The Basics of Poker
During the American Civil War, a game called stud poker became popular. This version of poker was based on the original primero game. The main difference is that the dealer has the last right to shuffle the cards.
The card shuffled is used to decide whether to fold or to call. A folded hand means that you have lost your bet so far. The highest hand wins the pot. If more than one player has the same hand, a tie is broken with a high card.
A “straight” is five cards in sequential order. A “gutshot” is a straight achieved from the inside. A “backdoor flush” is achieved when you hit a card you need on the turn and on the river.
The best hand is a hand made up of three distinct pairs and a fifth card. The worst hand is a pair of aces. The lowest hand is a hand made up of seven, five, four, two, and a single aces.
The poker craze has taken off, mostly thanks to online games. Poker tournaments have attracted huge audiences to cable and satellite channels. Poker has also grown in popularity with the introduction of the hole card camera.
The ante is a “buy in bet” to play the round. This is usually a small amount, either one or five dollars. The ante is usually decided by the table. The pot is the aggregate of all bets made by all players in one deal.