Poker Basics

Written by Nigel

Let’s start with some of the basics that everyone interested in poker must know.  Contrary to some beliefs, poker is not one single game.  It has, in fact, countless variations.  As such, rules and game play vary a lot.  However, there are certain things that are similar to the different variations of poker.

For one, poker is generally played with a standard deck of cards.  That means 52 cards in a deck.  Casinos do not make use of the Joker although some variants of poker do make use of this card but usually this happens at home games.

In general, the game play involves rounds of betting into a common fund, known as the pot.  That is, people at the table take turns making their moves and betting.  How many times people bet, how cards are drawn, and the like all depend on the type of poker that is being played.

Today, perhaps the most popular variant of poker is Texas Hold ‘Em Poker.  This is the game you see being played by celebrities on TV.  However, there are other interesting poker variants such as Draw Poker, Stud Poker, 13 Card Poker, Pai Gow Poker, Omaha Poker, and more.  As we go along this blog, we can take a look at some of the most popular poker variations.

For now, let us stick to learning more of the basics of this fascinating card game that has captured the interest of countless people.  I leave you with this quote from W.C. Fields: “Is that the game where one receives five cards?  And if there’s two alike that’s pretty good, but if there’s three alike, that’s much better?”

[tags]poker, rules, poker variations[/tags]