HOW TO PLAY STUD HI/LO POKER : RULES- STRATEGIES-TERMS EXPLAINED*

7 Seven-card Stud Hi/Lo Poker Game is a variant of Seven-card stud in which the pot is split between the holder of the highest hand and the holder of the lowest hand if that low hand is topped by no worse than an 8. (The 8 is known in the poker world as a qualifier.) If that restriction is not met, the entire pot goes to the holder of the highest hand. Also, the same hand can win both the high and the low half of the pot. Winning the whole pot in either of these ways is called scooping. See "Hand Rankings" to see how low hands are determined and what beats what.

The poker game is also called seven stud high-low, Seven-card stud 8-or-better, Seven-card stud split, or Seven-card stud/8 (and indicated on the lobby tab as Stud H/L). This game should be familiar to those who have played only in home games. Seven stud high-low is also popular in many brick-and mortar cardrooms (b&ms).

How the Online Game Differs from Home Games

Home games often feature unusual variants of Seven-card Stud Hi/Lo, sometimes involving wild cards and replacements. You won't find these online or in b&ms. Another home game variant you won't see is the declaration, in which players indicate at the showdown whether they're going high or low-or both ways. That home game variant never has a qualifier, and a player has to win the half of the pot for which he "spoke." A player can win the low half, for example, without actually having the best low hand-if the holder of the best low does not declare properly. Any hand can win the low half of the pot-even a pair or worse-as long as it is the lowest hand to declare low.

Online and in bricks and mortars, "cards speak." What this means online is that at the showdown the software determines which hand is best for high and which for low-providing a hand qualifies for low-and awards the pot accordingly.

General

Just as in the high version of Seven-card stud, each player starts with two hole cards and one upcard, and then the dealer gives each active player three more upcards, and then a final downcard. Thus each player ends up with seven cards, four face up and three face down. The difference between Seven-card stud high and Seven-card stud Hi/Lo is that in Seven-card stud Hi/Lo each player can potentially have two different hands, a high hand and a low hand. Each player forms a five card high hand by using five of his seven cards. Each player forms a five card low hand by using five of his seven cards. Both the high hand combination and the low hand combination can use the same set of five cards, but they don't have to; in fact, usually they would not. For example, if your seven cards are Kh 8h 5c 4h 3h 2s Ah, your high hand is Ah Kh 8h 4h 3h, an ace-high flush, while your low hand is 5c 4h 3h 2s Ah, a wheel. Here is a hand that uses the same five cards for low and for high: Ks Qh 8s 7d 6c 5h 4c. The high hand is an 8-high straight and the low hand is 8-7-6-5-4.

As in most forms of poker games, Seven-card Stud Hi/Lo uses a standard 52-card deck. The game is played at an eight-handed table.

Each new hand of Seven-card Stud Hi/Lo begins with each player putting an ante into the pot. The ante is a payment into the pot before cards are dealt for the purpose of stimulating action. For example, in a $2/$4 limit game, the ante is 40 cents. Each player must ante each hand to receive cards.

When you first sit down at a poker table, you get dealt in immediately, after being prompted to ante. Since Seven-card Stud Hi/Lo does not have blinds, you do not have to wait.

In Seven-card Stud Hi/Lo, the deal position does not rotate as in blind games. The nominal deal position is indicated by a white disk called the stud button. The stud button is always by seat 8, and each new deal always starts at seat 1. The first card of each succeeding round always goes to the first active player (one who either has equaled all the bets thus far, or has gone all in, that is, run out of chips with which to call) to the left of the stud button. If you rotate the table to change your position, the stud button also rotates. This makes it clear where the deal position is. This is important in those few situations in which two or more players have identical boards. After the first round, if hands are tied, the hand closest to the left of the stud button begins the betting.

When the antes are in place, the dealer distributes two cards face down to each player and then one card face up, starting with seat 1. The two downcards are called hole cards. Your hole cards appear face up on your screen, but don't worry; only you can see your hole poker cards. Only the backs of every other player's hole cards appear on screen. Every other player has a similar view, with only his own hole cards visible. You can tell which are your hole cards and which your upcard, because the hole cards are situated lower than the upcard. You can see the upcards of all the other players, and they can see your upcard.Poker Rooms listing.

 

Seven stud Hi/Lo, as any form of poker, is about betting. Seven stud Hi/Lo has five betting rounds. The sizes of the bets depend on the structure of the game. All Seven-card Stud Hi/Lo games at Full Tilt Poker are limit games. The first two rounds are at one level, and the next three at double that level.

Third Street

On the first round (known as third street), the betting starts with the player having the lowest upcard. This bet is a forced bet. The bet must be at least a specified minimum, in which case it is called the bring-in, but can be more. The bring-in is usually one-fourth the lower limit. If two or more players have the same rank of upcard, who must make the bring-in is determined by suit, in reverse bridge order (clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades). This is one of the few times that suits have any bearing in poker. For example, if three deuces appear on the first round in this order, 2s, 2h, 2d, the holder of the 2d would be required to make the bring-in bet.Poker Hands Ranking.

In the picture above you have the lowest card. You must make a bet. You have two choices only. You can:

• open for the bring-in
• complete the bet, that is, increase the bet to the lower limit

You choose your action by clicking in a dialog box. While you can always complete the bet, you will find that players usually open for the minimum. If everyone folds, you win the antes, and the next hand is dealt.

Normally everyone would not fold for a bring-in, however.

