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1. Poker Rules Higher Straight
2. Poker Rules Straight With Ace

Omaha Poker Rules. Omaha poker is an action game often played as a pot-limit or fixed-limit game. 7-Card Stud Rules. An old-but-gold poker classic that does not involve a flop and is often played. Learn your hands. There are ten potential hands, or combinations of cards, in Stud Poker. The best hand is the royal flush, then the straight flush, then four of a kind, then the full house, then a flush, then a three of a kind, then two pair, then one pair, then high card. Poker chips or substitute (optional) Basic Poker rules. Learning to how to play basic poker is not nearly as hard as many people imagine. There are generally two types: Stud Poker and Draw Poker. The rules for these games are almost identical and both are presented here. In Stud Poker, each player is dealt five cards (or seven for some games). Poker Terms - Common Phrases and Acronyms. In poker, there is practically a library of poker terms that are commonly used. For the uninitiated, these terms can sound like a completely different language, when a poker player says, 'I flopped a belly buster on a rainbow board', when they are really saying that they have an inside straight draw, after the dealer dealt the first three cards, all.

Introduction

Poker all'italiana (Italian poker) is one of many variations of poker; more specifically it is a variation of 5 Card Draw. Each player receives five cards and up to four can be changed. In Italy it is most commonly referred to just as 'poker' and classic 5-card draw is referred to as 'poker all'americana'.

Players and Cards

Poker all'italiana is played with a variable number of cards from a standard 52-card pack dependent upon the number of players sitting at the table. The lowest card is the equal to the number obtained by subtracting the number of participants from 11. Therefore:

• 6 players play with 40 cards: from 5 to ace
• 5 players play with 36 cards: from 6 to ace
• 4 players play with 32 cards: from 7 to ace

Deal, Betting and Draw

Before the cards are dealt, all players must ante up (place the agreed stake in the pot) in order to compete. The dealer distributes 5 cards to each player, one at a time clockwise, starting with the player to his left.

At this point there there is a round of betting, in which the minimum requirement to open is a pair of jacks. Players who have less than this must pass, and players are allowed to pass even if they meet the opening requirement. Once a player has opened, other players can call or raise even without a pair of jacks. If nobody opens, the cards are thrown in. The pot stays, the players ante again and there is a new deal by the next dealer.

Following this there is a draw round where players who have not yet folded may exchange from 0 to 4 cards. Beginning with the player to dealer's left each player states how many cards he or she wishes to exchange, discards that number of cards and is given replacement cards by the dealer. If the cards run out, the discarded cards are shuffled and reused. If a player wishes to change four cards, only three are given initially; after all the players have been served, the players who asked for four cards are given their last replacement card.

As in standard draw poker, it is legal for the opener to discard part of or all of the combination that qualified the hand to be opened. In this case, the player must announce that the opening combination is being discarded, and the dealer must keep that player's discards to one side, so that it can be proved if necessary that a pair of jacks or better was held.

After the exchange of cards are there is a second round of betting begun by the player who opened the first round of betting, or if this player has folded by the next player in clockwise order from the opener who is still active. This is followed by a showdown. The surviving player with the highest ranked hand wins the pot.

The Showdown and Ranking of Hands

In poker all'italiana (unlike standard 5-card draw) the suits have a ranking order. Hearts (Cuori) are the highest, followed by Diamonds (Quadri), Clubs (Fiori) and Spades (Picche); hence the Italian saying 'Come Quando Fuori Piove' ('like when it is raining outside'), which is used to remember suit order. This suit ranking is used to break ties between hands that in standard poker would be equal.

The ranking of hands from highest to lowest is:

• Straight Flush (Scala reale): Minimum, Medium and Maximum - see below
• Four of a Kind (known as Poker)
• Flush (Colore)
• Full House (Full)
• Straight (Scala)
• Three of a Kind (Tris)
• Two Pair (Doppia Coppia)
• Pair (Coppia)
• High Card (Carta più alta)

Note that in this game a Flush beats a Full House. A flush is harder to make in this game than in standard poker because of the smaller number of cards in each suit.

As in standard poker, Aces can count as high or low in straights and straight flushes. For this purpose the Ace is considered adjacent to the lowest card in the deck being used, for example with 5 players, A-6-7-8-9 is a valid straight.

A minimum straight flush is the lowest that can be made with the deck in use, for example A-7-8-9-10 of a suit with 4 players. A maximum straight flush is 10-J-Q-K-A of a suit. All other straight flushes are medium. If two players have medium straight flushes then the one with higher ranked cards wins as usual. Also as usual a maximum straight flush beats a medium one, and a medium straight flush beats a minimum one. But if a minimum straight flush comes up against a maximum straight flush, the minimum beats the maximum. Finally between two equal ranked straight flushes in different suits, the higher suit will win.

The effect of the above rule is that no hand is a certain winner. The rule is summarised in the famous Italian saying 'La minima batte la massima, la massima batte la media e la media batte la minima'.

