Poker Terms

Poker Face

A poker face is a neutral expression that hides emotions. This makes it difficult for opponents to guess the strength of your hand.

Example:

If you have a weak hand like 2♣ 3♦, maintaining a neutral face helps you avoid giving away any clues to your opponents.

Poker Card Sequence

A Poker Card Sequence means the cards are in consecutive (numerical) order or in sequence.

For example:

• 3♠ 4♣ 5♦ 6♠ 7♣ (This is a Straight because the cards are in consecutive order from 3 to 7.)
• 10♠ J♠ Q♣ K♦ A♠ (This is a Royal Flush, which is a special kind of straight from 10 to Ace.)

The cards need to follow each other in consecutive order or in sequence, regardless of their suits.

Poker Chips

Poker chips are used as the currency of the game, representing different values for actions within the game.

Example:

Chips come in different colors, each representing a value. For example, red chips could be worth 5, blue chips 10, and so on.

Poker Set

A set in poker is when you have three cards of the same rank. Specifically, you have two of the same card in your hand and one of the same rank in the community cards.

Example:

• Your hand: 7♠ 7♦ (two 7s)
• Community cards: 7♣

You now have three 7s: one from your hand and two from the open cards. This makes it a set of 7s.

So, a set is just three of the same card-two from your hand and one from the open deck.

Poker Chart

A Poker Chart is a guide that helps players understand which hands are strong and which ones are weak. It helps players make better decisions about which cards to play based on their position at the table and what cards they have.

Common Types of Poker Charts:

1. Hand Strength Chart:
   • This chart shows the ranking of different hands, from the best (like Royal Flush) to the worst (like a High Card).
2. Starting Hand Chart:
   • This chart shows which hands are usually good to play, depending on where you sit at the table (early, middle, or late). For example, you might only want to play really strong hands at the start but can be more flexible with weaker hands when you're further along in the game.
3. Position Chart:
   • This chart shows which hands to play depending on your position at the table. In early positions, you'll play stronger hands, while in later positions, you can be a bit more flexible.

In short, a Poker Chart is a helpful tool to understand which hands are better and guide you in making smart decisions during the game.

Poker Hierarchy

The Poker Hierarchy refers to the ranking of hands from the strongest to the weakest. Here’s the order from best to worst:

1. Royal Flush
   • The highest possible hand. It's a straight flush from 10 to Ace (10♠ J♠ Q♠ K♠ A♠).
2. Straight Flush
   • Five consecutive cards of the same suit (e.g., 5♠ 6♠ 7♠ 8♠ 9♠).
3. Four of a Kind
   • Four cards of the same rank (e.g., 9♠ 9♦ 9♣ 9♥).
4. Full House
   • Three of a kind and a pair (e.g., 3♠ 3♦ 3♣ 6♠ 6♦).
5. Flush
   • Five cards of the same suit, but not in a sequence (e.g., 2♠ 4♠ 7♠ 9♠ K♠).
6. Straight
   • Five consecutive cards of mixed suits (e.g., 4♠ 5♦ 6♣ 7♠ 8♠).
7. Three of a Kind
   • Three cards of the same rank (e.g., 8♠ 8♦ 8♣).
8. Two Pair
   • Two sets of pairs (e.g., 4♠ 4♦ Q♠ Q♦).
9. One Pair
   • Two cards of the same rank (e.g., 10♠ 10♦).
10. High Card
    • When none of the above combinations are made, the hand with the highest single card wins (e.g., A♠ 7♦ 5♠ 3♣ 2♠, with Ace being the highest card).

Quick Summary:

• Royal Flush is the best hand, and High Card is the weakest.
• The goal is to make the highest possible hand using your cards and the community cards!

Poker Table

A poker table is where the game is played, with space for each player and a central area for the community cards.

In online poker:

• The table is virtual, meaning players are represented on their screens. Each player has their own cards displayed on the screen, and the community cards appear in the center of the table area, just like in a physical game.

The dealer (in this case, the software) deals the community cards and handles all the actions.

Example in Online Poker:

Players click buttons to "fold," "call," "raise," or "check" instead of physically moving chips. The community cards are shown in the center of the screen, and players' hands are visible to them but hidden from others, just like at a real table.

Poker Card Rankings

Poker card rankings refer to the order of individual cards from highest to lowest. The value of each card in a deck is ranked as follows:

1. Ace (A) - Can be high or low, depending on the situation.
2. King (K)
3. Queen (Q)
4. Jack (J)
5. 10
6. 9
7. 8
8. 7
9. 6
10. 5
11. 4
12. 3
13. 2

Example:

• Ace (A) is the highest-ranked card, followed by King (K), Queen (Q), and so on.
• In a game, if you have a King (K) and someone else has a Queen (Q), your card is ranked higher, and you would win if only the two cards were compared.

Poker Hands

Poker hands are combinations of five cards that determine the strength of your play.

Poker Hand Rankings

Poker hand rankings are about combinations of cards you have in your hand, and they determine the strength of your overall hand. Here are the hand rankings from highest to lowest:

1. Royal Flush - A, K, Q, J, 10 of the same suit (e.g., A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠).
2. Straight Flush - Five consecutive cards of the same suit (e.g., 7♠ 8♠ 9♠ 10♠ J♠).
3. Four of a Kind - Four cards of the same rank (e.g., 9♠ 9♦ 9♣ 9♥).
4. Full House - Three of a kind + a pair (e.g., 8♠ 8♦ 8♣ 5♠ 5♦).
5. Flush - Five cards of the same suit (but not in sequence) (e.g., 2♠ 4♠ 7♠ 9♠ K♠).
6. Straight - Five consecutive cards of any suit (e.g., 5♠ 6♦ 7♣ 8♠ 9♦).
7. Three of a Kind - Three cards of the same rank (e.g., 4♠ 4♦ 4♣).
8. Two Pair - Two sets of pairs (e.g., 3♠ 3♦ Q♠ Q♦).
9. One Pair - Two cards of the same rank (e.g., 10♠ 10♦).
10. High Card - The highest card in your hand if you don't have any of the above (e.g., A♠ 7♦ 4♣ 3♠ 2♦, the Ace is the highest).

