Howcast

How to Follow Proper Poker Etiquette

Howcast — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 12:45:48 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Never reveal your hand Never reveal your cards, not even after you’ve folded. If you give away your cards on a good hand, it’ll ruin your chances of winning. Plus, if other players know your cards, it can give them a better idea of what everyone else is holding.
TIP: Some casinos charge a penalty for revealing your cards, and sometimes it’s considered a fold.
Step 2: Don’t react Don’t react to anything that has anything to do with the cards during a game. If you’re playing Texas Hold ‘Em and you hit a good hand on the flop, don’t celebrate. It will tip other players and increase the chances they fold. Any reaction to the cards can indicate someone else’s cards and possibly ruin the game.
Step 3: Be polite Be polite. Never rib the other players — even if you’re playing with friends. People take poker very seriously, and there’s no room at the table for an obnoxious player. Getting caught in a verbal battle will break everyone’s concentration, including yours.
TIP: Practice good netiquette when you play online — don’t bother other players with incessant chatting, and never chat in all capital letters, which is the equivalent of yelling.
Step 4: Never blame the dealer Never blame the dealer for your hand. Dealers have no control over the cards. Throwing cards at the dealer or doling out verbal abuse only makes you seem like an immature, unsophisticated player.
Step 5: Don’t talk when you’re not in the hand Don’t talk when you’re no longer in the hand. Commenting or guessing at other players’ hands can affect the outcome of the game and change players’ strategies, so keep quiet.
Step 6: Don’t dawdle Play at a reasonable speed. It’s understandable that, sometimes, you’ll need to think for a minute before betting or folding. If you hem and haw over what to do every time it’s your turn, you’ll drag the game down for everyone else.
Step 7: Don’t splash the pot Place your chips in neat stacks in front of the dealer and let the dealer slide them into the pot. Throwing your chips into the pot — “splashing” the pot — makes it virtually impossible for the other players to know how much you bet.
Step 8: Don’t take chips off the table Never take chips off the table. Once you buy into a game, the chips stay on the table until you’re done. Practice your poker face, enter a tournament, and win the jackpot — politely.
FACT: The famous “Dogs Playing Poker” series of paintings was done in 1903 by Cassius Marcellus Coolidge.

You Will Need

Secrecy
Self-control
Restraint
Politeness

How to Improve Your Poker Hand

Howcast — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:28:10 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Achieve winning hand Weigh your chances of achieving each of the 9 possible winning hands and be on the lookout for the cards you’ll need to do so. The winning hands are ranked according to the probability of achieving them, so use the rankings as a general guide—then assess your particular situation.
Step 2: Type of poker Take into account the type of poker you’re playing, and make your decisions accordingly. For example, in “stud” games each player is dealt some cards face-up and others face-down—so you may be able to see if a card you need to improve your hand is already in somebody else’s possession.
Step 3: Hope for best Hope for the best. You can be the sharpest player at the table and still draw lousy cards—so it always help to have Lady Luck smiling your way.
FACT: The tradition of considering luck a lady dates back to Fortuna—a popular Roman goddess of fate and fortune.

You Will Need

A standard deck of playing cards
A little mental acuity

How to Play No-Limit Omaha Hold ‘Em

Howcast — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 13:28:00 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Choose dealer Choose a dealer for the first hand and denote that person with the dealer button, placed on the table.
Step 2: Shuffle & cut The dealer shuffles and cuts the deck of cards.
Step 3: Blinds place bets The player to the left of the dealer is given the “small blind” button, indicating that he or she posts the small blind bet. The player two places to the left of the dealer is given the “big blind” button and places the big blind bet. These are considered the ante and vary from game to game.
Step 4: Deal cards The dealer deals four cards face-down to each player. Everyone assesses his or her hand.
Step 5: 1st round of betting The deal is followed by the first round of betting, starting with the third player to the dealer’s left. Each player can call and/or raise the blind bet, or fold their hand.
Step 6: The flop After the first round of betting, the dealer turns up three communal cards, called the “flop,” in the middle of the table.
Step 7: 2nd round of betting The flop is followed by a second round of betting, starting with the player to the dealer’s left.
Step 8: The turn After the second round of betting has finished, the dealer turns up a fourth communal card, called the “turn.”
Step 9: 3rd round of betting The “turn” is followed by a third round of betting.
Step 10: The river Next, the dealer turns up a fifth communal card, called the “river.”
Step 11: Final round of betting The “river” is followed by the final round of betting.
Step 12: Single player left If everyone but a single player has folded, that remaining player is the winner and doesn’t have to reveal his or her cards.
Step 13: Reveal cards If two or more players remain, they reveal their cards (in what is called the “showdown”). The winner is the player with the highest five-card poker hand that uses exactly two of the four cards they were dealt and any three of the communal cards in the middle of the table.
TIP: The communal cards are shared, meaning multiple players can include the same card or cards in their hands—so don’t try to pick them up or you’ll embarrass yourself.
Step 14: Begin next hand When the hand has been played to completion, the dealer, small blind, and big blind buttons rotate clockwise one player to begin the next hand.
FACT: Omaha was the hometown of actor Marlon Brando—so feel free to do your best Godfather impersonation at the table.

