Learning poker slang isn’t just about sounding clever, it’s one of the most effective ways to become a winning player. You don’t know how many times we’ve seen people misunderstand basic poker phrases and lose money.  Therefore, if you’ve got any ambitions of winning, you need to know the most important poker terms.

Poker Terminology Explained

Learning the most important terms in poker won’t turn you into a winning player, but they will help you sound like a pro. Beyond sounding like a pro, the right poker terms will unlock the door to important strategy concepts. Put simply, if you don’t know common poker terms and phrases, you won’t be able to discuss hands or formulate a winning strategy.

Therefore, if you want to get better at different types of poker, you need to know poker lingo. The following list contains all the poker words you need to know if you want to play and, importantly, study the game. There are poker terms for winning. There’s some Texas Hold’em terminology, and there are online poker terms.

Our tip is to bookmark this page and have our list of poker terms handy every time you play. That way you’ll know what someone means when they call you a fish or say “GH”. Now you know the reasons poker terminology is useful, let’s get into it. Below are the most important poker terms for beginners:

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List of Poker Terms: A-Z

All poker terms are relative. Some poker words might mean something in one setting and something else in another. We’ve tried to avoid poker phrases with malleable or ambiguous meanings. The list below contains all universally understood poker betting terms you can use in a live cardroom or online.

A

ABC Poker – Someone who sticks to the fundamentals and uses a straightforward strategy is said to play ABC poker.

Ace – The highest card in the deck. An ace can also be a strong player.

All-in – Putting all your chips into the pot is known as going “all-in.” This is one of the most important Texas Hold’em poker terms if you’re playing No Limit games.

Angle Shooting – A move designed to gain an unfair advantage is known as an angle i.e. you’re angle shooting. This is one of the poker terms and phrases you don’t want aimed at you.

Ante – A forced bet made before any cards are dealt is an ante. The blinds are a type of ante.

Aggro – At top offshore poker sites, the most popular poker terms are often shortened. Aggro stands for an aggressive player.

C

Call – You’re calling someone when you match their bet e.g. if they bet $10 and you match it, that’s a call.

Chips – You don’t make bets with banknotes or coins, even if you’re playing a cash game. Chips are used in all forms of poker. You receive chips in exchange for cash or once you’ve paid a tournament’s entry fee (aka buy-in).

Check – Passing on the action without putting a chip into the pot is known as checking. You can only check if there hasn’t been any action (i.e. bets before it’s your turn to act).

Collusion – Working in secret with other people to gain an unfair advantage is called collusion. This is another one of the terms in poker you don’t want to hear.

Continuation Bet – Betting on the flop after raising/re-raising pre-flop is known as a continuation bet i.e. you’re continuing your pre-flop aggression. This is one of the poker terms for winning you need to know if you want to master basic strategy.

Cut-Off – This is one position before the dealer button.

D

Dead Money – Chips you can’t win from the pot is dead money.

Donk – This is one of the words on our poker terms list that has two meanings. A donk is a bad player. A donk bet is when you bet into the pre-flop raiser i.e. you steal the momentum so they can’t make a continuation bet.

Drawing Dead – You’re drawing dead when you’ve got a 0% chance of winning a hand.

Dry Board – A selection of unconnected community cards are said to be dry. This poker term can be used to describe a board after the flop, turn, or river. These poker words are useful when you’re learning how to bluff because dry boards typically offer little value for other players.

F

Fish – If you want to know how to win at poker, you should be targeting weak players, known as fish. The opposite of fish are sharks (aka strong players).

Float – Calling a bet on the flop or turn with the intention of bluffing at a later point is called floating. You’ll need to know poker phrases like floating when you’re learning Omaha and Hold’em strategy.

Fold Equity – This term refers to the amount of equity you gain when someone folds when you’re bluffing i.e. the amount of a disadvantage you’ve overcome by winning the pot with the worst hand. This is one of the important poker terms to understand if you want to master bluffing.

Flop – The first three community cards are known as the flop. This is one of the most common Texas Hold’em poker terms you’ll hear.

Flush – Five cards of the same suit in a hand.

G

Game Theory Optimal (GTO) – Utilizing good poker strategy is about understanding GTO. It’s a mathematical way to look at poker games that makes you theoretically unexploitable.

Good Game (GG) – This is what you say to someone when you exit/win a tournament. It’s a sign of sportsmanship. Other online poker terms with a similar meaning are GH (Good Hand) and WP (Well Played).

Grinder – Someone who plays low or mid-stakes cash games consistently to earn a living is said to be grinding. Therefore, they’re a grinder.

Guarantee – The amount of money a tournament host agrees to pay out is known as the guarantee. A guarantee the least a prizepool can be. Even if the number of buy-ins doesn’t cover the guarantee, the tournament’s host is obliged to pay the advertised guarantee.

Gutshot – Needing one card to complete a straight is known as a gut shot draw.

I

Implied Odds – The money you could potentially win if you make a hand is used to determine your implied odds.

In the Money – Players who make it into the final stages of a tournament are “in the money.” This means they’ve lasted long enough to get a return on their investment. The “bubble” precedes the money payouts. Tournament payouts are usually distributed among the top 10% to 20% of the field.

Independent Chip Model (ICM) – Tournament players use ICM as a way to determine their payout equity. The calculation takes into account a player’s stack, the stack sizes of their opponents, and the remaining prizes.

The results tell players what their stacks are worth, theoretically, in dollar amounts. Players use this information to make decisions in the later stages of tournaments and when they’re discussing deals.

J

Jamming – Moving all-in is also referred to as jamming in poker terminology.

Joker – A joker is one of the poker card terms that only appears in video poker. In regular online games, jokers are usually removed from the deck.

K

Kicker – A card used to separate two identical hands is the kicker. For example, if one player has A-K, another has A-9, and the board is A-2-7-5-J, they’ve both made a pair of aces. However, poker hands are made up of the best five cards. Therefore, A-K wins the pot because their kicker (the King) is higher than a 9.

Knock – Players wanting to check in a live game will knock the table. This is one of those poker terms you don’t need to worry about if you only play online.

M

Maniac – A player who seems to have no regard for poker strategy or common poker terms and phrases is a maniac.

Min Buy-In – Cash games have minimum and maximum buy-ins. For example, if you play a $1/$2 cash game on Bovada, the maximum buy-in is 100x the big blind i.e. $200. The minimum buy-in is 40x the big blind i.e. $80.

Misdeal – Poker dealers aren’t perfect and sometimes they make mistakes. If they make a mistake, it’s known as a misdeal. This poker term isn’t used online because cards are dealt by random number generators (RNGs).

Multi-Table Tournament – Any tournament that starts at a set time and has more than one table is an MTT.

Muck – Folded hands get put into the muck where they can’t be retrieved.

N

Nut Flush Draw – Trying to hit a fifth suited card is known as playing a flush draw. Playing to hit the best possible flush is a nut flush draw.

Nit – Tight players who have a narrow range (i.e. they only play the very best hands) are called nits.

No Limit – A betting structure that doesn’t restrict the amount you can wager in a hand is called No Limit.

Nuts – The best possible hand is known as the nuts. Other popular poker terms based on this word are nut flush and nut straight.

O

Offsuit – There are four suits in a deck of cards: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. Five cards of the same suit make a flush, so any card that doesn’t complete a flush is “offsuit.”

On the Button – The player who acts last post-flop is on the button.

Outs – Any card you can hit to make a ranked poker hand is known as your outs.

Overbet – Betting more than the value of the pot is an overbet. Skilled players often use overbets as a way to confuse opponents.

Overlay – An overlay happens when the money collected from buy-ins doesn’t amount to the value of the guarantee. A tournament organizer has to make up this shortfall.

Overpair – Some poker words are self-explanatory and this is one of them. Any pair that’s higher than what’s on the board/what an opponent holds is called an overpair.

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Q

Quads – Four-of-a-kind i.e. a hand with four cards of the same value.

R

Raise – Betting more than the previous biggest bet is known as raising. For example, if someone bets $10 and you make it $30, that’s a raise. You can also re-raise, which means raising a raise.

Rake – Poker operators take a small percentage of cash game pots and tournament buy-ins to cover their costs. This deduction is called rake. Other poker terms linked to rake are “rakeback” (a bonus that gives you back some of the rake you’ve paid) and “rake reduction” (promotions that reduce the rake for a certain amount of time).

Read – Noticing a recurring trait within an opponent is referred to as getting a read on someone. It means you can read what they’re going to do based on the way they bet and/or act.

Ring Game – A different poker term for a cash game (see Cash Game).

River – The fifth and final community card is called the river.

Rock – A tight player is called a rock in poker betting times. Rocks only play strong hands.

Royal Flush – The best possible hand in poker is a Royal Flush. It’s made up of 10, J, Q, K, A suited.

Running Bad – An extended downswing (losing streak) is known as running bad in poker.

S

Satellite – Qualifiers that give you entry into a bigger tournament are called satellites. You can play satellites on all of our recommended online poker sites, including Ignition.

Semi-Bluff – Betting when you’ve probably got the worst hand but have outs is a semi-bluff. A pure bluff is when you’re betting with no outs.

