Gambling has become somewhat of a social norm these days. The majority of us enjoy playing games such as poker from time to time, whether at home or our local casino. If you want to try your hand at real-money poker online, then read on for some great information on where and how to play.
A poker is played between two players who each place bets on the outcome of a hand. These bets range from $0-$100 depending on the stakes involved. You’ll typically only get paid if you win, otherwise, you risk having lost your wager.
You don’t need any special skills to start playing online poker. All you need is access to a computer (or smartphone), a stable Internet connection, and a reliable device to store your account details. Once logged into your online poker site, you’ll need to deposit money before placing your first bet.
After depositing funds, you’ll need to create a new player profile and select your preferred stake level. Beginners should always opt for low limits and smaller amounts until they build experience and confidence. Now, let’s look at the common Poker rules to take note of.
Online Poker Rules
- Cards must be dealt face up. This means that all cards are visible to both players. A “showdown” occurs when one player raises his bet while another calls it.
- You can call an opponent’s raise by simply matching their bet with yours. However, you cannot fold in this situation. To fold means to say no to a raise.
- In Texas Hold’em, betting rounds occur every round. Each round consists of six separate bets. Betting rounds are also known as “the flop,” “turn” and “river.”
- A pair is when two cards have been matched against each other and will give a certain payout. For example, a straight flush allows a player to make three consecutive pairs. Other winning combinations include: four of a kind (four cards which match) – payouts vary from 10% to 25%; full house pays 7/6; quads pays 5/4; three of a kind pays 3/2; straights pays 2/1.
- Players hold an entire deck of 52 cards. When a player receives a card, he discards a card from the deck and draws another. Thus, every player holds 46 cards, plus one extra discard.
- Your dealer is the person who deals with each hand. This person may or may not be a professional gambler.
- There is no limit to how many times a player may bet. When a player loses all of his chips, he must leave the table and reenter at another location.
- Each game lasts anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours. Some sites offer multi-table tournaments where multiple tables are running simultaneously.
How to Play Poker
Once you’ve decided to jump right in, there are five steps you will need to follow:
Step 1. Deposit funds
Before you can begin to play online poker, you’ll need to deposit your online poker site. Most players choose to use credit cards or eWallet accounts, but others prefer bank transfers or pre-paid debit cards. It’s important to note that deposits usually aren’t made instantly. Depending on the site, you might wait between 48-72 hours after making your initial deposit before receiving your balance.
Step 2. Create Player Profile
Each player needs to have a unique personal profile. First, you’ll need to fill in your name, address, age, and occupation. Next, you’ll need to enter your email address so you receive daily updates about your account. Finally, you’ll want to upload copies of your current identification documents and a photo of yourself holding these documents. This helps ensure that your identity remains protected.
Step 3. Choose Stake Level & Ante Size
After creating your player profile, you’ll have the option to set your desired maximum stake amount along with the size of the ante. The maximum stake refers to the total amount of money you’re willing to risk per hand.
Meanwhile, the ante refers to the amount you put at the table to help determine whether you win or lose. Typically, you’ll find those novice players should keep their stakes low and place a small ante. As you gain more experience, however, you’ll be able to increase both your maximum stake and the size of your ante.
Step 4. Set Limits
You need to decide what limits you’re comfortable with for your protection. You can set this limit by clicking the set limits button on your screen. If you’d like to raise your limits during a particular session, simply click the ‘up’ sign next to the limits you’ve previously selected. Otherwise, you can lower them by clicking the ‘down’ sign.
Step 5. Make Hand History
After you’ve established your limits, it’s time to make your first-hand history entry. Click the ‘history’ tab located near the bottom left corner of the page. This will bring up a window showing your previous hands.
Simply highlight the last winning hand you played, then click the ‘add new card’ button. Finally, select your card from the list of options provided. You can also add multiple hands if needed. Once you’ve entered one hand, you can either return to the main menu or close the hand history window.
