POKER RULES

Texas Hold'em | 7 Card Stud | 7 Card Stud Hi/Low | 5 Card Stud | Omaha Poker | Omaha Hi/Low

The most popular poker game in the world is Hold'em, or as most of us who've seen it online or at a land based casino may know it: Texas Hold'em.

When it comes to playing Hold'em, there are 3 types of games with different betting types:

• Limit – There is a specific betting limit for each game played and each round. For example a $.50/$1.00 has a $.50 Blind, the first round of betting and raises is $.50 and the subsequent rounds are upped to $1.00 bets.
• Pot Limit – Players can bet a maximum, equal to the total pot at the time of their bet.
• No Limit – Players can bet as much as they have on the table at the time of the bet.

Here's how the game is played:

1. The 2 players left of the dealer place a 'Small Blind' and 'Big Blind' (blind, as in betting before seeing the hand), which for a $.50/$1.00 game would be $.25 and $.50 respectively.
2. Once the Blind bets are down, 2 cards are dealt face down to each player.
3. There is a betting round.
4. 3 shared cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table in what is called 'The Flop'.
5. There is a betting round.
6. A 4th card is placed face up in the middle.
7. There is a betting round.
8. The last card, or 'The River' card is placed face up in the middle of the table.
9. There is the final round of betting.

Note: In Texas Hold'em - betting, just like dealing, always proceeds in a clockwise rotation.

7-Card Stud is a very popular poker variation commonly played at friendly poker games amongst friends. It's a simple game to play online or off, and goes like so:

1. First each player antes up for the hand about to be dealt. The amount of the ante is determined by the table at which you play.
2. Two cards are dealt face down to each player in the game, followed by 1 card, which is dealt face up (totaling 3 cards in each hand). This first face up card is known as the 'door card' or 'Third Street'.
3. There is a round of betting. At some poker rooms, the player with the lowest valued 'door card' must bet first - called the 'bring in bet'.
4. After betting, another card is dealt, face up, to each player. This second face up card is known as 'Fourth Street'.
5. There is another round of betting.
6. Another card is dealt, face up, to each player. 'Fifth Street'.
7. There is another round of betting, with the betting minimums/maximums typically doubled during this round.
8. Another card is dealt, face up, to each player. 'Sixth Street''.
9. There is another round of betting at the higher values (raised after 'Fifth Street').
10. Another card is dealt, face down, to each player. This is known as the 'River Card' or 'Seventh Street'.
11. There is then the final round of betting.

Betting Note: Unlike Texas Hold'em or Omaha where betting starts to the left of the dealer, in any Stud game the player with the highest ranking hand showing amongst their face up cards bets first for that round, with the bet then moving clockwise around the table.

Once the betting is over, the hands are called and it's time to show 'em what you've got - the player with the highest 5 card hand wins the pot. While you'll be dealt 7 cards in total in any 7 card game; you will only play your best 5 cards at the end of the hand, with the two remaining cards not counting towards your final hand total.

7-Card Stud Hi/Lo is played pretty much the same as regular 7-Card Stud, until the betting rounds are over and it's time to show your cards. Hi/Lo is a split pot, meaning there can be two winners at the end of a game, one for the Highest hand and one for Lowest. (Although one player can 'scoop' both halves of the pot.)

1. First each player antes up for the hand about to be dealt. The amount of the ante is determined by the table at which you play.
2. Two cards are dealt face down to each player in the game, followed by 1 card, which is dealt face up (totaling 3 cards in each hand). This first face up card is known as the 'door card' or 'Third Street'.
3. There is a round of betting. At some poker rooms, the player with the lowest valued 'door card' must bet first - called the 'bring in bet'.
4. After betting, another card is dealt, face up, to each player. This second face up card is known as 'Fourth Street'.
5. There is another round of betting.
6. Another card is dealt, face up, to each player. 'Fifth Street'.
7. There is another round of betting, with the betting minimums/maximums typically doubled during this round.
8. Another card is dealt, face up, to each player. 'Sixth Street''.
9. There is another round of betting at the higher values (raised after 'Fifth Street').
10. Another card is dealt, face down, to each player. This is known as the 'River Card' or 'Seventh Street'.
11. There is then the final round of betting.

Betting Note: Unlike Texas Hold'em or Omaha where betting starts to the left of the dealer, in any Stud game the player with the highest ranking hand showing amongst their face up cards bets first for that round, with the bet then moving clockwise around the table.