Set – Three-of-a-kind containing a pair in your hand and one of the community cards.

Showdown – The point at which two or more players are left and the betting is over signals the end of a hand. At this point, everyone has to show their cards.

Slow Play – Deliberately taking a long time to show a hand you know will win the pot is called slow playing.

Straight – Five cards in sequential order are known as a straight e.g. 5-6-7-8-9.

U

Under the Gun – The first player to act is said to be “under the gun” (UTG).

V

Value Bet – A bet designed to make an opponent call when you’re confident you’ve got the best hand.

Variance – Even if you make all the right moves, results won’t always go your way. That’s because there are very few situations where the odds are 100% in one direction or the other. Of all the concepts we’ve explained in our list of poker terms, this is one that players struggle to cope with. Why? Because no one likes losing, especially if you’ve done everything right.

VPIP – Voluntary Pot in the Pot is one of the most important online poker terms to learn. It refers to the number of hands someone plays, which tells you whether they’re loose or tight.

W

Wet Board – A board with a lot of connected cards – i.e. lots of suited cards, picture cards, or straight cards – is said to be wet. It’s wet because you might drown.

WPT – The World Poker Tour (WPT) is a leading tournament organization that hosts some of the game’s best events.

(Credit: Nica Stylianos/WPT)

WSOP – The World Series of Poker (WSOP) is the game’s biggest tournament festival. It takes place between May and July every year in Las Vegas. It attracts the best players in the world and winners of each WSOP event get a bracelet.

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FAQs

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There are different types of poker for every preference. Texas Hold’em is the king of poker variants, but it’s not the only game in town. In fact, for some players, there are better types of poker if you enjoy big bets, bluffing, and battling with opponents in different scenarios.

Whether you enjoy the mathematical challenge of Limit games or the all-out aggression of No Limit, you’ll find something to suit you at our recommended poker sites. Here are the types of poker you can play online for free and in cardrooms across the US.

5 Popular Poker Game Types

Before we discuss poker variations, we should outline the overarching structures within which games are played. The fundamental rules of common poker games remain the same, regardless of the format.

However, when you play online poker the format does dictate how bets are made, when play starts and stops, and the amount of money on the line. Below are the formats used for different kinds of poker.

Tournaments

Poker tournaments are scheduled events. They have set start times, and play continues until one player holds all the chips in play. The main difference between tournaments and cash games is that the chips don’t have any value. Instead, you pay an entrance fee to play. This gets you a stack of chips that only have value in the tournament you are playing.

Your tournament goal is to build your stack by taking chips from other players. Blinds increase at set intervals to ensure tournaments finish promptly and the players who survive long enough win some money.

Surviving long enough to win a prize is known as “making the money.” Usually, between 10% and 20% of the starting field make it into the money. The biggest payouts are reserved for the winner and those who make the top 5. All types of poker can be played using a tournament format.

(Source: WPT/Nica Stylianos)

Cash Games

Cash games don’t have start or end times. A cash game only stops if all poker players leave the table. Unlike tournaments, chips in a cash game have a value. For example, if someone sits down with $100 worth of poker chips, their stack is worth $100.

Like other types of poker games, the aim is to win chips from your opponent. However, your cash game strategy differs from a tournament because the blinds don’t increase.

For example, when tournaments have been running for a long time, the blinds represent a significant percentage of a player’s stack. This forces them to play looser (i.e., more hands) because the blinds will decimate their stack if they wait too long.

This doesn’t happen in cash games because the blinds are static. Stacks are a lot deeper, allowing players to play hands across multiple streets (flop, turn, and river) rather than make big pre-flop moves.

All poker variations can be played using the cash game format, but some are more popular than others. The best poker games for cash players are No Limit Hold’em, Pot Limit Omaha, and Limit 7-Card Stud.

Sit & Gos

Sit & Gos (SNGs) are mini-tournaments. They don’t have set start times. Instead, a game begins once the table is full. After this, play continues until someone has all the chips. The top performers win a share of the prizepool, with the winner getting the most money.

Freerolls

Freerolls are tournaments that carry no entry fee. The beauty of freerolls is that you can win cash prizes donated by the poker room. There is zero risk, but you might have to play your way through thousands of players to get to the money places.

The average skill level in freerolls is low, so they’re a good way to make money for nothing. Our top-rated poker sites give new customers entry to freerolls. You can also get entry to exclusive freerolls by earning reward points.

Satellites

Satellites are also known as “qualifiers”. Winning a satellite earns you entry into a more expensive tournament. This may be a larger satellite, an online championship final, or even a major live event.

Typically, satellites guarantee a certain number of seats or travel packages. Satellites play down to a few remaining players to determine who bags themselves a seat.

2003 World Champion Chris Moneymaker won his way into the $10,000 WSOP Main Event via a $39 satellite. He went on to win the tournament for $1.5 million.

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5 Best Poker Variants

The formats we’ve just described are frameworks for various types of poker. While it’s fair to say that some poker variants are better suited to cash games and other tournaments, these are more preferential restrictions than logistical ones.

Therefore, once you’ve tried the different types of poker listed below and found a few variants you like, you’ll be able to play them in any format.

Texas Hold’em

Texas Hold’em is the most popular variant. It’s used for the biggest poker tournaments, including the WSOP Main Event and the WPT World Championship.

A round starts with one player posting the big blind and another the small blind (which is 50% of the big blind’s value). For example, a $1/$2 game means the big blind is $2, and the small blind is $1.

The player immediately to the right of the small blind is known as the “button” because they have the dealer button. Having the button is advantageous in all popular poker games because you get to act last pre-flop. You can learn more about this in our poker strategy guide.

Once the blinds have been posted, each player receives two hole cards. For context, hole cards are cards only the holder can see. Once every player has their hole cards, the action starts with the player immediately to the left of the big blind. This position is known as “Under the Gun”.

A betting round follows, and if at least two players remain active, a flop of three community cards is dealt. All players may use any or all of the community cards.

Another betting round takes place on the flop, and if at least two players remain active, a fourth community card is dealt. That card is called the turn. Finally, if two players get through another betting round, a fifth card called the “river” is dealt.

One last betting round occurs, and if two or more players have called the last biggest bet, a showdown takes place. In the event of a showdown, the best five-card poker hand wins.

Omaha Hi

Omaha Hi, commonly referred to as Omaha, is almost identical to Texas Hold’em. It’s a community card game where betting takes place pre-flop and, subsequently, on the flop, turn, and river.

The fundamental difference between Omaha and Hold’em is that players receive four hole cards. Importantly, a player must use two of their hole cards.

Omaha Hi-Lo/Omaha 8

Omaha Hi-Lo is a split-pot game. Like other variants of poker with split-pot rules, there can be two winners: the person with the best high-value hand and the person with the best low-value hand.

It’s also possible for players to scoop both parts of the pot. A high-value hand follows the same rankings as common poker games such as Hold’em, i.e. a high card is the worst hand, and a royal flush is the best.

A low-value hand is defined by the same rankings as you’ll find in other lowball poker variants. That means a hand’s value is defined by its highest card. The best possible lowball hand is A-2-3-4-5 (aces are low).

Straights and flushes don’t count when you’re ranking low hands, but pairs do. Apart from the split-pot rule, Omaha Hi-Lo games play out in the same way as Omaha Hi games.

7-Card Stud/5-Card Stud

No poker games list would be complete without Stud. Typically played with seven cards but also available in five-card variants, this game doesn’t involve community cards. Instead, everyone receives their own card from which they have to make a ranked five-card hand.

To help you determine what other hands people might have, the rules of Stud dictate that some cards are dealt face up and some face down. So, in 7-Card Stud, three cards are dealt face down, and four are dealt face up.

In 5-Card Stud, meanwhile, you receive one face-down card to begin with, followed by three up-cards, and a final down-card.

Razz

Razz is a lowball variant of Stud. Based on what we’ve described already, Razz is a combination of Omaha Hi-Lo and 7-Card Stud. That means you receive seven cards, and the aim is to make the best low hand (i.e., a hand that is defined by its highest-value card).

5-Card Draw

Draw poker is one where you’re the only person who gets to see your hole cards unless there’s a showdown. A round starts with players putting in an ante. After that, everyone gets five cards dealt face down.

You then assess the value of your cards and decide whether you want to play or fold. If you play, you’ll have the opportunity to hold or exchange as many cards as you like.

Finally, if two or more players are active after the draw, a showdown takes place, and the ranked poker hand wins. Most casino poker variations, including Ultimate Texas Hold’em and Caribbean Stud, use the 5-card draw format.

H.O.R.S.E

H.O.R.S.E is a mixed game made up of five different types of poker: Hold’em, Omaha Hi-Lo, Razz, 7-Card Stud, and 7-Card Stud Eight or Better. It’s known as a mixed game because the variant changes after each orbit of the button. Many pros consider H.O.R.S.E the ultimate test of skill because you have to be proficient in the most popular poker games.

2-7 Triple Draw

2-7 Triple Draw is a 5-card game that’s similar to the lowball poker variants we’ve already described. That means the lowest-value hand wins, and, as before, the value of a hand is determined by its highest card.

