basic poker rules tutorial

Guide to Poker : Explained Simply

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All You Need to Know to Win at Poker

learn poker hand rankings

Key Hand Rankings

Knowing poker hand ranks is key to winning. They go from the top Royal Flush down to Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and lastly High Card.

Main Betting Moves

Learn these core betting actions:

  • Call: Match the bet
  • Raise: Up the bet
  • Check: Skip betting
  • Fold: Drop your hand

How Table Position Helps

Being in the right spot is big in poker. Late spots (Button, Cutoff) give more info and power, while early spots (Small Blind, Big Blind) demand careful play.

Knowing Your Rivals

Get good at seeing bet styles and speed tells. Look out for:

  • Bet size changes
  • Speed of action
  • How often they bet
  • Choices based on spot

Handling Your Money

Use strict money rules to last:

  • Never risk more than 5% of money per game
  • Keep enough buys for your game level
  • Track all results

Knowing Game Types

Tournament Play

Cash Games

  • Keep up solid betting
  • Use the table vibe
  • Keep right stack sizes

Basic Poker Hands

Knowing Basic Poker Hand Ranks: Full Guide

Poker Hand Order

The base of good poker strategy is knowing basic poker hand ranks. These are must-knows to make smart moves at the table.

Top Poker Hands

Royal Flush

The royal flush is top, with A-K-Q-J-10 all in the same suit. It’s the strongest hand in poker.

Straight Flush

The straight flush has five cards in a row, all in the same suit, right under the royal flush in power.

Four of a Kind

Four of a kind has four cards of the same rank, across suits, a powerful hand in any game.

Premium Poker Sets

Full House

The full house mixes three of a kind with a pair, making a strong five-card set.

Flush

A flush has five cards in the same suit, order doesn’t matter.

Straight

The straight needs five cards in sequence, suit doesn’t matter.

Basic Poker Hands

Three of a Kind

Three of a kind has three cards of the same rank.

Two Pair

Two pair joins two different pairs of matched cards.

Single Pair

A single pair has two cards of the same rank.

High Card

High card is the top solo card when no other hand is there.

These rule hand ranks work in most poker games, though some games have extra rules or special sets.

Table Spots in Poker

Table Spots in Poker: Total Strategy Guide

Core Spot Basics

Table spot shapes every poker move. The dealer button changes each hand, moving the play and making you rethink your strategy.

Play from Early

The early spots (small blind, big blind, under the gun) are the tough ones at the table. Going first with little info means playing tight with the best hands. Winning from here needs smart hand picks and careful moves after the flop.

Middle Game Moves

Middle spots (MP1, MP2, MP3) let you change up your game. With some ahead of you, you can play more hands yet keep a smart measure on the pot and which hands you pick.

Power of Late Spot

The best seats are the late spots (cutoff and button). These spots give the most info on others’ plays and control over the pot. The button spot can use this to play weaker hands better and make moves after the flop.

Choosing Hands by Spot

Good play changes with your spot. Play safe with strong hands early, but take chances late with a bigger hand mix and ways to outplay others. This spot know-how changes how you win over time.

Common Bet Words

Poker Bet Words to Know: Full Guide

Key Bet Moves

Bet base is core to playing poker. Knowing these words lets you talk and decide right at any table.

A call meets the current bet, while a raise ups that bet for others to match to stay in. If there’s no bet yet, you can check to skip your turn. Fold if you drop the hand and lose your chips in the pot.

Must Bet and Limits

The ante is a must bet for all before cards come out. Blinds are forced bets for specific spots, like small and big blind. Games can limit bets to the pot size (pot limit) or let you bet all you have (no limit).

Buy-ins and All-in Play

The buy-in sets the cost to join a game, fixing stack sizes and table stakes. An all-in bet puts all your chips in for big pressure and possible big wins. Knowing these bet limits helps you decide smartly in big moments.

