to master, because in order to win at poker it is not enough just to know the rules. In any case, the first steps towards becoming new professional players always include learning the basics, and therefore today we will tell you how to learn to play poker from scratch and provide complete and understandable rules for playing poker for beginners. Hurry up and complete the training for beginners at the PokerHouse online academy and you will not only learn the basic rules of poker for dummies, but you will soon receive your first sweet victory in the long-awaited money game.

Poker Rules for Beginners

Common Abbreviations

Beginners often get confused by all sorts of abbreviations, symbols and abbreviations used in online rooms. In fact, the table limit designation is very simple to decipher: the numbers indicating the limit are usually preceded by an abbreviation indicating the type of poker used. Thus, in No Limit Hold'em, $1/$2 blind bet limits would be called NL200, $1/$2 NL or $1/$2 NLH. Consider other popular abbreviations:

• Fixed-Limit Hold'em - FL(H)
• Pot-Limit Hold'em - PL(H)
• Fixed-Limit Omaha
• No-Limit Omaha - NLO
• Pot-Limit Omaha - PLO

Classification of limits

Betting limits in poker also differ in size - depending on the table limit, a player may need a different bankroll. So, at some tables, a session of several hours can bring the player only a few dollars, but to start playing at others, the player’s account must have several tens of thousands. Compliance with bankroll management is part of the basic rules of the game of poker and allows you to gain profit over long distances. Most often, bankroll management involves gradual progression through limits and constant monitoring of stack sizes.

• Micro limits - from NL2 to NL10, as well as from FL4 to FL20. Micro-stakes games are popular among beginners and inexperienced players who cannot allocate money to play large sums. The majority of players from the CIS play at micro-limits. Typically, practical training in cash games begins with this limit.
• Low limits - from NL20 to NL100, as well as from FL50 to FL100. The most common type of limits for playing in offline and online poker rooms. This type table is popular among regulars hunting fish. Among low-limit players, the majority use table selection. The winnings of skilled poker players here can be quite high, but not all players decide to move to higher limits, being content with their advantage in the field of weak opponents.
• Average limits are from NL200 to NL800 and from FL200 to FL600. The majority of players who make a living playing poker play at medium limits, but the competition here is much higher than at low limits, and the chance of meeting a fish is much lower.
• High limits - from NL1000 to NL8000 and from FL1000 to FL6000. High limits are played by professionals or wealthy recreational players. Most often presented here limited quantity gaming tables. For Game

Knowledge of starting hands. When starting an initial round of betting, it is important to know whether a hand is worth playing at all. In Texas Hold'em you will have 2 cards in your hand, and you need to decide whether to play or fold.

• Hands to raise with. A pair of tens, jacks, queens, kings or aces is a great hand and is almost always worth raising. Ace and king or ace and queen are also great hands, worth raising. If you have one of these hands, bet or raise before the flop.
• Hands to call with. Ace with a strong second card (kicker), two pictures, small pair or suited "connectors" (cards of sequential rank, such as 5 and 6 of spades) - good cards in order to call.

Know when to play your hands and when to wash your hands. The most important thing for success in poker is the ability to determine whether a hand is worth playing or folding. If the flop comes and you completely miss, check and fold. You shouldn't throw money away on a hand that definitely won't win. If you hit the flop, bet. This will force players to fold weaker hands and increase the amount of money in the pot.

Understanding psychology. Play against your opponent, not cards. You need to understand what the enemy is doing and why.

• Don't let your emotions get the better of you. You will fail, it's inevitable, but don't let failure discourage you.
• Vary your style. If you've been playing fairly conservatively and betting small, then try using your table image and start bluffing a little. If you've been playing aggressively and bluffing a lot, start playing harder so other players are more likely to pay off your strong hands. Variations like this will confuse other players and allow you to stay one step ahead.
• Adapt to your opponent. If there is a very aggressive player at the table, try to trap him with a strong hand. Learn to recognize nonverbal cues to help you make better decisions. Here are some tips: if the flop comes and the player continues to stare at it, he most likely missed, if the player aggressively puts chips in the pot and looks at you, he is most likely bluffing, and if he acts as if he is not in the room at all, hid with a strong hand and is afraid to scare him away.

