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Three Poker Games are available:
These are all games for two to ten people (plus a virtual
dealer), with a card deck of 52. The bets placed by players
accumulate into a pot as the game progresses. The best poker hand
wins the pot.
The games are quite similar in their basic concept, but each has
its own unique and important strategic differences. We offer these
three different versions, so each player can choose his or her
favourite.
First we describe the rules of Texas Hold'em, and then, since the
other two are based on this game, we describe the key differences
for Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo. Texas Hold'em -
Limit
Up to 10 players (plus a virtual dealer) are sitting at a table.
If you have selected Side View, you will see avatars representing
the players. In front of one of the players is a button with a "D"
on it. This is called the dealer button. The dealer button moves one
position to the left before each game round. This button originates
from when players in the group took turns to deal the cards. In our
poker room, there is a virtual dealer (shown in side view) who does
the actual dealing (sitting in the middle of the left side of the
table, behind the big box of chips). The virtual dealer does not
participate in the game in any way other than dealing cards.
The Game Round
This is how the game round goes (examples shown are for limit
poker):
Blinds
First, the two players directly to the left of the dealer
button (not the virtual dealer!) must post "blinds", that is to
place a bet before getting cards. This is to ensure that every
winning hand wins some money. Since the dealer button moves on
every game round, everyone has to post blinds at some point in the
game. The player to the immediate left of the dealer button posts
the "small blind," equal to half of the minimum stake (e.g. $2.5
for a $5/$10 game). The player to the left of the small blind
posts the "big blind," equal to the amount of the minimum stake
(e.g. $5 for a $5/$10 game).
Pocket Cards
After the blinds, first cards are dealt. Every player gets two
cards face down. These are called pocket cards.
Bet round 1
Betting begins with the player immediately to the left of the
big blind and continuing in a clockwise direction around the
table. Every player can fold, call or raise. Raising is possible
by the lower table stake ($5 in a $5/$10 game) only. Betting is
explained in more detail below.
The Flop Cards
Now three cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table.
These cards are called the flop cards. These are "community" cards
and can be used by all the players to make up their hand.
Bet round 2
Second round of betting follows. This is carried out exactly as
the first betting round.
The Turn Card
After the second round of betting, a fourth "community" card is
dealt face up in the middle of the table. This is called the "Turn
card". It is followed by a third round of betting.
Bet round 3
This round, again, is carried out just like the first and the
second, with one exception: raising is possible only by the higher
table stake ($10 in a $5/$10 game).
The River Card
Finally, a fifth and final "community" card is dealt. It is
called the "River card" and is followed by a fourth and final
round of betting.
Bet round 4
This final betting round is carried out exactly as the third.
Showdown
After the final betting round, the best five-card hand is
determined. Both the pocket cards and the community cards can be
used to make up a hand. The player with the best five-card poker
hand wins the pot. Players can also split the pot if they have the
same hand. In the rare case of the best hand consisting of
community cards only, the pot is divided between all the players
left in the pot at the showdown. If you see that you are losing,
and do not want to show your cards, you can Muck, that is to give
up your hand and lose the pot. Otherwise you can Show to compare
your hand with others.
Start again
After a hand is completed and the pot taken by the winner, the
dealer button is moved one player to the left, and the next hand
begins.
Betting system
The player left of the big blind starts the betting round,
betting order goes around the table clockwise. Everyone is betting
according to what they think their hand will lead to.
Fold
If you don't like your cards, you can fold. If you have posted
a blind, made a bet or raised a bet, you will lose that money. But
you will not lose any more. After folding, you are out of the game
until the next game round.
Check/Call
You can stay in the game by checking or calling. If no bet has
been made before you, you can check without placing any money in
the pot. If a bet has been made, you can call by placing the same
amount in the pot.
Bet/Raise/Re-raise
If you think you hand is good enough, you can make a bet. If
another player has already made a bet, you can raise it.
Bet amounts are fixed by the table stakes. For example, in a
$5/$10 table, bets are $5 in the first two rounds and $10 in the
last two. There can be one bet and three raises in each round
(bet, raise, re-raise, re-raise). After three raises the betting
round is capped and the next card is dealt (or, if it is the final
betting round, the best hand is determined).
All-in
When a player runs out of chips during the course of a hand,
he/she does not have to fold. Instead the player can choose to be
All-in. When you are all-in, you call all your chips and the pot
is divided into the main pot and side pot. All subsequent chips
are hereafter added to the side pot.
At the showdown if the "All-in" player does not have a winning
hand, both the side pot and the main pot go to the winning hand,
as usual.
At the showdown if the "All-in" player has a winning hand, the
main pot goes to the "All-in" player, and the side pot goes to the
next best hand.
