When video poker first hit the casinos, it was an instant hit. Millions of people around the world flocked to the tables to have their chance at winning big in one of the most thrilling games that the gambling world had to offer.

But poker’s success wouldn’t fully be realised until the invention of the internet, where video poker was quickly put up by various sites – and like its previous iteration, it quickly became a classic and a staple of most, if not all, modern casinos. If you’re looking to learn more about poker and how it works, it’s thankfully extremely easy to learn, and you should be able to master the rules with just a few games.

The Basics

The most common type of poker that you will come across is Texas Hold’em, which is also the kind of poker that is worth learning first, and it can be played alone or in tournament format. The rules are fairly straightforward. Each player is handed two cards face down by the dealer. The players then take those cards, called a hand, in combination with five cards that can be taken by the player, and with their hand they need to try and earn a higher value than their opponents. Whichever player has the best hand by the end of the round wins the pot.

There are typically four initial rounds of betting where the players are able to put down their chips, which they can do at any time during these initial rounds. Players have the options of putting more down if they think they’ve got a good hand, otherwise they can decide to fold, which effectively puts them out of the game until the next round. Having a good hand and knowing exactly when to play it is something that a player earns with experience and many, many failed games. Poker is also one of the few casino games where legitimate strategies can be employed to improve the chances of winning, and for this reasons it’s also one of the few games that has a thriving professional scene, similar to online pokies, and has seen some players turned into millionaires.

Poker Hands

There are around 10 valuable hands that players can use in a game of poker.

1. Royal Flush – All of the same suit
2. Straight Flush – Any sequence of all the same suit
3. Four of a Kind – Four cards that have the same value
4. Full House – Three of a kind, as well as a pair
5. Flush – All the same suit
6. Straight – A basic sequence, such as 6-5-4-3-2
7. Three of a Kind – Three cards that are of the same value
8. Two Pair – Two pairs of the same cards
9. Pair – Two cards which are the same
10. High Card – Whatever the highest value card is in the hand

Poker is a difficult game to master, and it can take many years before you could consider yourself an expert, but it’s worth the time invested.