Poker
Poker is not a single game but a family of card games united by one core mechanic: competing to hold the strongest five-card hand. Dozens of distinct variants exist, grouped into three major categories. Draw poker (closed poker) — players receive private cards and may exchange unwanted ones to improve their hand; 5-Card Draw is the classic example. Community card poker (flop poker) — shared cards are dealt face-up in the centre and combined with private cards; Texas Hold'em is the world's most popular variant. Stud poker — some cards are dealt face-up throughout play, with no exchange; Seven-Card Stud was the dominant form before Hold'em's rise. Across all variants, the ten-rank hand hierarchy is universal: Royal Flush (highest) through High Card (lowest). Casino poker formats typically pit the player against the dealer — Caribbean Stud, Three Card Poker, Casino Hold'em — rather than against other players.
Rules & Gameplay
The ten universal hand rankings from strongest to weakest: Royal Flush (A-K-Q-J-10 of the same suit); Straight Flush (five consecutive same-suit cards); Four of a Kind (four cards of the same rank); Full House (three of a kind plus a pair); Flush (five cards of the same suit, non-consecutive); Straight (five consecutive cards, mixed suits); Three of a Kind (three cards of the same rank); Two Pair (two separate pairs); One Pair (two cards of the same rank); High Card (no combination — highest card plays). Draw poker: players are dealt a complete hand, then discard and draw replacement cards before a showdown. Community card poker: private cards (hole cards) are combined with shared board cards through multiple betting rounds (pre-flop, flop, turn, river). Stud poker: cards are dealt one at a time across multiple streets, with some face-up and some face-down; no drawing or exchanging.
Basic Strategy
The hand rankings are the foundation every poker player must know before playing any variant — see the interactive guide below for examples of all ten hands. For draw variants (5-Card Draw): hold any made hand of three-of-a-kind or better; draw to complete straights and flushes when pot odds justify it. For community card variants (Texas Hold'em): starting hand selection and position are the two most important factors — play fewer hands from early position, more from the button. For stud variants (Caribbean Stud, Three Card Poker): the correct decision in most casino stud formats is mechanical: raise with any pair or better, fold below the qualifier threshold. For all poker: bankroll discipline prevents ruin — never risk more than a small percentage of your total funds on a single session.
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