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Online Poker - A Beginners Guide

Wether playing for real money or just for fun with friends, playing poker online is a great experience

Stephen AnthonyStephen Anthony
November 30th, -0001
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Online Poker
Online Poker - casinosites.ltd.uk

Playing Poker Online

Poker is a hugely popular card game played in many different forms worldwide. It has been said to be the most widely played social casino game of all time. It can also offer players some of the highest stakes for any table-based casino activity. Poker is a classic card game that has been popular for hundreds of years. You can find poker tables in casinos anywhere from Las Vegas and Monte Carlo all the way around the world at your local pub or club. Online Poker is a fun and thrilling way to play the game of Poker. Several variations of this exciting game make it even more fun than before, such as Texas Hold 'em, Omaha and Stud, just to name a few.

Learning how to play online Poker can seem confusing at first. Still, it is simpler than some people may think. In this article, we will look into some basic steps on how to get started playing online poker games for money or just for free right now by signing up with a casino site. 

Poker is a contest of skill and strategy. With the correct knowledge, you can successfully navigate your way around the table and ensure that you give yourself every chance to win money at Poker online or offline. There are many different types of games available on offer – ranging from Texas Hold 'em to Omaha – but no matter what version it is, there will always be specific rules which must be followed to play correctly. 

Basic Poker Rules

Before we take a look into some basic steps for how-to learn Poker online, let's see some basics about Poker Rules: 

First off - having fun playing with other people is important, so make sure everyone has an understanding of not only how they should behave at the card table, but also how they plan on playing the hand.

In Poker, the same starts with players dealt two cards face down (hole cards), which only they can see. After everyone has been given their hole cards, there is a "flop" – this is where three community cards are placed face-up in the centre of the playing table.

At this point in the game, each player now has five cards and must use two of them to make their best possible five-card poker hand. A fourth card is then turned over (the turn) and after that another (the river), making a total of seven communal cards available to all players at the table. The player with the best combination of five cards, any combination of their two hole cards and the five communal cards wins the pot.

Basic Steps For Playing Online Poker 

Now that we know a little more about how Poker is played, let's take a look at some of the basic steps you need to follow to learn how to play online for free or for money:

First things first – and this goes for any casino game, not just Poker – make sure you play at a respected, licensed and regulated site. This way, you can ensure that your funds are safe and that the games you are playing are fair. 

Once you have registered with a reputable casino site, most require you to download their software to play. This is usually very quick and easy to do, and most casinos will have simple instructions on how to do so. Once the software is installed, you need to open it up and login using your Details – this will be your username and password that you created when registering at the casino site.

Now that you're logged in, it's time to choose which game you want to play! Again, you can search for a specific game by name or browse through our selection of games by category.

Once you've seen the game, you want to play, hit the "Start Playing" button and get started. Most games will open up in a new window which will give you all the information you need about that particular game, such as how many players can join in, what the betting limits are and what type of poker variation it is. You can also learn more about each game's rules by clicking on the "Rules" tab.

When To Stake And When To Fold

Now that we know where to find our favourite games, how much money we should stake and when to fold, let's take a look at some basic tips for beginners:

  • Pay attention to your position at the table – this is important as the first people to act are the ones seated closest to the left of the dealer button. As you can imagine, acting before all other players gives you an advantage as they will not have had a chance to look at their cards yet.
  • Learn when to hold and when to fold – what might seem like a good hand right now could turn out much differently once everyone else has made their bets. Don't be afraid of folding if you think that your odds are too slim or if someone already appears very confident about their hand. This is especially important in games with multiple betting rounds, such as Texas Hold 'em.
  • Keep your emotions under control - Poker isn't just about knowing how or when to play each card but also keeping calm and collected even when the stakes are high. Getting angry, frustrated or stressed will only lead to bad decisions, so take a deep breath and stay focused on the game.
  • Have fun! – This is, after all, meant to be a fun and enjoyable experience, so don't forget to enjoy yourself while playing. Poker can be a very rewarding game if played correctly, so make sure you stick to the basics and learn as you go.

Poker Games Available

There are three main types of game that you can choose when starting out: cash tables, tournaments or sit'n go's.

  1. Tournaments -In comparison to cash tables which always offer equal stakes for each player involved, tournament prizes vary depending on how many players enter the competition at any given time. In typical cases, it works like this; a 100% entry fee goes into the prize pool (the money that will be divided between the top players), minus a small fee for the site hosting the tournament. In Sit'n Go's, there are usually six or nine players involved, with half of the buy-in going into the prize pool.
  2. Cash Tables -These tables always offer equal stakes for each player involved. The size of the pot (the money at stake) is determined by how many people have joined in and what type of game it is. There are No Limit, Pot Limit and Fixed limit games available in cash poker.
  3. Sit'n Go's -As we've mentioned, these tournaments start as soon as enough players have registered to make up a table. These games can also vary regarding their buy-ins and the number of players involved.

Strategy

There are several different strategies that you can employ when playing Poker online.

Bluffing

Bluffing is an obvious one, but it's more complex than waiting for a good hand and then pretending to have something better. It takes skill, intuition, and patience to bluff successfully on most occasions because your opponent may be doing precisely the same thing. You need some luck to win big pots from time to time with nothing more than a pair of twos or threes which make other people think you've hit a straight flush.

Value Betting 

Another strategy is value betting, where you bet on someone else who has already shown strength through their play. If they call, chances are they have a good hand, and you can take the pot without a showdown. This is also known as "representing" a type of hand. For example, if you're holding an Ace-King combination, then betting like you've got two pairs will make your opponents think twice about calling.

Texas Hold 'em

Texas Hold 'em is probably the most well-known variant of Poker, and it is played with two cards in hand and five community cards on the table. The game aims to make the best possible five-card combination using any two of your own cards and three from the community cards. The player with the best hand at the end of the game wins.

Omaha Hi-Lo

In Omaha Hi-Lo, players are dealt four cards instead of two and must use exactly two to make their final hand. In addition, a pot is split between the best high hand and the best low hand (which can be any combination of five unpaired cards that total eight or less).

Seven Card Stud 

Seven Card Stud is a more traditional poker variant that is played with seven cards. At the beginning of each round, each player receives three cards face down, and one card face up. Players then bet on who has the best five-card combination using any two from their own hand and three from the community cards. The fourth card is turned over, and another round of betting takes place, followed by the fifth card (face down) and the final round of betting. The player with the best hand at the end wins the pot.

Now that we've covered some of the basics, it's time for you to put what you've learned into practice by playing some hands at our free poker tables. Once you feel confident enough, why not try your hand at one of our real money games and see how far you can go?

Why not try the tables at our recommended casinos below?

Good luck and have fun!

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