Poker is a classic table game loved by casino players. It’s challenging, thrilling, and sophisticated, that’s why people who are trying out online casinos for the first time gravitate towards poker.
We can trace poker’s roots to 1,000 years ago. According to various historical accounts, there is evidence that proves poker’s existence way back in the 10th century. However, regardless of the time period, these accounts prove that poker is a timeless classic.
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Signing up won’t take long because creating an account is quick and easy. For your convenience, we offer a wide range of payment methods. As a cryptocurrency casino, we accept payments in Bitcoin, Ripple, Litecoin, and Ethereum. You can also use VISA, Mastercard, Skrill and more for fiat payments.
Feel the thrill of playing poker when you wager here at Casino Days Live!
Poker 101: Basics you should know about
Poker is played with a standard deck of cards and in some poker variants, dealers include the Joker in the card deck. The cards will be shuffled then arranged based on the rank and value. Jack, Queen, King, and Ace have the highest card values. For the card suits, their valuation is based on the numbers they have. The goal in poker is to have the highest hand possible.
In most poker games, the first round of betting starts with the players’ blind or ante. For standard poker, players are expected to wager depending on their cards’ ranking. The game progresses clockwise as the players take turns in calling an action. They can either bet, fold, call or raise.
Poker is a game wherein you need to master the art of bluffing. During a poker game, there’s no way to tell what hand your opponent has, that’s why you need to bluff effectively to make your rivals fold their card.
There are different types of poker hands. These hands will determine whether you won the game or not. Here are some of the poker hands you can encounter while playing:
Royal Flush
The royal flush features the A, K, Q, J, and 10 in the same suit.
Straight Flush
The straight flush requires five cards arranged in a sequence. All should be in the same suit.
Four of a Kind
All of the cards should be in the same rank.
Full House
The full house should have three-of-a-kind with a pair.
Flush
The flush requires any five cards of the same suit. They don’t need to be arranged in the same sequence.
Three of a Kind
The cards should be three cards in the same rank.
Two pair
The hand should have at least two cards with the same rank.
High rank
If the card you have doesn’t have the hands mentioned above, you will bank on the highest card you have.
Poker Glossary: Terms you need to know
Compared to other casino table games, poker has the most terminologies that you will encounter throughout the game. Learn these terms so you can keep up with your rivals!
Action – An action happens when a player ‘acts’ during the game. The dealer will say ‘your action’ if a player forgets his turn. They can either bet, raise, or fold.
Ante – The ante is when players wager a seed amount for the pot before the game starts. Some versions of poker do not have an ante such as Hold’em. However, they have a counterpart called ‘blind’.
All-in – This means to run out of chips while betting or calling. Players can sometimes use their own money to make a wager.
Bet – Bet in poker means the first set of chips laid in the table. This is also the opening bet during a betting round.
Blind – The blind is a type of bet that players wager before the cards are distributed by the dealer.
Bluff – To bluff in poker means you will raise or bet a hand that is weaker than your opponent’s. The main point of bluffing is to convince your opponent to fold their card.
Call – Call means that you will place the same amount of wager as the previous bet or raise.
Chip – A token used in poker that represents money. Usually, these come in different colours such as green, blue, red, and white. In earlier versions of poker, people used bones or coins as chips.
Click raise – To make the minimum raise during a game.
Cold call – To cold call in poker means to call an amount of wager that is equal to the accumulated bets or raises by other players.
Community cards – The cards revealed during a poker game.
Dead hand – A dead hand in poker means that a player’s hand is not allowed to take part in the game. This happens when a player commits a foul by touching another player’s card or making inappropriate bets.
Deuce – The deuce is a two-spot card. This is also known as the duck, quack, or swan.
Double raise – The double-raise is the minimum amount of raise during a no-limit or pot-limit poker game.
Down-card – The down-card is a card that is dealt faced down by the dealer.
Downswing – This happens when a player experiences more losses during the game.
Exposed card – An exposed card happens when a card is accidentally or deliberately revealed to players.
Family pot – A type of deal in poker where players call the initial opening bet.
Fish – The player who always gets a weak hand.
Five of a kind – A five of a kind in poker is a hand with wildcards. This can also mean a game with more than one deck.
Poker betting limits
Poker has different betting limits depending on the type of game you are playing. Here are some of the wagering limits you can encounter:
No Limit – The no-limit is a type of betting limit that allows you to raise your wager to any amount on any round throughout the game.
