Poker Rules

If you are new to online poker you have come to the right place! Here you can learn how to play the most popular poker online games - Texas Holdem, Omaha Poker, and other variants of this game.

Nothing can beat actually playing the great game of poker to learning the poker rules. You can practice on free money poker tables in various online poker rooms from the comfort of your home, and at any time to suit you. We highly recommend Pokerplex - the biggest online poker room where beginners can learn to play internet poker for free with other people from around the world.

Poker is a type of card game whereby players gamble on the strength and value of their hands (card combinations) against a standard hand strength hierarchy. The winner of a round either produces the highest hand combination, or becomes the only player remaining in the pot (community amount of chips) after all other players have folded (laid down their cards). There are many variants of poker, but they commonly involve several rounds of betting, a showdown (presentation and comparison of players cards) and some also involve community (or shared) cards. Read more in-depth poker rules.

The following outlines the play for Texas Holdem. 

Play always moves clockwise and starts with the players seated after the dealer button (typically represented by a plastic disk). The two players to the left of the 'dealer' must post a big blind and small blind respectively. The blind is a bet that is made without players having seen, or even been dealt their cards. This is done to commence betting and build the pot. Player's hole cards are then dealt (face down), with the player to the left of the big blind opening betting proceedings.

Call, Raise or Fold

At this time, players can either call (match the amount of the big blind), raise (increase the bet to a given amount) or fold (return their cards to the dealer and have no more play in this round). Play moves clockwise until all players have placed/matched an equal amount into the pot, or have folded. Once play is complete, the community cards are dealt.

The Flop

In Texas Holdem three cards are then dealt, face up and players can make their strongest hand using any combination of the community cards and their hole cards. Another round of betting commences.

Check, Raise or Fold

In this (and subsequent) rounds of betting, players can check (effectively make a bet of zero; staying in the pot), raise or fold. Naturally if a player has raised, the following player cannot check, so can either call, raise or fold. After a round of betting another community card is dealt.

The Turn

After the forth community card is dealt, another round of betting commences. Players can once again, check (if no one has opened the betting), call, raise or fold. After a round of betting is complete a final community card is dealt.

The River

After the fifth and final community card is dealt a final round of betting commences. Once again, players can check, call (if betting has opened), raise or fold.

The Showdown

If, after the final round of betting after the river, there are two or more people left in the pot, all players must declare their hand and show their cards. The player with the strongest hand using the five strongest cards available wins the pot. After the showdown, the cards are collected, the dealer button, big and small blinds move one seating position clockwise and the players now on the big and small blinds must make their forced bets. Then the cards are shuffled and dealt for another hand.

If at any time throughout any of the rounds of betting, all players fold leaving only one remaining, then the remaining player wins the pot and does not have to show his/her winning hand.

Read more about poker here