If you open for the bring-in, each succeeding player has three choices:

• fold
• call, that is, match the bring-in
• complete the bet, that is, increase the bet to the lower limit

If you or anyone else completes the bet, each succeeding player has three choices:

• fold
• call, that is, match the bring-in
• raise, that is, increase the preceding bet

Each player in turn has the same three choices. If there has been a raise, each player who chooses to continue must either call the total bet thus far or himself raise. In any one round of betting, there can be a maximum of one bet and three raises. The bring-in plus the completion count as one bet in the first round. For example, in a $2/$4 limit game, you open for the 50-cent bring-in, another player completes the bet to $2, and then two players raise. That makes the total bet $6. This is the equivalent of three bets, and another player could make one more raise. Doing so would cap the betting for that round, that is, cause it to reach the maximum.

If you fold for a raise, your cards are removed from play and no longer appear on the screen.

As you evaluate your cards, realize that since this is a Hi/Lo split game, good cards can be low cards as well as high cards. You want to end up with a hand that is best for either high or low-and, ideally, one that can win both high and low (scoop the pot). Keep in mind the qualifier. If you are trying to build a low hand, cards 9 and higher lessen your chances. Compared with Omaha Hi/Lo, Seven-card Stud Hi/Lo has a greater proportion of pots split between high and low on the showdown. An Omaha Hi/Lo pot can have a low only if at least three of the community cards are 8 or lower-and even then, it sometimes happens that no player can make a low. In Seven-card Stud Hi/Lo, however, since a player can use any five of his Seven-cards, the likelihood of a low hand is often quite high.

Fourth Street

Once the betting for the first round is equalized, that is, once everyone has had an opportunity either to fold or match the total betting, the dealer deals each active player a second upcard (fourth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting. The betting on fourth street proceeds at the lower limit.Poker Games Rules.

The only betting difference between Seven-card Stud Hi/Lo and Seven-card Stud is that in Seven-card Stud Hi/Lo the appearance in anyone's board of a pair on fourth street does not offer an optional increase in the betting limit. In Seven-card stud Hi/Lo, the first two betting rounds are always at the lower limit and the last three always at the higher limit.

On fourth and all successive streets, the betting always starts with the player showing the highest board. If two or more players have the same high board, the betting begins with the player closest to the left of the stud button. In the picture, since you are closer to the stud button than the other player who holds ace-deuce, you are first to bet.

The situation is exactly the same if the tied hands are pairs. For example, if two players show 7-7, the one closer to the stud button starts the betting.

Don't worry about having to figure out which player starts the betting. The software prompts you when it is your turn to act. It also presents all the options available. All you have to do is click the choice you want.

In all rounds after third street, the player first to act has two choices:

• check, that is, make no bet
• make a bet at the proper limit for that round

If no one bets, each player in turn has the same choices. It is possible in every round except third street for no betting to occur. No betting in a round is called being checked around.

If anyone bets, each succeeding player has three choices:

• fold
• call, that is, match the bring-in
• raise, that is, increase the preceding bet

A player who checks retains his cards. If someone bets, when the action returns, a player who previously checked has the preceding three choices. To check and then raise when the betting returns is known, reasonably enough, as check-raising. If you check with the intention of raising, you of course risk the possibility that no one will bet.

Fifth Street

Once the betting for fourth street is equalized, that is, once everyone has had an opportunity either to check or match the total betting for the round, the dealer deals each active player a third upcard (fifth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting. The bets on fifth street are at the higher level.

Sixth Street

Once the betting for fifth street is equalized, the dealer deals each active player a fourth upcard (sixth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting. The bets on sixth street remain at the higher level.

Seventh Street

Once the betting for sixth street is equalized, the dealer deals each active player a final card, face down (seventh street or the river card). Players still in the hand participate in a final round of betting. The betting proceeds exactly the same as the three previous rounds.

Showdown

Once the betting for seventh street is equalized, the betting is over, and there is a showdown. Remaining active players show their cards. The best high hand, comprised of the best five cards from among each player's seven, wins half the pot. The best low hand (as long as one qualifies by consisting of five different cards 8 or lower), comprised of the best five cards from among each player's seven, wins half the pot. The software determines the winning hands, and awards half the pot to the holder of each hand. If no hand qualifies for low, the software awards the entire pot to the holder of the highest hand. If the same player's set of Seven-cards consists simultaneously of the best high hand and the best low hand, the software awards the entire pot to the holder of that hand.

Players do not show their cards simultaneously. The showdown takes place in a specified order. Stud Poker

The software shows the cards of the first player to have bet or the last player to have raised in any previous round. (If there was no betting on the river, the cards of the first player to have bet or the last player to have raised on sixth street would be shown first on the showdown-and so on.) If the next active player has a better high or low hand than the one just shown (or ties it), the software shows his cards. If the next active player does not have either, the software offers that player a choice. He can show his cards, if he wishes, or he can just get rid of the cards (muck). The software treats each remaining active player in turn the same-either turning over the hand if it is better for high or low than (or tied with) any shown thus far or offering the choice of showing or mucking-and awards each half of the pot appropriately.

Don't worry about inadvertently misreading your hand and accidentally throwing away a winner. As long as you have called to the end, the software awards each half of the pot to the winning hand-and reports in the chat box the value of each hand. You may, for example, have been concentrating so hard on making a flush that you don't see that, while you missed the flush, you have an 8 low and it is the best. The software makes sure that if your hand is the best for high or low at the showdown you win.

If the betting is not equalized on seventh street, that is, one player bet or raised and no one called, there is no showdown, and the software awards the pot to the player who made that uncalled bet. This is the case on any previous street, as well. If it happens on earlier streets, no further cards are dealt, because the hand is over.

Sometimes a player runs out of chips before all the betting is over. In such case, one or more side pots are created, and the software awards appropriate main and side pots. When a player is all in, a bet or raise can be made that is not called, but a showdown still takes place.

Players often do not show losing hands. You are entitled, however, to see any cards that were active at the showdown even if they were not shown. Click on LAST HAND to bring up a new window that shows the results of the last hand and all the active cards. You can also specify in that window any previous hand (up to the last 50 in your current session) on which to get a report.

