How To Play Poker
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How an Online Poker Hand Works
In an online poker room, a hand starts when you choose a cash table (or register for a tournament) and take a seat. The software shows a dealer button and the small blind/big blind positions; those forced bets (and sometimes antes) are posted to seed the pot, and the button/blinds move one seat clockwise after each hand. You’re then dealt two private hole cards in Hold’em, followed by a pre-flop betting round with on-screen actions like fold, call, raise (and check when no bet is facing you). If at least two players continue, the table reveals community cards in stages: the flop (3 cards), then the turn (1), then the river (1), with a betting round after each street. The pot display updates as bets go in. A hand ends when everyone but one player folds, or at showdown, where remaining players use their hole cards plus the community cards to make the best five-card hand and win (or split) the pot.
Understanding the Table: Button, Blinds, and Turn Order
The main table markers you’ll see online are the dealer button (BTN) and the blinds. The button rotates one seat clockwise each hand, and it marks the position that acts last on most post-flop betting rounds. The two players immediately to the left of the button post forced bets: the Small Blind (SB) is posted first, and the Big Blind (BB) is posted next (usually the larger of the two).
Turn order depends on the stage of the hand. Pre-flop, the first player to act is the seat immediately left of the big blind (often labeled UTG in the interface), and action continues clockwise with buttons like Fold / Call / Raise as the pot display updates. Post-flop (flop/turn/river), action starts with the first active player to the left of the button, which is typically the small blind if they’re still in the hand, then continues clockwise.
Example 1: If you’re on the button, the player to your left is SB, and the next player is BB.
Example 2: If you’re in the big blind, the first pre-flop decision comes from the player immediately to your left.
Understanding Poker Hand Rankings (Gameplay View)
Poker uses standard hand rankings to decide who wins at showdown, and in most “high” games the highest-ranked five-card hand wins. In games like Texas Hold’em, you’re usually choosing the best five-card hand you can make from the cards available (your hole cards plus the board).
| Rank (low → high) | Hand |
|---|---|
| 1 | High card |
| 2 | One pair |
| 3 | Two pair |
| 4 | Three of a kind |
| 5 | Straight |
| 6 | Flush |
| 7 | Full house |
| 8 | Four of a kind |
| 9 | Straight flush |
At showdown, the room compares remaining players’ five-card hands and awards the pot to the best one (ties can split the pot).
You may also see tables with lowball or high-low rules, where the lowest hand (or both the highest and lowest hands) can win under a different ranking system than standard “high” poker.
How to Bet While Playing Online Poker (Step-by-Step)
- Step 1: Know your options. When it’s your turn, the client shows action buttons based on the current bet. Fold gives up the hand. Call matches the current bet to stay in. Raise increases the bet size, forcing others to respond. Check is only available when no one has bet yet in that round; you stay in the hand without adding chips. If checking is available, you’ll typically see "Check" instead of "Call".
- Step 2: Use bet sizing controls. When you choose Bet or Raise, most rooms provide a bet box, along with tools like a slider and preset buttons, so you can set an amount quickly (often in big-blind steps or with jump-to-click behavior, depending on settings). You’ll need to confirm the final amount before acting. Online poker also uses an action timer; if you don’t act in time, a time bank may appear or activate to give you extra decision time (rules vary by game type).
- Step 3: Handle all-in and side pots (high level). If you click All-in (or raise to your full stack), you can’t bet further in that hand. If other players still have chips, they can continue betting against each other, which creates a main pot (including your all-in amount) and one or more side pots made only from additional chips. At showdown, an all-in player can win the main pot, while only players who matched the extra bets are eligible to win the side pot(s).
How a Texas Hold’em Round Plays Out (Example Walkthrough)
- You’re dealt two hole cards. After blinds are posted, the software deals you two private cards (your “hole cards”). You’ll see them at the bottom of your seat, while opponents’ cards stay hidden.
- Pre-flop betting. Action begins with the first player left of the big blind. On your turn, you’ll see buttons such as Fold, Call (to match the current bet), or Raise (to increase it). The pot display updates as players act.
