The Definitive Guide to Online Poker 2023

Online poker comes in different flavors and that’s why it is important to be familiar with the game overview. The next step is to learn the best strategies and put the best tips to use to maximize the return on investment. In our poker guide, we do all this and suggest the top online casinos.

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Overview

Online poker is a game of chance and one that can be played against real dealers, software, or fellow peers. This guide will focus on the ones you play against the casino, which happened to be some of the most popular Internet gambling operators. You can try the classic versions, such as Caribbean Stud Poker, or take a leap of faith with more complex and creative versions. In any case, you need to learn the basic rules and this is where we can provide valuable insight.

Most of the relevant online casinos have a section dedicated to poker, given its tremendous popularity. The beauty of the game played against software is that action unfolds at a faster pace and you can complete more hands over the same period of time. In fact, you can launch several games simultaneously and maximize the return on investment if you are successful and lucky during a single session. Live dealer games are slightly slower, but more immersive, therefore worth a shot.

When you play against real dealers, you can do it alone or share a table with fellow players who have the same passion for the game. The beauty of poker is that you don’t compete against your peers in this case and sometimes not even against the dealer. That’s because you are paid for making a strong hand, regardless of what others are holding. This means that you can bask in the success of fellow punters and celebrate victories together instead of being engaged in competitive gameplay.

The payouts are clearly laid out in the payouts chart, so you know right from the start how much you can make. This is where punters can use tips and strategies, to employ the most successful system in their quest of improving their starting hand.

Pros & Cons

Pros
Fun game for beginners
Offered by most online casinos
Low house edge
Cons
Repetitive by nature
Not as competitive as regular poker

History

Like so many casino and card games that we enjoy today, the actual origins of Poker are uncertain, but there are records of similar games being played in China and Persia (Iran), back in ancient times. A game known as Poque was popular in France as far back as the 1600's, and it is most likely that the modern name came from here.

French immigrants brought Poque across the Atlantic and it thrived in areas like Louisiana, where many of them eventually settled. The game steadily grew in popularity, but was during the Civil War period that it really took off as a way of keeping bored soldiers occupied. Many of the rules and adaptations of the game played today, such as Draw and Stud Poker as well as the straight, were refined during this era.

By far the best known version of Poker, Texas Hold'em was first developed in the town of Robertson, in the south of the state at the beginning of the 20th century. It only attracted limited interest however, until the 1960's when the Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas began to offer the game. In 1969 the Dune Casino became the first place to hold a big Texas Hold'em tournament which began to attract considerable interest in this version.

Within a year, the World Series Of Poker was launched by two brothers who had bought out the troubled Gambling Fraternity Convention. They opted to feature Texas Hold'em as the main game, and the WSOP has since become the biggest poker tournament in the world, having a major impact on the whole online gambling business.

Once the World Series Of Poker became televised, millions of viewers discovered Texas Hold'em and it rapidly became the most favoured type around the world. By the 1990's online casinos and Poker sites were opening up allowing millions of people who had never had the opportunity to play before to participate in poker.


Terminology

Before playing any type of poker, you should have a basic understanding of the most widely used terms and what they each mean. Some of the following are generic poker terms, others are used just in Texas Hold'em games.

Blinds:  A compulsory bet, or partial bet, put in before the cards are dealt. The player to the left of the dealer makes a small blind bet, the one next left to them makes a big blind wager.

Bluff:  A player placing a bet despite holding a poor hand, making others who may have stronger hands drop out of the game.

Buy-in:  The fee paid by a player to join a game and purchase chips.

Community Cards:  Cards that can be used by all players in a Texas Hold'em game, and can reveal some information about the cards held by an opponent.

Flop:  The first three cards dealt out, face up, in a Texas Hold'em or Omaha game

Flush:  Five cards all from the same suit, (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs or Spades.)

Hole Cards:  A card dealt to a player, face down, and known only to them.

Pair:  Two cards of identical rank, such as two 5's, or two Kings.

Pot:  The amount of money or chips that can be won with the best hand, made up of the accumulated value of all bets placed on a particular hand.