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HOW TO PLAY STUD HI POKER : RULES- STRATEGIES-TERMS EXPLAINED*

 Stud Hi Poker Game, or 7 Seven-Card Stud, is probably the poker game with which those who have played only in homes are most familiar. Stud Hi is often the most popular game in the cardrooms of the Eastern United States and many parts of Europe.
  Home games often feature unusual variants of Stud Hi, sometimes involving wild cards and replacements. You won't find these online or in brick-and mortar cardrooms (b&ms).

As in most forms of poker,Poker Stud Hi uses a standard 52-card deck. The poker game is played at an eight-handed table.

Each new hand of Stud Hi Poker begins with each player putting an ante into the pot. The ante is a payment into the pot before cards are dealt for the purpose of stimulating action. For example, in a $2/$4 limit game, the ante is 40 cents. Each player must ante each hand to receive cards.

When you first sit down at a table, you get dealt in immediately, after being prompted to ante. Since Stud Hi does not have blinds, you do not have to wait.

In Stud Hi, the deal position does not rotate as in blind games. The nominal deal position is indicated by a white disk called the stud button. The stud button is always by seat 8, and each new deal always starts at seat 1. The first poker card of each succeeding round always goes to the first active poker player (one who either has equaled all the bets thus far, or has gone all in, that is, run out of chips with which to call) to the left of the stud button. If you rotate the poker table to change your position, the stud button also rotates. This makes it clear where the deal position is. This is important in those few situations in which two or more players have identical boards. After the first round, if hands are tied, the hand closest to the left of the stud button begins the betting.

When the antes are in place, the dealer distributes two cards face down to each player and then one card face up, starting with seat 1. The two downcards are called hole cards. Your hole cards appear face up on your screen, but don't worry; only you can see your hole cards. Only the backs of every other player's hole cards appear on screen. Every other player has a similar view, with only his own hole cards visible. You can tell which are your hole cards and which is your upcard, because the hole cards are situated lower than the upcard. You can see the upcards of all the other players, and they can see your upcard.

Stud Hi 7 Card Poker, as any form of poker game, is about betting. Stud Hi has five betting rounds. The sizes of the bets depend on the structure of the game. All Stud Hi games at Full Tilt Poker are limit games. Usually the first two rounds are at one level, and the next three at double that level. There is one exception to this, in which sometimes the second round of betting is optionally at the higher level. We'll get to that in a moment.

Third Street

On the first round (known as third street), the betting starts with the player having the lowest upcard. This bet is a forced bet. The bet must be at least a specified minimum, in which case it is called the bring-in, but can be more. The bring-in is usually one-fourth the lower limit. If two or more players have the same rank of upcard, who must make the bring-in is determined by suit, in reverse bridge order (clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades). This is one of the few times that suits have any bearing in poker. For example, if three deuces appear on the first round in this order, 2s, 2h, 2d, the holder of the 2d would be required to make the bring-in bet.

In the picture above you have the lowest card. You must make a bet. You have two choices only. You can:

• open for the bring-in
• complete the bet, that is, increase the bet to the lower limit

You choose your action by clicking in a dialog box. While you can always complete the bet, you will find players usually open for the minimum. If everyone folds, you win the antes, and the next hand is dealt.

Normally everyone would not fold for a bring-in, however.

If you open for the bring-in, each succeeding player has three choices:

• fold
• call, that is, match the bring-in
• complete the bet, that is, increase the bet to the lower limit

If you or anyone else completes the bet, each succeeding player has three choices:

• fold
• call, that is, match the bring-in
• raise, that is, increase the preceding bet

Each poker player in turn has the same three choices. If there has been a raise, each player who chooses to continue must either call the total bet thus far or himself raise. In any one round of betting, there can be a maximum of one bet and three raises. The bring-in plus the completion count as one bet in the first round. For example, in a $2/$4 limit game, you open for the 50-cent bring-in, another player completes the bet to $2, and then two players raise. That makes the total bet $6. This is the equivalent of three bets, and another player could make one more raise. Doing so would cap the betting for that round, that is, cause it to reach the maximum.

If you fold for a raise, your cards are removed from play and no longer appear on the screen.

Fourth Street

Once the betting for the round is equalized, that is, once everyone has had an opportunity either to fold or match the total betting, the dealer deals each active player a second upcard (fourth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting. Poker Tournaments.

The betting on fourth street normally proceeds at the lower limit. The exception is that if any board shows an open pair, any player may choose to bet or raise at the higher limit. Once a bet has been made at the higher limit, subsequent raises must be at the higher limit. For example, in a $2/$4 game, the betting on fourth street normally proceeds in increments of $2. If one of the players has an open pair, that player has a choice of betting either $2 or $4. If that player bets $2, any other player can call the $2, raise $2, or raise $4. Once a bet or raise of $4 has been made, the betting must proceed in $4 increments. Specifically, if one player starts the betting at $2 in a round in which an open pair appears, and someone raises that bet by $4, you cannot reraise by $2.

On fourth and all successive streets, the betting always starts with the player showing the highest board. If two or more players have the same high board, the betting begins with the player closest to the left of the stud button. In the picture, since you are closer to the stud button than the other player who holds ace-deuce, you are first to bet.

The situation is exactly the same if the tied hands are pairs. For example, if two players show 7-7, the one closer to the stud button starts the betting.

Don't worry about having to figure out which player starts the betting. The software prompts you when it is your turn to act. It also presents all the options available. All you have to do is click the choice you want.

In all rounds after third street, the player first to act has two choices:

• check, that is, make no bet
• make a bet at the proper limit for that round

If no one bets, each player in turn has the same choices. It is possible in every round except third street for no betting to occur. No betting in a round is called being checked around.Poker Cards Rank.