Pot Limit – The pot limit allows players to wager or raise any amount in the game up to the total size of the prize pot.Fixed Limit – This type of wagering limit allows players to select to call or bet with a limited wager only.
Poker online games that you can play
Texas Hold’Em
Texas Hold’em is one of the most played variants of poker. For this game, the dealer has two hidden hole cards and five community cards on the poker table. During Texas Hold’em, the wagering happens throughout four different rounds.
Here are the basic mechanics of Texas Hold’em:
- Players will be dealt with two cards hidden from other players.
- The dealer will spread five cards; three cards will be dealt all at once, then one after another, until all the cards have been used up by the players to make the best hand possible.
- Before the cards are revealed, the players will take turns to wager. All players must put the same amount of chips in the prize pot.
- The player who has the poker hand wins the entire pot.
Different types of Hold’em
- Limit Texas Hold’em – This variant of poker has a predetermined wagering limit during each round of betting.
- No-Limit Texas Hold’em – This variant of Texas Hold’em allows you to wager up to any amount and chips.
- Pot Limit Texas Hold’em – This variant of Hold’em allows players to wager any amount of bets up to the size of the pot.
Mixed Texas Hold’em – This type of Hold’em allows players to shift in between rounds of Limit Texas Hold’em and No-Limit Hold’em.
Omaha
Omaha poker is another variant of Texas Hold’em. It’s popular among players because of its easy game mechanics. In Omaha, players will have four rounds to wager on. To win, you must have the best hand out of the 5 cards given to you.
7-card stud
The 7-card stud is another type of poker where players are given seven cards; three of the cards are face down while four are up. To win, you must have the highest combination from the 7 cards.
High/Low Chicago
The High/Low Chicago is a poker game played with two versions. It deals the cards from highest to lowest.
For the High Chicago, the player with the highest spade, face down in his hand, will take home the pot. Meanwhile for Low Chicago, the player who has the lowest spade face down wins the game. However, the player who has the best and winning spade will take home the entire pot.
Razz
Razz is an exciting variant of poker that beginners and experienced players can enjoy. To play this, participants must have the worst combination of hand. For this game, the ace card has the lowest valuation while flushes are not counted.
Omaha Hi-Lo
Also known as Omaha split-8 or better is almost similar to Omaha-Hi poker. However, the only difference with this version is that the pot will be equally divided between the highest-ranked 5 hands and the lowest. For this game, 5 community cards will be dealt by the dealer throughout the game.
Improve your poker gameplay with these tips!
Compared to other table games, you can’t bank on pure luck to help you win at poker. You need to analyse and strategize to get your opponents to fold. If you’re a beginner in poker and you want to improve your gameplay, you can try out these tips and tricks to fire up your skills!
Study the rules and hand ranking by heart
Playing poker is a game where you need to allot time and effort to master. You can begin by learning the game rules. Make sure that before you start playing poker, you know all the game mechanics like the back of your hand.
More often than not, your opponents are experienced in poker. Make sure that you are confident at the table because you have to bluff your way to winning. Be observant at the poker table so you can gauge the actions of your rivals.
Bluff your way through
The best players in poker don’t always have the winning cards, sometimes, they have weak cards but they’re masters at bluffing.
If you want to win at poker, you have to learn how to effectively bluff. To do this, you have to be observant at the poker table. Analyse your opponent’s actions; you can also look at how they wager throughout the game. Once you have a grasp of their actions, you can bluff your way to success. It may look difficult at first, but practice makes perfect!
Try other poker variants
Trying your hand at different types of poker increases your knowledge and sharpens your tactics. There are a lot of poker variants in online casinos, so don’t be afraid to try them out. Aside from improving your poker skill, it also allows you to play a diverse range of games with other players.
Manage your bankroll
Playing poker is exciting. However, don’t be irresponsible, especially when it comes to managing your money. Create a bankroll that will help you track your spending. Doing this can help you lessen your losses while playing.
Keep practising
Learning poker is not a walk in the park. Mastery in the game requires dedication and lots of patience. Seasoned players didn’t achieve their success overnight. They toiled hard and spent long hours of practising before becoming experts.
You can start by playing free play versions of poker to hone your skills, you can practise by playing poker online. You can play on your own or with live dealers if you wish. The point is, practising regularly keeps you from being rusty at the poker table.
If you’re unsure about wagering, you can always try Free Game versions first.