Poker Game
Poker games are one of the most globally popular card games >in the world. Its viral appeal easily found its space in Hollywood with dedicated poker movies that dates back to the 1930s such as Alfred E. Green’s Smart Money and 1950’s Dark City by William Dieterle. Recent hits of modern cinema like the Rounders (1998) and Molly’s Game (2017) further skyrocketed poker’s glory in popular culture. However, since the evolution of poker online, some variations have enjoyed more attention than others.
Among these, Texas Hold’em, 4 Card Omaha and 5 Card Omaha poker rank higher in popularity than older variations such as 7 Card Stud or 5 Card Draw poker games. Even Bond movies such as Casino Royale overruled the book specific Baccarat game with Texas Holde’m due to the familiarity of the audience with this newer variant of poker.
Today, one can safely say that Texas Hold’em poker card games trumps all variations and types of poker games globally. Its rules are simpler to grasp and easily attract new players toward the magical world of poker. Beginners like to kick off with free online poker games on credible poker apps and when they grasp the basics, upping the ante with real money becomes a natural course of action. However, before we decide to suss out the knowhow of a poker card game, why not take a quick trip to the origin of the poker card game. Read on because you’re in for a ride.
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Origins Of Poker Card Game
Early Traces Of Poker In 14th Century
There exists traces of a raw version of the poker card game that can be traced back to the 9th century in China although the origin of the poker game that we know today took form in the 14th century of France. The game was called Poque and played with a standard French deck of 52 playing cards and featured similar gameplay that mimics Modern Poker.
Moving On To 18th Century
Even though Poque was the closest ancestral cousin to modern poker games, the game acquired its fuller form in the Missisippi Delta region of America almost 400 years later. This new and complete form of poker card game acquired added features such as wagering and raising bets and the art of bluffing somewhere in the mid 1700s. As such, Mississippi can take credit to be the birthplace of modern poker that extends to free online poker games today. As the years passed, every boat on the Mississippi was dwelling in 52 card poker games that revolved mostly around Straight and Stud poker.
19th Century & Modern Poker
The Gold Rush in California in the early 19th century permeated gold and poker toward the western parts of America. Eventually, the modern version of the poker card game first appeared in literature in the mid 1800s. The game also began to offer consistent relief to the soldiers in the camps of the American Civil war.
The 2nd half of this century witnessed the evolution of poker online variations that we love to play today. The game saw inclusion of newer hand rankings such as Straight and Flush and also went on to embrace the version of community cards and split-pot live and online poker games. The earliest game of Texas Hold’em poker that features the use of community cards was first applied in 1925.
By the 1970s, poker games were enjoyed in parlours and riverboats and Benny Binion, an American gambling icon invited the seven best poker players to compete one another at his Las Vegas casino. This poker event itself was the birth of the world’s most coveted poker tournament, World Series of Poker (WSOP). It was this very event that prioritized Texas Hold’em over other variations of poker games as it was faster and easy to catch up both by players and the audience.
1980 And Legalisation Of Poker
The poker game gained its offficial status and was legalised in California in the 1980s and this catapulted the poker boom and led to the birth of early online poker rooms in LA. This was followed by the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act in 1988 of the US Congress that legalised the operation of casinos and allowed traditional Indian gaming, and the ensuing poker wildfire on the West Coast.
1995 & The Hole Cam
Henry Orenstein introduced the video camera onto the poker table that could capture the hole cards of the players and displayed them in broadcasting channels. Thus, came about the birth of a consistent audience of live poker on television.
The First Hand in Online Poker
The wave of poker online kicked off with the first most
significant hand dealt on the then, poker site called Planet
Poker in 1998 alluding the explosion of online poker games
throughout the world.
2003 & Chris MoneyMaker
The second but more crucial boom for poker online came about
in 2003 when an accountant by profession, Chris Moneymaker
qualified to the Main Event of the WSOP through an online
poker satellite game and won. The satellite cost him just $86
but he went home with $2,550,000 in his bank account. This
event became the rage of the town and raised stupendous
expectations for the game and thus its popularity amongst the
general masses.