If anyone bets, each succeeding player has three choices:

• fold
• call, that is, match the bring-in
• raise, that is, increase the preceding bet

A player who checks retains his cards. If someone bets, when the action returns, a player who previously checked has the preceding three choices. To check and then raise when the betting returns is known, reasonably enough, as check-raising. If you check with the intention of raising, you of course risk the possibility that no one will bet.

Fifth Street

Once the betting for fourth street is equalized, that is, once everyone has had an opportunity either to check or match the total betting for the round, the dealer deals each active player a third upcard (fifth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting. The bets on fifth street are always at the higher level.

Sixth Street

Once the betting for fifth street is equalized, the dealer deals each active player a fourth upcard (sixth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting. The bets on sixth street remain at the higher level.

Seventh Street

Once the betting for sixth street is equalized, the dealer deals each active player a final poker card, face down (seventh street or the river card). Players still in the hand participate in a final round of betting. The betting proceeds exactly the same as the three previous rounds.

Showdown

Once the betting for seventh street is equalized, the betting is over, and there is a showdown. Remaining active players show their cards and the best hand, comprised of the best five cards from among each player's seven, wins. The software determines the winning hand, and awards the pot to the holder of that hand.

Players do not show their cards simultaneously. The showdown takes place in a specified order.

The software shows the cards of the first player to have bet or the last player to have raised in any previous round. (If there was no betting on the river, the cards of the first player to have bet or the last player to have raised on sixth street would be shown first on the showdown-and so on.) If the next active player has a better hand than the one just shown (or ties it), the software shows his cards. If the next active player does not have a better hand, the software offers that player a choice. He can show his cards, if he wishes, or he can just get rid of the cards (muck). The software treats each remaining active player in turn the same-either turning over the hand if it is better than (or tied with) any shown thus far or offering the choice of showing or mucking-and awards the pot to the best hand.

Don't worry about inadvertently misreading your hand and accidentally throwing away a winner. As long as you have called to the end, the software awards the pot to the winning hand-and reports in the chat box the value of that hand. You may, for example, have been concentrating so hard on making a flush that you don't see that, while you missed the flush, you actually had a straight. The software makes sure that if your hand is the best at the showdown you win.

If the betting is not equalized on seventh street, that is, one player bet or raised and no one called, there is no showdown, and the software awards the pot to the player who made that uncalled bet. This is the case on any previous street, as well. If it happens on earlier streets, no further poker cards are dealt, because the hand is over.

Sometimes a player runs out of chips before all the betting is over. In such case, one or more side pots are created, and the software awards appropriate main and side pots. When a player is all in, a bet or raise can be made that is not called, but a showdown still takes place.

Players often do not show losing hands. You are entitled, however, to see any cards that were active at the showdown even if they were not shown. Click on LAST HAND to bring up a new window that shows the results of the last hand and all the active cards. You can also specify in that window any previous hand (up to the last 50 in your current session) on which to get a report. Poker Games Rules.

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HOW TO PLAY RAZZ POKER: RULES- STRATEGIES-TERMS EXPLAINED*

 Razz Poker Game is one of the lesser-known poker games, and despite having its own event in the World Series of Poker event, you won't find it in many of your local cardrooms.

As in most forms of poker, razz uses a standard 52-card deck. The game is played at an eight-handed table, and looks very similar to the more familiar 7 Card Stud. In Razz poker, however, your objective is to make the lowest possible hand.

Each player starts with two hole cards and one upcard; the dealer then gives each active player three more upcards, and then a final downcard. Each player that stays in for every round of betting ends up with seven cards -- four face up and three face down. At the showdown, the player holding the best LOW hand using five of his seven cards wins the pot. Aces are always low, and flushes and straights have no effect on the value of a hand. The best possible hand is A-2-3-4-5.

Each new hand of Razz Poker Game begins with each player putting an ante into the pot. The ante is a payment into the pot before cards are dealt for the purpose of instigating action. In razz, the ante is usually 20% of the smaller betting limit. For example, in a 10/20 limit game, the ante is two chips. Each player must ante each hand in order to receive cards.

When you first sit down at a table, you will be asked to ante, and will immediately be dealt cards after doing so. There are no blinds in razz.

In razz, the dealer position does not rotate as in blind poker games. The nominal dealer position is indicated by a white disk called the stud button. The stud button is always by seat 8, and each new deal always starts at seat 1. The first card of each succeeding round always goes to the first active player (one who either has called all the bets thus far, or has gone all in -- that is, run out of chips with which to call) to the left of the button. If you rotate the table to change your position, the button also rotates. This makes it clear where the deal position is. This is only important in those rare situations in which two or more players have identical boards. After the first round, if hands are of equal value, the hand closest to the left of the button begins the betting.

When the antes are in place, the dealer distributes two cards face down to each player and then one card face up, starting with seat 1. The two downcards are called hole cards. Your hole cards appear face up on your screen, but don't worry! Only you can see your hole cards. Only the backs of every other player's hole cards appear on screen. Every other player has a similar view, with only his own hole cards visible. You can tell which are your hole cards and which is your upcard, because the hole cards are situated lower than the upcard. You can see the upcards of all the other players, and they can see your upcard.

Razz, as any form of poker, is about betting. Razz has five betting rounds. The sizes of the bets depend on the structure of the game. The first two betting rounds are at one level, and the next three at double that level.

Third Street

On the first round (known as third street), the betting starts with the player having the highest upcard. This bet is a forced bet. The bet must be at least a specified minimum, which is called the bring-in, but can be more. The bring-in is usually one-fourth the lower limit. If two or more players have the same rank of upcard, who must make the bring-in is determined by suit, in bridge order (spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs). This is the only time suits have any bearing in razz. For example, if three queens appear on the first round in this order, Qd, Qh, Qs, the holder of the Qs would be required to make the bring-in bet.