However, while the overarching premise of 2-7 Triple Draw is the same as Razz and the low portion of Omaha Hi-Lo, there are some differences. Specifically, straights and flushes count against your hand. They don’t in Razz, for example. Additionally, aces are high cards. This means the best 2-7 Triple Draw hand is 2-3-4-5-7.

Short Deck Hold’em

Short Deck Hold’em, or 6+ Hold’em, is a version of Texas Hold’em where all cards lower than a 6 are removed from the deck. The action plays out the same as Hold’em, and you’ll only notice a difference when hands go to a showdown.

The hand rankings for Short Deck Hold’em invert the value of full houses and flushes, i.e. flushes are ranked higher than full houses. That’s because flushes are harder to make.

Chinese Poker

Of all the different types of poker you can play, Chinese is something of an outlier. That’s because it’s more of a side game that people play while they’re on a tournament break.

Up to four players can play Chinese Poker because everyone gets 13 cards. The aim is to arrange those 13 cards into three hands. Two hands contain five cards, and the last has three cards.

Hands must be arranged from strongest to weakest. Players get a point for each hand they win and, in general, points have a cash value. The player with the most points at the end of a game makes a profit.

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Poker Betting Limits

We know that poker can be played in a variety of formats, including cash games and tournaments. We also know there are various types of poker, each of which has different ways of dealing cards and ranking hands.

The final system that governs how you play poker is the betting structure. The following structures dictate the ways you’re allowed to bet and raise in all types of poker games.

No Limit

No Limit betting, as the name suggests, has no limits on the amounts you can bet or raise. The only limits to the amount of money you can put into the pot are the minimum bet and your stack.

For example, if the blinds are $1/$2, you can’t bet anything less than the value of the big bling, i.e. $2 in this case. Similarly, if the pot is $50 and your stack is $100, you can bet anything up to $100. The most common poker games you’ll find online are No Limit Hold’em.

Limit

Limit is a betting structure that restricts the amount you can bet/raise based on the blinds. In general, you can bet or raise an amount equal to the value of the small blind during the initial betting round.

After that, you can bet or raise amounts equal to the big blind. For example, if the blinds are $1/$2 and you’re playing Limit Hold’em, bets/raises on the flop would be $2. There is often a four-bet cap in Limit games. That means no more raises are allowed after a bet followed by three raises.

Pot Limit

Pot Limit betting sits in between Limit and No Limit. The amount you can bet or raise is limited to the value of the pot. For example, if there’s $10 in the pot, you can bet anything between the minimum (i.e. the value of the big blind) and $10. Of all the different kinds of poker you can play using this betting system, Omaha is the most popular.

Online Poker vs Live Poker

You can play all types of poker online and in live cardrooms around the US. However, if you want to focus on one or the other, here are some things to consider:

More Information on Playing Poker

• Top offshore poker sites
• How to play poker
• Learn poker strategy
• How to win at poker
• Important poker terms

Play Free Online Poker

We’ve given you a basic overview of the best poker games, how they work, and the rules that govern how bets are made. The only way to know which types of poker you prefer is to try them all.

The best way to do that is to join our recommended poker sites and use their demo games. Playing for free allows you to get a feel for different kinds of poker. Then, once you’ve found a few variants you enjoy, make a deposit. You can claim a welcome bonus with a matched deposit, freeroll tokens, or cashback. You’re on the road to playing real money games for cash prizes.

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FAQs

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If you’re someone who enjoys math, logic, psychology, and strategy, you should learn how to play poker. Mastering the basic rules of poker not only unlocks a world of entertainment, it allows you to win cash prizes. We’re not saying you should always play poker online for money. You can play for free online at many poker sites.

Guide to Basic Rules of Poker

There are many routes to success in poker. Some players are guided by numbers, others use psychology to their advantage. There’s a place for everyone at the table and, if you’re good enough, the rewards are tangible. Every year, someone wins close to $10 million in the WSOP Main Event. Entry costs $10,000, but you can qualify online for less than $1.

However, before you play for the biggest prize in poker, you need to know the basics. We’re going to show you how to play poker from the ground up. Stick with us for the next few minutes and we’ll give you everything you need to not only enjoy poker but develop a poker strategy that could take you to WSOP glory.

There are different types of poker, but all of them have the same underlying principles. We’re going to explain basic poker rules using the most popular variant, Texas Hold’em. You can play this at all the best online poker sites or your nearest casino. Here’s a quick guide on how to play Texas Hold’em poker.

Buying In

Any game of live or online poker you play will carry a buy-in. We’ll explain the differences between cash games and tournaments later in this guide. For now, just know that you need a certain amount of money to sit down at a Texas Hold’em poker table.

The Deal

A round of Texas Hold’em starts once the blinds have been posted. There’s a big blind and a small blind e.g. $1/$2 is a $1 small blind and a $2 big blind. Blinds are mandatory bets that move clockwise around the table, so everyone has to post them at some point. Once the blinds have been posted, everyone gets two hole cards that only they can see.

Pre-Flop Betting

A round of betting starts once everyone has their cards. Traditional poker rules dictate that there are three betting systems:

•         Limit – the amount you can bet/raise is limited to the size of the blinds
•         Pot Limit – the amount you can bet/raise is limited to the size of the pot
•         No Limit – there are no limits on the amount you can bet/raise

All systems can be used for Texas Hold’em. However, in general, No Limit games are most popular at our recommended poker sites.

Betting starts to the left of the big blind. The players to the left can call (put in chips equal to the size of the big blind), raise, or fold. Play moves clockwise until everyone has either folded or matched the last biggest bet.

Flop Betting

The flop follows the initial betting round. Three cards are dealt in the middle of the table. They’re known as community cards because everyone can use them in conjunction with their cards to make a hand.

The action starts with the player immediately to the left of the dealer (the “button”) and proceeds clockwise until the last biggest bet has been called. If one of the poker players bets or raises and no one matches it (i.e. everyone else folds), they win the hand by default.

Turn Betting

The turn is a fourth community card. This card is dealt if two or more players progress from the flop. The same poker rules we described in the previous section apply here i.e. betting continues until the last biggest bet has been matched or only one player remains.

River Betting

The river is a fifth community card. This card is dealt if two or more players progress from the turn. The same poker rules we described in the previous section apply here i.e. betting continues until the last biggest bet has been matched or only one player remains.

Showdown

A showdown takes place if two or more players make it to the river and everyone matches the last biggest bet. At this point, everyone reveals their cards.

These cards can be combined with the community cards to make a five-card hand. The best hand wins the pot according to poker hand rankings. If two or more remaining players have hands of equal rank, the pot is split evenly.

Poker Basics: Best Starting Hands

Now that you’ve had a basic overview of how to play poker for beginners, it’s time to talk about strategy. We’ve explained that showdowns are decided by the rankings of poker hands. The rankings you’ll use when you play poker online or live are as follows:

Those are the official poker hand rankings. Based on this information, you can see that it’s best to play hands when you’re dealt high cards and/or connected cards (i.e. close in value or the same suit). Some of the best starting hands in Texas Hold’em are:

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How Online Poker Works

We’ve given you an overview of how to play poker, now it’s time to put your newfound knowledge into practice. The steps below combine everything we’ve said so far and walk you through the process of playing poker online and winning real money.

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Pros & Cons of Online Poker

Why should you play online poker instead of sitting down in a live game? In reality, you can do both. However, if you can only choose one, here are some things to consider:

Popular Poker Games

How do you play poker in different ways? The beauty of poker is that it can be played in a variety of formats. Basic poker rules apply in all situations. However, depending on whether or not you prefer games with an end goal, you can choose the following formats:

Tournaments

Poker tournaments have a fixed buy-in, which means you pay a certain amount to enter. This entitles you to a stack of chips. The chips don’t have any value outside of the tournament.

However, the aim is to win chips from your opponents while trying not to lose yours. Making it “into the money” means you’ve outlasted enough players to win a cash prize. Tournaments end when one player has all the chips.

Cash Games

Cash games don’t have a start or end point. They run as long as people are at the table. Each table has set betting limits determined by the “blinds.”

For example, a $1/$2 game means the blinds are $1 (the small blind) and $2 (the big blind). These are forced bets that players have to pay to receive cards. The size of the blinds dictates what the minimum and maximum buy-in for a game is.

In our example, the minimum buy-in would be $40 (20x the big blind) and the maximum would be $200 (100x the big blind).

Sit & Gos

Sit & Gos (SNGs) are mini-tournaments. They carry a fixed buy-in and the number of entries is capped. The cap on entries means that games start as soon as a table is full. In general, SNGs are capped at two, six, or nine players. However, larger poker sites may run SNGs with up to 100 players.

Freerolls

Freerolls are online poker tournaments that don’t cost anything to enter. You can gain entry by either registering before the start time or using tickets you’ve earned through promotions. The nice thing about freerolls is that the top finishers win cash prizes.

Satellites

Satellites are also known as qualifiers because they allow you to qualify for a bigger event. For example, let’s say an offshore poker site has a $200 weekly tournament. That might be too much for your budget, but you spot a $1 satellite where the winner gets a $200 ticket. You play and win the ticket. This means you can enter the $200 having only spent $1.