Today, millions of people try their hands
at this thrilling mind game and stake their skills in online
poker games hosted by poker online apps of the day and enjoy
incredible rewards and cash money.
Types Of Poker Games
The popularity of poker has given birth to several variants of the poker card game. However, all games of poker can be broadly categorized into the following categories.
Stud Poker
Stud poker used to be one of the most popular types of poker games right before Hold’em took center stage in mainstream poker events of the United States. Stud poker games have walked the poker town as early as the 1860s.
In a Stud poker game, there is no concept of the flop or community cards. Stud poker card games are mostly open games that contain a mix of open and face down cards. For example, in Seven card Stud poker, players receive two hole cards and one card face up. Based on one’s own cards and your opponent’s, one must decide whether or not to play further when betting begins. 7 Card Stud and 5 Card Stud are popular Stud poker variations played till date.
Community Games
Today, community games are the most popular types of poker games that are featured in major poker events across the world as well as online poker apps. With easy rules and fast and catchy gameplay, community games of Poker are also the best choice for beginners. Owing to its popularity, Texas Hold’em poker is the most preferred choice of free online poker games among new players.
The gameplay of community games include two to four hole cards and five community cards that are open for everyone. Players must use two of their hole cards and combine with three community cards to make the best five card hand and place their bets accordingly to win the pot money. Examples of Community games are Hold’em poker and Omaha poker.
Draw Poker
When you play Draw poker games, all players are dealt a complete hand before the betting rounds kick off. After that, players can choose to develop their hands further in the consecutive rounds by either drawing or replacing the existing cards in their hands. The player with the best five card combination wins the hand.
Each player receives the same number of cards in draw poker games. The blinds are posted in the beginning of each round followed by the dealing of cards. Post this, the betting rounds begin. The number of draws may vary in different games of Draw poker. Examples of Draw poker include 5 Card Draw, Lowball Draw poker and Seven card draw.
Best Poker Hand Combinations In Online Poker Games
The poker hand combinations and rankings are more or less same across all main variations of poker. Learning them can help you play poker to the best of your ability and make informed decisions and maximize your winning probabilities.
The best poker combinations as per the standard poker hand rankings across most variations of poker games are mentioned below from the highest to the lowest.
Royal Flush
Royal Flush is the highest and the rarest poker hand combination a player can make in his entire poker career. It is formed by arranging the top five cards of the same suit in a serial order.
Example: A♥, K♥,Q♥,J♥,10♥
Straight Flush
Straight Flush is a combination of five cards in a sequence of the same suit. Royal Flush is the highest straight flush in a poker card game. Like Royal Flush, a Straight Flush is also a rare hand to hit. Other examples of a straight flush would be J♣,10♣,9♣,8♣,7♣.
Four Of A Kind
Four of a kind in the 3rd highest poker hand ranking in online poker games and live games. It is the combination of any four cards of the same rank and one odd card.
Example: 10♥,10♣,10♦,10♠,K♠.
Full House
A Full House is a brilliant poker hand that enjoys higher position in the order and can beat many good poker hands such as a Flush or a Straight. You make a Full house with three cards of one rank and two cards of another rank with one odd card.
Example: K♠,K♣,K♥,9♦,9♣.
Flush
A Flush is the 5th highest poker hand in strength and is made of any five cards of one suit and an odd card in no particular order. A Flush beats a Straight in all poker games.
Example: A♠,Q♠,2♠,10♠,Q♠
Straight
A Straight is a decent hand in a poker card game that is made of five cards of no particular suit in a sequence.
Example: J♣,10♠,9♣,8♦,7♠
Three Of A Kind
Also known as Trips, Three of a Kind is made of three cards of a similar rank with two odd cards in live and online poker games. A Three of a kind beats Two Pair and One Pair.
Example: Q♦,Q♣,Q♥,2♥,9♠
Two Pair
Two Pair, as the name suggests, is a poker hand combination that is formed with two cards of a similar rank and another two cards of the same rank accompanied by an odd card.