You Will Need

A standard deck of playing cards
Poker chips or money to bet with
A “dealer” button or chip
A “small blind” button or chip
A “big blind” button or chip
A working knowledge of poker hands
A large group of players
A table or surface to play on

How to Play No-Limit Texas Hold ‘Em

Howcast — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:38:53 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Choose dealer Choose a dealer for the first hand and denote that person with the dealer button, placed on the table.
Step 2: Shuffle & cut The dealer shuffles and cuts the deck of cards.
Step 3: Blinds place bets The player to the left of the dealer is given the “small blind” button, indicating that he or she posts the small blind bet. The player two places to the left of the dealer is given the “big blind” button and places the big blind bet. These are considered the ante and vary from game to game.
Step 4: Deal cards The dealer deals two cards face-down to each player. Everyone assesses his or her hand, and the first round of betting follows, beginning with the player to the left of the big blind and continuing clockwise.
TIP: Each player’s two private cards are called his or her “hole” or “pocket” cards.
Step 5: Bet or fold Each player can call and/or raise the blind bet, or fold their hand. In no-limit games, any player can also go “all-in”—staking all their remaining money or chips at once. It’s this chance to win big or go bust that brings No-Limit Hold ‘Em games their reputation for high stakes and higher drama.
TIP: Drawing a Two and a Seven in different suits is considered the worst possible starting hand for a game of Texas Hold ‘Em—if you get ’em, fold ’em. Two Aces is the best possible draw.
Step 6: The flop After the first round of betting, the dealer “burns,” or discards, one card, then turns up three communal cards, called the “flop,” in the middle of the table.
Step 7: 2nd round of betting A second round of betting follows the flop, starting with the player to the left of the dealer button and continuing clockwise.
Step 8: The turn After the second round of betting, the dealer burns another card, then turns up a fourth communal card, called the “turn.”
Step 9: 3rd round of betting A third round of betting follows the turn.
Step 10: The river Finally, the dealer burns another card, then turns up a fifth communal card, called the “river.”
Step 11: 4th round of betting A fourth and final round of betting follows the river.
Step 12: Single player left If everyone but a single player has folded, that remaining player is the winner and doesn’t have to reveal his or her cards.
Step 13: Reveal cards If two or more players remain, they reveal their cards in what is called the “showdown.” The winner is the player with the highest five-card poker hand made up of any combination of the five community cards and his or her two private cards. If two or more players have the same winning hand, the pot is divided evenly.
TIP: In a showdown, the last player to call the bet shows their cards last. If nobody has bet, it’s the person to the left of the dealer’s button.
Step 14: Begin next hand When the hand has been played to completion, the dealer, small blind, and big blind buttons rotate clockwise one player to begin the next hand.
FACT: Texas singer Kenny Rogers knows when to hold ’em and when to fold ’em—he’s had 5 wives in as many decades.

You Will Need

A standard deck of playing cards
Poker chips or money to bet with
A “dealer” button or chip
A “small blind” button or chip
A “big blind” button or chip
A working knowledge of poker hands
A group of players
A table or surface to play on

