How to play poker: the basic rules common to all types of poker

 How to play poker: The fundamental rules for all poker types

Learn how to play Poker with our guide to the principles and rules upon which all forms are based. Also, access our guides to popular variations like Omaha poker and Texas Holdem.

Although online poker is becoming increasingly popular, there are many variations of poker. This can make it difficult for novice players.

Telegraph Betting will introduce you to the main concepts of poker, and show you how to use them together to play Texas Holdem.

We will also talk about the four main types poker under which all poker game can be classified.

After you've mastered the basics, our guides will show you how to play popular poker types.

How to play poker: Common concepts across all types of poker

Poker-hand rankings

All poker games are based on the same poker-hand rankings. This is used to decide who wins a game of poker.

Different poker game types use the common hand rank in different ways. Low-ball poker, for example, makes the lowest hand the most desirable.

Our poker-hand rankings pages will show you the order of poker hand strength.

Bluffing

By bluffing your opponents, it is possible to win poker hands with no best hand.

Bluffing involves displaying confidence by betting in a way that implies your hand is stronger than it really is. In the hopes that your opponents will believe your hand and fold, you may be able to project confidence in your hand.

Forcible betting

Poker requires that you place a compulsory bet before the hand begins. It is usually called the 'ante’ or 'blind'. A lot of forms of the game have a small and big blind. However, the latter are generally two times larger than the former.

The dealer

Playing physical poker at home, in a bricks-and mortar casino or online is a matter of preference. The dealer's role determines how the blinds are placed and the players place their bets. The game generally unfolds clockwise, starting with the dealer.

Online and in-person casinos, the dealer is not usually one of the player. Therefore, a token denotes which hand the dealer is. This rotates clockwise, from one hand to another.

Optional betting

After the forced wagers, the first round begins. The following betting options are available to players depending on their level of confidence.

Call -- Matching a player's wager or raising

Raise -- Increase the size of an existing bet during the same round of betting

Fold -- To remove from the hand without losing any previous bets.

Check -- Players have the option to either check or decline to place a bet, while still retaining the right to place a second bet later in the round.

All in -- If a player does not have enough chips to make a call, they can still play all of their chips. All-in players can only win the same amount of chips as they won in subsequent showsdowns.