Poker guide for beginners

Hand rankings (high to low)

1. 1. Royal flushA♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠

   Ace to ten of the same suit. The best hand.

2. 2. Straight flush9♥ 8♥ 7♥ 6♥ 5♥

   Five consecutive cards of the same suit.

3. 3. Four of a kindQ♣ Q♦ Q♥ Q♠ 3♦

   Four cards of the same rank.

4. 4. Full house8♠ 8♦ 8♥ K♣ K♠

   Three of a kind plus a pair.

5. 5. FlushA♦ J♦ 8♦ 5♦ 2♦

   Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence.

6. 6. Straight10♣ 9♦ 8♠ 7♥ 6♣

   Five consecutive cards of mixed suits.

7. 7. Three of a kind7♣ 7♦ 7♠ K♥ 2♣

   Three cards of the same rank.

8. 8. Two pairJ♠ J♥ 4♣ 4♦ A♠

   Two different pairs.

9. 9. One pair10♥ 10♠ K♦ 6♣ 3♥

   Two cards of the same rank.

10. 10. High cardA♣ Q♦ 9♠ 6♥ 2♣

    No combination: the highest card plays.

How a hand of Texas Hold'em works

1. 1
   ♠♠

   Step 01

   Blinds

   The two players left of the dealer button post forced bets (small and big blind), so there is always something to play for.

2. 2
   ♥♥

   Step 02

   Preflop

   Everyone gets two private cards. You can fold, call or raise.

3. 3
   ♦♦

   Step 03

   Flop, turn and river

   Three shared cards are dealt (flop), then one (turn) and one more (river). A betting round follows each step.

4. 4
   ♣♣

   Step 04

   Showdown

   Remaining players show their cards. The best five-card hand from your two cards and the five shared cards wins.

Tournament basics

Table etiquette

• ♦Act in turn and announce your action out loud.
• ♦Keep your cards on the table and show when all-in after the final action.
• ♦No advice during a hand, even after you folded.
• ♦Respect the dealer and the floor: they have the final say.
• ♦Phone away during a hand.

Your first casino visit

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Poker glossary

All-in

Betting all your chips.

Ante

Small forced bet from every player, on top of the blinds.

Bad beat

Losing with a hand that was a big favourite.

Bluf

Betting a weak hand to make others fold (bluff).

Button

Dealer position; acts last after the flop.

Buy-in

Entry fee for a tournament or amount to sit at a cash table.

Call

Matching another player's bet.

Check

Passing without betting when no bet has been made.

Draw

A hand that needs another card, e.g. for a flush.

Fold

Throwing away your cards and leaving the hand.

Kicker

Side card that decides between equal combinations.

Nuts

The best possible hand at that moment.

Outs

Cards that can still make your hand win.

Pot odds

Ratio between the pot and the amount you must call.

Raise

Increasing the bet.

Rake

Share of the pot taken by the house.

Side pot

Extra pot when one player is all-in and others keep betting.

Tilt

Playing emotionally and worse after a loss.