How to Assess Your Poker Hand

Howcast — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:35:39 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Assess hand Royal Flush (10,J,Q,K,Ace–same suit), Straight Flush (5 cards–in sequence, same suit), Four of a Kind (4 cards–same face value), Full House (3 of a kind with a pair), Flush (5 in same suit), Straight (5 cards–in sequence, different suits), 3 of a Kind (3 cards–same face value, different suits), Two Pair, Pair (2 cards of the same face value)
Step 2: No winning hand If no player is holding a winning hand the player holding the card with the highest face value—the High Card—wins. If two or more players have high cards of equal value, the next highest card in each hand is used to break the tie. If those cards are also the same, the third highest cards are used, etc., until the tie is broken.
TIP: On the rare occasion when two or more players have the exact same hands and the tie can’t be broken, the winnings are divided among them.
Step 3: Reassess hand Reassess your hand as each round unfolds. As new cards are drawn or flopped, consider their usefulness in building a winning hand, discard accordingly, and hope for the best.
FACT: A “Christmas Hand” is slang for a hand of 3 Kings—a reference to the three Magi said to have visited the baby Jesus after his birth.

You Will Need

A standard deck of playing cards
A little mental acuity

How to Play Poker: Betting Basics

Howcast — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 17:00:12 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Know basic rules Poker involves rounds of betting into a shared fund, or “pot,” which accumulates in the middle of the table. Each round is followed by receiving or exchanging cards that depends on the type of poker you’re playing. Betting begins with either the dealer or the player to the dealer’s immediate left and proceeds clockwise around the table.
Step 2: Get familiar with terminology Most games begin with a “forced bet”, a mandatory bet from every player before the cards are dealt. This bet may be an “ante”, a set amount that each player must match in order to join the game before the dealing begins, or a “blind” bet, any amount the first player decides to place as his or her opening bet.
TIP: In Hold’em games with betting limits, it’s traditional for the blind bet, or the “small blind,” to be half the amount of the betting limit. It’s also traditional for the next player’s bet, or the “big blind,” to be twice the small blind.
Step 3: Respond to bet After the opening bet, you must decide how to respond to whatever bet immediately precedes your turn: You may “fold” by refusing to match the bet and withdrawing from the game. You may “call” the bet by matching its amount in order to stay in the game. You may “raise” the bet—first matching the previous amount and then increasing it.
Step 4: All-in option In “no-limit” poker games, players also have the option of going “all-in”—matching and raising a bet with all their remaining money or chips.
Step 5: End betting & reveal cards The betting ends when the last player in the turn calls the preceding bet. At that point anyone who wants to stay in the game must match the final raise amount. Then it’s time to cross your fingers and reveal your cards…
FACT: The annual World Series of Poker event in Las Vegas regularly ends with final pots exceeding one million dollars.

You Will Need

A standard deck of playing cards
Money or poker chips to bet with
A little mental acuity

How to Play Seven Card Stud

Howcast — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:59:27 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Choose dealer Choose a dealer. One way to do this is to deal cards around the table face-up. The first player to get an Ace is the dealer.
Step 2: Shuffle & cut The dealer shuffles and cuts the deck of cards.
Step 3: Ante up Each player “antes up” by placing an amount predetermined by the dealer into the pot.
Step 4: Deal cards The dealer deals around three times, distributing a card at a time to each player, for a total of three cards each. The first two cards—called “hole cards”—are dealt face-down; the third card—called a “door card”—is dealt face-up.
Step 5: Opening bet The dealer announces the lowest card showing, and a round of betting follows, opened by the player holding the lowest card and proceeding clockwise to his or her left. The opening bet is called a “bring in” and is usually a small, nominal amount.
TIP: If two or more players hold low cards of the same value, the cards are then ranked alphabetically by their suit—club, diamond, heart, spade. So if four players hold Twos, the one holding the Two of clubs makes the “bring in” bet.
Step 6: Deal 4th & bet The dealer deals a fourth card—called “fourth street” or “the turn”—face-up to each player. The dealer announces the highest card or hand showing and a round of betting follows, started by the player holding that high card or hand and proceeding clockwise to his or her left.
TIP: It’s also customary for the dealer to announce any pairs that may be showing after the fourth card is dealt and any raises that occur during betting.
Step 7: Deal 5th & bet The dealer deals a fifth card—called “fifth street”—face-up to each player. The dealer announces the highest card or hand showing and betting again follows, started by the holder of that high card or hand and proceeding clockwise to his or her left.
Step 8: Deal 6th & bet The dealer deals a sixth card—called “sixth street”—face-up to each player. The dealer announces the high card or hand and betting again follows, started by the holder of that high card or hand and proceeding clockwise to his or her left.
Step 9: Deal 7th & bet The dealer deals the final card—called “seventh street” or “the river”—face-down to each player. The dealer announces the highest card or hand showing and a final round of betting occurs, started by the holder of that high card or hand and proceeding clockwise to his or her left.
Step 10: Show & win When the betting has stopped, every player still in the game turns their hand face-up, starting with the dealer. The player holding the best five-card poker hand wins the game.
FACT: A poker hand of two black Aces over two black Eights is called a “Dead Man’s Hand”��according to legend, those are cards Wild Bill Hickok was holding when he was gunned down in 1876.

