Poker Rules
Thursday, December 5, 2024

PokerZone Poker Rules

Poker is a card game in which players bet into a communal pot during the course of a hand, and in which the player holding the best hand at the end of the betting wins the pot.

Poker is usually played with a standard 4-suit 52-card deck. The ace normally plays high, but can sometimes play low. A joker or other wild cards may be added. Wild cards introduce an additional hand, five of a kind, which normally ranks above a straight flush. When a joker is in play, it usually can only be used as an ace or to complete a straight or flush. It cannot be used as a true wild card.

At the showdown, those players still remaining compare their hands according to the hand rankings. Suits are not used to break ties, nor are cards beyond the fifth; only the best five cards in each hand are used in the comparison. In the case of a tie, the pot is split equally among the winning hands.

Texas Holdem is known as the "Cadillac of Poker". It's been said that the game takes a minute to learn, but a lifetime to master.

Hand Rankings for Poker

Royal Flush
10 of HeartsJack of HeartsQueen of HeartsKing of HeartsAce of Hearts A straight from a ten to an ace and all five cards of the same suit.

Straight Flush
6 of Clubs7 of Clubs8 of Clubs9 of Clubs10 of Clubs Five cards of the same suit in sequence. Ranked by the high card.

Four-of-a-Kind
4 of Hearts4 of Spades4 of Clubs4 of Diamonds2 of Spades Four cards of the same rank accompanied by a kicker. Ranked by the quads, so that 44442 beats 3333K.

Full House
Jack of SpadesJack of DiamondsJack of HeartsKing of SpadesKing of Hearts Three cards of one rank accompanied by two of another. Ranked by the trips, so that 44422 beats 333AA.

Flush
Ace of DiamondsJack of Diamonds9 of Diamonds4 of Diamonds2 of Diamonds Five cards of the same suit. Ranked by the high card, and then by the next card, so that AJ942 beats AJ876. Suits are not used to break ties.

Straight
7 of Clubs6 of Hearts5 of Spades4 of Diamonds3 of Clubs Five cards in sequence, such as 76543. The ace plays either high or low, making AKQJT and 5432A. "Around the corner" straights like 32AKQ are usually not allowed.

Three-of-a-Kind
King of HeartsKing of ClubsKing of Diamonds8 of Clubs4 of Spades Three cards of the same rank and two kickers of different ranks. Ranked by the trips, so that KKK84 beats QQQAK, but QQQAK beats QQQA7.

Two Pair
Queen of SpadesQueen of DiamondsJack of HeartsJack of ClubsAce of Hearts Two cards of one rank, two cards of another rank and a kicker of a third rank. Ranked by the high pair, then the bottom pair and finally the kicker, so that KK449 beats any of QQJJA, KK22Q, and KK445.

One Pair
Ace of ClubsAce of SpadesKing of Diamonds5 of Spades3 of Clubs Two cards of one rank accompanied by three kickers of different ranks. Ranked by the pair, followed by each kicker in turn, so that AAK53 beats AAK52.

High Card
Ace of Hearts4 of Clubs9 of Diamonds7 of SpadesJack of Hearts Any hand that does not qualify as one of the better hands above. Ranked by the high card, then the second card and so on, as for flushes. Suits are not used to break ties.
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