Although poker today is the game of millions, if not billions of people around the world, there is still a category of people who are not familiar with the rules of poker, and therefore they do not understand how to start playing this game. That is why today we want to tell you about the rules of poker for beginner players, explaining as simply and in detail as possible all the nuances of the game, without going into details and without unnecessary poker terminology.

In the course of my explanation we will try to supplement our text with pictures so that you can more clearly understand how to play poker. However, if even after reading this article you still have unclear nuances or questions, you can always ask them through the comment form below, and we will be happy to answer any of them.

Note that when talking about poker for beginners, we will talk about Texas Hold'em, since this type of poker is the most popular in the world. this moment. After all, it is according to the rules of Texas Hold'em that all major poker tournaments are held, including the main competition of the World Series of Poker - WSOP.

Poker for beginners with pictures

Texas Hold'em is played with a full deck of 52 cards. In this case, jokers do not take part in the game.

Any hand begins with players placing mandatory bets - big and small blinds. The big blind is placed at minimum rate, and the small blind is half its size. Blinds are needed in order to make up the initial pot of the hand, for which players will fight later. After the blinds are posted, the dealer begins to deal cards to the players.

Each player at the table receives two cards, and these cards are visible only to him. Showing your cards to other players is strictly prohibited, and it is also prohibited to show them to other people, not even those sitting at the table.

Let us immediately note that in poker there are combinations of cards that differ in their strength. And each player strives to make the strongest combination in order to win the hand and take the pot for himself. In order for you to understand what playing poker is for beginners, all poker combinations are presented below, starting from the highest and ending with the weakest.

After you have received your two cards in your hand, the first round of betting begins, which is called the “pre-flop”. In this round you can match previously made bets (or do "Call") , increase previously placed bets (or do "Raise") , fold your cards (or do "Fold") or put all your chips in the bank (having done "All-in") . All chips that you bet during trading go into the common pot, which will go to the winner of this hand.

As soon as all the players' bets have been equalized, the dealer announces the end of betting and takes three cards from the deck, which he places in the center of the table. These cards are common to all players, and everyone can use them to build their own combination. Let us note that if you are a beginner poker player, we advise you not to make too aggressive bets during this round of trading, keeping an eye on the play of your opponents.

On the flop, each player can also bet, and once all players have made their bets, the dealer takes out the fourth community card and places it in the center of the table. After which the betting round takes place again.

Then the last, fifth community card is placed in the center, and the players again go through the mandatory betting round.

If after all rounds of trading - flop, turn And rivera- more than one player remains in the game, then "showdown" - players reveal their cards, comparing the collected combinations. The player who collects the strongest combination of cards wins. The same player takes the entire bank for himself. If several players have collected the same combination, then they divide the pot among themselves.

We hope that in this article we have explained in detail the basics of playing poker for beginners. In the comments below you can ask a question regarding any ambiguities, and we will try to answer it as quickly as possible.

Poker is rightfully considered one of the most famous card games. Thousands of international tournaments speak for themselves. Unfortunately, not everyone can fully enjoy this game. After all, poker is quite cruel towards inexperienced and “green” players. But don't be upset. After all, here we will discuss the basic rules of poker for beginners, which will improve your understanding of the game and, accordingly, your skill. Do you want to know? Then this article is for you.

Poker history

But before we consider the rules of poker for beginners, it is worth delving into the history of this game. Poker is a popular card game that is known all over the world. There is still debate about the origin of the game's name. According to the most popular version, “poker” comes from the word “pochen”, which German language translated as "knock".

