Poker basics
Poker is a very interesting game that requires one to put into play their scientific and psychological skills. It’s a game of wits which also requires one to be very observant and cunning. A game of poker basically requires a deck of 52 cards, usually between 2-11 players and a dealer. The game can however theoretically be played by up to 22 players. Online poker has become very common in the past one or two decades owing to the rapid globalization and interest that has been stirred around the game.
Poker games
Some common poker games include Omaha hi, Texas hold ‘em, stud and draw. The most common poker game out there however is Texas hold ‘em which has gained much more popularity and gained a backing from many poker players around the world as compared to other poker games. The first thing a poker player should know is the value of the cards. The ranking of cards varies and players should know which cards are high ranking and which ones are low ranking. This is pivotal to ensuring one is heading in the right direction. Cards such as AA, KK, QQ, AK, AQ etc are the high value cards. A straight flush also qualifies for high value cards.
Folding, calling and betting
The other important thing for a player to bear in mind is when to call, when to raise and when to fold. It’s important that one know exactly what it means to make each of these moves. Someone makes a call when he/she wants to match what has been betted previously. A raise is made when a player wants to match a previous bet and surpass it with a value of their own. A fold is when a player decides to move out of the game and forfeit any chips he/she has already placed in the pot. Though a call, raise and fold may seem easy to interpret, the pros in poker more often than not rotate their game around these. This is referred to playing the players as opposed to playing the cards and is very applicable especially when playing in tournaments towards the late stages. It’s possible for a person with the lowest value of cards to actually win the game depending on their skills of deceiving the others into believing that they actually have higher or lower cards as opposed to their actually cards’ ranking. This may lead other players to fold eventually leaving the player as the winner.
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