Example:Q♥,Q♦,J♠,J♣,7♥
One Pair
Any five cards with a pair of cards of a similar rank constitutes One Pair in a poker game. It's one of the lowest poker hands in terms of strength and can easily be beaten by a Trips or a Straight.
Example: K♥,K♣,7♣,A♦,4♠
High Card
A high card is the lowest rank in the poker hand rankings and consists of any five cards with no matching pairs, suits or a sequence. The best high card one can get in Poker is Ace High of any suit.
Example: A♠,2♠,3♣,6♦,10♥
Key Actions In Online Poker Games
Any poker game, be it a live cash game or free online poker game, consists of four basic actions that a player must take during the betting rounds to win the hand and the pot money. Let’s figure them out one by one.
Call
To call in poker online games means to match the amount of money placed by the player who placed his bets before you did. For example, if player A bets 40 bucks, player B must match this amount by betting at least 40 bucks to stake his claim in the current hand.
Raise
To raise in a poker card game is to increase the betting amount placed by the player before you as per your choice. In Texas Hold’em games, there is no limit to the raise amount and one can bet all his chips or money in the pot. In Pot Limit games, players can only bet a maximum of the pot amount.
So, if player A bets 20 bucks and player B chooses to bet more than 20 bucks, it is called a raise.
Check
To check is to pass the action to the next player in turn without betting any amount in the current round unless someone else bets before you. This option is available only when no player has placed any bets yet in the ongoing round. In case, no player chooses to bet in the current round, the action passes in clockwise direction and the betting round is complete as per the poker rules.
Fold
To fold in a poker game is to discard the cards and give up your claim on the current hand. By doing so, the player also gives up any amount of money he may have placed in the pot until now. Once a player folds and mucks his cards, he or she need not place any further bets in the current hand.
Different Formats Of Online Poker Games
Poker online games can be played for a variety of formats. Beginners can kick off and test the waters with free online poker games that use virtual money and free entry tournaments. Experienced players can choose to play cash poker games and tournaments and win real money.
Let’s sift a little through how you play each of these formats in poker card games.
Free Online Poker Games
Free online poker games use virtual money known as Play Money. This Play Money acts as virtual currency that you can use to sit on the free tables and play poker online games with other players in any credible online poker app.
Cash Games
Cash games allow you to sit on poker online tables featuring a variety of stakes. You can pick any table for the stakes you feel comfortable to play for by paying a fixed buy-in fee. The amount of money you pay as the buy-in fee will translate into virtual chips on the app that you can use to sit and play at the cash tables. You can also choose to play cash games in live poker rooms.
You can choose table stakes as per the amount of blinds or antes you must pay to play cash games. Antes and Blinds are the fixed amount one must place before betting begins for a hand to force initial action. You can choose your table as per your bankroll and skill level to maximize your chances of winning real money.
Tournaments
Tournaments are competitions that are hosted by legit online poker apps as well as by live poker rooms. Tournaments take place in a variety of formats but the common features include a fixed buy-in fee and a re-buy-in fee, if applicable, tournament leaderboard and featured prize pool.
Players book their seat in the tournament for a certain amount of fee and top finishers who end up in the money receive a share of the prize pool as per their rankings in the leaderboard. Like cash games, players can choose from a variety of tournaments by picking one as per the level of skill and experience and amount of money in their bankroll. Tournaments are typically played across micro stakes, low stakes, mid stakes and high stakes.
Play Poker Online Games On SportsBaazi
On the SportsBaazi app, you can play poker online of the most sought after types and formats. You can engage in free games and cash tournaments of No-limit Texas Hold’em and Omaha poker and explore a varied range of stakes and tournament types and up-skill your experience and knowledge of the game. The app is RNG certified, safe and secure from any external threats or cyber attacks.
Download the app to enjoy the best assortment of poker online games on the SportsBaazi app and learn the game from scratch to earn your way up the skill ladder!
FAQS
The main idea behind a poker card game is to use the cards dealt by the dealer along with those laid on the table to make the best five card poker combination amongst all players present in order to win the current hand.