Rake:  The percentage taken by the casino from each table or hand. As there is no House Edge in a poker game, the casinos' earnings are made up of the rake.

River: The last community card that is dealt in a Hold'em or Omaha game, where the hands are won or lost.

Round of Betting:  During a betting round, players can make any of the following choices: check, call, raise or fold, as detailed later.

Royal Flush:  The best possible hand in poker, made up of a 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace all from the same suit.

Straight:   A hand made up of cards all from the same suit, and all consecutive, for example 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen.

Trips: A hand that includes three cards of the same type, such as three 2's, or three Jacks, also known as Three of a Kind.

Turn:  The fourth community card dealt in a Hold'em or Omaha game, coming after the flop and before the river.


Rules

A Hold'em game starts with the player immediately to the left of the dealer, or a designated player,  placing a the small blind bet, of half the minimum bet size, and the next player along placing the big blind bet, of the minimum bet value. The dealer then draws cards from a shuffled pack of 52, dealing two hole cards first to the player on his left, and then around in the same direction until all the players hold two cards each.

To start the first betting round, the player to the left of the one who placed the big blind makes their own bet, and this continues around the table, clockwise, until all players have made their chosen bets. These can be either check, where the player matches the maximum bet already placed, call, where they add money to the pot and match the maximum bet, raise, where the player wagers more than the maximum current bet, or fold, where a player quits this hand and loses any bets they have already made.

After this is the flop, where the dealer removes the top card of the deck, (called the burn), and deals out three community cards, face up. Another round of betting occurs, starting with the player to the immediate left of the dealer, and continuing around the table. The turn then follows as the fourth community card is dealt, followed by another round of betting, and finally it's the river round consisting of the fifth community card being dealt, and the last round of betting taking place. During the river, players can use any of the five community cards to form the best hand possible. At the end of this round, the players who have not folded reveal their cards.

The winner is the player who has been able to make up the best five card hand from both their original two hole cards and any of the community cards, and they win the pot of all accumulated bets, although if there is more than one winner, the pot is split.

In order of ranking, the best hands are as follows -

Royal Flush:  Five cards of the same suit, from 10 to Ace.

Straight Flush:  Five cards of the same suit, in consecutive order, such as 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.

Four of a kind:  A hand that consists of all four cards of the same rank, plus any other card.

Full House:  A hand made up of a three of a kind, and a pair.

Flush:  Any five cards of the same suit.

Straight:  A hand consisting of cards in consecutive order, but not all from the same suit.

Three of a kind:  A hand consisting of three cards of identical rank, plus two unmatched cards.

Two pair:  A hand consisting of two sets of two identical rank cards, plus one unmatched card.

Pair: A hand consisting of any two cards that have an identical rank plus three unmatched cards.

High Card:  Should there be no players with any of the above hands, the player, or players, with the highest ranked card from Ace downwards, wins.


Strategy

Poker is a game of many skills that can take a lifetime to master. The best players use a combination of math, bluffing, statistics and yes, some luck, to win. Anyone new to the game needs to understand the absolute basic skill of knowing whether or not their hole cards are worth anything and when to quit a hand.

Generally speaking, it is probably best to fold a hand if your hole cards consist of two cards of different ranks, both valued below 10. The odds of making a winning hand out of this one are just too remote, but if any pair, or any card of at least 10 is dealt out, it can be worthwhile staying in the game at least for the next round, just to see what the community cards look like. At each betting round, as more money is staked on a hand, players need to use their judgement about whether to stay in the game or not, and occasionally it can be worth staying in a little longer to see who else folds.

Useful Tactics

  • Don't be afraid to fold if your hand isn't strong enough. Poker players are usually competitive types, but even the best ones don't win every hand, and continuing to play when you have little chance of winning is a bad move.
  • Accept your losses and don't throw good money after bad. This is good advice in any situation, not just in a poker game, but if the stakes are getting uncomfortably high, it could be time to cut your losses and quit the round.
  • Keep your cool at all times, as your competitors will be able to see you getting nervous or angry and will be able to exploit this. The term 'Poker face' should always be remembered, and if your mood isn't right, you are more likely to make poor decisions.