In the picture above you have the highest card. You must make a bet. You have only two choices. You can:

• open for the bring-in
• complete the bet - that is, increase the bet to the lower limit

You choose your action by clicking in a dialog box. While you can always complete the bet, you will find players usually open for the minimum. If everyone folds, you win the antes, and the next hand is dealt.

Normally everyone would not fold for a bring-in, however.

If you open for the bring-in, each succeeding player has three choices:

• fold
• call -- that is, match the bring-in
• raise -- that is, increase the preceding bet

Each player in turn has the same three choices. If there has been a raise, each player who chooses to continue must either call the total bet thus far, or himself raise. In any one round of betting, there can be a maximum of one bet and three raises. The bring-in plus the completion count as one bet in the first round. For example, in a 10/20 limit game, you open for the two-chip bring-in, another player completes the bet to 10, and then two players raise. That makes the total bet 30. This is the equivalent of three bets, and another player could make one more raise. Doing so, would cap the betting for that round, that is, cause it to reach the maximum.

If you fold for a raise, your cards are removed from play and no longer appear on the screen.

Fourth Street

Once the betting for the round is completed and everyone has had the opportunity either to fold or match the total betting, the dealer deals each active player a second upcard (fourth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting.

The betting on fourth street proceeds at the lower limit. On fourth and all successive streets, the betting always starts with the player showing the lowest board. If two or more players have the same low board, the betting begins with the player closest to the left of the button. In the picture, since you are closer to the button than the other player who holds [choose equal value hands], you are first to bet.Poker Games.

Don't worry about having to figure out which player starts the betting. The software prompts you when it is your turn to act. It also presents all the options available. All you have to do is click the choice you want.

In all rounds after third street, the player first to act has two choices:

• check - that is, make no bet
• bet - that is, make a bet at the proper limit for that round

If no one bets, each player in turn has the same choices. It is possible in every round except third street for no betting to occur. No betting in a round is called being "checked around".

If anyone bets, each succeeding player has three choices:

• fold
• call -- that is, match the bring-in
• raise -- that is, increase the preceding bet

A player who checks retains his cards. If someone bets, when the action returns, a player who previously checked has the preceding three choices.

To check and then raise when the betting gets back to you is called a "check-raise". If you check with the intention of raising, you of course risk the possibility that no one will bet.

Fifth Street

Once the betting for fourth street is completed and everyone has had an opportunity either to check or match the total betting for the round, the dealer deals each active player a third upcard (fifth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting. The bets on fifth street are always at the higher level, and will remain so for the rest of the betting rounds.

Sixth Street

Once the betting for fifth street is completed, the dealer deals each active player a fourth upcard (sixth street). Players still in the hand participate in a round of betting. Again, these bets are at the higher level.

Seventh Street

Once the betting for sixth street is completed, the dealer deals each active player a final card, face down (seventh street or the river card). Players still in the hand participate in a final round of betting. The betting proceeds exactly the same as in the three previous rounds.

(In the rare event that all eight players remain in the hand at this point, there would not be enough cards for each player to receive an individual card. Should this occur, a single "common" card is placed in the middle of the table face up which every player is free to use.)Poker Tournaments!

Showdown

Once the betting for seventh street is equalized, the betting is over, and there is a showdown. Remaining active players show their cards, and the player making the best low hand using five of their seven cards wins. The software determines the winning hand, and awards the pot to the holder of that hand.

Players do not show their cards simultaneously. The showdown takes place in a specified order.

The software shows the cards of the first player to have bet or the last player to have raised in any previous round. (If there was no betting on the river, the cards of the first player to have bet or the last player to have raised on sixth street would be shown first on the showdown, and so on.) If the next active player has a lower hand than the one just shown (or ties it), the software shows his cards. If the next active player does not have a lower hand, the software offers that player a choice. He can show his cards, if he wishes, or he can just get rid of the cards (muck). The software treats each remaining active player in turn the same, either turning over the hand if it is lower than (or tied with) any shown thus far, or offering the choice of showing or mucking, and awards the pot to the best low hand.

Don't worry about inadvertently misreading your hand and accidentally throwing away a winner. As long as you have called to the end, the software awards the pot to the winning hand and reports in the chat box the value of that hand.

If the betting is not equalized on seventh street -- that is, one player bet or raised and no one called, there is no showdown, and the software awards the pot to the player who made the uncalled bet. This is the case on any previous street as well. If it happens on earlier streets, no further cards are dealt, the pot is awarded, and the hand is over.

Sometimes a player runs out of chips before all the betting is over. In such a case, one or more side pots are created, and the software awards appropriate main and side pots. When a player is all in, a bet or raise can be made that is not called, but a showdown still takes place.Poker Tournaments and Satellites

Players often do not show losing hands. You are entitled, however, to see any cards that were active at the showdown even if they were not shown. Click on LAST HAND to bring up a new window that shows the results of the last hand you had and all the active cards. You can also specify in that window any previous hand (up to the last 50 in your current session) you'd like to see.

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HOW TO PLAY OMAHA HI POKER  : RULES- STRATEGIES-TERMS EXPLAINED*

Omaha Hi Poker Game is a variant of hold'em that is becoming very popular especially online, due mainly to its many hand combination possibilities. In Omaha Hi,each player starts with four hole cards instead of two.

Whether online or in a brick-and mortar cardroom (b&m), Omaha Hi plays the same. As in most forms of poker, Omaha Hi uses a standard 52-card deck. Omaha Hi is usually played 9- or 10-handed online.

Blinds

Each hand of Omaha Hi Game starts with two blinds. Blinds are preliminary bets made by two players before cards are dealt for the purpose of stimulating action. If there was nothing to win, the first player to make a decision would have no reason to make a bet. The deal position is indicated by a white disk, labeled D, called the dealer button, or, simply, the button. This is the position from which the dealer would distribute poker cards if the dealer were one of the players. Prior to cards being distributed, the player to the left of the button puts in chips equal to (usually) half the size of the minimum bet for the game. The player to that player's left puts in chips equal to the minimum bet for the game.

