Poker Review
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Play Poker | History | Rules | Tips | Poker Assistant | Tournaments | Top
History
The exact origins of poker are unclear. It seems to have originated from a 16th century Persian card game known as As Nas. This game was played with 25 cards with 5 different suits. The game played in a similar fashion to modern 5 card stud and possessed similar poker hands rankings, such as three-of-a-kind. When Europeans began to play the game, they called it 'poque' or 'pochen.' While poker's origins may lie in Europe and Persia, it truly developed in the United States. Poker was first widely played in New Orleans in the early 1800's. Prior to the American Civil War, poker spread quickly from New Orleans to towns throughout the Western frontier. Poker's spread was the result of a general spread of gambling during the era. The West was comprised largely of speculators and travelers, both groups that enjoyed gambling. Gambling suited the speculator's individualistic and risk-taking traits. Unburdened by family needs and the social stigmas of Southern and Northern culture, travelers were allowed to indulge in this vice for their own entertainment.
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Rules
Poker is played with a standard deck of 52 playing cards (except for Ross Perot Poker, which is played with less than a full deck). The cards are ranked from high to low in the following order: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Aces are ALWAYS high. Aces are worth more than Kings which are worth more than Queens which are worth more than Jack, and so on. The cards are also separated into four suits. The suits are:
- Clubs
- Spades
- Hearts
- Diamonds
But you already knew that from playing Go Fish, right? The suits are all of equal value, meaning that no suit is more valuable than another. It's a very democratic game.
Each player is dealt five cards. The object of the game is to end up with the highest-valued hand. From best to worst, hands are ranked in the following order:
Royal Flush
This is the most valuable hand in all of poker. A Royal Flush is composed of 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace, all of the same suit. It's the toughest hand to get.
Straight Flush
A Straight Flush is comprised of five cards in numerical order, all of the same suit. It's not allowed to "wrap around," such as Q-K-A-2-3. This is also very rare. If you get two of these in a row, you are cheating. If there are two Straight Flushes at the table, then whichever hand's Straight Flush reaches the highest card value wins. So in the examples below, Hand 2 (which has a King) would beat Hand 1 (which only goes up to 8).
Four of a Kind
Four cards of the same numerical rank and another random card. If there are two or more hands that qualify, the hand with the highest-ranking Four of a Kind wins. In the examples below, Hand 2 would beat Hand 1.
Full House
Of the five cards in your hand, three have the same numerical rank, and the two remaining card also have the same numerical rank. Ties are broken first by the Three of a Kind, then the Pair. So K-K-K-3-3 beats Q-Q-Q-A-A, which beats Q-Q-Q-7-7.
Flush
A Flush is comprised of five cards of the same suit, regardless of their numerical rank. In a tie, whoever has the highest ranking card wins. In the example below, Hand 1 (with a King) beats Hand 2 (with a Queen).
Straight
Five cards in numerical order, regardless of their suits. Just like with the Straight Flush, a Straight cannot "wrap around." In a tie, whoever's Straight goes to a higher ranking card wins (so in the examples below, Hand 1 beats Hand 2).
Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same numerical rank, and two random cards that are not a pair.
Two Pair
Two sets of pairs, and another random card.
One Pair
One pair and three random cards. If more than one person has a One Pair, then the person with the highest ranking pair wins.
High Card
If none of the players have anything of value, the player holding the highest-valued card wins, with the 2 as the lowest card, and the Ace as the highest. In the case of a tie, you move to the next highest card, and continue.
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Tips
Betting smart may sound like an oxymoron, but there are some tricks to minimizing how much you lose and maximizing how much you win at the poker table. After all, a good poker player will still win even if he has bad cards, all because he knows how to bet correctly. Here are some tips:
- Don't be scared to fold. One of the more intimidating aspects of the game of poker is how much or how little one should bet. Eventually, as you develop a feel for the game, you will become more knowledgeable about when to bet and when to fold. As a general rule, if you have nothing in your hand, do not expect that later cards will remedy that situation. Feel free to fold frequently. It is better to sacrifice your small early bets then to rope yourself into a betting war with a seasoned pro.
- No alcohol. When it comes to betting, alcohol can be your enemy. While beer and cigars tend to go hand in hand with poker night, alcohol is not recommended if you're going to play in a casino, especially if the stakes are a little higher. Newsflash: Alcohol makes you lose your inhibitions. If you suddenly find yourself betting the limit on a pair of twos, you've had too much to drink. Stick to Fresca.
- Maintain control. The best piece of advice we can give you about betting is to bet with your head, not over it. This is the slogan for Gamblers Anonymous, and it couldn't be more true. Betting within your means will allow the game to remain fun. Remember, very few people make their fortunes playing poker. A lot more lose theirs. We don't mean to get preachy here, but we don't want you to pawn your high school ring to pay the phone bill. We've seen it happen, and it ain't pretty.
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Poker Assistant
Pokerbility, Hands Odds Calculator: Beware the advice of successful poker players…they don’t want company. In other words, don’t look for good advice among your friends who are better than you at poker. The better you are the less money they will win. For good poker playing wisdom there are dozens of books that one can buy, but the heart of the advice involves making advanced mathematical calculations very fast while trying not to contort your face into something that resembles a prune. Those who play live games must either become human odds calculators or risk losing big money. Trial and error is their only teacher. Folks who play online have the advantage of poker pro almost literally in their back pocket. They have Pokerbility.
This personal odds calculator does all the mathematical heavy lifting that poker authors find so valuable. Pokerbility will look at the cards you have been dealt and immediately display the odds your hand has of winning. Along with the odds, it will dole out advice on what the player should do with their hand. As we all know the landscape of the game can change very quickly. A bad flop can neuter some very strong hole cards, and visa-versa. At each phase of the game (The deal, the flop, the turn, and the river) Pokerbility recalculates to display your chances of victory.
How does Pokerbility do this? It utilizes the patent pending CombiCalc™ Calculation Method. This is the accurate technology available of its kind.
Other Poker odds calculators build their products using one of two methods. The most popular method is to run game simulations. A computer will play thousands and thousands of hands at a high speed, and determine what the odds are that a particular hand will win. The second method relies on calculations without the simulation. This method works well for pre-flop play. Pokerbility builds both methods into its technology, making it the precise product available.
In the short term, Pokerbility will help you win more won hands and build a bigger bankroll. In the long run this product will make you a better poker player. Nobody could ask for anything more out of an odds calculator.
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Tournaments
