Easy tips for playing your first online Poker game as a beginner. Playing Poker online is both a contest of chance and skill. This article gives you the essential tricks you need before staking your money on the tables.
What is Poker?
It is a real game of chance, but its long-run outcome depends on a playerâs moves, chosen based on psychology, probability, and theory.
It is any form of card contest in which a player bets on the best hand, depending on the gameâs specific rules. As mentioned before, this contest has many variations, and each variant has its unique rules of play.
In this article, we focus mainly on the most popular variant, Online Texas HoldâEm. Itâs the most common type and most widely played in online gambling operators, tournaments, and many private homes.
Types of Poker
This contest has hundreds of variants. But luckily, they are generally classified into three types, and each variant falls under any one of the three classifications. The main categories are:
Stud Poker â These are a variety of card games in which players get dealt a given number of cards (say five or seven), mostly face-up, and use the original cards to make the best hand. Examples of these contests include the Razz and the Seven Card Stud.
Draw Poker â In this type, players are dealt hands face-down, and they can attempt to improve their hands by trading some of their cards to a maximum of three. Examples in this category include Badugi and Five Card Draw.
Community Poker â In this category, players are dealt two cards face-down. They use them plus the shared (community) cards to make up their hands. The most common stakes in this category are Omaha and Texas Holdâem.
Alongside the ones named above, there are also two categories in which the card contest base ruleâ best hand wins doesnât exist. These unique plays include the Lowball punts and the high-low split contests.
In the lowball contest, the lowest hand is always the winner. There are also exceptional rules on whether flushes and straights count, and whether an ace is a low or a high ranked card. Its examples include the Razz and the Deuce to Seven Triple Draw.
Games in the high-low category are some of the most complicated play types. Here, the pot is shared equally between the player having the lowest hand and the highest hand. In some cases, a single player can have both the highest hand and the lowest hand. Due to their complex nature, stakes in this category are not the best way to kick off your gaming career. A good example here is Omaha Hi/Lo.
How to play poker
Online Poker is a customary card contest played over the internet. The rules of the stakes remain the same. The only difference between the online version and traditional card contest is that you can play the online version anywhere provided that you have access to the internet. Itâs faster and less risky since you can stake small.
To play on your computer or desktop, youâll first need to download the software from your favorite site. The size of the software is relatively small and doesnât require much memory to store. However, you can opt for the onsite play if you donât wish to download software. The downside is that the onsite games donât offer the same features and playability as when you install the software.
After installing the software, you will need to create a user account. There is a prerequisite that you must be 18 years and above, or as stipulated by your jurisdiction.
The next step is to make a deposit. Many sites allow for transactions from the major credit card like Visa, MasterCard, American Express card, etc. Some sites accept e-wallets and cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
After completing the two steps, the next step is choosing the card contest you would love to play. When you log into the software, you get access to various Online Poker games. Some even include a live dealer in online casino.
Once the contest commences, your objective is to create a better hand than the other players on your table. I know your next question is what better hand means. To understand this, we give you a step-by-step illustration of the process and how hands are valued in the game.
In Texas Holdâem Poker, two or more players can play in each deal. The most popular type is the six-player card contest in which one player posts a small blind, and another player posts a big blind before the start of every round. It involves four betting rounds: the preflop, the flop, the turn, plus the river.
Blinds are compulsory bets that two players on the dealerâs immediate left have to post to keep the game moving. To be fair, a button (round disc) is rotated one seat to the left and every player, and it dictates which player posts the small and big blinds in each round.
After blinds are posted, everyone on the table, starting from the dealerâs immediate left, is dealt two cards face-down. After everyone secretly looks at their cards, the first betting round begins.
The preflop round
In this round, the player sitting next to the big blind starts. He/she has three options, either to call (put in the big blind), raise (put in more money than the big blind) or to fold (throw cards away and lose the hand). The next player and the rest have the same options: either call, raise, or fold. Once everyone has contributed the same amount of money, the chips are moved to the tableâs center. The next round begins.
The flop round
At this stage, three community cards are dealt face-up on the table. Every player can use his two private cards and the community cards to form a 5-card hand. Here, the small blind player is the first to go. He can choose to check (not bet anything) bet by putting an amount in the middle of the table that every player must match to stay in the game or fold. After that, the player on his left follows suit. If the first player stakes ten chips, he/she can choose to call (match the ten chips), raise (bet more than ten chips), or fold. The round ends after everyone has put in the same amount of bets, and the next begins.
