Poker Rules: A Beginner’s Guide to Your First Hand

Winning at poker with knowing the rules. You can’t bet effectively if you don’t understand hand rankings or when to fold. This guide covers the essentials for playing at PHLBOSS without the confusion.

The Objective

Win the “Pot” (the pile of chips in the middle). You do this in one of two ways. You either hold the best 5-card hand at the end, or you bet aggressively enough to make everyone else fold before the cards are shown.

The Basics

• The Deck: Games use a standard 52-card deck.
• The Table: Most online tables seat between 2 and 9 players.
• The Button: A marker called the “Dealer Button” moves clockwise after every hand. This tracks betting order.

How a Round Works

A single hand of poker has four main betting rounds.

1. Pre-Flop (The Deal) Every player gets two private cards face-down. These are your Hole Cards. Check them, but keep them hidden. Betting starts immediately based on the strength of these two cards.
2. The Flop The dealer places three community cards face-up in the center of the table. Everyone can use these cards to build their hand. Another round of betting follows.
3. The Turn A fourth community card is dealt face-up. Betting continues.
4. The River The fifth and final community card drops. This is your last chance to bet or bluff.
5. The Showdown If two or more players are still in the game after the River, they reveal their cards. The best hand takes the chips.

Your Actions

When it is your turn, you have to make a choice:

• Fold: Your cards are weak. You quit the hand and lose any chips you’ve already bet.
• Check: You pass the action to the next player without putting in more money (only allowed if no one has bet yet).
• Call: You match the current bet to stay in the game.
• Raise: You increase the current bet. This forces opponents to match your amount or fold.
• All-in: You push all your remaining chips into the pot.

Hand Rankings (Highest to Lowest)

Memorizing this list is non-negotiable. You need to know what beats what.

• Royal Flush: A, K, Q, J, 10 (all same suit). The unbeatable hand.
• Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards of the same suit.
• Four of a Kind: Four cards of the same rank (e.g., four Aces).
• Full House: Three of a kind plus a pair (e.g., three Kings and two 8s).
• Flush: Five cards of the same suit, not in order.
• Straight: Five consecutive cards of different suits.
• Three of a Kind: Three cards of the same rank.
• Two Pair: Two different pairs.
• One Pair: Two cards of the same rank.
• High Card: If no one has a pair or better, the highest single card wins.

Quick Strategy for Beginners

Be Picky: Don’t play every hand. If your starting two cards are bad (like a 2 and a 7 of different suits), just fold. Patience saves you money.

Don’t Be Predictable: If you only bet when you have a monster hand, opponents will notice and fold. Sometimes you have to mix up your play.

Watch Your Bankroll: Set a budget before you sit down. Never bet money you can’t afford to lose.