Online poker games are top-rated these days. Everyone, either youngsters or kids, wants to become masters of playing poker. That’s why I have written a complete guide for my readers. Whether you are a poker fan or an absolute beginner in the online card gaming world, I’ve got you covered.
It is because it’s good to brush up on a few rules and regulations before going to play it. As you know, there are many variants of this online game. However, you don’t need to know each and everything about all variants. If you know one or two variants of this famous card game, that would be enough for you.
So, let’s follow the footprints of this guide. I have explained everything about online poker for beginners in such an easy way. Here we go!
Poker Hand Rankings:
As beginners, you need to understand what poker hand rankings are before going into the online casino for playing poker. Similarly, betting structure is another important thing to learn before diving deeper into the rules and insights of online poker. Do you know how many cards a poker hand consists of?
Five! Moreover, the card is made up of the following two scenarios:
- Your hand’s five cards – as seen in Stud and Draw variations.
- Compose hands using your cards and those on the table – as in Hold’em and Omaha poker versions.
What if you are interested in using cards from the table? You can use them, and they are good to make up your hand. Interestingly, you can call these cards on your hands as “community cards.” It does not make any difference in the rankings of poker hands, no matter what you are holding – either using community cards or holding all of the cards.
Let’s see the best to worst poker hand rankings given in the following table:
| Poker Hand | Description | Example Hand |
| Flush | Any five cards of the same suit | 5♣ 9♣ 10♣ K♣ J♣ |
| Royal Flush | A straight from 10 to Ace of all the same | 10♦ J♦ Q♦ K♦ A♦ |
| Straight Flush | A straight with cards all of the same suit | 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ 8♥ 9♥ |
| Four of a Kind | Four cards of the same value | A♦ A♥ A♠ A♣ X |
| Full House | A pair and a set | K♦ K♥ 4♦ 4♠ 4♣ |
| Straight | Five cards in sequential order (without matching suits) | 2♣ 3♦ 4♥ 5♥ 6♠ |
| Set (or Three of a Kind) | Three cards of the same value | A♦ A♥ A♠ X X |
| Two Pair | A pair and another different pair | A♠ A♥ 6♣ 6♠ X |
| Pair (or Two of a Kind) | Two cards of the same value | J♣ J♠ X XX |
| High Card | A hand with no other value than the value of its single highest card | K♣ J♠ 2♣ 8♥ 6♠ |
Poker Betting Structures:
The following three betting structures are used in an online or offline poker game:
- Limit: In the “Limit” betting structure, the amount raised for betting is limited. It is limited to the ante’s size. Remember, the ante is different from “blind.”
- Pot Limit: In the “Pot Limit” structure, the amount raised for betting is limited only to the pot’s size.
- No Limit: In the “No Limit” betting structure, the amount raised for the betting purpose is limited to the amount of chips or money that you have
So, you can see that poker hand rankings and betting structures are challenging to understand. That’s why I always recommend taking your time in order to understand these concepts fully.
The Main Goal of Online Poker:
Do you know what’s the main goal of online poker? To win the pot. However, some poker enthusiasts mistakenly think that the rules of poker are the ultimate rules and that the primary purpose of online poker is “making the best hand.”
According to my experience, it’s not the main primary of online poker. Making the best hand is only essential in the showdown. So, what’s the exact purpose of online poker? Your main goal must be to win pots.
Poker Tips for Beginners: Learn Poker Bluffing:
Poker bluffing is the strategic art of poker. Learning each and everything about poker bluffing is crucial for those beginners who are aiming to enhance their gameplay. So, do you want to know how to master the art of poker bluffing? Indeed, the best way to learn poker bluffing is to cultivate a keen understanding of opponents’ behaviors and tendencies.
It means you need to observe their betting patterns and reactions to previous hands carefully. Also, create a consistent playing style to mislead opponents effectively. You can also choose opportune moments to execute bluffs. For example, capitalizing on board texture and opponents’ perceptions is the right opportunity.
Last but not least, timing is key in online poker. For instance, you can bluff when your position and the community cards favor deception. Similarly, practicing discretion and avoiding the overuse of bluffing to prevent predictability is the right strategy to win pots.
I hope you enjoyed reading my guide about online poker for beginners. If you have any questions, kindly ask here in the comments section. I’m all ears.