Poker Help & Rules

Learn the fundamentals of poker, including rules, positions, and basic concepts to help you get started or improve your game.

Poker Positions

Understanding table positions is crucial in poker:

  • Dealer (Button): Last to act post-flop, most advantageous position
  • Small Blind: First to act pre-flop, forced bet
  • Big Blind: Second to act pre-flop, forced bet
  • Under the Gun: First to act after the blinds
  • Cut-off: Second to last to act, very strong position

Basic Rules

Essential poker rules and concepts:

  • Texas Hold'em uses 2 hole cards and 5 community cards
  • Best 5-card hand wins
  • Blinds rotate clockwise each hand
  • Dealer button moves one position clockwise each hand

Tournament Structure

Common tournament formats:

  • Freezeout: Players are eliminated when they lose all chips
  • Rebuy: Players can buy more chips during early rounds
  • Satellite: Winners earn entry to larger tournaments
  • Sit & Go: Tournament starts when all seats are filled

Blind Structure

Understanding blind levels:

  • Small blind is typically half the big blind
  • Blinds increase at regular intervals
  • Common starting blinds: 1/2, 2/5, 5/10
  • Tournament blinds usually start small and increase gradually

Table Etiquette

Important rules for home games:

  • Act in turn - don't jump the gun
  • Keep cards visible and on the table
  • Don't discuss hands in progress
  • Respect the dealer's decisions
  • Keep chips neatly stacked

Betting Actions

Common betting actions in poker:

  • Check: Pass the action without betting
  • Bet: Place chips in the pot
  • Call: Match the current bet
  • Raise: Increase the current bet
  • Fold: Discard your hand and forfeit the pot

Poker Terms

Common poker terminology:

  • Flop: First three community cards
  • Turn: Fourth community card
  • River: Fifth and final community card
  • Pot: Total chips in play for the current hand
  • All-in: Betting all your chips

Game Types

Popular poker variants:

  • Texas Hold'em: Most popular variant, 2 hole cards
  • Omaha: 4 hole cards, must use exactly 2
  • Seven Card Stud: No community cards, dealt face up and down
  • Pineapple: Similar to Hold'em but with 3 hole cards