The first mentions of poker date back to the 16th century. This game originated in Europe. In those days, the rules of poker were a little different. But over time they changed until they came to modern look. The first mentions of the modern version, which were certified in writing, appeared back in 1829, in the memoirs of the popular actor Joe Cowal. Five years later, in 1834, a deck consisting of 52 cards began to be used in poker. Subsequently, the rules of the game did not undergo significant changes. Despite the fact that the rules of the game constantly varied, the essence remained the same. Victory has always depended on the presence of one or another poker combination.

Now we will discuss the basic rules of poker for beginners. After reading this article, you will get basic concepts, which will help while playing Hold'em.

How to play poker? Rules for beginners

This article is intended for beginner players. In it we will look at the most important poker rules for beginners. Towards the end we will also talk about basic combinations. Want to know, pretty simple. There are several participants at the table (from two and, as a rule, up to ten). The game itself begins with the distribution of cards. The rules of dealing in poker are quite simple. The player who deals the cards is called the dealer (in online poker there is a D next to him). After the end of the hand, the title of dealer passes to the next player clockwise.

After the distribution, the first bets begin. This stage of the game is called preflop. Two players sitting behind the dealer make automatic bets called the small blind (SB) and big blind (BB), respectively. BB is twice the size of MB. Then the move moves on to the next one. He, in turn, can perform one of the actions that we will discuss below.

Poker Actions

If no one has raised the bet in the current round, the player can check. After using this action, the turn goes to the next player clockwise. Typically, a “check” means that the player has no desire to raise the bet. Most likely, he has a weak or under-composed hand.

The "bet" action can be used if no one raised the bet during the current round. That is, if all previous players said “check”. Using the "bet" action, the player increases the bet by a given amount. "Bet" is used to show that there is a good combination on hand. Also this function used for bluffing.

"Pass" ("fold") means the player refuses to fight for the pot. The one who said “pass” has the right not to bet in the current hand. However, he cannot win either. Typically, "fold" is used when a player has a bad, weak hand or combination.

"Call" is used if one of the previous players has raised the bet (said "bet"). "Call" means that the player matches the previous player's bet and contributes the same amount of money to the general pot. If the player says "call", there are two outcomes. Either he has a good, competitive hand that can develop into a strong hand, or he is bluffing.

"Raise" can be used if one of the previous players said "bet". "Raise" means that the player not only supports the previous bet, but also brings in additional money. A “raise” indicates that the player has a powerful hand or is simply trying to intimidate his opponents into saying “fold.”

Flop

When the players are equal in bets, the preflop stage ends and the flop begins. The flop is the stage when three cards are laid out on the table. Thanks to this, players can soberly assess their chances and suggest possible combinations. Begins new circle trade, which is no different from the previous one. The player can also raise, call, support the bet, or simply fold.

Turn

The turn is the period when the fourth card is revealed. This makes the picture at the table much clearer. Players are clearly aware of their chances of winning. The penultimate trade begins. As a rule, it is at this stage of the game that the first bluffs begin.

River

The river is the stage of the game when the last, fifth card is laid out on the table. Players see their final combinations. The final round of betting begins. During the river, players begin to actively bluff and intimidate opponents in order to take the pot without opening it.

Showdown

The essence of this stage is that the players who remained at the table after the final round of betting show their cards. The bank is taken by the one who has the strongest combination of cards. If two players manage to collect equally strong combinations, then in this case the bank is divided equally between them.

Poker rules for beginners. Combinations

Knowing combinations is one of the most important parts of playing poker. Knowing them, you can soberly assess your chances of winning and find out the potential strength of your hand. In this article we will look at all poker combinations in descending order (from strongest to weakest).

Royal flush is a special case of straight flush. Consists of five high cards (ten, jack, queen, king, ace) of the same suit.

A straight flush consists of five cards of the same suit, in order. For example, peaks three, four, five, six and seven. It is noteworthy that an ace can both begin and end a combination.

Poker, four of a kind or four of a kind is a combination that is represented by four cards of the same value. For example, a combination of spades, cross, diamonds and hearts will be called four of a kind.

Full house, three plus two or full house- a combination consisting of one triplet and one pair. For example, two jacks and three kings.