- Flop: 3 community cards + betting. If at least two players stay in, the table reveals three face-up community cards in the center (the “flop”). A new betting round starts, typically with the first active player left of the button, using Check (if no bet), Bet, Call, Raise, or Fold depending on action.
- Turn: 1 community card + betting. One more community card is added (the “turn”), followed by another betting round in the same post-flop order.
- River: 1 community card + final betting. The final community card (the “river”) appears. This is the last betting round of the hand.
- Showdown: best five-card hand wins. If more than one player remains after the river betting, the room goes to showdown: players reveal their hands, and the pot is awarded to the best five-card poker hand made from any combination of hole cards and community cards (ties can split). If everyone else folds at any point, the last player wins immediately without showing.
How Other Core Variants Change What You See
In most online rooms, switching variants mainly changes what cards are visible on screen and what the software will let you use at showdown.
Omaha looks like Hold’em, but each player gets four hole cards instead of two. The key UI/rules difference is enforced by the client: at showdown, you must build your hand using exactly two of your hole cards and exactly three community cards from the board (you can’t “play the board” with fewer than two hole cards).
Seven-Card Stud has no community board in the center. Instead, each player receives their own mix of face-down and face-up cards over several betting rounds (“streets”), so you’ll see opponents’ upcards displayed at their seats. Stud commonly begins with an ante from each player, then a bring-in (a forced opening bet) starts the first betting action.
Five-Card Draw also has no board. You’re dealt five private cards, then after a betting round, you get a single draw phase where you choose cards to discard, and the software deals replacement cards. A final betting round follows before the showdown.
What Happens After the Hand (Results, Pots, and Next Hand)
After the last action, the client awards the pot automatically and highlights the winner while the pot count resets. If the hand ends before showdown (everyone folds), you may briefly see a “Show / Don’t show” prompt depending on the room, and many sites let you enable auto-muck so your cards don’t get revealed by default.
If the hand reaches showdown (two or more players remain after the final betting round), the table reveals the remaining hands to determine the winner, and losing hands may be hidden if auto-muck is enabled.
Then the next hand starts immediately: the dealer button moves one seat, the blinds/antes post again, and new hole cards are dealt once the table is ready.
Online Poker Controls (Timers, Time Bank, Sit Out, Disconnects)
Online poker tables run on an action timer. When it’s your turn, you’ll see a countdown; if you don’t act, the software will usually check when checking is allowed, or fold when facing a bet. Many rooms also provide a time bank (extra seconds) that appears as a button near the end of your regular time, and it can activate automatically in spots where you already have chips invested (like blinds/antes).
If you need a break, you can use Sit Out (or Sit Out Next Hand/Next Blind). This keeps your seat but pauses you from being dealt in until you return, and some clients offer “global” sit-out controls if you’re playing multiple tables.
If you disconnect, the system typically continues the hand by timing you out (often folding you when you face action) and then auto-sits you out until you reconnect. In cash games, rooms may also remove you from the table after you miss blinds a certain number of times (rules vary by table size).
Quick Gameplay Tips for New Players
If you’re new, start in play money or a freeroll so you can learn the table buttons and pace without paying an entry fee. When you sit down, watch a hand or two to see how blinds post, how the pot updates, and where the action buttons appear before you play. Use “wait for next hand/blind” options if the room offers them, and avoid trying to jump into decisions mid-hand. Finally, check the table’s betting format—No-Limit, Pot-Limit, or Fixed-Limit—so you know what betting sizes the software will allow.
Conclusion
To play poker online, you choose a table or tournament, post the blinds/antes, and follow each betting round as the room deals the hand. You win by being the last player left when others fold, or by reaching showdown and showing the best five-card hand. Once you understand the button/blinds rotation and the hand’s flow, the game becomes easy to track—then you can explore other variants and formats while the room charges rake/fees for hosting play.
FAQ's
What’s the difference between a cash game and a tournament online?
What are the button, small blind, and big blind, and why do they move?
Why can I sometimes “check” instead of calling?
How do the betting rounds work in Texas Hold’em?
How is the winner decided at showdown?
What is “rake,” and where do I see it online?
What happens if I go all-in, and why do side pots appear?
What happens if I disconnect or run out of time to act?
Why do I sometimes not see someone’s cards at showdown?