You Will Need

A standard deck of playing cards
Poker chips or money to bet with
A working knowledge of poker hands
A group of 2 to 8 players
A table or surface to play on

How to Play Anaconda

Howcast — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:58:05 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Choose dealer Choose a dealer, who shuffles and cuts the deck of cards, then deals seven cards face-down to each player.
Step 2: Start betting The player to the dealer’s left starts a round of betting.
Step 3: Pass 3 cards Every player chooses three cards to pass to the player on his or her left. When the dealer gives the order, all players pass simultaneously.
Step 4: 2nd round of betting The player to the dealer’s left then starts a second round of betting.
Step 5: Pass 2 cards Every player passes two cards to the player on his or her left, and a third round of betting begins.
TIP: For more fun, alternate between passing cards to the left, right, or across the table.
Step 6: Pass 1 card Every player passes one card to the player on his or her left, and a fourth round of betting begins.
Step 7: Select 5 best cards Players select their best five cards and stack them face-down on the table in front of them.
Step 8: Turn over top card When the dealer gives the order, every player simultaneously turns over the top card on his or her stack. The player with the highest card showing starts another betting round.
Step 9: Turn over next card When the dealer gives the order, every player simultaneously turns over the next card on the top of his or stack, and the player with the highest hand showing starts another betting round.
Step 10: Continue process The flipping and betting process is repeated twice more until each player has all but one card showing. A final round of betting begins.
TIP: To make things even more venomous, make the last round of betting “no-limit.”
Step 11: Flip final card After the last round of betting, the final card is flipped, and the player with the highest poker hand wins the pot.
FACT: While the python may be longer, the South American anaconda is the world’s biggest snake, weighing over 500 pounds.

You Will Need

A standard deck of playing cards
Poker chips or money to bet with
A group of players
A table or surface to play on

How to Play Five Card Draw

Howcast — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 16:56:33 +0000

Instructions

Step 1: Decide betting rules Decide on your betting rules. What will be the ante? Is there a betting limit? Is there a limit to how many times a bet can be raised? If so, what is it?
TIP: To keep the game fair, establish a modest limit to prevent players with infinite funds from sweeping the pot with huge bets. To keep the game interesting, increase the limit in the final round of betting.
Step 2: Ante up Each player antes up by placing their ante in the middle of the table.
Step 3: Choose dealer Choose a dealer. One way to do this is to deal cards around the table face-up. The player to get the highest card is the dealer.
Step 4: Deal cards The dealer deals the cards face-down around the table, starting with the player to his or her left and continuing clockwise. Cards are dealt one at a time until each player has five cards.
Step 5: Open betting Each player assesses his or her cards, and the first player to the left of the dealer opens the betting. That player may also say ‘Check,’ which passes the option to open the betting to the next player. Checking means that you don’t want to start the betting but want to see what happens without quitting.
Step 6: Make choice When a bet is made, each player has three choices: fold, call, or raise.
Step 7: Ask for new cards If 1 player remains after every player has had the chance to call, raise, or fold, they are the winner. Otherwise, the dealer asks if you want new cards. Each player selects up to 3 cards to discard and places them face-down on the table. The dealer will then deal new cards face-down to bring each hand back to a total of five cards.
Step 8: Bet & show Once each players has had a chance to discard, there is a final round of betting, after which the remaining players show their hands.
TIP: One high-stakes variation is to keep the betting going indefinitely until one of the players calls another, stopping any further betting and forcing all remaining players to show their hands (after they have seen or matched any raises). The last player to raise the stakes (who has been “called”) shows his cards first.
Step 9: Winning The player with the highest five-card poker hand wins the pot.
FACT: Poker originated from a 16th-century Spanish card game called ‘”primero”—later versions were called “poque” in French and “pochen” in German.

You Will Need

A standard deck of playing cards
Poker chips or money to bet with
A group of 2 to 8 players