Category Archives: Poker Rules

When Chris Moneymaker took down the WSOP Main Event back in 2003, he not only helped ignite the poker boom, he made Texas Hold’em the world’s game of choice. Although the variant had long been one of the most popular choices for regular players, Moneymaker’s historic win turned it into a game the masses simply had to play. Indeed, fast-forward a year or two after he became World Champion and everyone was playing Hold’em. Today, however, the industry has evolved both online and offline and players young and old are branching out into different games. In fact, players such as Jason Mercier, who were once feared No Limit Hold’em tournament players, have successfully transitioned to other variants. For example, during the 2016 World Series of Poker, the American managed to win the $10,000 H.O.R.S.E. event as well as the 2-7 Lowball Championship. In addition to his outright wins, Mercier finished second in the $10,000 Razz Championship which attracted 100 entrants. While that number may pale in comparison to other variants, it’s markedly higher than the <50 it received just a few years earlier. Continue reading →

Stud poker is one of the most common variants of poker played throughout the world, and it was the most popular form of casino poker prior to the relatively recent popularity explosion of Texas Holdem. There are many variations to the core stud poker rules as defined by the classic game. The information here centers on the classic game, which uses a 52-card deck and allows for 2-7 players.

Ante

In the classic rules for stud poker, each player puts an into the pot. Then, starting at his or her left, the dealer deals a card to each player until each player has three. The dealer deals the first two of those cards facedown and the final card face-up. The facedown cards are pocket cards, also called hole cards. Continue reading →

Limit Hold’em is mostly played in ring game format. This variant of hold’em plays the same as no limit texas hold’em, except for the betting structure. It is locked in increments that are tied to the name of the table. This structure of betting is often referred to as “limit poker” and sometimes “fixed limit” poker.

For example, at a $1-$2 limit table, the increments are $1 for the first two rounds of betting and $2 for the last two rounds. At the $5-$10 table, the bets are $5 each during the first two rounds and $10 each during the last two rounds. The small blind is usually half of the first bet, so at a $5-$10 table, the blinds would be $2 for the small blind and $5 for the big blind. Continue reading →

Open-Face Chinese Poker (OFCP) is a variation of Chinese Poker that has recently become very popular among the high-stakes community.

Despite its name, the game originated in Finland and like Chinese poker it makes use of thirteen cards per player drawn from a standard 52-card deck, which are arranged in three hands, also known as rows.

The game spread into Russia and subsequently to the United States, where it has become a favourite among high-rolling gamblers. Mostly found in ‘bricks and mortars’ casinos and poker rooms, rare forms of poker like this can also be sometimes be found online. Continue reading →

Texas Hold’em is the most popular poker game being played in casino poker rooms and online poker rooms from around the world. There are 3 types of Texas Hold’em poker:

• Limit Hold’em (There is a certain bet limit, which is applied in each game and in each round of betting)
• Pot Limit Hold’em (A player can make a maximum bet equal to the amount of the pot)
• No Limit Hold’em (A player may at any time bet all his chips in front of him. By far the most popular poker game)

Texas Hold’em poker rules are very straightforward. Before the game is started, the system/dealer generates a new deck of cards for that hand. Online poker rooms usually use a so-called random number generator (RNG) to sort and shuffle cards. Below find a detailed explanation of the different betting rounds in No Limit Texas Hold’em. Continue reading →