Poker Rules: General Poker Rules and Table Etiquette

Before going on to describe specific poker variants, here is a description of general poker rules and also poker etiquette.

General Poker Rules

Poker revolves around the matching of cards to make the best set of cards possible. Cards are dealt to the players, some facing down, some up. Since some cards are hidden and some open, no one knows who has the best hand during the game.

Based on the strength of their private cards, players must bet around or quit the game if they don't want to bet. They can initiate betting, call or match another player's bet, check or pass to another player (if there is no bet to answer), raise the bet or stay out of the game by folding. It should be clear from this that poker is meant to be a gambling game played for money. Without real money at stake, the game becomes meaningless.

In between the wagering rounds, players try to improve their hands. Depending on the poker variant, this is done by asking for replacement cards or by being given new ones by the dealer.

So there are two basic "happenings" in a poker game: 1) the betting rounds, and 2) the dealing of new cards which help develop the players' hands.

After all cards are dealt and betting is finished, the remaining players disclose their cards. This is known as the "showdown." The dealer decides who wins and the money - the "pot" - is awarded to them.

Casino Poker Etiquette

When a player goes to a live casino, they often must wait for an available seat in the table they wish to join. Each table has stake limits on it. To join a table, a player must "buy in" with the minimum amount of money required.

The following moves are considered objectionable by standard casino poker rules:

- Acting before it is your turn - Throwing chips into the pot - Talking about a folded hand while the game you folded from is still ongoing - Soft-playing or not betting against select opponents - Revealing any hole cards during a game - Taking too long to act in a betting round - Taking cards off the table - Not protecting your cards - "String-betting" or not putting your whole bet in the pot in one gesture - Coaching or trying to influence other players - Smoking where it is not allowed - Rude or violent behavior during play - Folding when it is possible to check - Using non-players to spy and telegraph info about cards

Online Poker Rules

There are fewer general poker rules and guidelines for online games.

- Observe good conduct in chat. - Do not play with multiple accounts. - Do not connive with other players in different computers. - Do not chat about your hand before the game is over. - Do not stall the game by acting too slowly. - Do not play in too many tables as this slows down the game.

Now let's have a look at some poker rules for different games!