Poker Guides: Rules, Hand Rankings & Strategy
Our poker guides take you from your first hand to confident play – hand rankings, Texas Hold'em rules, the casino poker games you play against the dealer, and strategy tips that actually make a difference.
Poker Hand Rankings
| Rank | Hand | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal flush | A K Q J 10 of one suit |
| 2 | Straight flush | Five consecutive cards of one suit |
| 3 | Four of a kind | Four cards of the same rank |
| 4 | Full house | Three of a kind plus a pair |
| 5 | Flush | Five cards of one suit |
| 6 | Straight | Five consecutive cards of mixed suits |
| 7 | Three of a kind | Three cards of the same rank |
| 8 | Two pair | Two different pairs |
| 9 | One pair | Two cards of the same rank |
| 10 | High card | None of the above |
How to Play Texas Hold'em
- Blinds: the two players left of the dealer button post the small and big blind.
- Pre-flop: each player gets two private cards (hole cards) and a betting round follows.
- Flop: three community cards are dealt face up, then another betting round.
- Turn: a fourth community card, then betting.
- River: the fifth community card and a final betting round.
- Showdown: players make the best five-card hand from their two cards and the five on the board.
On each betting round you can check, bet, call, raise or fold.
Poker Against Players vs Casino Poker
| Type | Who you play against | How the house earns | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Peer-to-peer poker | Other players | Rake: a small cut of each pot or tournament fee | Texas Hold'em, Omaha, Seven Card Stud |
| Casino poker | The dealer | House edge | Casino Hold'em, Three Card Poker, Caribbean Stud, Ultimate Texas Hold'em |
| Video poker | A machine paytable | House edge depends on paytable and strategy | Jacks or Better, Deuces Wild |
Popular Casino Poker Games
| Game | Approximate house edge (optimal play) |
|---|---|
| Ultimate Texas Hold'em | About 2.2% of the ante |
| Casino Hold'em | About 2.2% |
| Three Card Poker (Ante & Play) | About 3.4% |
| Caribbean Stud Poker | About 5.2% |
Side bets and progressive jackpots on these games usually have a much higher house edge.
Poker Strategy Basics
- Play fewer, stronger starting hands, especially from early positions.
- Use position: acting last gives you more information.
- Understand pot odds – compare the price of a call with your chance of making the best hand.
- Bet with purpose: for value with strong hands, or as a well-chosen bluff.
- Manage your bankroll and play at stakes you can afford.
- Watch your opponents for patterns in how they bet.
What Is the Rake?
In poker against other players, the casino or poker room takes a small commission – the rake – from each cash game pot (usually a small percentage up to a cap) or from tournament entry fees. Because of the rake, a player needs to beat the other players by enough to cover it in order to win in the long run.
Ready to play? See our poker winner's guide and top online poker casinos.
A royal flush – ace, king, queen, jack and ten of the same suit – is the best possible hand.
Yes. A flush ranks above a straight, and a full house beats both.
Both. Luck decides individual hands, but skill decides results over many hands when you play against other people. Casino poker against the dealer has a fixed house edge.
Texas Hold'em is the most popular and one of the easiest to learn. Among games against the house, Three Card Poker and Casino Hold'em are simple to pick up.
The rake is the commission the poker room takes from cash game pots or tournament fees in exchange for running the game.