In the very rare case where three players hold a straight flush, one minimum, one medium and one maximum, the pot is split between them.

Note that the above rules do not apply to ordinary straights with mixed suits. For example with 5 players and a 36-card pack A-6-7-8-9 with mixed suits is the lowest straight and any higher straight from 6-7-8-9-10 to A-K-Q-J-10 will beat it.

If two players have otherwise equal combinations, the suit ranking is used to determine which is higher, as follows.

• Between otherwise equal flushes or straight flushes the higher suit wins.
• Between equal straights the suit of the highest card determines who wins (for example Q-J-10-9-8 beats Q-J-10-9-8).
• Between equal ranked two-pair hands (the same ranked pairs and the same ranked kicker), the hand that has the heart card in the higher pair wins, even if the rank of the kicker is higher. For example 9-9-7-7-K beats 9-9-7-7-K).
• A similar rule applies to equal pairs when both hands have the same three kickers. The hand with the pair that contains the heart wins.
• Between two high-card hands, the one whose high card is in the higher suit wins.

Variations

There are many slight rule variations, and to avoid unpleasant arguments players should take care to agree before playing what house rules are in effect.

For example, not all players agree on the details of the hand ranking. For example, according to the book 'I Giochi di Carte' by E. Fantini and C.E.Santelia (Milano, 1985), when comparing otherwise equal hands the suit of the highest kicker determines who wins. In this case, if two players held K-K-J-9-8, the winner would be the player with the higher suited jack. For 'high card' hands the high card is regarded as the poker combination, so the highest kicker is the next highest card. Thus in this variant when two players have A-Q-J-8-7, the higher suited queen will win.

Poker is played with various betting structures and rules for how much you can bet, raise or check-raise.

In some formats and games, for example, you can only bet a certain fixed amount for any bet and the amount of bets per round are capped; in other formats you can bet all your money in one go at any time.

If you've watched poker on TV you're likely most familiar with this form - aka 'No Limit' - which makes for spectacular 'all ins' and exciting showdowns.

The game usually being played on TV is No-Limit Texas Holdem so while these betting rules apply to many different forms of poker, consider these de facto Texas Holdem betting rules.

But No-Limit isn't the only way to make bets in poker. In fact for decades the most commonly played forms of poker were slow, steady 'Limit' betting rounds that kept variance and wild bankroll swings to a minimum. Pot-Limit formats (more on this below) are also quite common (eg Pot-Limit Omaha).

In this beginners guide to poker betting we'll take a look at the most common betting rules in Texas Hold'em and beyond. We'll start with the most popular one, of course - No Limit. It's easier to explain, even though it's not at all easy to master.

Beginners Guide to Poker Betting

No-Limit Poker

In No-Limit Poker, as soon as it's your turn to bet you're allowed to bet all the chips that you have in front of you into the pot. You don't even have to have the most chips at the the table -- you can go 'all in' with whatever you have in your stack.

As we mentioned it makes for great drama at the table and tense, cards exposed Texas Hold'em showdowns where one player is playing for their cash game or tournament life on the turn of a single card.

Don't get confused by the exaggerated scenarios of film or TV though - you still can't throw your car keys or your bearer bonds into the pot as they do it in the movies. You can't even dig into your wallet for more cash in the middle of a hand.

Poker Rules Higher Straight

Today's No-Limit poker games always use a rule called 'table stakes.' It means that you can never bet anything above and beyond the money you had on the table when the hand started.

Poker Rules Straight With Ace

As the sharp observer will have noticed this means that there's a 'limit' to the betting after all. So 'no-limit' poker isn't actually without limits. But for the sake of simplicity, No Limit is the term used to describe it.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that no-limit poker is more dangerous for your bankroll than fixed-limit poker. It all depends on what stakes you play at. A game of Limit Texas Hold'em with blinds of $100/$200 certainly isn't cheaper than a No-Limit Texas Hold'em game with blinds of $1/$2.

Fixed-Limit Poker

In fixed-limit poker, the size of each bet is fixed in advance. In Hold'em and Omaha, the first two betting rounds use bets and raises the size of the big blind (called the small bet). In the following two betting rounds, bets and raises are twice the big blind (called the big bet).

When you specify the size of a fixed-limit game, the convention is to give the size of the small bet and the big bet. If the blinds are $1/$2, you'd say that the game is $2/$4. For the internet generation this may seem a bit odd, and it's different from no-limit and pot-limit poker. Still, it's common use.

Often, the number of raises in each betting round is limited to three or four, after which the betting is 'capped.' This means that you won't be able to put in more than $6 or $8 during the first round of betting in a Texas Hold'em game with blinds at $1/$2.

This rule is often put out of play when only two players remain in the hand, in which case they can continue raising until all their money is in the pot. If they want to, that is.