For example, in a $2/$4 limit game, the small blind would be $1 and the big blind $2.

Sitting Down

When you first sit down at a table, you must wait for the big blind to arrive at your position. This happens naturally, because the button moves one position to the left (clockwise) after each hand. Alternatively, to get dealt in immediately, you can post, that is, put in a blind the same size as the big blind. If you post, you get dealt in right away and on succeeding hands.

Each player must put both a small blind and a big blind into the pot once each per round. If you ever miss the blinds in a round, you must either wait for the big blind to get to you, or post both missed blinds. This you do at one time. An amount equal to the size of the big blind is part of your bet. (It plays for you.) An amount equal to the size of the small blind becomes part of the pot and is not part of your bet. For example, in a $2/$4 limit game, if you miss the blinds and do not wait for the big blind to get to you to get back into play, you would put $3 into the pot, of which $2 would be considered part of your bet when it is your turn to act on the first round, and $1 would belong to the pot-to be won by the eventual winner of the pot.

First Round

When the blinds are in place, the dealer distributes four cards one at a time face down to each player, starting with the little blind. These four starting cards are called hole cards. Your hole cards appear face up on screen, but don't worry; only you can see your hole poker cards. Only the backs of every other player's hole cards appear on screen. Every other player has a similar view, with only his own hole cards visible.

Each player starts with four hole cards instead of two (In fact, some b&ms offer variants with five or even six hole cards, but you won't find those variants online.) Then the dealer places five cards face-up in the center of the table. These community cards are part of each player's hand, so each player has access to nine cards. Another difference between Omaha Hi and hold'em is that each player forms a five-card hand by using only two (no more, no less, but they can be any two) of his hole cards together with only three (no more, no less, but they can be any three) of the five community cards. Many more winning combinations are possible than in hold'em. Hold'em has just one two-card starting combination; Omaha Hi has six.

Even if you haven't had experience with Omaha Hi,you don't have to worry which are the best cards; the software automatically chooses the best five for you when it comes time to compare hands.

For example, if your hole cards include three aces and there is one ace on the board, your best hand does not have four aces. If a pair also was on the board, your best hand would be a full house, aces full. If your fourth card was a king and the board was A Q J 10 9 of three different suits, your best hand would be an ace-high straight, the nuts for this particular flop. You make this hand by using the A K from your hand in combination with the Q J 10 on the board. (You might well split the pot, however. Anyone with K Q, K J, or K 10 among his hole cards would also have an ace-high straight.) You can see more about combinations and what beats what in Hand Rankings.

Omaha Hi,as any form of poker, is about betting. Omaha Hi has four betting rounds. The sizes of the bets depend on the structure of the game, of which Omaha Hi has three possibilities:

• limit game
• pot-limit game
• no-limit game

The betting on the first round always starts with the player just to the left of the big blind. This position is sometimes called under the gun. In the picture above you are under the gun. As the first player, you have three choices. You can:

• fold
• open for the minimum (limp)
• open for a raise

You choose your action by clicking in a dialog box. If you fold at any point, your poker cards are removed from play and no longer appear on the screen, you are out until the next hand, and you have no further interest in the pot. If you fold, the next player has the same choices. If everyone folds, including the small blind, the pot goes to the big blind, and the next hand is dealt.

If you or anyone else opens, each succeeding player has three choices:

• fold
• call, that is, match the preceding bet
• raise, that is, increase the preceding bet

Each player in turn has the same three choices. If there has been a raise, each player who chooses to continue must either call the total bet thus far or himself raise. In any one round of betting, there can be a maximum of one bet plus three raises. When the betting (also called action) gets to the blinds, they have the same choices. However, they already have chips in the pot, and those chips count towards their bet. For example, if, in a $2/$4 limit game, you had opened for $2, and two players had raised, the total bet would be $6. When it was the turn of the small blind, that player could fold. The player could call, by putting $5 into the pot. (He already has $1 in.) Or that player could raise, by putting $7 into the pot. This would cap the betting for that round, that is, cause it to reach the maximum. (Pot limit and no limit games have no cap on the number of bets that can be made.)

Similarly, the big blind, who already has $2 invested in the pot, gets in for $2 less. If there have been no raises when the bets gets to the big blind, that player has what is called the option. He can opt to raise, in which case each active player in turn is offered a choice of calling the raise or reraising-or folding. The big blind can also choose not to raise, which stops the betting for that round. The big blind in this option situation is known in poker parlance as a live blind.

The Flop

Once the betting for the first round is equalized, that is, once everyone has had an opportunity either to fold or match the total betting, the dealer deals three cards face up in the center of the table. These first three of the community cards are called the flop.

The second round of betting takes place. In this round, the betting starts with the first active player (one who still has cards) to the left of the button. If the small blind called on the first round, that player would be first to act, even though he was next-to-last on the first round of betting. Only in the first round (sometimes called the preflop round) does the betting start elsewhere. In all rounds after the first, the first player has two choices:

• check, that is, make no bet
• bet, that is, make a bet at the proper limit for that round

If no one bets, each player in turn has the same choices. It is possible in every round except the first for no betting to occur. No betting in a round is called being checked around.

If anyone bets, each succeeding player has three choices:

• fold
• call, that is, match the preceding bet
• raise, that is, increase the preceding bet

A player who checks retains his cards. If someone bets, when the action returns, a player who checked has the preceding three choices. To check and then raise when the betting returns is known, reasonably enough, as check-raising. If you check with the intention of raising, you of course risk the possibility that no one will bet.

