Home Poker Card Game

A Poker hand consists of five cards. The value of a hand depends on whether it contains one of the following combinations:

Straight flush
The highest possible hand: all five cards of the same suit and in sequence (for example: the 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 of diamonds). The highest-ranking straight flush is the A, K, Q, J, and 10 of one suit, called a royal flush.

Four of a kind
Ranks next under a straight flush, as, four aces, or four sixes. It does not matter what the fifth, unmatched card is.

Full House
Three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank, as 8-8-8-4-4, and ranks next under four of a kind.

Flush
Five cards of the same suit, but not all in sequence, and ranks next below a full house.

Straight
Five cards in sequence, but not all of the same suit. It loses to a flush or higher hand, but beats anything else.

Three of a kind
Three cards of the same value. It ranks next under a straight.

Two pairs
Two pair of two cards of the same value. It ranks next under three of a kind.

One pair
Two cards of the same value. It beats any hand containing no pair but none of the higher-ranking combinations named above.
Below the rank of hands containing one pair are all the no-pair hands, which are rated by the highest card they contain, so that an ace-high hand will beat a king-high hand, and so on.

In the course of each Poker deal, there will be one or more betting intervals in which the players have an opportunity to bet on their hands. Before the cards are even dealt, the rules of the Poker game being played may also require that each player put an initial contribution (called an ante) of one or more chips into the pot, to start it off.

Each betting interval begins when any player in turn makes a bet of one or more chips. Each player in turn after him must either call that bet (by putting into the pot the same number of chips); or may raise, which means that he puts in more than enough chips to call; or may fold, which means that he puts no chips in the pot, discards his hand, and is out of the betting until there is another deal and he receives a new hand.

When a player folds, he loses all chips he has previously put into that pot. Unless a player is willing to put into the pot at least as many chips as any player before him has put in, he must fold.

A betting interval ends when the all bets have been called (i.e. each player has put into the pot exactly as many chips as each other player, or has folded). There are usually two or more betting intervals for each Poker deal. After the final betting interval, each player who has met all the bets shows his hand face up on the table, and the best Poker hand takes the pot. This is called the showdown.

If at any time a player makes a bet or raise that no other player calls, that player wins the pot without showing his hand.

Check is a Poker term that means the player wishes to remain in the pot without betting. In effect, it is "a bet of nothing." A player may check provided no one before him in that betting interval has made any bet. If any other player has bet, he must at least call the bet or fold. If all the players check, the betting interval is over. In each betting interval, one player is designated as the first bettor, according to the rules of the game. The turn to bet moves from player to player to the left, and no one may check, bet, or even fold, except when his turn comes.

The Deal
Stud Poker begins with two cards, one down and one face up, dealt to each player. In Seven-Card Stud, each player is dealt three cards, two down and one up.
Each player is given a turn to deal, clockwise around the table.

The First Betting Interval
The first bettor in each betting interval is the player with the highest card or the highest Poker combination showing. If two or more players are tied for highest, the one nearest the dealer's left (that is, the one dealt first) is the first bettor.
After one of the players makes an opening bet, the other players may Call, Raise, or Fold.

Additional Cards
After the first betting round, each player still in the game is dealt another upcard. At this point, the player who has the highest hand showing has the first opportunity to Open, Check, or Fold. After the opening bet, the other players have a chance to Call, Raise or Fold. After all players have bet, each remaining card is dealt face up and bet upon in sequence until the final card of the hand, which is dealt face down.

Showdown
If two or more players remain after the final betting interval, there is a showdown in which each player turns up his hole cards. Each player creates their best hand using only five cards. Highest hand wins the pot.

Baseball
Seven-card Stud is played, with all nines and threes wild; but when a three is dealt face up, the player to whom it is dealt must either match the pot (put into the pot as many chips as are already in it) or fold. Any four dealt face up gives the player an additional hole card, which the dealer immediately gives him, face down, from the top of the pack.

Football
The same as Baseball, except that sixes and fours are wild, a four requires a player to match the pot or fold, and a deuce entitles a player to an extra hole card.

Woolworth
Fives and tens are wild. A player dealt a five face up must pay 5 chips to the pot or fold, and a player dealt a ten face up must pay 10 chips to the pot or fold.

Chicago
Played the same as Seven-card Stud, except that the player with the highest spade as a hole card (i.e. face down) wins half the pot.

Low Chicago
Same as Chicago, except that the low spades in the hole wins half the pot.

Follow the Queen
Play is the same as in Seven-card Stud. However, if a queen is dealt face up, the following face-up card is wild. If another queen is dealt face up later in the hand, the wild card changes and the next face-up card is the new wild card.

Sequence
Play is the same as in Seven-card Stud. However, if a two is dealt face up, then twos become wild. If after that, a three is dealt face up, threes become wild and twos are no longer wild. This continues until the dealing is completed.

The Deal
Draw Poker begins with five cards dealt, face down, to each player (usally after an Ante). Each player is given a turn to deal, clockwise around the table..

The First Betting Interval
After the cards are dealt, the player to the left of the dealer then has the option to Open, that is, make a bet based on the first five cards dealt, or Check which means to pass the option to Open to the next player. If you think you have no chance of winning this hand, you can Fold, only losing your ante.
After an opening bet is made, you will have the opportunity to Call, Raise or Fold.

The Draw
Once the opening bets are placed, each player has the opportunity to replace the cards in their hand by discarding those they do not want and drawing new ones. Click on the cards you want to discard, then click the the Draw button.
If you want to keep all of your original cards, click the Stand button.
The Second Betting Interval
Opening
After all players at the table have finished drawing, the player who Opened during the first betting interval will be given the option to Open, Check or Fold.

Calling and Raising

After an opening bet is made, the players seated clockwise to the player who opened have the opportunity to Call which means to match the bet of the person seated to your right, or to Raise the bet by matching the previous bet and adding to it.

Shotgun
Three cards are dealt to each player face down and there is a round of betting. Other rounds of betting follow the dealing of the fourth and fifth cards. Players still in the game draw to improve their hands, and there is a final round of betting.
Spit in the Ocean
Only four cards are dealt to each player. The next card in the pack is turned face up in the center of the table and is considered as the fifth card in each player's hand. This card is wild, and the others of the same nomination are also wild throughout the game. After a betting interval, there is a draw as in any Draw Poker game, except that each player draws to a four-card hand, then a final betting interval and a showdown.

Wild Widow
Five cards are dealt face down to each player. Before the last round of cards is dealt, a card is turned up in the center; the other three cards of that rank are wild. There is a betting interval, then the draw and final betting interval.


Home page URL : http://www.onhandsoftware.com