Ready to learn how to play poker? We cover everything you need to know to get started, including the basic structure of poker, the most popular variants, and give you top tips on turning a profit.
A Betting Round in Poker
The structure of poker will change depending on the variant you’re playing. Generally speaking, there are a few common basics when you’re learning how to play poker for beginners.
Firstly, you’ll use a standard 52-card deck, with jokers being very rare. You also use one deck per table, unlike blackjack, for example, where multiple decks will be in use.
While you won’t always need to pay to join a table at online poker casinos, you will need to take turns paying ‘blinds’ to stay in the game. There are small and large blinds, which must be paid before the cards are dealt.
You have five standard actions in poker. These are:
- Check – See what the other players will do. If every player checks, the game simply progresses to the next stage with no bets being made
- Bet – Place a bet, usually starting at the size of the big blind
- Call – Place a wager, matching the amount the previous player bet
- Raise – Bet more than the previous player
- Fold – Choose not to bet, and exit the round
Another important factor is the information you have, based on which cards are face-up and face-down. Your own cards will be dealt face down. There will often be communal cards, however, which are placed face up.
Regardless of all those specifics, your overall aim in poker is to make the best ‘hand’ in a given round. Hands are simply combinations of cards. These are often formed by mixing your own cards with the communal ones. We’ll cover the rankings of these hands shortly.
With the basic poker rules taken care of, here’s a quick rundown of how a round is structured. The two most common variants you’ll find at Irish online casinos – Hold’em and Omaha – follow this formula.
Pre-Flop
This stage occurs immediately after players receive their own face-down starting cards (called the ‘hole cards’), and before any community cards are dealt. Betting begins, based on the initial strength of these private cards, with players choosing to fold, call, or raise.
Flop
This is the first round for communal betting, in which three shared cards are placed face-up on the table. You can now start combining these with the private cards you were previously dealt, and use these combinations to inform your betting behaviour.
Turn
The fourth communal face-up card is dealt. This can significantly change hand rankings, which is often reflected in the betting choices.
River
The fifth and final communal card is dealt. All players now have all the information they will receive, and will place their final bets accordingly.
Showdown
All the remaining players take turns showing their cards. The player with the best five-card hand wins the entire pot. If there’s a tie, the pot is split.
The Betting Limits
Unless they’re specifically marketed as ‘No-Limit’ games, all online poker titles you play will have betting limits of one type or another. These are in place for a couple of reasons.
For starters, they make poker fairer between players with different spending power. They ensure that those with significantly bigger bankrolls, for example, can’t simply dominate players with less money to wager.
They also help players to control their spending. This is a positive, responsible gambling-focused initiative, which we’re pleased to see online casinos implementing.
Below, we’ve covered the most common types of betting limits you’ll find.
| Betting Limit | Description |
| Pot Limit | This means you can bet or raise up to the size of the current pot. |
| Fixed Limit | Imposes defined limits on how much you can bet or raise. These can increase as the game progresses. |
| Poverty Poker | A more colloquial term, referring to games in which players are only allowed to lose a certain amount, but can continue playing for fun thereafter. Uncommon at online casinos. |
| Limits on Raises | A cap on the number of times you can raise in a given round. Helps to prevent bets from getting too big. |
| No Limit | Minimum limits might still be in place, but the maximum cap is removed, meaning players can bet all their chips in one go, if they like. |
| Roodles | A temporary increase in the size of bets, usually just for one round. Typically triggered by a specific event, like a player winning with an unusually good hand. |
Antes, Blinds, and the Button
Antes and blinds are similar in that they’re both payments that must be made regularly if you want to stay in the game. But they do vary in important ways.
Antes are small amounts of money that every player must wager before a round begins. This means there is always a relatively worthwhile pot to play for.
Blinds are also small amounts of money, but only two people pay them each round. There are two blinds – a small one and a big one – which must be paid before the cards are dealt.
The responsibility for paying the blinds rotates each round, based on where the ‘button’ is. The button is a digital token in online poker, indicating the ‘dealer’ (though, obviously, no actual dealing is required). The player to the dealer’s left pays the small blind, the player to their left pays the big blind, and – after each round – the button is moved left one place.
The Rules of Popular Poker Games
Plenty of poker variants have sprung up over the decades, each of which has a different ruleset. Here are the most popular examples that you can try out, as you learn how to play online poker.
Texas Hold’em
This is the most popular poker variant of all, and enjoys the best coverage among online casinos.
The format features some of the most basic poker rules of all. You’ll be dealt two private cards initially. Three communal cards will be dealt on the flop, then two more in the turn and the river. After that, you’ll form the best hand you can, combining up to five of the seven available cards.