Once the betting is over, the hands are called and it's time to show 'em what you've got - the player with the highest *5 card hand wins half the pot and the player with the lowest 5-card hand wins the other half. (When playing at a land based casino you must arrange your cards into to your Hi and Lo hand, but when playing online it happens automatically.)

* Note: While you'll be dealt 7 cards in total in any 7 card game; you will only play your best 5 cards at the end of the hand, with the two remaining cards not counting towards your final hand total. In a Hi/Lo game you can still only use 5 cards per hand - but can use different card combinations from your 7 cards to make up a high and low hand.

What's a 'Low' Hand? It's the lowest (worst) hand you can make with your cards. There are a couple of exceptions to this rule however - straights and flushes do not count in a low hand, so A, 2, 3, 4, 5 is the lowest hand possible (does not count as a straight). In 7 Card Stud Hi/Lo you must usually 'qualify' to play a low hand, meaning you can play a 5 card combination with no cards of 9 or higher and no pairs. There is no qualifying for the high hand. This is known as '8 or better' at some poker rooms.

5-Card Stud is another popular variation of poker, although not as popular as 7-Card Stud in most poker rooms. It plays much the same, but with only one face down card ('hole card') dealt to each player to start, and four streets of face up cards totaling 5 cards dealt to each hand.

1. First each player antes up for the hand about to be dealt. The amount of the ante is determined by the table at which you play.
2. One card is dealt face down to each player in the game, known as the 'hole card'. One card is dealt face up to each player.
3. There is a round of betting. Typically the player with the highest valued card showing opens the betting round.
4. After betting, another card is dealt, face up, to each player.
5. There is another round of betting.
6. Another card is dealt, face up, to each player.
7. There is another round of betting, with the betting minimums/maximums typically doubled during this round.
8. Another card is dealt, face up, to each player.
9. There is then the final round of betting.

Betting Note: Unlike Texas Hold'em or Omaha where betting starts to the left of the dealer, in any Stud game the player with the highest ranking hand showing amongst their face up cards bets first for that round, with the bet then moving clockwise around the table.

Once the betting is over, the hands are called and it's time to show 'em what you've got - the player with the highest total hand wins the pot.

Omaha, or Omaha Hold'em is another game found at both land based and online poker rooms. Where Texas Hold'em is a 7-card game, Omaha is a 9-card game. Like Texas Hold'em, Omaha games can be played with these different betting limits:

• Limit – There is a specific betting limit for each game played and each round. For example a $.50/$1.00 has a $.50 Blind, the first round of betting and raises is $.50 and the subsequent rounds are upped to $1.00 bets.
• Pot Limit – Players can bet a maximum, equal to the total pot at the time of their bet.
• No Limit – Players can bet as much as they have on the table at the time of the bet.

Here's how the game is played:

1. The 2 players left of the dealer place a 'Small Blind' and 'Big Blind' (blind, as in betting before seeing the hand) bet, which for a $.50/$1.00 game is $.25 and $.50 respectively.
2. Once the Blind bets are made each player is dealt 4 cards face down.
3. Betting begins with the player to the left of the bettor who placed the “Big Blind” bet.
4. 3 cards are dealt face up, in the middle of the table, in what is called “The Flop”.
5. There is another round of betting,
6. A 4th card is placed face up in the middle of the table.
7. There is another round of betting,
8. The last card, or “The River” card is placed face up in the middle.
9. There is the final round of betting.

Following the bet the players make their best hand of 5 cards, using 2 of their down 4 cards and 3 cards from the 5 community cards on the table. A winner is determined by the usual means, either the high hand wins, or the last player who is still “in” gets the pot.

This game is played the same as Omaha, except the pot is split between the player with the highest hand and the player with the lowest hand (unless one player 'Scoops' both hands).

1. The 2 players left of the dealer place a 'Small Blind' and 'Big Blind' (blind, as in betting before seeing the hand) bet, which for a $.50/$1.00 game is $.25 and $.50 respectively.
2. Once the Blind bets are made each player is dealt 4 cards face down.
3. Betting begins with the player to the left of the bettor who placed the "Big Blind" bet.
4. 3 cards are dealt face up, in the middle of the table, in what is called "The Flop".
5. There is another round of betting,
6. A 4th card is placed face up in the middle of the table.
7. There is another round of betting,
8. The last card, or "The River" card is placed face up in the middle.
9. There is the final round of betting.

The rules for forming a hand are the same as Omaha, 2 of the 4 down cards and 3 of the 5 up cards must be used for each hand. However, as you get to create a separate Hi and Lo hand your two hands may use different cards from both the Flop and your down cards.