Deep Bet Ideas

  • Spot bet: Use your table spot for smart bet moves
  • Value bet: Get more chips out of weak hands
  • Bluff bet: Bet to make others fold
  • Pot odds: Math of chance versus bet size

Watching Your Rivals

Knowing Poker Tells: Full Guide

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Seeing Signs in Rivals

To read poker rivals well, you need to spot both what they say and do at the table. Key signs are how they breathe, tight necks, and how they handle chips and cards. These small acts can tell you a lot about their hand and how they feel.

Watching Bet Styles and Speed

Bet styles tell you how strong their hands might be. Main things to watch are how fast they decide, how they size their bets with the pot, and if they change from their usual moves. If bold players start playing safe, something big might have changed.

Talk and Table Signs

How they talk also gives away a lot. Look for changes in voice, nervous laughs, and how they talk about the game. But, don’t just trust one sign – successful reads mix many signs for a full read. Watch out that pros might throw in false signs, so check it all against how they usually play.

Always Watching, Always Learning

Keep watching all the time, even when you’re not in a hand. Every bit helps you understand rival moves and what they might do later. Building this full rival story gives you an edge when it matters.

Better Tells Awareness

  • Watch for body moves and how they sit
  • Track their bet styles over many games
  • See how quick they make decisions
  • Notice how they handle their chips and cards
  • Keep notes on how they talk and act at the table

Smart Bluff Play

Smart Bluffing in Poker

Reading and Using Rivals

Smart rival analysis is central to good bluffing. Watch their bet styles and aim at types that fold often to make your bluffs work well. When up against sharp players, keep your moves the same whether you’re really betting or bluffing to keep them guessing.

Bluffing Well

The best bluffs have three key parts:

  • Good story through your bets
  • Smart bet sizes that fit the hand you show
  • Right timing based on the game’s flow

Your bets should build a believable story. When you suggest a finished draw, make sure earlier bets match this idea.

Up Your Bluff Game

Use game flow, your spot, and rivals’ habits to pick when to bluff. Bluff more against those who fold easily but less with those who always call. Think through their likely hands to keep your bluff believable. Checking if they might fold good but not great hands is key – aim to bluff like this about 30% of the time in similar spots to stay hard to read. Remember: Your bluffs need a solid story with every move, making others doubt and choose hard.

Handling Your Money

Keeping Your Poker Money Right

Basic Money Needs

Smart money handling is vital for lasting poker wins. Pros keep at least 20 buy-ins for cash games and 50 for tournaments to smooth out ups and downs. For $1/$2 cash games with $200 buy-ins, keep at least $4,000 ready.

Safe Money Moves

Keep your money safe by sticking to solid risk rules. Never put more than 5% of your money in one game. When times are tough, don’t jump to bigger games. Drop stakes if your money falls under set levels.

Track and Learn

Watch all your sessions closely. Write down:

  • How much you paid to play
  • How much you left with
  • How long you played
  • Your win/loss rates

Keep your poker money separate from day-to-day cash, treating it like an investment. Winning long-term comes from making good calls time after time, while keeping your money rules strict.

Tournament Vs Cash Games

Tournament Vs Daily Games: Full Strategy Guide

Main Game Type Differences

Tournament and daily games are very different, needing their own ways of playing. Tournament games have set buy-ins and rising blinds, going until one wins all the chips. They draw players who like clear time plans and big prize chances.

Daily Game Upsides

Daily games have their own pluses with a setup that lets you:

  • Join and leave any time
  • Keep blinds the same
  • Add more chips
  • Chips always worth real cash

Think-Through for Each Game

Tournament Ideas

Daily Game Plans

  • Chips stay worth the same
  • Keep your play steady
  • Try to get the most from each hand
  • Think on your spot when choosing
  • Optimize bets for value

Money Rules for Each Game

Tournament money rules:

  • Suggested 100+ buy-ins
  • Expect bigger ups and downs
  • Work out ROI for tournaments
  • Try satellites to qualify

Daily game money needs:

  • 20-30 buy-ins suggested
  • More steady money chances
  • Money out any time
  • Lower ups and downs than tournaments

Growing as a Pro

  • Learn the basics in your favorite style
  • Study game-specific tactics
  • Keep close watch on results
  • Change tactics based on what works
  • Meet others in your game area