When several players go All-in, multiple side pots are created.
The pots are divided according to hand and order in which the
players went All-in. If a player not all in at the showdown has
the winning hand he wins all side pots and the main pot. If an all
in player has the strongest hand he/she wins the pot or pots that
were collected until he/she went All-in. Any all in player with a
winning hand can only win the pot or pots they are involved in.
A Betting round continues until all players have folded or called
the third raise, or until a bet has been called by all players
(except the one who placed the bet) with no raise taking place.
Omaha Poker
Omaha poker follows the same rules as Texas Hold'em poker, but
with two exceptions:
- Players are dealt four "pocket" cards instead of two.
- Players must use two "pocket" cards and three "community"
cards to make their best high hand.
The principle is the same, but the two differences in the rules
demand a very different strategy for playing Omaha Poker.
Omaha Hi/Low
Omaha Hi/Low follows the same rules as regular Omaha, but there
is an additional way to win a share of the pot.
The Hi winner is the player with the best poker hand, as in Omaha
High Only. But in addition to a Hi winner, there can be a Low
winner. The Low hand is a hand with 5 different cards below a 9. You
must use two pocket cards and three community cards to make a low
hand.
For example, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8 of any suit would be a Low hand.
The lowest Low hand is the Low winner. In case of a Low winner, the
pot is split 50/50 between the Low and High winner. In case of
multiple Low hands, the Low winner is determined by comparing the
highest of the low cards, then the second highest, etc. If the two
or more Low hands are equal, the Low pot is split between them.
Because there must be at least three different low cards (under
9) on the board at the end to enable a qualifying low hand there may
not be a Low winner every hand. Also, a player may use different
pocket cards for Hi and for Low, from the four cards dealt to him
along with any three community cards, where again different cards
may be used for the high hand to the low hand.
In Hi Low Omaha the lowest possible hand is 5,4,3,2,A of any
suits (flushes and straights do not count against you for the low
hand). Ace counts as high and low and therefore the same ace can be
used to make a high hand and a low hand.
Pot Limit games
Pot Limit games differ from the Limit games by the betting and
raising amounts allowed:
The minimum raise amount is the previous bet or raise in the same
hand. For example, if the first player bet $10, the second player
can raise a minimum of $10.
The maximum raise amount is the total betting pot + total bets of
other players in the betting round + the call amount of the player.
For example, if the pot is $50, the first player bets $10 and the
second player calls $10, the third player can raise up to $80 ($50
in the main pot + $20 from past bets in the round + $10 of the
player's own call).
No Limit games
No Limit games differ from the Limit games in the fact that there
is no maximum to each raise (apart from the player's table balance).
The Rake
The house commissions between 0% and 5% of each total pot, but
never more than $3. We do not charge a rake if the hand ended before
the "flop" cards were dealt - "No flop no drop".
Rank of Poker Hands
The winning hand is determined by seeing which hand has the
strongest combination of cards, using any combination of "pocket"
cards and "community" cards. The combinations are listed here from
strongest to weakest hand. Each combination is illustrated by an
example, where the following abbreviations are used: C - Clubs, D -
Diamonds, H - Hearts, S - Spades; J - Jack, Q - Queen, K - King, A -
Ace.
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Royal Flush
Straight flush from 10 to
the ace.
Example: 10S, JS, QS, KS, AS |
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Straight Flush
Straight with all five
cards of the same suit.
Example: 7D, 8D, 9D, 10D,
JD |
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Four of a Kind
Four cards of the same
value. Suit is irrelevant.
Example: JC, JD, JH,
JS |
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Full House
Three cards of one value
together with two cards of another value. When more than one
full house is competing, the one with the highest ranking
group of three wins.
Example: QH, QS, KD, KC,
KH |
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Flush
Five cards of the same suit.
When more than one flush is competing, the one with the
highest card wins.
Example: AS, 5S, 7S, 9S,
JS |
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Straight
Five cards in sequence. When
more than one straight is competing, the one with the highest
card wins. An ace can be taken as either high or low (but not
both high and low in the same hand).
Example: 8,
9, 10, J, Q; suit is irrelevant. |
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Three of a Kind
Three cards of the
same value.
Example: KH, KD, KC |
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Two Pair
Any two cards of one value
together with two cards of another value. When more than one
hand has two pairs of the same rank, the hand with the highest
card outside the paired cards wins.
Example: JC,
JH, QS, QD |
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One Pair
Two cards of the same value.
In case two hands have pairs, the highest pair wins. When more
than one hand has a pair of the same rank, the hand with the
highest card outside the pair wins.
Example: 10C,
10S |
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Highest Card
When players have none
of the above, the hand with the highest card
wins. |
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