Amateur player Chris Moneymaker famously qualified for and, subsequently won, the 2003 WSOP Main Event for $1.5 million after qualifying via a $39 online poker satellite. He’s the reason thousands of people learned how to play poker. If Moneymaker can do it, there’s no reason you can’t.

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Other Popular Poker Variants

Texas Hold’em isn’t the only variant in town. The poker rules we’ve outlined in this guide can help you play any variant, including these popular games:

Omaha Hi

This poker variant is similar to Hold’em. However, instead of two cards, each player receives four. Everyone must use two in conjunction with three of the five community cards. It’s good to know how to play Omaha poker if you want to enjoy some of the hottest cash games.

Omaha Hi-Lo (Omaha 8)

Omaha Hi-Lo is a split-pot game, which means players can win half the pot with the best low hand, half the pot with a high hand, or scoop the whole pot by having the best low and high hands.

Stud

Stud can be played with five or seven cards. No community cards are dealt in this game. Instead, players receive their cards, some of which are dealt face-up and some of which are dealt face-down.

Razz

Razz is a lowball version of 7-Card Stud. This means that hands with the lowest five cards win, instead of hands with five high-ranking cards.

Top 5 Poker Tips

You’ve now got all the relevant information on how to play poker. However, the basic rules of poker are only a foundation. Your journey to becoming a skilled player capable of winning $10 million prizes has only just begun. Below are five online poker tips to get you started.

Tight is Right

It’s a cliched saying in poker, but playing tight pre-flop is the right thing to do as a novice. Waiting for good starting cards gives you the best chance of making a strong hand you can win a showdown with.

Size Your Bets Accordingly

Betting random amounts is a bad idea. A standard pre-flop opening bet should be around 2.5x the size of the big blind. Raises should be approximately 2.5x to 3x the size of the previous bet.

Tell a Convincing Story

Poker is all about telling stories that make sense. If you’re going bluff, make sure you play the hand as if you’ve got something strong. This means betting aggressively from the start. Any inconsistencies in your story will give opponents a reason to make the right moves against you.

Watch Everything Your Opponents Do

Take note of when opponents bet, how often they play hands, whether they’re aggressive or passive, the time it takes to make decisions, and the hands they’ve shown. All of this information will help you get a better idea of the hands people play.

Have Fun and Play Responsibly

Poker is fun, whatever and wherever you play. Enjoy the process, even if the results don’t go your way. Learn as much as you can and never spend more than you can afford to lose.

Play Free Poker Online

How do you play poker for free online? Simple: join our recommended poker sites. Our top picks are safe, packed with great features, and, most importantly, they have free games. You can utilize bankroll management to play a variety of games without going bust. Our recommendations also offer freeroll tournaments with cash prizes.

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The post How to Play Poker – Poker Rules & Beginners Guide appeared first on ReadWrite.

Poker is as challenging as it is entertaining, and if you can master a few important skills, there’s money to be made. However, if you jump into a game without an understanding of basic poker strategy, you’re putting your bankroll at risk.

We don’t want you to do that, which is why we’ve written down our 10 best poker tips. Starting with the fundamentals and working up to some intermediate concepts, we’ve given you the perfect base on which to build a winning poker strategy.

Whether you’re aiming for $10 million WSOP payouts or you just want to clean up at your next home game, here are 10 of the best poker strategies to master.

(Source: Chris Liverani/Unsplash)

Basic Poker Strategies: Getting Started

Everyone needs to start at the bottom if they want to know how to win at poker. That’s why we’re kicking off this guide with five important poker tips for beginners. The following concepts will give you a solid foundation on which to build a solid long-term strategy.

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Tip #1: Choose Your Starting Hands Wisely

(Source: Michael Parzuchowski / Unsplash)

You can’t learn how to be good at poker without knowing which cards to play and which ones to fold. It might sound basic, but every successful poker strategy starts with the cards you’re dealt and one decision: play or fold.

The first thing to say is that there are no right or wrong hands to play; there are only options. However, because we’re focusing on poker strategies for beginners, it makes sense to create a solid foundation.

So, for this discussion, we’re going to list hands that you should consider playing from three positions: early, middle, and late. As with everything in this poker strategy guide, we’ll be using Hold’em as our base, but the following concepts can be applied to any variant.

Each poker strategy chart we’ve created should be taken as a guide. For example, you might have 10-10 in late position. Normally, you’d play this hand. However, if there’s been a lot of action before it’s your turn to act, it might be best to fold.

Therefore, just because the chart says play, it doesn’t mean you should. Always consider the context. Additionally, each poker strategy chart shows a range of hands. If it says, “connected cards from 5-6 to 9-10,” that means all the connected cards between those two points.

#1: Early Position

Full-Ring Game (9 players)

Six-Max Game (6 players)

#2: Middle Position

Full-Ring Game (9 players)

Six-Max Game (6 players)

#3: Late Position

Full-Ring Game (9 players)

Six-Max Game (6 players)

Tip #2 – Players and Position Matter

All poker strategy is based on two fundamental concepts: players and position. The starting hand charts we’ve outlined above contain an increasing number of hands the later your position is. Why? Because acting late gives you more information.

You can get a better sense of what people have if they’ve already made a move. The first player to act doesn’t have any information, which is why it’s best to play tight and only open with a few hands.

In addition to position, make sure you know the players you’re up against. Opening with 4-4 in late position in a six-max game filled with passive players is fine.

Their passive tendencies mean they’ll play fewer hands, which, in turn, gives you more scope to take the lead with a wider range. If, however, the table is full of aggressive players, you might be better off folding 4-4, even though you’re in late position.

Tip #3 – Play Fewer Hands and Play Them Aggressively

Aggression is a skill you need to master in poker. In fact, aggression was one of the most important Texas Hold’em tips Doyle Brunson gave to the world in his book Super System. The key point to remember here is that you need to combine aggression with timing. This means sticking to a fairly narrow range of hands.

But, when you do decide to play a hand, try to be the aggressor as much as possible. One of the best ways to win at poker is to put opponents on the back foot so they make mistakes. You do that by playing tight (i.e., a few hands) and aggressively (i.e., betting and raising).

Tip #4 – Learn Pot Odds

You can’t learn how to win in poker if you don’t understand pot odds. Why? Every bet, raise, and call you make needs to be considered in relation to the money you can win, i.e., the chips in the pot. Poker strategy books define pot odds in the following way:

The ratio between the amount of money you need to call vs. the amount of money in the pot.

The 16% figure tells us that you need to win more than 16% of the time to make a profit in this situation. At this point, look at your hand and estimate how likely it is to win against the range of hands your opponent could have. If it’s likely to win more often than the pot odds, call. If not, fold.

Tip #5: Don’t Go on Tilt

One of the simplest but hardest-to-implement poker tips we can give you is to not tilt. Going on tilt means you’ve lost control of your emotions. This causes you to make rash decisions and potentially blow your bankroll. You don’t want this to happen, so the trick is to remain calm as much as possible.

Remember that poker is meant to be fun. If you get a bad beat, shake it off and carry on. Every move you make in poker should be focused on its long-term potential. Go all-in with pocket aces against 7-2, and you’ll win way more often than you lose. Remember this fact, and short-term fluctuations won’t affect you as much.

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Intermediate Poker Strategy Tips

Our basic poker strategy tips are enough to get you started. You could stop reading now, and the poker help we’ve given you so far would serve you well in micro-stakes games. However, if you’re anything like us, you’re probably aiming a bit higher than $0.01/$0.02 games.

If that’s the case, we’re going to build on our poker tips for beginners with five intermediate concepts. They’re not super advanced poker tips, so don’t worry. We’ve got other poker strategy articles covering pro-level tips. The following poker hints will be enough to take you from micro-stakes to low and mid-stakes games.

Tip #6. Everything Matters

A lot of basic poker strategies focus on fundamental concepts such as position and bet sizing. All of these poker tips are useful, but newbies tend to view them in isolation. In other words, they look at one Texas Hold’em strategy concept as distinct from another. The reality is that everything is interconnected.

You can’t think about position without taking into account player types. You can’t think about bet sizing without pot odds and implied odds. That’s why everything matters.

Of course, we’re not saying you need to know all of the best poker strategies right now. We’re simply saying that you need to merge individual tips to develop an overall strategy. This is how the pros think and how you need to think if you want to move beyond basic poker strategy.

Tip #7. Learn the Math

“Math is idiotic” used to be a meme, and a lot of old-school pros will give you poker tips that don’t have a mathematical foundation.

Playing with “feel” is fine, but the reality is that poker is a game of numbers, and you need to know them if you want to win. Some of the mathematical concepts you need to know are:

•         Pot odds (see previous section)
•         Implied odds
•         Probabilities
•         Expected Value
•         Equity
•         Fold Equity

The best poker strategy books to learn about these topics are:

•       The Theory of Poker
•       The Mathematics of Poker
•       Essential Poker Math

Tip #8. Tell Convincing Stories

You’ll hear professional players talk about “lines” when they’re discussing hands and how to get better at poker. A line refers to the way a hand plays out and includes everything from the amount someone bet and their position to the time it took for them to make a decision.

Lines are, essentially, stories. The art of being a good poker player is learning to tell a convincing story. This poker strategy concept is most important when you’re bluffing. Skilled opponents can spot inconsistencies in your story from 100 paces.

Therefore, if you’re going to run a bluff, make sure you’ve told a coherent story. This means playing as though you’ve got a strong hand from the start. Don’t suddenly decide halfway through a hand that you’re going to bluff because the story won’t be believable. Identify a potentially profitable situation to bluff, then tell a convincing story.

Tip #9. Learn How to Be Good at Poker from All Angles

We’ve focused on Texas Hold’em tips in this guide, but the majority of things we’ve said can be applied to any variant. Indeed, poker strategy concepts such as pot odds, hand selection, position, and coherent lines apply to Omaha, Stud, Draw, and Mixed Games.

Therefore, you can take our poker beginner tips, combine them with our intermediate ideas, and test them in different variants. This will give you a better overall understanding of poker and how all of the best poker strategies are malleable.

There’s never a one-move-fits-all solution for every situation. You’ll learn this when you play games other than Hold’em.

Tip #10. Go GTO

Game Theory Optimal is a way of playing poker that bases each move on the mathematics of the situation. It’s, essentially, a statistically and logically unexploitable way to play. You’ll need to understand the fundamentals of GTO before you use this poker strategy. We suggest reading Modern Poker Theory as a starting point and for an overall grounding.

Once you’ve done that, start playing around with a GTO calculator to find the optimal moves for common scenarios in poker. You can keep it running alongside your poker app or desktop software as you play cash games.

Read More on Playing Poker to Win

Enhance your poker strategy with more of our premium guides:

•       Discover the best online poker sites
•       Read up on the top poker terminology
•       Unearth top offshore poker sites

Final Thoughts

We’ve given you the best poker strategies for beginners. We’ve sprinkled in some more advanced poker tips. We’ve even told you where to practice your newfound skills.

Something we haven’t addressed is cost. We can give you advice on how to win at poker, but it doesn’t mean you will. Nothing is guaranteed in this game, which is why it’s a good idea to play free poker games.

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We’ve got the scoop on how to win poker tournaments and cash games. Whether you’re heading to a local casino, hunting for poker bonuses, or want to play for free online, our tips have you covered.

How to Win at Poker: Getting Started

It’s important to know how to play poker before you fill your head with strategy concepts like bet sizing. Many beginners seem to miss this step before they go off hunting a full house or catching community cards. They get blinded by the potentially profitable moves they can make and forget about the fundamentals.

So, even before you learn basic poker strategy, ensure you know how to play poker. Our guides show you how. Once you’ve got a foundation to build on, these are the proverbial bricks you need to build a system of ways to win in poker.

Picking the Right Games

Always aim to be one of the best players at the table. Learning how to play Texas Hold’em poker online is great because there are dozens of different games to choose from (see image below). Being a good poker player is about knowing what stakes to look for, and who to play against.

Moreover, the lobby tells you how passive/aggressive players are. Look for tables where players are playing a lot of hands (high VPIP % or high Flop %) but not raising very much (low PFR %).

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Look for the Fish

Learning how to win at online poker is about making use of all the information. If you were learning how to play poker before internet sites were a thing, the only way to find weak players (aka fish) was to sit and watch games for long periods.

Of course, there are times when spotting fish in live games is easy. However, for the most part, it takes time. You may know what a big blind is, and that a straight flush beats a full house. But do you know how to exploit weak hands and take advantage of poor players?

It takes just a few seconds to find a weak poker player online. Firstly, you can use online poker sites that attract players with below-average skills.

Offshore poker sites with casinos or sportsbooks attached usually fall into this category. Gamblers from those verticals often cross over to poker, and because they’re not particularly skilled, they’re easy targets.

Use Tracking Software

You can also use tracking software and table stats. Look at the statistics relating to the number of poker hands people play. Then, compare this to how many times they bet or raise during a card game.

If players are playing lots of hands but not raising much, they’re probably a fish. Learning how to win at Texas Hold’em poker is as much about finding the right players as making the right moves. You’ll have a much better chance of winning if you can find players who are weaker than you, so always look at the stats.

Bet Sizing

There are plenty of mathematical strategy poker books that break down the intricate details of how to bet correctly based on what you’re trying to achieve.

For example, if you know someone calls a lot on the river, it’s mathematically more profitable to bet the size of the pot – or over the pot – than anything smaller.

That’s because, in the long run, you stand to make more overall, even though big bets can scare people. This is a beginner’s guide on how to win in poker, so we don’t need to get too far into the weeds when it comes to nuanced bet sizing. The main thing to remember is that your bet and raises sizing matters when you’re playing Pot Limit and No Limit games.

That’s why one of our top Texas Hold’em tips is to size your bets based on the amount of money in the pot and the outcome you want to achieve.

For example, the standard pre-flop bet is 2.3x to 3x the big blind. The standard pre-flop raise/3-bet is approximately 3x the previous bet. There are exceptions to these rules, but sticking to these pre-flop rules should keep you on the right path.

Pots and Stacks

Beyond these basic poker tips, the amount you bet post-flop needs to be based on whether you want an opponent to call, raise, or fold. Once you’ve got your intention set, take these two variables into account:

Bet an amount that aligns with the size of the pot

For example, if there’s $100 in the pot and you bet $25, your opponent has to call $25 to play for a $125 pot. That means your opponent has pot odds of 5/1. Think about how attractive these odds are for your opponent. If you want them to call, make the odds attractive. If you want them to fold, make the pot odds unattractive.

Bet an amount based on your stack size and an opponent’s stack

A bet that equates to a significant percentage of your stack suggests you’re confident. Why? Because you’re committed to going all-in. The same is true if the bet represents a significant percentage of your opponent’s stack.

Table Image

One thing almost all novices miss when they’re learning how to play poker is that people watch every move you make. You should also be watching people, but don’t forget that you’ll also be under scrutiny. Consider how you’re being perceived and think about your table image while you watch players betting.

For example, you might get five good hands in a row and play them all aggressively. No one else at the table will know that you had five strong hands if you don’t go to a showdown. Therefore, they’ll probably assume you’re a loose-aggressive player.

The reality is different, but it doesn’t matter. Your table image is based on people’s perceptions. If they think you’re a loose player, they’re likely to play back at you and vice versa. This means you need to think about how your actions affect what people think about you and adjust accordingly.

Reading Tells

Everyone has tells. In poker, tells are behavioral patterns that give away something about their hand. One of the best ways to win in poker is spotting tells and, in turn, working to reduce the number of tells you give off. Spotting tells in other people allows you to better understand the poker hands they’re playing.

It’s important to note that live poker tells differ from online tells. That’s pretty obvious because you can’t see people online. However, it’s worth making the point because the setting changes what you need to focus on.

For instance, In live games, physical gestures might be more important than betting patterns. When you’re playing online, all you’ve got to go on are betting patterns.

In the interests of showing you how to win in poker, regardless of the setting, here are some of the most common online and live tells. Before you digest the following lists, remember that all poker tells are individual. A move that signals weakness from one player could represent strength in another.

Manage Your Bankroll

Bankroll management is as important as knowing how poker hands rank. We can show you how to win a poker online and give you dozens of Texas Hold’em tips, but it all counts for nothing if you are broke. To put it another way, you’ll never be able to implement a basic poker strategy without a bankroll.

You can check out our bankroll management guide for a complete overview of managing your money correctly. What we’ll say here is that the stakes you play for must represent a small percentage of your bankroll. Ideally, you’ll never have more than 2% of your bankroll at risk in a cash game or tournament.

Play in Big Live Poker Events

Experience counts for a lot when you’re learning how to win in poker. Our tip is to get out and play live games in your local casino. It’s also worth playing satellites.

Winning a satellite can get you into mid-stakes tournaments with generous prizepools, such as those on the RunGood Tour, for a small cost. These events typically attract a lot of recreational players, so they’re great places to test out your new moves.

(Source: Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review Journal)

Utilizing Poker Bonuses

Of all the ways to win in poker, bonuses are the only things that guarantee a return on your investment. Playing the right poker hands, mastering the art of bluffing, and value betting are all skills you need to master, but there is no guarantee you’ll win pots. Poker promotions, such as deposit bonuses, rakeback, and loyalty rewards, offer guaranteed returns.

So, even if you struggle to implement a basic poker strategy, claim as many bonuses as possible. Doing this will, at worst, offset some of your losses. Bonuses can also give you a financial buffer to fall back on when you’re first learning how to play poker.

Advanced Strategy on How to Win Poker

This is a beginner’s guide on how to win in poker. We’ve given you poker tips that can put you on the road to success, but there are many steps to the top. The next moves you need to take are listed in our more detailed poker strategy guide.

One of the main concepts discussed in that article is Game Theory Optimal (GTO) play. This approach looks at ways to win in poker based on mathematics.

Specifically, GTO aims to make the mathematically optimal play in every scenario based on bet sizing, pot size, a player’s range, and table dynamics. Essentially, GTO poker strategy removes psychology from the situation and aims to play in an unexploitable way using mathematics.

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More Information on Playing Poker

Below are more useful resources on how to play poker like a pro:

• Try the best online poker sites
• Learn how to play poker
• Discover the types of poker
• See what top offshore poker sites offer
• Learn poker terminology 

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Going from this introductory guide on how to win at online poker straight into a high-stakes cash game is a terrible idea. We’ve given you our best poker tips, but you’re still a novice at this stage.

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The basics are easy to learn, but the game is tricky to master. Luckily you can depend on us to show you the ropes and point you to reputable online casino operators. We’ll go over the rules of blackjack variants and talk about different side bets.

How to Play Blackjack Online

If you know how to play blackjack at a casino, then you’ll know how the online version works. Virtual tables have their minimum and maximum bet ranges, and blackjack payout will vary based on the version of the game.

You don’t have to spend any money to learn how to play blackjack online. Casino sites allow you to practice in demo mode as much as you like. Therefore, you can play for free and hone your skills until you are comfortable enough to gamble with real money.

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Understanding the Basic Blackjack Rules

In the US, blackjack is available in almost all brick-and-mortar and online casinos, offering providers like NetEnt. According to the rules of blackjack, the goal is to get a hand score (combined value of the cards you hold) that is as close to 21 as possible without going over it.

Each card from 2 to 10 has a value equal to its number. Jack, Queen, and King all have a value of 10, while aces can be counted as either 1 or 11.

You are competing against the dealer, so whoever has a better score wins. Going over 21 is a “bust” or an automatic loss, while hitting exactly 21 is an automatic win.

Step 1: Joining a Blackjack Table

Online casinos host multiple variations of the game, each with slightly different blackjack rules and betting limits. They are either in the “Table Games,” “Live Dealer,” or a category called “Blackjack Games.”

Pick the one you like, click on the chips to place a bet, and then press deal to start the round. At the start, you’ll get two cards face up, while the dealer gets one card face up and the other one face down.

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Step 2: Buying Chips and Placing Bets

If you know how to play blackjack in a casino, then you know that you can buy chips from the dealer. However, when you have an online casino account, you need to use the Cashier option to add funds for gambling. It’s also possible to use a casino bonus to get additional funds that can be used for playing blackjack.

You don’t buy chips when playing online. The chips in your user interface only represent a fixed amount you wish to wager per hand. The bet size must be within the game’s minimum and maximum range (e.g., Min: $1 – Max: $5,000)

Step 3: Playing the Hand

Once you press the “Deal” button, you’ll be dealt 2 cards (face up), and a small number next to the cards will show the value of your hand. The dealer gets 1 face-up card and the other one face-down.

The following options then become available to the player:

• Hit – Get an additional card. The option is available as long as you are eligible to get cards. Going bust will automatically end the turn
• Stand – If you don’t want any more cards, you need to click on “Stand” to finish your turn
• Double – You double your bet size, get another card, and your turn immediately ends. In basic blackjack rules, you can only double on hard 9,10, and 11
• Split – If you were dealt 2 same number cards, the split button turns them into two hands that compete separately
• Surrender – Use this if you don’t like the starting hand to back out and receive half of your bet back

Step 4: Dealer Reveals Their Cards

When the player finishes their turn, the dealer begins his turn and reveals their face-down card. If the dealer’s hand score is 16 or lower, they must hit. If it’s 17 or above, they must stand or finish their turn. Some blackjack casino rules require dealers to hit on soft 17.

Step 5: Determining the Winner

If your hand score is higher than the dealer’s, you win. Otherwise, you lose, and the chips/money you wagered goes to the casino. Winning hands pay 1/1 – you receive the exact amount you wagered, and the original bet amount is credited back to your budget/account.

The payout is higher if your winning hand consists of an Ace and a card with a value of 10 (King, Queen, Jack, and 10). That’s called “Blackjack,” and it can pay 2/1, 3/2, or 5/3, depending on the game variant you picked.

Any hand that is a “Bust” is resolved before the dealer takes his turn, and it’s an automatic loss. If you and the dealer have an equal hand score, then you tie, and you get your original bet back. In some variant rules of blackjack, the tie is resolved differently.

More on Blackjack Betting Rules and Payouts

Players have optional actions that can ramp up their winnings, turn the bad situation around, or salvage a portion of their bet.

• Double – If the value of your starting hand is 9,10, or 11, it’s possible to double your initial bet. If you do this, you must get an additional card and stand afterward, provided you don’t go bust.
• Split – If your starting hand contains two cards with the same number, you have an option to split. This means you get two hands that compete in the round and take separate turns. Doing so requires you to double the original you had on that hand.
• Insurance – An option is only available if the dealer’s face-up card is 11 (Ace). This is the only side bet in basic blackjack rules, and it pays 2/1 if the dealer gets a natural blackjack at the start of his turn. The maximum insurance bet is equal to half of your original bet in the round.
• Surrender – You can surrender at the start of your turn instead of taking any other action. Doing so will refund half of your bet.

Once you get the hang of the simple blackjack rules, feel free to check out the 21+3 game version that includes a side bet. You decide whether to place this bet before the cards are dealt. To win your first 2 cards and the dealer’s face-up card must make one of the following combinations:

• Flush – 3 cards are of the same suit (Pays 5/1)

• Straight – 3 cards of consecutive numeric value, like 7,8,9 (Pays 10/1)

• 3 of a Kind – 3 cards of the same numeric value, like 7,7,7 (Pays 30/1)

• Straight Flush – 3 same-suit cards with a consecutive numeric value (Pays 40/1)

• Suited Tripple – 3 same-suit cards with the same value (Pays 100/1)

How to Place Blackjack Bets Online

When you start playing, the game will prompt you to place your bet. It will highlight the circle on the virtual table, and whenever you click or tap on the chip buttons, you will add/increase the bet amount.

Typically, your budget and table betting limits are shown in the lower-left corner of the screen, while chips (fixed bet values) are on the right. So, whenever you click on a chip to place a bet, the same amount displayed on the chip is automatically debited from your budget.

It’s possible to adjust your bet size in increments equal to the virtual table minimum. So, if the blackjack betting rules say the minimum is $1, the minimum chip value will be the same. Also, whenever the round is finished, the game will give you the option to use the same bet size in the following round.

You need to place a regular bet to unlock the side bet options (only in 21+3). When a side bet becomes available, the box/circle above your regular bet area will start to blink. Click on the chips once again, and press deal if you are ready.

Bets aren’t final until you click the “Deal” button. What’s more, you can play multiple hands and allocate a different number of chips for each one. In most online blackjack games, you can play up to 3 hands at once.

Online Blackjack Table Limits

It’s always wiser to choose a low-limit table if you don’t know how to play Blackjack yet. Usually, low-stakes games will have a minimum bet between $0.50 and $1, but it’s possible to find versions that go as low as $0.10. Maximum bets can go up to $5,000 or $10,000 in lower and regular stakes games.

In live dealer blackjack games, the maximum bets can be between $2,500 and $10,000; however, the minimum bet is usually $10 or higher.

It’s possible to find high-stakes or VIP blackjack tables even in online casinos. The minimum bet in these games is $100, while the maximum bet range is $50,000 to $100,000 or even higher.

Pros and Cons – Online Blackjack vs Live Blackjack

Although simple Blackjack rules in online and live casinos are identical, the gameplay experience is not. Playing online definitely has its perks, but you are missing out on some of the game’s charms.

More Guides on How to Play Blackjack at a Casino Online

Now that you know how to play Blackjack, here are a few tips for finding the right operator:

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• Top Live Dealer Online Casino

Different Types of Blackjack Games Online

The game has dozens of variations, luckily, blackjack betting rules are almost identical in each one. We’ll go over some of the popular variants and explain what makes them unique.

American Blackjack

In American Blackjack, the shoe will have between 6 and 8 decks. Players are allowed to double on any hand regardless of its value, even after splitting. Split is allowed up to 3 times. Late surrender is also possible if the dealer’s face-up card is worth 10 or 11, but only after he checks for blackjack.

European Blackjack

This version uses between 2 and 8 decks. Split is allowed only once per round, and doubling is only possible if the hand score is 9,10, or 11. In European blackjack betting rules doubling on a split hand isn’t allowed.  Also, you cannot Surrender if the dealer’s card is Ace.

Blackjack Switch

Here, you play 2 hands with identical bet sizes and are allowed to switch the second card between the 2 hands. However, the dealer doesn’t bust if his hand is 22. When this happens, it’s considered a draw unless the player has blackjack that didn’t result from a switch or split.

Double Exposure Blackjack

In Double Exposure blackjack rules, the dealer plays with both of his cards revealed. To compensate for this disadvantage, the blackjack pays 1/1, and there are no insurance and surrender options. More importantly, if you tie, the dealer wins.

Blackjack Perfect Pairs

A variation where players can place a side bet on their hand. The cards you are dealt must make 1 of 3 possible pairs – Mixed pair (pays 5/1), Color pair (pays 10/1) Perfect pair (pays 30/1). The side bet is resolved at the start of the player’s turn.

Spanish 21

There are a few deviations from standard blackjack casino rules. The 10-number cards are removed, and there are a few payout rules for when you hit 21. Surrender after double down is also available.

Pontoon

It’s almost identical to classic Blackjack, but the 10 cards are removed. In Pontoon getting an ace and a face card pays 2/1. A side bet option is also available where you win if the 2 initial cards are a pair. You can split multiple times unless you have a pair of aces, then, you can split only once.

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Learning how to bet on sports is becoming a necessary skill for most avid sports fans nowadays. When most sports fans turn on their television to watch their favorite teams, there’s a new industry vying for their attention. This sector has exploded since the PAPSA legislation was struck down in 2018, with 38 states having now legalized sports betting.

So, if you’re new to this market and want to know how to bet on sports, you’ve come to the right place! Here, we’ll explain how to bet on sports online, while casting our eyes over the available markets and most popular categories.

What is Sports Betting?

Betting on sports is primarily a fun and social pastime that can enhance any spectator or live viewing experience. Simply put, sports betting enables you to wager on a host of pre-game or in-play outcomes, depending on the discipline, teams, and players in question.

However, it was prohibited in the US at the federal level until May 2018, when the US Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PAPSA) of 1992. This allowed individual states to create fully regulated and taxed betting markets, with 38 jurisdictions following this course during the last five-and-a-half years.

Is Sports Betting Legal?

Betting on sports has certainly spread like wildfire in the US since May 2018, with the 38 states that have legalized the practice granting licenses to a finite number of applicants. You’ll encounter seemingly endless commercials and sports betting offers from licensed brands in these states, especially ahead of high-profile events such as the Super Bowl!

Even in the 12 states that haven’t formally legalized sports betting, few have passed legislation prohibiting offshore sites. These entities, which include highly reputable brands like BetOnline, are based offshore and licensed by regulators in jurisdictions like Panama and Curacao, making them safe, secure and viable in states like Georgia and Kentucky.

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Most Common Types of Sports Bets

Now that we’ve dealt with the legal complexities of sports betting in the US, it’s time to start exploring the fun side of wagering! Let’s start by looking at the most common and popular sports bets available, each of which strike their own unique balance between risk and reward.

Moneyline

This is the most straightforward way of betting on sports, as it simply requires you to pick the winner in a particular game. If you’re looking to start betting, moneyline wagers are the best sports bets for new bettors, thanks to their very basic premise. Forget point spreads and parlays, simply decide the winner of the game and collect your winnings.

Depending on your preferred sport, the draw may also be a consideration here, although this isn’t the case in basketball, hockey or tennis! The draw is also vanishingly rare in football. In fact, just 29 NFL games have ended in a tie since the introduction of overtime in 1974, so moneyline betting here tends to include just two realistic outcomes.

Conversely 30% of MLS matches were tied in 2023, which makes moneyline betting on soccer games a little more complex. However, you can negate this in some cases by placing a ‘Draw No Bet’ wager, which enables you to bet on a match winner and have your stake refunded if the contest ends in a tie.

Point Spread

The point spread may also be known as ‘handicap’ betting, effectively allowing you to back short-priced favorites to win at enhanced odds.

The points spread describes the expected final score difference between two competing teams. It can be expressed as both a negative (-) or positive number (+), but the former is most widely used to handicap a betting favorite and unlock better value odds. But, determining how many points a team will win by can be tricky business.

When engaging in points spread or over/under betting, you’ll notice that sportsbooks use ‘half points’ (such as 47.5). This ensures that every betting line or market has only two potential outcomes.

For example, while San Francisco is the narrow favorite to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LVIII, you could back the 49ers to win with a -2.5 points spread. This will lengthen the pre-game odds incrementally, while the 49ers will have to win by three or more points for the wager to be successful!

Prop Bet

Prop or ‘proposition’ bets are incredibly popular in sports gambling. This enables you to bet on the occurrence (or non-occurrence) of certain in-game events, most of which won’t be directly related to the final result.

The majority of prop bets revolve around team and player performances, while sports like basketball and American football are packed full of such wagers. In the NBA, for example, you can wager on the number of points, assists, rebounds, blocks, or steals completed by a particular player or the number of three-pointers made during a game.

In the NFL, wagering on passing, receiving, and rushing yards are all popular examples of prop betting. You can even combine two of these prop bets in the same wager, or as part of much broader same-game parlays.

Over/Under

Over/under betting is usually focused on the combined number of points or goals scored in a particular game. Also known as ‘totals’ betting, this requires sportsbooks to set specific totals as individual betting lines, and you’ll have to make a selection based on analysis of the competing teams or players.

Then, you’ll have to predict whether the actual points total in a game will be over or under your chosen threshold. Typically, this market is relatively evenly priced, while it’s a straightforward wager type with just two potential outcomes.

For example, let’s say that the most popular over/under betting line for the total number of points scored in the 2024 Super Bowl is 47.5. If you think the total points tally will be 47 or lower, you’ll bet under this threshold. However, if you predict a higher scoring match, you’ll wager on over at the relevant odds.

Futures

Futures may also be known as outright markets, while they’re focused on the eventual winners of a league, tournaments or knockout competition. For example, you can bet on the winners of each conference during the NFL regular season, in addition to the team that will prevail in the subsequent Super Bowl.

Typically, these markets are competitively priced, depending on the number of contenders in a particular field. You can also realize superior value by betting on favorites relatively early, as teams or players that receive significant backing will see their prices shorten noticeably over time.

Live Sports Betting

If you were to delve into sports betting 101, in-play wagering would be widely discussed. This is becoming increasingly popular in the US and similar markets, while it unlocks potentially thousands of wager types and micro bets on sports like football, basketball and baseball.

When you learn how to bet on sports, you’ll certainly have to understand the vagaries of live wagering. This enables you to bet on the action as it unfolds, for example, so it’s recommended that you watch the games that you wager on. This makes it easier to gauge momentum in matches and make informed selections.

Bankroll management is also key when betting in-play. After all, you can place multiple live bets in a short period of time, so it’s important to wager in a disciplined manner and regulate stake amounts as much as possible.

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How to Read Sports Betting Odds

When learning how to bet on sports, you’ll also need to understand how odds are presented and their function. Understanding odds is the difference between bettors who win money and those who lose money. Unsurprisingly, the American odds format is most popular in the US, with this using three-digit numbers complete with either a ‘minus’ or ‘plus’ sign. So, how do you read odds?

The minus sign indicates a betting favorite, while the accompanying number relays how much you’ll have to stake to win $100. Conversely, a plus sign is indicative of a betting underdog, while the associated number tells you how much you’ll win if you wager $100.

Using the aforementioned example of the Super Bowl clash between the 49ers and the Chiefs, if an online sportsbook is offering the Niners moneyline at -125, that means you’ll have to wager $125 to win $100. Conversely, the latter can be backed at around +100, so a stake of $100 will see you bank $100 in profit.

American odds can also be used to reveal the implied probability of a particular outcome occurring. In fact, there are two separate equations for favorites and underdogs, while they read as follows:

• For Favorites: odds/(odds + 100) x 100
• For Underdogs: 100/(odds + 100) x 100

If we use the odds referenced above, we can calculate that the 49ers have a 55.55% chance of lifting the Lombardi Trophy. However, the Chiefs’ odds imply a 50.00% probability of a Kansas win, and this knowledge can help you to set the optimal stake amount.

How to Place a Sports Bet

Now that you understand how American odds function and the primary wagering markets available, you’ll want to learn how to place a sports bet! Of course, this depends on how and where you wager, as some states offer retail sports betting which lets you stake money at brick-and-mortar casinos or racetracks.

When betting online, you’ll be able to access a range of US or offshore betting sites (depending on your state). Regardless, it’s important to ensure that your chosen site is reputable and licensed, while it should have verified credentials from a recognizable regulatory authority. Remember, offshore sportsbooks are safe, so long as they’re fully licensed and regulated!

You can then compare sites according to a number of different metrics, from the range of betting markets on offer to the quality of customer support or accepted payment methods. You can also check out our recommended online sportsbooks in more detail!

Sports Betting Payment and Deposit Methods

If you do learn how to bet on sports online, you’ll most likely have access to a broad range of secure and trusted payment methods.

These include both fiat and cryptocurrency options, including Visa debit, Mastercard and Bitcoin, while various ewallets are also accepted at offshore betting sites. Here’s a summary of the most common deposit and withdrawal options and their unique features!

Our Sports Betting Tips for Beginner Bettors

Learning how to bet on sports is highly recommended. However, you must also understand how to bet smart on sports, as this can translate into superior returns and minimized losses over time. So, here are some expert sports betting tips for beginners!

• Study the Form: This is fundamental when you learn how to bet on sports, regardless of your chosen discipline or league. In sports like football, it’s also wise to distinguish between home and away form, while analyzing relevant head-to-head results may also be informative.

• Factor in Home Advantage: Similarly, home-field advantage greatly affects how LasVegas calculates odds and the probability of outcomes. This varies from sport to sport, with 69.1% of MLS matches won by the home side and the NBA teams winning around 62.7% of their home games. So, be sure to factor this into your thinking!

• Follow Team and Injury News: Injuries and suspensions can also have a huge impact on team sports betting markets, especially moneylines and points spreads. So, be sure to follow the latest news about injured or suspended players, while understanding the impact of load management and rotation in sports like basketball.