The turn round
Another community card is dealt on the table in this round, meaning you have six cards (two private and four community) to form a hand. You can use any five of the six cards to create a five-card hand. The betting process is similar to the process in round two. The player left of the dealer starts and others follow suit. Once everyone has contributed the same amount, the round ends, and the next begins.
The river round
This round kicks off with a community card dealt face-up on the table. Now you have seven cards to make your strong hand. The fourth betting round follows suit in a way precisely similar to the second and the third rounds.
Once all rounds are over, a showdown occurs. In this step, all players reveal their cards, and the winner is determined. Many people love this punt because its winnings are relatively huge compared to the other casino games. Itâs also a winner takes it all activity, meaning that you take everything in the pot if you are the winner.
The highs and lows of a hand depending on the type of cards a hand makes.
Basic Poker Rules
There are a few basic rules of online poker. Below is a brief overview of the most important rules to consider.
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1
Raising rules
The amount you can grow depends on the game you are playing but starts at twice the big blind. If the match is no-limits, you can raise the amount between twice the big blind up to the full amount in the pot. If you are playing a limited game, you are restricted to only raise to twice the big blind.
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2
Check
You are only allowed to check if you are the first to bet or everyone before you checked. If everyone checks during a round, the round ends, and another begins.
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3
Fold
If you fold, you canât join in the deal again. If everyone, except one player, folds in any round, the contest ends. The remaining player wins everything in the pot without showing his cards. You can fold if you believe your hand wonât rank well.
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4
Bluff
Is to make a bet or a raise when your hand is seemingly not the best. In most cases, the objective is to induce a fold from an opponent with a better hand.
Play poker online in Canada
This is relatively easy, especially if you live in Canada. There are many legit poker online sites licensed in Canada in which you can easily enjoy the game. Similarly, most global sites accept Canadian players to register and play on them.
We researched sites and compiled a list of the best places for you, whether you live in Canada or anywhere else in the world. The only limitation you may have is if your jurisdiction abolishes gambling activities. Some of the highest-ranking sites include:
Although luck plays a part in online Poker, itâs more of a skill game like Blackjack. In Video Poker games, the âluck factorâ is much higher than in Texas Holdâem. If you want the best odds, stick to the games you play against other players, not against the house! Before registering to the online poker site, learn as much as you can, and start small. Another interesting fact is the rules of the card contest are straightforward to learn, but mastery plays a significant part. As a result, start small as you keep learning, then grow your knowledge. Donât forget to keep your bankroll in check.
Can I play online poker free?
Absolutely. Many websites offer amazing bonuses that you can use to play your first rounds for free. You can also play free trials before spending money on the game.
How to win with online poker?
If you are the winner at your table, your money will be available in your account for cash out. The ease of cashing out depends on the site youâre using. An excellent pointer to the best place is if they accept the usual and accessible payment methods.
| Best Poker Sites Canada | Bonus | Rating |
| Pokerstars | CAD $350 | 4.8 |
| Partypoker | CAD $150 | 4.7 |
| Bodog | CAD $300 | 4.7 |
| 888 | CAD $250 | 4.6 |
| Bet365 | CAD $200 | 4.4 |
| Unibet | CAD $100 | 4.4 |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do you ever play poker online? Do you want to know how to win or do you have another question? We tried to answer the most critical issues for you below. If your question is still not answered, you can always contact us. We are happy to help everyone!
Poker is a casino card game that is played against other players. The one with the best hand wins. Depending on the variant, there are different rules. However, the game remains loosely the same from one variant to the next.
The game begins with a deck of cards. The croupier deals two cards to each player, beginning with the player on the left. Players at the table will then bet. Next, after placing the bets, the croupier deals three cards on the table. Players bet again, and then another card plays. Again, players choose to bet, fold or raise, and the final card is dealt. The player with the best hand wins.
A rake is the percentage of the pot in play. In essence, it is what the house keeps as a payment. Some casinos vary in amounts, however, most poker online games take 2.5% of 10.00%.
Your best chance of winning includes formulating a poker strategy. This becomes possible when you familiarize yourself with the various hands in poker. Additionally, you should learn the rules of the variant you have the most interest in. Bet small in the beginning and slowly progress to bigger bets. Another sure way to win big is to play tournaments.
A straight is a hand in poker that runs in sequence and is of the same suit. For instance, a straight hand may contain an Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten, each card from hearts. Furthermore, a straight is the 6th highest ranking hand in poker, depending on the variant.
If you hear this term, it refers to a play made on a big blind in poker. Namely, the player sitting on the left of big blind will make a straddle. This means that the player doubles the big blind and other players must raise or call for the game to begin.