Omaha
The second-most popular poker variant which has plenty of similarities with Hold’em.
One key difference here is that you’re dealt four private cards, rather than two. Five communal cards are still dealt, however, following the same structure as with Hold’em. Your ensuing combination must use two of your private cards, plus three communal cards, to make a five-card hand.
Hi-Lo
This is a variant on Omaha, meaning it shares many of the same rules of poker. You’ll still be dealt four private cards and must use two of these with three of the five communal cards to make your final hand.
The difference here, however, is the split pot at the end. The owner of the highest hand will win some of this, as usual, but the player with the best ‘low hand’ (with five cards ranked eight or below) will also win some money.
Seven Card Stud
While its popularity has diminished in recent years, this was previously the biggest poker game around, before Hold ’em took the crown.
You begin each round with two face-down cards, plus one face-up card. As the rounds pass, you will be dealt more cards and will end up with seven in total – three face down, and four face up. You’ll then form the best five-card hand you can.
Hand Rankings in a Game of Poker
While there are still some differences between variants, the hand rankings in poker are generally pretty consistent. In short, the ‘best’ hands will be largely the same, regardless of what type of poker you’re playing.
Here are the hand rankings, in order:
- Royal Flush – Five cards from the same suit in order, aces through tens
- Straight Flush – Five cards consecutively, all in the same suit
- One Pair – 2 cards of the same rank (e.g. two threes)
- Four of a Kind – Four cards of the same rank (e.g. four queens)
- Full House – Three of a kind, plus a pair (e.g. three tens, and two nines)
- Flush – Any five cards of the same suit, not in sequence
- Straight – Five cards in consecutive order, with mixed suits
- Two Pairs – 2 different pairs (e.g. two tens and two jacks)
- Three of a Kind – 3 cards of the same rank (e.g. three fives)
- High Card – The best single card you have (aces are high)
Our Expert Tips for How to Play Poker
Whether you play on your desktop or via one of our recommended poker apps, there’s no guaranteed way to win at poker. There are definitely smart steps you can take to boost your chances of success while you’re learning how to play poker at home, beginning with these four top tips.
Play the Probabilities
Poker offers a unique blend of luck and skill. While you can’t control the cards that are dealt, you should be constantly calculating your own odds of success, based on all the information you have available. That includes your own private cards, the communal cards, and the betting behaviour of the other players so far.
To help inform this, you should not only learn the hand rankings, but also the statistical probabilities of those hands being dealt. This will help you determine your own stake sizes and whether or not other players are probably bluffing.
Balance Risk and Reward
This is key to long-term success in poker. You certainly don’t want to go blindly charging in, placing big bets regardless of what you’re dealt. You also, however, must be willing to go big when the cards are in your favour. Committing a lot of your bankroll to the pot might feel risky, but if you’ve taken the time to calculate your chances of victory, you should still do so with confidence.
Know When to Fold
Don’t let your ego affect your decisions. Folding isn’t ‘giving up’ or admitting defeat. In fact, it can often be the much smarter move. The best poker players in the world still fold their hands pre-flop around 75% of the time, before the betting even begins. When you’re just getting started, you should probably do so even more often, only committing money to the pot when you’re completely confident that you have a genuine shot at winning.
Manage Your Bankroll
Regardless of what might happen in TV shows and movies, online poker isn’t about hitting one massive, life-changing win. It’s about playing smartly over a lengthy period and aiming to build long-term profit. Bankroll management is key to ensuring you stay in the game for the long haul and give yourself the chance to build that profit. At the very least, you should set yourself profit and loss limits every time you join a table, then stick to them, whatever happens.
Pull Up a Seat at a Virtual Poker Table
Learning how to play poker allows you to enjoy one of the most exciting and varied casino games around. Whichever variant you choose to try, you’ll find an endlessly challenging adventure waiting for you. And of course, if you play your cards right, you’ll have the chance to not only have fun, but make money too.
FAQ
Can you win real money playing poker online?
Absolutely. Play your cards right, and you can turn some serious profits over the long haul.
Which is the best strategy for online poker?
There’s no single strategy that will guarantee results, but there are plenty of smart steps you can take. These include playing the probabilities, folding regularly, and managing your bankroll.
What poker game is best for beginners?
We’d recommend simply starting with hold ’em. The ruleset is straightforward, and it’s the most popular variant by far.
What is the 80/20 poker rule?
This is a version of the famous Pareto Principle, where 80% of results come from 20% of your work. In this case, it refers to the theory that 80% of your profits will come from 20% of the pots you contribute to.
Can I play live dealer poker for free?
It’s not that common to come across live casino games for free, but some casinos do offer the option. This is a great, low-pressure way to learn how to play poker games before committing any real money.