The Turn

Once the betting for the second round is equalized, that is, once everyone has had an opportunity either to check or match the total betting for the round, the dealer deals one more card face up in the center of the poker table. This fourth of the community cards is called the turn.

The third round of betting takes place. Again, the betting starts with the first active player to the left of the button. The betting proceeds exactly the same as the second round. In a limit game, in the third round and fourth rounds the betting usually proceeds in increments twice the size of the first two rounds.

The River

Once the betting for the third round is equalized, the dealer deals a fifth and final card face up in the center of the table. This last community card is called the river.

The fourth and final round of betting takes place. Again, the betting starts with the first active player to the left of the button. The betting proceeds exactly the same as the two previous rounds.

Showdown

Once the betting for the fourth round is equalized, the betting is over, and there is a showdown. Remaining active players show their cards and the best hand, comprised of the best five cards from among two of each player's four hole cards in combination with three of the community cards, wins. The software determines the winning hand, and awards the pot to the holder of that winning hand.

Players do not show their cards simultaneously. The showdown takes place in a specified order.

The software shows the cards of the first player to have bet or the last player to have raised in any previous round. (If there was no betting on the river, the cards of the first player to have bet or the last player to have raised on the turn would be shown first on the showdown-and so on.) If the next active player has a better hand than the one just shown (or ties it), the software shows his cards. If the next active player does not have a better hand, the software offers that player a choice. He can show his cards, if he wishes, or he can just get rid of the cards (muck). The software treats each remaining active player in turn the same-either turning over the hand if it is better than (or tied with) any shown thus far or offering the choice of showing or mucking-and awards the pot to the best hand.

Don't worry about inadvertently misreading your hand and accidentally throwing away a winner. As long as you have called to the end, the software awards the pot to the winning hand-and reports in the chat box the value of that hand. You may, for example, have been concentrating so hard on making a flush that you don't see that, while you missed the flush, you actually had a straight. The software makes sure that if your hand is the best at the showdown you win.

If the betting is not equalized on the final round, that is, one player bet or raised and no one called, there is no showdown, and the software awards the pot to the player who made that uncalled bet. This is the case on any previous round, as well. If it happens on earlier rounds, no further cards are dealt, because the hand is over.

Sometimes a player runs out of chips before all the betting is over. In such case, one or more side pots are created, and the software awards appropriate main and side pots. When a player is all in, a bet or raise can be made that is not called, but a showdown still takes place.

Players often do not show losing hands. You are entitled, however, to see any poker cards that were active at the showdown even if they were not shown. Click on LAST HAND to bring up a new window that shows the results of the last hand and all the active cards. You can also specify in that window any previous hand (up to the last 50 in your current session) on which to get a report.Play NOW in Poker Tournaments!

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  HOW TO PLAY TEXAS HOLDEM POKER: RULES- STRATEGIES-TERMS EXPLAINED*

  Texas Holdem  Poker , it is probably the best known and most popular form of poker this days. The popularity comes from the recent explosion of interest in poker, especially online poker. Television exposure, in the form of the World Poker Tour, coverage of the World Series of Poker, celebrity poker events, and coverage of other tournaments, has energized the public. Online players have turned $25 tournament buy-ins into millions, and this has helped popularize online play. And the game of choice in all these events is Hold 'em.

Blinds

Each hand of Texas Hold 'em starts with two blinds. Blinds are preliminary bets made by two players before cards are dealt for the purpose of stimulating action. If there was nothing to win, the first player to make a decision would have no reason to make a bet. The deal position is indicated by a white disk, labeled D, called the dealer button, or, simply, the button. This is the position from which the dealer would distribute cards if the dealer were one of the players. Prior to cards being distributed, the player to the left of the button puts in chips equal to (usually) half the size of the minimum bet for the game. The player to that player's left puts in chips equal to the minimum bet for the game.

For example, in a $2/$4 limit game, the small blind would be $1 and the big blind $2.

Sitting Down

When you first sit down at a poker table, you must wait for the big blind to arrive at your position. This happens naturally, because the button moves one position to the left (clockwise) after each hand. Alternatively, to get dealt in immediately, you can post, that is, put in a blind the same size as the big blind. If you post, you get dealt in right away and on succeeding hands.

Each player must put both a small blind and a big blind into the pot once each per round. If you ever miss the blinds in a round, you must either wait for the big blind to get to you, or post both missed blinds. This you do at one time. An amount equal to the size of the big blind is part of your bet. (It plays for you.) An amount equal to the size of the small blind becomes part of the pot and is not part of your bet. For example, in a $2/$4 limit game, if you miss the blinds and do not wait for the big blind to get to you to get back into play, you would put $3 into the pot, of which $2 would be considered part of your bet when it is your turn to act on the first round, and $1 would belong to the pot-to be won by the eventual winner of the pot.

First Round

When the blinds are in place, the dealer distributes first one card and then another face down to each player, starting with the little blind. These two starting cards are called hole cards. Your hole cards appear face up on screen, but don't worry; only you can see your hole cards. Only the backs of every other player's hole cards appear on screen. Every other player has a similar view, with only his own hole cards are visible.

Each player starts with two cards, and then five cards are placed face-up in the center of the table. These community cards are part of each player's hand, so each player has access to seven cards. Each player tries to make the best possible poker hand by using five of the seven cards. Since a poker hand consists of exactly five cards, only the best five of the seven cards play. Even if you haven't had experience with Hold 'em, you don't have to worry which are the best cards; the software automatically chooses the best five for you when it comes time to compare hands.

Hold 'em, as any form of poker, is about betting. Hold 'em has four betting rounds. The sizes of the bets depend on the structure of the game, of which Hold 'em has three possibilities:

• limit game
• pot-limit game
• no-limit game

The betting on the first round always starts with the player just to the left of the big blind. This position is sometimes called under the gun. In the picture above you are under the gun. As the first player, you have three choices. You can:

• fold
• open for the minimum (limp)
• open for a raise

You choose your action by clicking in a dialog box. If you fold at any point, your cards are removed from play and no longer appear on the screen, you are out until the next hand, and you have no further interest in the pot. If you fold, the next player has the same choices. If everyone folds, including the small blind, the pot goes to the big blind, and the next hand is dealt.

