Got that memorized? It may take you a few hands to get into the swing of
playing poker, however, the knowledge of what hand beats what will soon stick
with you. Now on to the game play!
When playing a game of poker, before the cards are dealt, each player needs
to put in what is called an "ante." This bet can be anything from a nickel to
hundreds of dollars. Poker players usually set limits as to what the ante is,
and how high the bets can go. The ante is pretty much an act of good faith,
saying "yes, I want to play this round of poker."
The dealer then deals the cards out to each player, making sure each player
has five cards. Each player looks at their own cards without showing them to
anyone else at the table. The first player to the left of the dealer has the
option to "open the pot," or make the first bet, or they can "check," which
means they don't want to make the first bet, but they don't want to fold their
cards and drop out of the game just yet. In the case of checking, the option of
betting would go to the next player.
After the pot is opened, continuous bets are then placed. When your turn
comes around, you can "see" another players bet (match the bet, or bet the same
as the last player that made a bet), "raise" the bet (you see the last player's
bet and raise the bet a little higher), or you can "fold" (throw all your cards
in).
Once the first round of bets are done, players have the option of getting
rid of up to three of their "crappy cards" (cards they don't want, or do nothing
for their hand to help them win) and be dealt new ones. Another round of betting
follows with the same rules as above. The hand of poker is done when no one any
longer wants to raise the bets or everyone but one player has folded. The cards
in each players hand is turned over for everyone to see, and the highest hand
wins all that money in the pot.
There you have it! With a little practice, poker will come firsthand to you.
The most important thing to remember is to enjoy yourself!