Difference Between Card Rankings and Hand Rankings:

• Card Rankings: Focus on the individual cards' values (e.g., Ace is the highest, then King, etc.).
  • Example: If you compare two cards, King (K) beats Queen (Q).
• Hand Rankings: Focus on combinations of cards and how strong the combination is.
  • Example: A Pair of Kings (K♠ K♦) beats a Pair of Jacks (J♠ J♦) because Kings are ranked higher than Jacks.

Poker Order

Poker Order in Online Poker: Explained Step-by-Step

1. Deal:
   • Each player gets 2 private cards (known as hole cards) that only they can see. These are the cards you’ll use to build your hand.

   Example:
   You receive the King of Hearts (K♥) and 9 of Spades (9♠).

2. Pre-Flop:
   • After the deal, the first round of action begins. Players have the option to:
     • Fold: You give up your hand and stop playing the round.
     • Call: You match the current amount that the previous player has put in the pot.
     • Raise: You increase the current amount in the pot.
     • Check: If no one raised yet, you can pass without adding anything to the pot (only if no action has happened before you).

   Example:
   

   • Player 1 raises $5.
   • You decide to call $5 to stay in the game.
   • Player 3 folds, and Player 4 checks (they don't raise and just stay in the game for now).

3. The Flop:
   • The dealer shows 3 community cards face-up on the table. These cards can be used by all players, along with their hole cards, to form the best possible hand.

   Example:
   

   • The community cards shown are 7 of Spades (7♠), 10 of Clubs (10♣), and Queen of Diamonds (Q♦).
   • You now evaluate your hand using these cards with your hole cards.

4. Post-Flop Round:
   • Players decide on their next move after the Flop:
     • Check: If no one has raised, you can pass the action to the next player.
     • Call: You match the current amount in the pot.
     • Raise: You increase the amount in the pot.
     • Fold: You stop playing this hand, discarding your cards.

   Example:
   

   • Player 1 raises by $10.
   • You decide to call the $10 to continue playing.

5. The Turn:
   • The dealer reveals the 4th community card face-up. This card is added to the community cards, making it easier to form a better hand.

   Example:

   • The new community card is King of Diamonds (K♦).
   • Now you have a pair of Kings (K♥, K♦) with your hole cards, which is a stronger hand!

6. Post-Turn Round:
   • After the Turn, players decide what to do:
     • Check: If no one has raised, you pass to the next player.
     • Call: You match the current amount in the pot.
     • Raise: You increase the amount in the pot.
     • Fold: You stop playing the hand, giving up your cards.

   Example:

   • Player 1 raises another $15.
   • You decide to call the $15 and continue with your hand.

7. The River:
   • The 5th and final community card is revealed. This is the last card you can use to improve your hand.

   Example:
   

   • The final community card is the 3 of Hearts (3♥).
   • Now, you evaluate your hand again with all the community cards.

8. Post-River Round:
   • This is your last chance to take action:
     • Check: You pass the action if no one has raised yet.
     • Call: You match the amount in the pot.
     • Raise: You increase the amount in the pot.
     • Fold: You give up and stop playing the hand.

   Example:

   • Player 1 raises another $20.
   • You decide to call the $20 because you think you have a strong hand (two Kings).

9. The Showdown:
   • If there's still more than one player left after the final round, it's time for the showdown.
   • Everyone reveals their hole cards. The player with the best 5-card hand wins the round.

   Example:

   • You reveal your hole cards: K♥, 9♠ (pair of Kings).
   • Player 1 reveals their hole cards: Q♠, Q♥ (pair of Queens).
   • Since your pair of Kings is better than Player 1’s pair of Queens, you win the round.

10. The Winner:
    • The player with the best 5-card hand, using any combination of their hole cards and the community cards, wins the pot.
    • The winner collects the chips in the pot.

Summary of Poker Order with Key Actions:

1. Deal → You get hole cards.
2. Pre-Flop → Decide to fold, call, raise, or check.
3. Flop → 3 community cards revealed.
4. Post-Flop Round → Decide to check, call, raise, or fold.
5. Turn → 4th community card revealed.
6. Post-Turn Round → Decide to check, call, raise, or fold.
7. River → 5th community card revealed.
8. Post-River Round → Decide to check, call, raise, or fold.
9. Showdown → Players reveal their hole cards.
10. Winner → The player with the best hand wins the pot.

Poker Hands & Rules Chart

A poker hands chart shows the different combinations and their ranks, helping you understand hand strength.

Example:

A chart shows that a Royal Flush is stronger than a Straight Flush, and a Full House ranks higher than a Flush.

Poker Combinations

Poker combinations are specific groupings of cards that make up valid poker hands.

Example:

• Full House: 3♠ 3♦ 3♣ 6♠ 6♦
• Two Pair: 8♠ 8♦ 4♠ 4♣

These are examples of common poker combinations that determine a player’s hand strength.

Poker Priority Order

Poker priority order determines which hands win if players have the same type of hand.

Example:

• Royal Flush (A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠)
• Straight Flush (9♠ 8♠ 7♠ 6♠ 5♠)

The Royal Flush has the highest priority, making it the best hand.

Royal Flush Poker

A Royal Flush is the best possible hand in poker, consisting of the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten, all in the same suit.

Example:

A♠ K♠ Q♠ J♠ 10♠ is a Royal Flush, and it is unbeatable in most poker games.