To start with you will need between 2 and 10 players that are willing to play. You will find full table play 9-10 players is what the majority of my discussion will be about as this is the most common situation you will occur. At some point I will be adding information about short handed and heads up play. In my experience I also find it to be helpful is having one person designated as dealer, usually this person does not play. If you do not have a designated dealer the person who has the dealer button which changes every hand will deal that hand. I find it helpful when the players are dealing to use 2 decks and have the person who will be dealing next shuffling the second deck while he current dealer passed out the cards.
A dealer button also used to designate who the dealer is. This helps the person who is dealing keep track of where to deal the cards. After each hand the dealer button will shift left one seat. The button is also used to help place the small and big blinds. Blinds are forced bets that are placed each hand to ensure that there will be action. The blinds are designate by the game you are playing. For example in a casino a low limit cash game will consist of $1 and $2 blinds. The small blind directly to the left of the dealer button will be one dollar and the big blind one seat to the left of the small blind and will post two dollars prior to the start of the hand.
Once the blinds have been posted the dealer will begin dealing one card at a time around the table starting with the small blind and finishing when the button receives its second card. Everyone will have two cards face down. These are referred to as your hole cards. I find it in your best interest to wait until it is your turn to look at your whole cards as you should be observing your opponents when they are looking at their cards.
After every one has cards the bets begin with the first person to the left of the big blind. This position is often referred to as under the gun and just means that you are first to act pre-flop. When someone bets that amount in placed into the pot which will be awarded to the winner of the hand. On your turn you will have the option to call, fold, or raise. Call means to place an amount equal to the current bet into the pot. Folding means you discard you hand and forfeit any chips you have placed into the pot. Raising means you wish to increase the bet that has gone into the pot. Betting strategy will be discussed in much greater detail in future posts.
After the players act the big blind has the final option and as they have placed in the blind to the pot if there has not been a raise they may check and continue to see cards or they also have the final option to increase the bet prior to the flop. After everyone has satisfied the largest bet by calling that amount or folding their hands the flop is dealt. The flop is dealt by the dealer only after discarding the top card of the deck face down into a pile called the muck which also contains all of the discarded hands. The flop consists of 3 community cards placed face up on the middle of the table. These cards are common to everyone who continues to bet.
The most important decisions of the game will occur during preflop hand selection and then after the flop has occurred. These times are when you will get the most amount of knowledge about your hand. I will be discussing these decisions in dedicated posts in the future. On the flop the first person still involved in the pot starting again with the left of the dealer button will take their turn. Again each turn will involve a decision of whether to check, bet, raise (if there has been a bet already) or fold their hand.
After all players have taken their turn the dealer will then discard another card into the muck followed by placing the 4th community card face up on the board. This card is known as the turn. Players will then re-evaluate their best 5 card hand based on the availible cards and betting will resume with the left of the dealer. After betting has ended the fifth and final card will be discarded again after the top card of the deck is placed in the muck. The river card as you will hear over and over will determine the final outcome of the cards. The last round of betting occurs on the river and when it is completed all hands still remaining will showdown. This begin with the left of the dealer button revealing their holdings. After the best hand has been determined the pot will then be awarded to the winning hand.
It has been said that the cards read themself. If you dont understand this refer back to your rank of hands and determine what hand ranks highest in the chart. Also check the guide to reading the board included in the document. I hope this helped you learn the basics of poker and stay tuned to this blog by subscribing above today!
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