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Poker Lesson 1
Poker can be played between two players. But it is more fun to play with 5 or more players. It is played with a standard deck of cards having total 52 cards. These 52 cards are deivided in 4 suites (Spades, Clubs, Diamnods, Hearts). Each suite have cards ranking from 2 (lowest value card) to Ace (highest value card). Before starting the game, a dealer is chosen (usually in house gmes). In casino, there is always a casino dealer doing this job of shuffling the cards and dealing for the players. A dealer button is used to indicate who is the dealer for a round of play. The very first person left to the dealer is called small blind. Left to the small blind person is called big blind. Usually big blind is twice the size of small blind. For example, if the small blind is 25, the big blind will be 50. A full poker table usually have 10 players. Each player is dealt first one card (face down, no one can see other's card) starting from small blind, big blind, next player left to the big blind, and so on. The player who holds the dealer button gets the last card. Then again starting from the small blind each player gets the second card. These two cards are called your hole cards. The first player (also called under the gun) left to the big blind has to act first. This player can call by putting money equal to the big blind value or can raise (at least double the big blind or more) or can fold (muck his cards). Similarly, other players have choice either call, raise or fold. This is also called the first round of betting or pre-flop play.
After everyone has decided what to do after looking their cards either check (if no bet there) or bet (if no one has bet yet) or call the bet or raise the bet (if there is a bet) or fold (if there is a bet), one card is burnt (put face down from top of the deck). Three cards are dealt in the middle of table called flop. You can use any one of your cards and combine with available flop cards (one or two or all three cards or none) to see if you could have the best hand. You can see that the flop cards are shared by everyone. Your hole cards can make a big difference in the play.
After everyone has acted after looking the flop, one more card is burnt and dealt one more card in the middle of the table called turn card. This card can easily change your current poker hand strength by either improving it or not. Once again, another round of betting goes on.
After everyone has taken the action after seen the turn card, one more card is burnt and the last card, called river, is dealt in the middle of the table. This is the last round of betting or action. After this round depending on actions, one may have to show one's winnig hand. A best hand is a five cards hand either including your both cards or only one of them with any three or four cards on the board (table). Sometimes, the bord could be the best hand by itself.