A flush is any five cards of the same suit. For example, the jack of spades, deuce, five, nine and king are flushes.

Straight is a combination that consists of five cards in order. For example, ace, two, three, four, five of any suit. As with a straight flush, an ace can start and end a hand.

Triplets, set, triplet - three cards of any suit, but of the same value. For example, three nines would be a set.

Doper - two pairs of cards. For example, a pair of twos and a pair of tens.

A pair is a combination of two cards of the same rank.

If the players do not have any of the above combinations, then the one who has the highest card (kicker) in their hand wins.

Poker is card game, which is played by 2 to 10 people and in which the main goal is to win the bank. Thus, poker is always played with certain chips (either play money or real money) that each player has ( "stack" ) and which he seeks to increase. Poker rules may vary depending on what type of poker is being played at the table. However, in general, the rules of classic poker are the same for all types of this game.

At the same time, poker is interesting because it is not just a card game in the literal sense of the word. Certainly, Every poker player has the goal of collecting the strongest combination to win the pot., however, in addition to this, there is also such an element as trading divided into several rounds(“streets”). And during this trading, players can win the pot even without having a completed combination (“hand”) in their hands.

Rules of Poker: A Guide for Beginners

As the name suggests, poker is played with a full deck of 52 cards. Jokers are not played in poker, although there are variations of this game that are played with an incomplete deck of 36 cards. The most popular poker games today are Texas Hold'em and Omaha. These are the ones we will talk about when we talk about the basic rules of poker here.

So we sat down at the table. How does poker start? The game will begin with each player receiving the same number of cards - in Texas Hold'em two, A in Omaha there are four. These cards are seen only by the player himself and cannot be shown to anyone else sitting at the table, including the dealer. Already here the player is obliged to evaluate the strength of his cards and, depending on this, place a bet. Although, of course, it is quite difficult to assess the strength of a hand based on just two cards.

The remaining players can either match their bets or fold their cards without taking any further part in the hand. The game will continue only when all bets are equal.

After this comes another round of betting, called the flop. It starts with the dealer dealing three open cards from the deck. Thus, it now turns out that each person has two hole cards(or four if we are talking about Omaha) and three cards on the table that are visible to everyone.

Let us remind you that any combination in poker consists of five cards, so a player can make his own winning combination on the flop.

As soon as three flop cards are on the table, the players begin betting again in a circle. Each player can do "Check" (that is, do not put anything), "Beth" (that is, make a certain bet), "Call" (that is, call the previous bet) or "Rise" (that is, raise the previous bid). In addition, the rules of classic poker allow the player to make "All-in" , that is, put all the chips he has on the table, or make "Fold" , discarding your cards. Please note that all the money you bet during the hand will go into the general pot. And one of those sitting at the table will win this bank at the end of the hand.

If all players' bets on the flop have been called, the game moves to the next street of betting - the turn. It begins with the dealer placing another, fourth card in the center of the table. This card, as well as the three cards on the flop, are visible to all players and all players can use it to build a combination.

Accordingly, after this the betting round begins again, in which players place their chips depending on the strength of their hands. By the way, the game does not always reach the last round of betting. It often happens that a player who has a very strong hand (or is bluffing) puts a lot of chips into play, and his opponents, who have not made any good hands, simply fold. In this case, the pot goes to the player who “knocked out” the rest of the hand.

Last round of trading - river— begins the same way as the previous one. The dealer places another community card on the table, and then players begin betting in the same order as on previous streets. And in the end, everyone opens their cards and looks at who collected what.

The person who has the best hand wins.

Extremely important point in the rules of poker says that the player has the right to risk only the money that he has on the table. In other words, You can only put money into the game from your “stack” - the amount of chips that lies in front of you. You can only add chips to your stack during breaks between hands. And withdrawing some chips from the stack is generally prohibited by the rules of classic poker. To do this, you can only, perhaps, leave the table, taking all your chips.

Let's add, in order to to know well full rules poker games, you must first of all learn poker combinations. Below we have arranged all the poker combinations, starting from the strongest: