Poker Gameplay
In every hand of poker, one player is nominated as the dealer. This applies even when you play at a casino, where in fact there is an actual dealer who administers the game. The player who is nominated as the dealer has a tag in front of him known as the "button".
At the start of the hand, the two players to the left of the dealer have to put a nominated amount of money (known as blinds) into the middle of the table. The money on the table is called the pot. The blinds are placed so that there is guaranteed to be some money in the pot to play for. The player immediately to the dealer's left places the "small blind" and the player to his left places the "big blind".
These values are designated at the start of the game, however they can increase during the game at various stages if the game is a tournament rather than a cash game. Most of the time, the big blind is twice the value of the small blind. The dealer button, and therefore the blinds, rotate clockwise round the table after each hand, so that everybody gets a turn at placing the blinds.
Each player is then dealt two cards, face down, that only they can look at. These are known as the "pocket" cards. Once these are dealt, a round of betting begins. A player can choose to "call", "raise" or "fold" and they make this decision based upon the cards they have been dealt, and how strong they believe them to be.
To participate in the hand, a player must at least "call" which is to put into the pot the value of the big blind. This ensures that everybody who is going to participate in the hand will have contributed the same amount to the pot. If a player feels they have a strong hand they can "raise" and add more than the value of the big blind. Doing this means that other players will have to contribute more money to stay in the hand.
The player who placed the big blind gets the option to "check" which is to stay in the hand without adding any more money, since they have already placed the value of the big blind. This option is not available if another player has already raised - if this is the case then the big blind player will have to add the difference to the pot in order to stay in the hand.
If a player does not wish to place the required amount of chips into the pot at any time that it would take to stay in the hand, they may fold. This involves giving up the cards they have been dealt, and also any money already contributed to the pot remains in the pot for other players to win.
At the start of the hand, the two players to the left of the dealer have to put a nominated amount of money (known as blinds) into the middle of the table. The money on the table is called the pot. The blinds are placed so that there is guaranteed to be some money in the pot to play for. The player immediately to the dealer's left places the "small blind" and the player to his left places the "big blind".
These values are designated at the start of the game, however they can increase during the game at various stages if the game is a tournament rather than a cash game. Most of the time, the big blind is twice the value of the small blind. The dealer button, and therefore the blinds, rotate clockwise round the table after each hand, so that everybody gets a turn at placing the blinds.
Each player is then dealt two cards, face down, that only they can look at. These are known as the "pocket" cards. Once these are dealt, a round of betting begins. A player can choose to "call", "raise" or "fold" and they make this decision based upon the cards they have been dealt, and how strong they believe them to be.
To participate in the hand, a player must at least "call" which is to put into the pot the value of the big blind. This ensures that everybody who is going to participate in the hand will have contributed the same amount to the pot. If a player feels they have a strong hand they can "raise" and add more than the value of the big blind. Doing this means that other players will have to contribute more money to stay in the hand.
The player who placed the big blind gets the option to "check" which is to stay in the hand without adding any more money, since they have already placed the value of the big blind. This option is not available if another player has already raised - if this is the case then the big blind player will have to add the difference to the pot in order to stay in the hand.
If a player does not wish to place the required amount of chips into the pot at any time that it would take to stay in the hand, they may fold. This involves giving up the cards they have been dealt, and also any money already contributed to the pot remains in the pot for other players to win.
