Poker Card Game

Poker is a very absorbing and challenging card game and is one of the most popular past times in the world. It has definitely gone a long way from its past image of Wild West saloon table hustling and shootouts in the 1800s, and a game of luck held in dimly lit basements populated by underworld characters during the Depression years. Poker today evokes glitzy images of hyper-modern casino resorts in Vegas and a stunningly realistic computer card game that can be played from your den. The popularity of poker steam-rolled into human consciousness at the turn of the Millennium; thanks to wide media coverage of multi-million dollar pot poker tournaments that changed the lives of winners and fired the imagination of millions of TV viewers. If you want to learn poker, you can log on to popular online poker sites that offer free tutorials on the game.

There are several variations of poker. While they follow the same basic card combinations called "hands," they essentially differ in their style of play. "Texas Holdem" is the most popular variation. If you want to learn poker, the best way to start is to know the different hands and their order of ranking. A glossary of poker terms is also nice to have around while reading up on your tutorials just in case an unfamiliar word crops up in your tutorial lessons.

In Texas Holdem, the player gets two cards that he needs to combine with five other cards and arranged in a particular way. The kind of five-card combinations or arrangements that a player needs depends entirely on his judgment and appreciation of the situation at hand. It is said that in poker, luck only comes into play in the kind of cards that are dealt to each player. What the player does with these cards and how he arranges these into a winning hand now depends entirely upon his skill. The player who has the best card combination, or "hand," wins the pot. Since the players are arranging their cards and placing bets without knowing the cards of the opposition, they employ psychological tactics like reading body language and bluffing to get a fair idea of the cards of the opposition.

Aside from psychology, poker players must also need some basic mathematical skills because part of the game is calculating the odds of winning or of being able to draw the right card for the desired combination to defeat the perceived hand of the opponent. While it's true that the distribution of cards is random, winning the game will depend entirely on the strategic and psychological skills of the player as well as on his ability to understand human nature. If you want to become a successful poker player, these are the things you first ought to learn. Poker is only a game that mirrors how well you have learned your lesson.

Clues that tell you when to Fold in Online poker players who don't have a good hand usually check in order to see the next card without risking a bet hoping that they could make a decent hand. Even so, don't put your guard down just yet because he could just be going into "slow play," which could mean that he is just trying to conceal his good hand and trick his opponents to start the betting.

If a player "check-raises" you, be extremely careful because this is a clear danger sign that your opponent has a strong hand. Before you make any decisions, be sure that you've got a stronger hand. When your opponent goes "all in," he is practically announcing at the poker table that he's got an unbeatable hand, and if you feel lucky you can go ahead and make his day and call him. If you think that he is bluffing, you must have a hand that you're 110 percent sure of winning, otherwise, you must fold. Clever
online poker players who've got a strong hand always want to get the most money out of their opponents' stack and into the pot. A small raise sometimes does the trick in keeping the bets going and filling the pot, instead of making the bets so high as to make everybody suspicious. So, if somebody makes a small raise, don't ignore it because there could be more to it than meets the eye.

Be wary of anybody who takes an unusual length of time to check or call. This could indicate that a monster's hand had landed on the lap of a beginner and he is unsure if he should raise, call or check and is thinking about the consequences before deciding to just check and see what happens. It's bad news for you if there are still 3 or more poker players in the flop and you have not been dealt a King or an Ace. The possibility is not too remote that one or more of your opponents is holding a high card. Unless you've got triples or two pairs, or if you are in a "straight draw" or a "flush," fold right away. In case one of your opponents has a third one in his hand, there's a big possibility that he has a strong hand. Try to check to see a free card if you have a weak hand, otherwise, fold. Be on the alert and think twice if you still want to bet if you notice that your opponent might be holding two or three cards on the flop and make a big raise or all-in.