If you or anyone else opens, each succeeding player has three choices:

• fold
• call, that is, match the preceding bet
• raise, that is, increase the preceding bet

Each poker  player in turn has the same three choices. If there has been a raise, each player who chooses to continue must either call the total bet thus far or himself raise. In any one round of betting, there can be a maximum of one bet plus three raises. When the betting (also called action) gets to the blinds, they have the same choices. However, they already have chips in the pot, and those chips count towards their bet. For example, if, in a $2/$4 limit game, you had opened for $2, and two players had raised, the total bet would be $6. When it was the turn of the small blind, that player could fold. The player could call, by putting $5 into the pot. (He already has $1 in.) Or that player could raise, by putting $7 into the pot. This would cap the betting for that round, that is, cause it to reach the maximum. (Pot limit and no limit games have no cap on the number of bets that can be made.)

Similarly, the big blind, who already has $2 invested in the pot, gets in for $2 less. If there have been no raises when the bets gets to the big blind, that player has what is called the option. He can opt to raise, in which case each active player in turn is offered a choice of calling the raise or reraising-or folding. The big blind can also choose not to raise, which stops the betting for that round. The big blind in this option situation is known in poker parlance as a live blind.

The Flop

Once the betting for the round is equalized, that is, once everyone has had an opportunity either to fold or match the total betting, the dealer deals three cards face up in the center of the table. These first three of the community cards are called the flop.

The second round of betting takes place. In this round, the betting starts with the first active player (one who still has cards) to the left of the button. If the small blind called on the first round, that player would be first to act, even though he was next-to-last on the first round of betting. Only in the first round (sometimes called the preflop round) does the betting start elsewhere. In all rounds after the first, the first player has two choices:

• check, that is, make no bet
• bet, that is, make a bet at the proper limit for that round

If no one bets, each player in turn has the same choices. It is possible in every round except the first for no betting to occur. No betting in a round is called being checked around.

If anyone bets, each succeeding player has three choices:

• fold
• call, that is, match the preceding bet
• raise, that is, increase the preceding bet

A player who checks retains his cards. If someone bets, when the action returns, a player who checked has the preceding three choices. To check and then raise when the betting returns is known, reasonably enough, as check-raising. If you check with the intention of raising, you of course risk the possibility that no one will bet.

The Turn

Once the betting for the second round is equalized, that is, once everyone has had an opportunity either to check or match the total betting for the round, the dealer deals one more card face up in the center of the table. This fourth of the community cards is called the turn.

The third round of betting takes place. Again, the betting starts with the first active player to the left of the button. The betting proceeds exactly the same as the second round. In a limit game, in the third round and fourth rounds the betting usually proceeds in increments twice the size of the first two rounds.

The River

Once the betting for the third round is equalized, the dealer deals a fifth and final card face up in the center of the table. This last community card is called the river.

The fourth and final round of betting takes place. Again, the betting starts with the first active player to the left of the button. The betting proceeds exactly the same as the two previous rounds.

Showdown

Once the betting for the fourth round is equalized, the betting is over, and there is a showdown. Remaining active players show their cards and the best hand, comprised of the best five cards from among each player's combination of two hole cards plus the community cards, wins. The holder of the winning hand is awarded the pot.

Players do not show their cards simultaneously. The showdown takes place in a specified order.

The software shows the cards of the first player to have bet or the last player to have raised in any previous round. (If there was no betting on the river, the poker cards of the first player to have bet or the last player to have raised on the turn would be shown first on the showdown-and so on.) If the next active player has a better hand than the one just shown (or ties it), the software shows his cards. If the next active player does not have a better hand, the software offers that player a choice. He can show his cards, if he wishes, or he can just get rid of the cards (muck). The software treats each remaining active player in turn the same-either turning over the hand if it is better than (or tied with) any shown thus far or offering the choice of showing or mucking-and awards the pot to the best hand.

Don't worry about inadvertently misreading your hand and accidentally throwing away a winner. As long as you have called to the end, the software awards the pot to the winning hand and reports in the chat box the value of that hand. You may, for example, have been concentrating so hard on making a flush that you don't see that, while you missed the flush, you actually have a straight. The software makes sure that if your hand is the best at the showdown you win.

If the betting is not equalized on the final round, that is, one player bet or raised and no one called, there is no showdown, and the software awards the pot to the player who made that uncalled bet. This is the case on any previous round, as well. If it happens on earlier rounds, no further cards are dealt, because the hand is over.

Sometimes a player runs out of chips before all the betting is over. In such case, one or more side pots are created, and the software awards appropriate main and side pots. When a player is all in, a bet or raise can be made that is not called, but a showdown still takes place.Texas Holdem Poker.

Players often do not show losing hands. You are entitled, however, to see any cards that were active at the showdown even if they were not shown. Click on LAST HAND to bring up a new window that shows the results of the last hand and all the active cards. You can also specify in that window any previous hand (up to the last 50 in your current session) on which to get a report.

In determining the winning hand, the combination of five best cards sometimes includes both a player's hole cards. Sometimes it includes only one of a player's hole cards. Sometimes, rarely, no hole cards are used. In such a case, the board would contain some combination better than any hand that can be made using any player's hole cards. This is called playing the board. When all players play the board, the pot is split equally among all players remaining in the hand at that point. For example, with an ace-high straight of four different suits on the board, it would be impossible for any player to produce a five-card combination better than an ace-high straight. If three players remained, the software would split the pot equally among the three.Poker Cards Ranking.

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