Poker Basics
By: CHUCK MASTERSON

There is no one game or one version of poker. There are many variations of poker that are played. Each variation of poker is usually played with a standard deck of fifty two cards. A standard set of cards consists of thirteen different ranks. The ranks are: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. These cards come in four suits that: Diamonds, Spades, Clubs, Hearts.

Some poker games will have a wild or joker card. These games are often times found in private residencies and not in casinos. Every type of poker game requires players to make a bet into the pot during the initial start of the game and then in-between rounds of receiving and replacing cards. The number of rounds that the players bet will be determined by the version of poker that you are playing. During the game players will be able to ante. This means that the players will place bets into the community pot. At the end of a betting round all of the players will have had to contribute to the pot an equal amount.

At the end of the betting round the playing may choose to perform one of the following actions. To check which means that if a bet is not on the table already then the player bets zero and passes the action on. The player may decide to call which means that if there is a bet on the table then the player can match that bet. A raise is when there is already a bet on the table and the player decides to increase the amount of the bet. The last action is a fold. A fold is when the player chooses not to bet and drops out of the game. This action is recommended for someone who has a weak hand.

Written by Chuck Masterson. Find the latest information on Poker Basics as well as Online Poker

Reasons for Betting in Texas Holdem

When it’s your turn to play, if no one has placed a bet you have two options: Check or Bet. 1.Check – You don't put any chips in the pot; you wait to see what the other players are doing. You do this for one of the following four reasons – A. you have a weak hand and if someone bets you will fold (you have 5,6 hearts and the flop is Ac, Kc, 3d), B. you have a marginal or drawable hand and if someone bets you will call (you have 5c, 7c and the flop is 2c, 6d, 8s), C. you have a. . .

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