SportsBaazi is one of India’s leading online poker apps that dishes out the best collection of free online poker games and cash games that one can choose to play for preferred stakes and win real money daily.
Yes, you can certainly earn money online by playing poker games online. However, it is wise to play for stakes according to your practical knowledge and experience of the game. Beginners must choose to play free online poker games and when they gain confidence about their skills, they can choose to level up gradually by playing micro stakes and so on.
It is against the rules to see another player’s cards in poker online games. Doing so during the rounds in play can lead to elimination. One can only see their opponent’s cards during a showdown.
Players need to use community cards in such types of poker games with the combination of their hole cards. In particular, 3 community cards must be combined with 2 hole cards of the player to form the best five card poker possible to win the hand. These community cards are revealed through a series of betting rounds in the poker game.
No. While many may consider Flash or Flush games similar to games of poker, the fact is they differ by the very core elements that dictate both games. Poker is a skill based game acquired through years of experience while Flash is a game of chance where the player has no control over the cards they play throughout the game.
Five card poker is a type of poker game that falls under two different categories of poker namely, Draw Poker and Stud Poker.
- In 5 Card Draw poker, players receive 5 cards face down at once after which betting occurs. Either antes or blinds are placed before the betting rounds begin. The player with the best five card hand wins the game.
- In 5 Card Stud poker, players receive 5 cards in total, but get two cards at first one face down, the 2nd one face up. The rest three cards are dealt face up in Five card Stud poker. Every dealt card is followed by betting rounds and the player with the best five card hand at showdown wins.
Ace High is the highest card in a real poker card game followed by King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9 and so on.
Yes, absolutely. Online poker apps are completely legal in India. Free poker games are allowed across all states of India. However, few states such as Assam, Telangana, Odisha, Nagaland and Sikkim prohibit cash games or tournaments of any kind via any medium in their jurisdiction.
Players can enjoy the most popular variants of poker on the SportsBaazi gaming app. One can access and play real money games of poker of the following kind.
- Texas Hold’em poker
- Pot Limit Omaha
- 5 Card PLO
- And many others
No, Poker and Teen Patti card games are very different from each other both in its nature of gameplay and rules. While both Poker and Teen Patti require betting real money, Poker is more intricate and requires sufficient skills to win. Results in Teen Patti are purely based on chance.
Here are the main differences between the two.
- Teen Patti is a chance based game whose results are chance based whereas poker requires a sufficient degree of skill and strategy accompanied by an element of luck.
- The hand rankings of Teen Patti tash game and Poker are different from each other. 3 cards of the same rank are the highest hand in Teen Patti. Example: A♠,A♥,A♦. Royal Flush is the highest poker hand and is made of the top five cards of the same suit in a sequence. Example: A♠,K♠,Q♠,J♠,10♠.
- As such, the goal of Teen Patti games is to create the best 3 card hand to win. In a Poker card game, you need to make the best 5 card hand to win.
In Teen Patti games, the amount of bets placed must be equal by all players. In poker, you just need to place the additional amount in order to match the previous bet.
No, Rummy and Poker are two different games that demand a different set of skills and strategy to play and win. Rummy is a matching and melding game of cards while in Poker card game, you need to make the best five card hand as per the hand rankings and a comparison between different hands determines the winner. In nature, Rummy is a simple game with easy to learn set of rules that can be enjoyed by players of all ages. Poker requires an in-depth understanding of the game theory and knowing mathematical odds to make informed decisions.
- Poker vs Rummy Vs Call Break, which is the best form of Online Card Games?
- Rummy, Call Break and Poker are equally fun card games. They vary in their nature of gameplay, rules and strategy and it is truly a matter of individual choice which one you prefer over another. Rummy is a matching card game, Call Break is a trick taking game whereas Poker is a strategy based skill betting game.
- If you are playing just for fun, Rummy and Call Break are excellent choices, however, if you like a good challenge with a more dedicated approach and make decent money playing cards online, poker is the game for you.
- Each game requires a different set of skills and knowledge, and are fitting to play on different occasions and with varied intentions. Once you play them all, you can decide which game appeals to you the most.