You’ve heard that there are several different types of poker hands. You may be wondering what the best one is. Well, in poker, you can have two pairs of cards plus a fifth card. Depending on the poker variant, a high card or second pair may win if both hands have a high pair. If neither pair has a high card, then a tie is broken by the high card. The same applies to straights and better than pairs.
Different types of Poker are played by different players. Some variants of the game are stud, draw, and community card games. In a friendly poker game, the dealer decides the type of game, but more formal tournaments specify a specific format. People who don’t understand the basics of the game are at a disadvantage when wild cards are called. The different types of poker are described later in this chapter. You can learn more about the game’s history and how to play it by gaining a solid foundation.
When playing poker, you typically use poker chips. Poker chips come in a variety of colors, and the dealer assigns a specific value to each chip. When players trade cash for chips, the dealer shuffles the cards and deals them out to players. Depending on the poker variation, the player’s hand can be any combination of two cards or three. The player’s hand may also contain any number of cards, but it’s important to note that a hand that has three of a kind or a different pair is the winner.
The betting rounds begin when each player bets a certain amount into the pot. Players can also choose to discard up to three cards and take new ones from the top of the deck. After each player has made a bet, the game moves onto the next round of betting, which occurs in a clockwise fashion until all players have folded. The highest hand wins. Once all players have called or folded, the winner of the game is revealed.
In the next hand, the player in first-to-act position will bet a dime and sit immediately to the left of the button. Then, he’ll receive one last card, a pair of kings. During this round, Alex checks when he has nothing to lose, and Charley calls when he needs money. If he’s out of luck, the player with the highest hand wins the game.
If you hold a high pair, then you’re considered to have a “nut shot.” In this case, you’d have to hit two overcards in the same hand. In the example above, the best possible hand would be a pair of kings, a queen, and a jack. The second-high pair would win the pot, but you might have to pay more for a pair of queens to complete your flush.