Don't make the mistake of thinking that fixed-limit poker is easier than no-limit poker. Sure, you don't stand to lose your entire stack after a single mistake, but on the other hand you won't double your stack in one single move either. Fixed-limit is another game altogether and you have to play it differently.

Pot-Limit Poker

In Pot-Limit poker the amount you can bet when it's your turn is limited by the size of the pot. The pot-limit rule goes like this:

• You can raise up to the amount that is in the pot after you have called the previous bet.

This may sound a bit complicated and in practice it can get even trickier. Have courage though; there are some tricks you can use to master the pot bet. Read are in-depth guide to the pot bet here:

Don't make the mistake of thinking that pot-limit poker is safer for your bankroll than no-limit poker. Even if they are limited to the size of the pot, bets in pot-limit poker are generally not smaller than in no-limit.

Most bets in no-limit poker are actually the size of the pot or smaller.

How Betting Rounds Work in Poker

Each poker hand is made up of a number of betting rounds. The number of betting rounds depends on the poker variation.

In Texas Holdem there are four betting rounds. In Seven Card Stud there are five and in Five Card Draw there are just two betting rounds.

Fold, Call or Raise

In each betting round, the betting moves clockwise around the table. Each player in turn must either match the bet of the previous player (call) or get out of the hand (fold).

Or, instead of just calling, when it's your turn to bet you can also choose to bet more than the previous bet (raise).

When all players have either folded or called the last raise, the betting round is over. All bets that have been made during the betting round are added to the pot.

All players who remain in the hand have now put in the same amount. They have all matched the biggest bet in that betting round. You can think of this as a negotiation - players agreeing on the price to see another card.

When the betting round is over, if all players except one have folded, the remaining player wins the pot. If everybody else but you folds, you don't even have to show your cards to win. That's what makes bluffing possible in poker.

The Check

Before a bet has been made in the current betting round, the player whose turn it is can choose not to bet (check). Checking simply means passing on the turn to the next player without making a bet.

If it helps, you can think of checking as calling a zero bet. It it doesn't help you, please just forget about it.

The Check-Raise

Let's say that a player checks and another player puts in a bet. When the betting comes around to the player who checked may either fold, call the additional but - or raise!

If he raises here his move is called a 'check-raise.' This is not really a rule per se but it's still good to know what check-raising means.

Texas Hold'em Betting Order & The Blinds

At the start of each poker hand some players have to make a bet even before the cards are dealt.

This is to create a small pot to compete for. Without those 'forced bets' all players could fold every hand without any cost and poker would probably be a very slow game.

In some poker variations, the forced bets are called Blinds. The player to the left of the dealer puts in the small blind and the next player to the left puts in the big blind.

This is how it works in Texas Hold'em and Omaha. Blinds are 'live bets,' which means that they count as valid bets in the first betting round.

Once the cards have been dealt it is the player to the left of the big blind who starts the first betting round (this position is called 'under the gun'.)

He or she must either match the big blind, fold, or raise. Checking is not an option since the big blind is considered as a valid bet. Remember that you can only check if no player has bet before you in that betting round.

Important note: In subsequent Texas Hold'em betting rounds the player closest to the left of the dealer begins the betting round. SO that means while the small and big blind get to act last in the first round, if they are still in the hand they will act first after the flop is dealt.

The player with (or closest to) the dealer button will act last for the rest of the betting rounds. This is called 'having position' in Texas Hold'em and it is a very important concept for playing proper Texas Hold'em strategy.

Big Blind Has an Option

Normally in a betting round, when all players have either folded or called the current bet, the betting round is over. However, when you play with blinds there is an exception to this rule in the first betting round.

In the first betting round of Texas Holdem or Omaha, if all players fold or call the big blind the player in the big blind has an option: He or she may either check or bet.

Antes Instead of Blinds

Some poker variations use antes instead of blinds. An ante is a forced bet that all players have to put in the pot before the cards are dealt. As opposed to blinds, antes are not live bets. They are just put in the middle to stimulate the betting but do not count in betting for any one player.

When there are no blinds there must be some other rule to decide who begins the betting. In Seven Card Stud the player with the lowest card showing must start by putting in a half or a whole small bet (called bring in).

From there, the betting goes on a usual. Since there's no big blind there's also no big blind option in the first betting round.

The Showdown

When the last betting round is over, if two or more players remain in the hand there is a showdown. Players show down their cards and the best hand wins the pot. If two hands are equally good, the pot is split equally between them.

Who Shows Cards First in Poker Showdown?

• If the pot was raised, it's the player who put in the last raise
• If there was a bet but the pot wasn't raised, it's the player who put in the first bet
• If there was no betting, it's the first remaining player to the left of the dealer

The player who shows first has to show down his or her cards. Then the other remaining players show their cards in clockwise order. If their hands are losing hands, they don't have to show their cards - they can just slide their hands to the dealer without revealing what they hold.

You can, however, always show your cards if you feel like it.

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