Keep in mind what other potential hands your opponents could make using the community cards. These can be used by anyone, not just yourself, so by concentrating a little, and with some practice, you should be able to get some idea of what hands are being held by the other players.

Tips

It is essential to have a clear plan, to be successful in the long run. These are the quintessential tips you should consider when playing online poker.

Getting Started

It’s not overly complicated to play online casino poker and be good at it. The transition from slots can be silky smooth if you follow these fast and effective tips.

1 Pick care expectable online casino

Choose a long-term partner that you can trust among the licensed and regulated online casinos.

2 Create an account and make a deposit

To play online poker on real money you have to sign up for an account loaded with cash.

3 Select a game and play it for free

There are many online poker games to try against real dealers and you should play first for free.

4 Master the rules and strategies

Research and success are intertwined, so you can boost your winnings by using tips and strategies.

5 Play for fun and stay focused

Don’t gamble more than you can afford to lose and never change losses when you are unlucky.

Glossary

This compendium of online poker terms is guaranteed to bring you up to speed with the jargon and make you sound and act more confident at poker tables.

Poker Terminology

Poker Versions

Take a quick glance at the casino poker games that have the most fans globally.

Ante Up 21 Blackjack

Ante Up 21 Blackjack is a version of the classic game that offers players a chance to use side bets. These pave the way to bonus payouts, in addition to the main winnings.

Poker

The standard game of poker, embraced by online casinos and their live dealers. The best case scenario is to make a royal flush, but can win with as little as one pair.

Live Poker

Live poker is the game you can play against real dealers from the comfort of your home. You can also use mobile devices but the game is only available at real money tables.

Pai Gow

Pai Gow is a popular game that combines elements of the classic Chinese Domino games and modern poker. You must create two hands that outshine the dealer.

Red Dog

Red Dog is a fast-paced poker game that involves three consecutive hands. It is easy to master and it is played at a faster pace, therefore appealing to casual punters.

Texas Hold 'em

Texas Hold 'em is arguably the most popular version of online poker. Players compete against themselves or against the house and it involves a higher degree of strategy.

Bullfight

Bullfight 3 is a new version of the game that allows players to enjoy the best of both worlds. They predict the outcome of a simulated bullfight while aiming for the best poker hand.

3 Card Poker

Bullfight 3 is a new version of the game that allows players to enjoy the best of both worlds. They predict the outcome of a simulated bullfight while aiming for the best poker hand.

Caribbean Stud Poker

Caribbean Stud Poker is a popular variant of poker where players compete against the dealer. In addition to the payouts table, it can also carry a locally won or progressive jackpot.

Tequila Poker

Tequila Poker is a brilliant game that combines elements of blackjack and poker. If you can make hands that score high in both games, you maximize winnings.

Let It Ride

Let It Ride is a fun game where players make three bets in their attempts to assemble the top poker hand. You only use the hands dealt to you, so you must be creative.

Stud Poker

Stud Poker is a classic game where players are dealt a combination of face-up and face-down cards. It has a standard goal of creating the best handle for five cards.

Five Card Draw

Five Card Draw is a simple and fun poker game where players start with five cards. They can discard them to improve the hand and claim a bigger payout.

Irish Poker:

Irish Poker is a variant of Hold 'em where players are dealt four cards instead of two. They only get to keep two of them, so the other two must be discarded.

Open Face Chinese Poker

Open Face Chinese Poker is a popular game where players are dealt cards face-up and they need to use them to assemble the best three hands.

Pineapple Poker

Open Face Chinese Poker is a popular game where players are dealt cards face-up and they need to use them to assemble the best three hands.

Short Deck Hold 'em

Open Face Chinese Poker is a popular game where players are dealt cards face-up and they need to use them to assemble the best three hands.

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FAQ

If you play at a licensed casino that is regulated by a local authority, you will play legally and safely.

Poker games played against the house are available in the demo version so you use virtual currency.

This is done by using the payment methods available, such as credit cards, bank transfers, or e-wallets.

If you play at a licensed casino powered by reputable developers you will enjoy fair poker games.

Use the same payment method you’ve relied upon for deposits to cash out your poker winnings.

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