Popular Sports to Bet On

When you learn how to bet on sports, you’ll also see that there are multiple disciplines that you can wager on. Some sportsbooks cover more than 30 different sports, although the following are most widely represented in the US market:

Football

Football is one of the most popular sports to bet on in the US. In fact, the iconic Super Bowl is arguably the single biggest wagering event. The 2023 iteration of the NFL’s biggest game saw around 50 million Americans place a bet, with wagers totaling an incredible $16 billion! With the NFL still dominating the airwaves even in the offseason, those numbers are surely bound to trend up in the future.

Baseball

Baseball is also incredibly popular, with Major League Baseball (MLB) games generating huge sports betting volumes every single season. This sport also unlocks a large number of betting markets and props, many of which are available both pre-game and in-play!

Basketball

In July 2023, it was revealed that basketball was the most popular sport among US bettors. In fact, 52.7% of respondents to a survey revealed that they preferred to wager on basketball and the NBA, which unlocks significant betting markets and in-game micro bets!

Hockey

The National Hockey League (NHL) features 32 franchises, 25 from the US and seven from Canada. It’s an incredibly popular and widely bet on competition, while the Stanley Cup (which features four playoff rounds after the regular season) generates particularly high sports betting volumes.

College Football

College football is hugely popular in the US. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) features three competitive divisions and thousands of young players. Bettors can wager on college games at all levels and across several different marketplaces. Many of these players go on to play in the NFL, too. Frankly, college football betting is scouting for NFL betting.

Soccer

Soccer is now a hugely popular sport in the US. This has been ramped up by the arrival of the legendary Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez at Inter Miami. Americans can also wager on a host of international soccer tournaments. These events include the FIFA World Cup and the UEFA Champions League.

College Basketball

The NCAA also oversees three college basketball divisions, both for the men’s and women’s games. The men’s competition features some incredibly well-supported and recognizable teams, including UConn, Purdue, North Carolina and Houston.

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Responsible Sports Gambling Resources

Learning how to bet on sports should be a fun and social pastime. If you find a time when you become concerned with your sports betting, it’s important to seek help. Don’t worry if this is the case. There are plenty of responsible gambling resources and charities to help you regain control of your activity.

We’d definitely recommend that you visit the National Council on Problem Gambling, which combines educational resources with practical help. You can also call ‘1-800-GAMBLER’ to speak to a counselor directly, while your state may also have specific agencies and charities that they work with.

The most important thing is that you remember to reach out for help. Sports betting should never be a source of stress or undue concern!

FAQs

The post How to Bet on Sports – A Beginner’s Guide to Online Sports Betting appeared first on ReadWrite.

Wondering how to play roulette? We have advice on playing roulette, including the basic rules, bet types, games, and other tips to get you started. Online roulette offers a low house edge too if you choose the right games and bets. Discover more with our guide.

Basic Rules of Roulette

Roulette is an easy game where the objective is to predict where the ball will rest on the roulette wheel after a spin. You make your prediction by placing chips on the roulette table. At online casinos, you drag and drop chips to the areas and numbers you wish to bet on.

Roulette games are available at all the best online casinos in the US. You will also be able to play some games at land-based casino sites. The best thing about online casino games is that you can play for free or real money. This gives you the chance to check out games like American Roulette, French Roulette, or European Roulette.

Now this is just a high-level overview of how to play roulette, and we understand that you need more information to feel comfortable playing. Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how roulette works.

Placing Bets

You have two options when it comes to bets in roulette: inside bets and outside bets. Inside bets are wagers on single numbers or small groups of numbers. The outside bets cover up to half the total numbers on the roulette table. First, you’ll need to place bets before spinning the roulette wheel.

Follow these steps to place your first bet.

1. Choose your bet size
2. Drag chips onto the table
3. Clear or amend your bets

Spin the Wheel

When you have selected and made your bets, you just need to spin the roulette wheel. Online roulette games will have a spin button that you can click to start. There are no time limits, either, compared to the roulette rules in live dealer games or the land-based casinos. In a brick-and-mortar casino, the dealer handles the action and gives everyone a short time limit to place their wagers.

Receive Payouts

The desired outcome in any casino game is that you will collect a payout. Online roulette payouts are processed automatically as soon as the wheel stops spinning. This is the virtual equivalent of the dealer passing you your winnings in chips in a land-based casino.

Clear / Redo / Double Bets

Online roulette has many features that make it easy to manage your bets. After a spin, you can either clear, redo, or double your bet. When you clear your bets, it means you are erasing any wagers made in the previous spin. You can also choose to redo the same bets and bet values. Furthermore, depending on your roulette bankroll management system, you can double your wager for the next round.

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Roulette Betting: Wagers & Payouts

One factor that makes roulette exciting is that there are multiple ways to play this game. Roulette comes with tons of betting options, though they are classified into two main categories; inside and outside bets. The type of bet you make depends on your desired payout and also the level of risk you are prepared to take on. Let’s consider how to bet in roulette in more detail.

Inside Bets

Inside bets are made on specific numbers located in the middle part of the betting table. These bets can be on one number or a connected group.

It is important to note that inside bets are some of the riskiest wagers you can make. However, they also carry the largest potential roulette payouts.

Examples of inside bets:

• Straight-Up – A bet on an individual winning number. Betting on a single number is easy: simply drag and drop your chips onto your favorite number on the roulette table.
• Split – The split bet picks two numbers. You must place your chips on the line between these two options to make the bet.
• Corner –  also known as the square bet. This is a bet that one of the numbers forming a square on the betting table will be the winner. You place your chips on the corner connecting these four numbers to make a wager.
• Street – The Street bet is another grouped number bet. However, this time, it’s a wager on three numbers at once. You make this bet by placing chips on the outside border of where the three numbers are located.
• Five Number – Also known as the “Monster”, this bet is only available in American Roulette because it requires a wager on 0, 00, 1, 2, and 3 at the same time. The double zero isn’t featured on a European Roulette wheel.
• Six Line – Place your chips on the outer line bordering the six numbers you are selecting.

The table below shows the inside bets you can make in casino roulette. We have also included payout figures and the house edge you can expect. European Roulette generally offers a better overall house edge at 2.7%. However, even American Roulette offers a better long-term return than some slots and table games.

Inside Bets & Payouts

Outside Bets

If you are looking for less risky wagers in casino roulette, try outside bets. These are wagers placed on whole sections of the betting table as opposed to individual numbers. Because they cover a greater portion, outside bets also have lower roulette payouts.

Examples of outside bets are:

• Column – A bet on a whole column of numbers. This bet is indicated by placing chips at the bottom of the column. The payout is 2/1 and the bet loses if the ball lands in either 0 or 00.
• Even/Odd – the roulette wheel has 18 odd and 18-even numbers. You make this bet by placing your chips on the table where it reads Odd, or Even.
• High/Low – A bet on the 1-18 or 19-36 sections on the roulette table. The presence of the 00 will increase the house’s edge when you are playing American Roulette.
• Red/Black – This is a simple roulette wager on the next number being red or black.
• Dozens – A bet on the roulette table one of three dozens (1-12, 13-24, 25-36).

Outside Bets & Payouts

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Pros & Cons of Roulette

Roulette offers a fun, easy gaming experience for new and experienced players alike. As with all casino roulette games, however, you must be aware of the drawbacks.

Types of Online Roulette Games

The best way to learn how to play roulette is to do it online. You can play for free and access the best roulette game versions you won’t find in your local casino.

American Roulette

One of the most popular versions of this game is American Roulette. The odds and payouts differ slightly from European Roulette because of the double zero pocket on the American Roulette wheel. There are more ways to win the Straight Up bet in American Roulette, but the house edge is higher at 5.26%.

European Roulette

European Roulette offers a better house edge than American Roulette at 2.7%. There is just one green pocket (the single zero), which improves the chances of your Red/Black or Odd/Even bet not being voided.

French Roulette

Most aspects of French Roulette are identical to European Roulette, with one or two exceptions. The main difference is the La Partage rule. If you are in French roulette, you get half of your losing wagers if the ball lands in the zero pocket. This lowers the house edge on even money bets to 1.35%.

Live Dealer Roulette

You can also play roulette against a human dealer at the best live casinos. In these games, you place bets online through your keyboard or smartphone. However, the table game is handled in real-time by a trained croupier.

Top 5 Roulette Tips

So far, we have answered, “How do you play roulette for free?” Now, let’s consider how to play roulette like a pro. These tips are valid whether you are playing American Roulette or any other variant.

Play Free Roulette Online

How do you play roulette? Casinos allow you to play roulette online for free. You can sign up for an account and enjoy American Roulette or European Roulette in demo mode. Online casinos offer both computerized RNG roulette games and live dealer tables where you can play with a real-life wheel.

Demo games have lots of benefits when you’re learning to play roulette. You can use free roulette table games as a sandbox to test new strategies. In addition, you can observe other players and learn how the game works sitting at free live dealer roulette tables.

In the demo mode, you are essentially playing with casino credits which you can’t withdraw. However, it’s a great way of understanding roulette strategy without breaking the bank.

In addition, you can sign up at our top-rated roulette casinos online and play with a few dollars. Test out European Roulette or go for the single zero in American Roulette. You can even claim bonuses to test the waters of real-money roulette for the first time.

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How to Play Roulette FAQs

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