Poker Fundamentals for Beginners
Poker Basics
The Goal of the Game
At its heart, poker is a simple game. The main objective is to win the “pot,” which is the sum of all the bets made in a single hand. You can do this in two ways: have the best five-card hand at the end, or convince all the other players to give up and fold their hands before the end.
This means poker isn't just about luck. While you can't control the cards you're dealt, you can control how you play them. A great hand can lose if played poorly, and a weak hand can win if played with skill and nerve. The game is a mix of chance, strategy, and psychology.
The Tools of the Trade
Poker is played with a standard 52-card deck. The deck is divided into four suits, and each suit has thirteen ranks.
| Suit | Symbol | Ranks |
|---|---|---|
| Spades | ♠ | A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 |
| Hearts | ♥ | A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 |
| Diamonds | ♦ | A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 |
| Clubs | ♣ | A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 |
In most poker games, all suits are considered equal. A King of Spades is no better or worse than a King of Hearts. The rank of the card is what matters.
The ranks, from highest to lowest, are: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. The Ace is special because it can also be used as the lowest card (as a 1) to form certain hands, like a 5-4-3-2-Ace straight.
How a Hand Plays Out
While there are many variations of poker, the general flow of a hand is usually the same. It starts with players being dealt cards and then proceeds through one or more rounds of betting.
During a betting round, players take turns to act. They have several options:
- Check: If no one has bet yet, you can pass the action to the next player without betting anything.
- Bet: Be the first to put money into the pot in the current round.
- Call: Match the amount of the last bet to stay in the hand.
- Raise: Increase the amount of the current bet, forcing other players to put more money in to continue.
- Fold: Give up your hand and forfeit any chance of winning the pot. You lose any money you've already bet.
Folding is not a sign of weakness. Knowing when to fold a bad hand is one of the most important skills in poker.
Betting continues until everyone has either folded or called the last bet. If two or more players remain after the final betting round, a “showdown” occurs. The remaining players reveal their cards, and the one with the best five-card hand wins the pot. The specific combinations of cards that make a winning hand are called hand rankings, and they are the key to knowing who wins.
What is the primary objective in a hand of poker?
Which of these cards holds the highest rank in most poker games?
Now that you have the fundamentals down, you're ready to learn about what makes a winning hand.