How to Play Online Poker in 2023

Online poker is not difficult to learn; it is detailed and well-structured. These are the basic rules you should remember when sitting at a table.

Learn about the Card Rankings  

The value of the cards determines the rank of poker cards. The Ace is the most valuable. From highest to lowest, the standard deck ranks as Ace, King, Queen and Jack. Then it's 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, & 2.

Memorise Poker Hand Rankings  

To win a pot of poker, you must complete the highest ranking hand possible. This ranks poker hands from strongest to weakest: Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, & a Pair.

How Cards Are Dealt in Poker

Some Texas Hold'em games use two hole cards, while Omaha uses four. However, the basic gameplay is the same, and the cards are dealt the same.

•  The players are dealt their hole cards starting from the dealer's left.  
 
•  The Flop, made up of three face-up community cards, is added to the middle of the table. These community cards are also known as Streets.  
 
•  The Turn is the next addition to the community card deck. It is the fourth card face-up and is often referred to by the name Fourth Street.  
 
•  The River is the last face-up community card to be added to the table. This card is also known by the name Fifth Street.  

Players engage in a round of betting before each Street is added to their table. They try to build the largest pot possible while trying to gauge the strength of their opponent's hands.

Making Sense of the Online Poker Betting Cycle

Poker gameplay is called an orbit. Each orbit comprises one rotation around the table, with the dealer button at the centre.

• Starting left of the dealer is the first player to act. He or she pays the Small Blind (SB), which is the amount of money that is required before any cards can be dealt.  
 
•  The Big Blind (BB) is the player to the left of the Small Blind. The Big Blind is twice the amount of the small bet, and it is paid before any cards can be dealt.  
 
•  The bets are placed around the table and move to the left until it returns to the dealer (button). This completes one round or orbit.

Most tables have a dealer. However, the Big Blind (BB) and the Small Blind (SB) will move around the table so that each player gets their turn as the button.

This complete list contains the most commonly used terms in online poker.

All In - A player who feels confident they will win is going 'all in'. They place all their chips on the current hand.

Bad Beat - A player who has a strong hand early on loses to someone who relies on their cards later in the game.

Big Blind (BB) - The player who bets is the one sitting two places to the left of the dealer.

Bubble - A player who loses out on winning by one place in a poker tournament is called the Bubble.

Call - To place the minimum amount of money to remain in the game.

Check - Players who check don't raise; they simply opt to remain in the game.

Flop - The first three community cards are dealt into the centre of the table.

Flush - Holding five cards from the same suit in a poker hand.

Fold - When you decide to stop playing poker after receiving your cards. By folding, you opt out of the current hand.

Freezeout - This poker tournament does not offer any rebuys.

Full House - Holding a hand of poker that contains three cards from the same suit & one additional pair.

Gutshot - Also known as an inside straight draw, it is where you have four of five cards that are required for a straight. The value of the missing card must be within the cards you hold and cannot be added to them.

Kicker - The card decides who wins when two poker players hold equal-value poker hands.

Limp - This slang term refers to passive plays such as calling when you can effectively raise the stakes.

No Limit - This poker game allows players to place their entire stack anytime. Skilled players should only play these tables.

Nuts - It's known as getting the nuts when you have the strongest possible poker hand.

Pocket Cards - These are the cards you receive when you first enter a poker game. Hold'em will give you two cards, while Omaha will give you four. These cards are also called hole cards.

Quads - This is slang for poker players who have four of a kind or four matching cards in play.

Raising - This action increases the stakes. Other players will be forced to match it or quit the game.

Ring Game - This is a flowery name for a simple real-money poker game.

River This is the fifth and last community card that will be dealt.

Short Stack – Short-Stack refers to the player with the smallest stack of chips at the table.

Sit and Go - Otherwise known as an SNG. The game of poker starts when enough players are present at the table. Online poker routinely features popular Sit-and-Go contests.

Slow Play - Play passively when you have a winning poker hand, and increase the pot value.

Small Blind - The Small Blind (SB) is the bet the player sitting on the dealer's left must place to remain in the game.

Straight - This is a hand that contains five cards in a sequence but not the same suit. Such as 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 in the mixed suite.

Straight Flush - This online poker hand has five sequential cards of the same suit.

Trips - This slang term refers to holding three matching cards in your hand.

Turn - The Turn is the fourth community card that will be dealt in the middle of the table.