Main Points

1. Most winning hands will fall into one of ten possibilities
2. A poker game can be played with as few as three cards and up to seven
3. The goal is almost always to get the hand with the greatest point value
4. It's very important to understand the variances in each of the poker games you choose to play
5. If there isn't an obvious winner and a push, or tie, isn't allowed, then the win almost always goes to the person with the high card(s)




Basic Instructions (General)

Most poker games require an initial bet, or ante (placed towards the middle of the table or in front of each player), in order to play them. The ante can range anywhere from a few cents to a large sum, depending on the poker game you are playing.

Everyone will place their initial ante and then the dealer will dealer the cards to the left of himself and continue distributing one card at a time to each player until each has the appropriate amount of cards for the poker game.

A standard game of poker plays with a five card hand.

Each player will look at their cards and decide how they think they can obtain one of the most common bets:
• Royal Flush - The highest poker hand you may have (I.E. Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 all in the suit of clubs)
• Straight Flush - The second highest poker hand you may have (I.E. 10 of hearts, 9 of hearts, 8 of hearts, 7 of hearts and 6 of hearts)
• Four of a Kind - Third highest hand you may have (I.E. All four queens and a 9 of diamonds)
• Full House - Fourth highest hand (I.E. two 10s and three 5s)
• Flush - Fifth highest poker hand (I.E. Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8 and 7 all in the same suit or hearts)
• Straight - Sixth highest hand (I.E. 3 of hearts, 4 of spades, 5 of diamonds, 6 of clubs and 7 of hearts)
• Three of a Kind - Seventh highest hand (I.E. three jacks, 2 of clubs and 4 of diamonds)
• Two Pair - Eighth highest poker hand (I.E. two 8s, two Aces and 10 of hearts)
• One Pair - Ninth highest (I.E. 2)
• High Card - The tenth and lowest hand you can have to win, if everyone else has nothing too (I.E. 2, 3 and 4 of hearts, 6 of spades and Ace of clubs)

A "Raise", or increase in the ante, may be placed if a player believes that their cards may be good enough to continue.

Players may also "Fold", or forfeit, if they don't wish to continue after receiving their initial cards.

Each player must decide to "Hold" (select cards that you want to keep), "Hit" (discard up to three cards in exchange for three new ones), "Fold" (forfeit) or "Stand" (change nothing and continue).

Another "Raise" may be done if a player believes that their cards may be good enough to win.

Once the raises are finished and the players have decided the card choices, the dealer then requests everyone to show their cards.

The player with the best hand or highest value hand wins everyone's bets, or "pot" and the game can start again. (Note: Some casinos take up to 5% commission on all pots that are won.)



Popular Poker Variations

Poker Three - This poker game is played with three, instead of five, cards, which makes the winning card possibilities:

Straight Flush (A, K, Q all in the same suit) that pays 40 to 1
Three of a Kind that pays 30 to 1
Straight that pays 6 to 1
Flush that pays 4 to 1
Pair that pays even money or 1 to 1.

Pai Gow Poker - Each player will need seven cards to place this poker game. Standard winning hands apply, but you will split two cards from the deck to make a "High Hand" and a normal hand to try to win. (5% commission goes to the dealer.)

Let Them Ride - This game plays with a five hand card, but it has a twist! Two of the players cards are "community cards" , which means that they are in the canter for all players to use with the five the three cards that they will be dealt. Standard wins still apply.

Caribbean Stud Poker - Players will be given only one hand of cards. (They will not be allowed to "Hit".) The dealer will show only four of their cards until all players cards are revealed. The player with the highest hand wins!

Tequila Poker - Everyone participating in this game will be dealt four cards to begin with. Once the card values have been determined, all players will be required to forfeit or place one of these two bets: High Tequila (card values are determined by their standard blackjack values) or Tequila Poker (cards have poker values). The High Tequila means that you are betting that you have the highest hand and the Tequila Poker is played out just like regular poker.

Deuces Wild - The most common "wild" poker game, Deuces Wild, allows you to play a standard game of poker that will increase your chances of winning because you are able to use 2s as a substitute for any card, except that which makes a Royal Flush.


Try out these popular poker games and many more at Europa Casino today!