Basic Poker Rules

Poker Rules

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Poker Rules

Objective
The objective in poker – in all forms of poker – is win as many chips (or as much money) from your opponents as possible.

The Method (how to win)
There are two ways to win in poker. The first is to have the best five card hand at ‘showdown’. Showdown occurs when all bets are matched after the last round of betting – players then ‘show down’ their hands, and the best five-card hand wins.

The second way to win in poker is to be “the last player standing”. That happens when all other players fold their hands, normally because of the way you have bet. As the last player standing you do not have to show down your hand (although you may do so if you wish to). This means you can win pots without having even a good hand, let alone the best hand, just because of the way you bet. That is the art of bluffing.

The Key
The key point to remember in poker is that you can’t win every hand; getting away from hands you cant win is every bit as important to your overall success as taking down the pots you can win. So you must learn how to fold, as well as how to bet. As the old adage goes: “Money saved is just as valuable as money won.”