Poker has been around for centuries, but the stellar rise of online poker in the past couple of decades has undoubtedly contributed to poker becoming one of, if not the most popular card game around the world.
Fancy poker rooms at casinos, global tournaments with prize pools reaching into the millions of dollars, the vying and bluffing, the glamour of poker; it’s no wonder that this ultimate game of skill attracts so many people to try their luck and hone their card playing skills.
Despite the game having virtually countless iterations, learning how to play poker shouldn't be difficult. But picking up poker basics is merely scratching the surface. To master the game, you will need more than a handy poker tutorial. It takes years of practice and hundreds of betting rounds to become a pro.
What Is Poker and How Is It Played?
Poker is a card game played by two or more people who bet on the value of their hands, or card combinations, with the winner taking the pool of money made from those bets.
Although it has numerous variants, all poker games have similar betting principles in common, and the way bets are placed in poker sets this game apart from other card games. In addition, virtually all of them are equally popular among famous poker players!
We've written extensively about various types of poker and strategies for each variant, so you can consult them before diving deeper into the game:
How Many People Can Play Poker & Most Common Poker Formats
Traditionally, poker is considered a game for 2 to 7 players where the more, the merrier rule applies, with 6 or 7 being the ideal number. However, more than seven people can play certain poker variants, and even some of the biggest tournaments place up to eleven players in the early stages. For instance, you can also try poker with a bigger crowd by playing poker online with friends and see how it goes!
To answer the question of how many people can play poker, we’ll present three most common formats in which poker is played:
Full ring
This format employs the whole poker table, meaning that the maximum number of players is ten - nine and a dealer.
This is the most common format for Texas Hold 'em and short deck poker, for example. However, some full-ring games will limit the number of players to nine. Note that a full ring does not necessarily have to involve nine or ten players; it only refers to the highest number of players that are allowed to take a seat at the table.
Short-handed
The maximum number of players allowed in a short-handed game is usually six, hence the other name six-max. Just like with a full ring game, a short-handed game can also run even with fewer players at the table.
Heads-up
Finally, a heads-up game refers to a match between two opponents. Heads-up is a popular online format; it is rarely seen in poker rooms, though, simply because of the inefficient use of poker tables.
Learn to Play Poker: Basic Rules for Beginners
Learning how to play poker shouldn't be too hard, but it ain't a breeze either. However, having the main elements of the game broken down certainly comes in handy, so here's a selection of our guides to different aspects of poker:
Poker Hands: Card Values Explained
If you wish to pick up poker basics, the first thing to learn is poker card strength. Poker hands are combinations of cards - in Texas Hold’em, two hole cards and five community cards - that eventually, but not necessarily, decide the winner of a poker game.
The strength of different hands that you can play is classified by the poker hands rankings, which is an essential tool to get a grasp of how to play poker. At the core of all variants of the game is a standard poker hand ranking system that is crucial to get the hang of if you're serious about winning.
Here, we will rank the ten basic poker hands from the strongest to the weakest:
So, basically, Royal/Straight Flush is the strongest and the least probable of all poker hands. The probability of poker hands increases as we go further down the list, with the exception of One Pair and Two Pair hands, which are actually the most probable of all hands, High Card included.
Differences Between Playing Poker Online vs. in a Land-Based Casino
The debate about playing poker online vs. poker in a casino may quickly become heated, especially if you're discussing the issue with stalwarts of traditional, land-based casinos.
Learning how to play poker online doesn’t differ much from learning how to play poker at home; both manners have their upsides and downsides, so we will try to sum up the pros and cons of both online and land-based poker to help guide your choice.
Pros of playing at a land-based casino
- Socializing with other players – land-based casinos are social places that raise the level of excitement and offer a unique experience.
- Handling cards and chips – poker chips constitute an important part of a poker game. Being able to handle cards and chips adds to the excitement, as opposed to betting with virtual chips
- Free drinks – most land-based casinos offer free drinks to their visitors, which is a nice touch, considering the money you're spending there.
- Tells – when playing poker, bluffing is essential. Knowing poker tells makes it much easier to read your opponent's hand in a brick-and-mortar venue and analyse their behaviour to see if they're bluffing.
Cons of playing at a land-based casino
- Expensive – most of us don't live in an area where there are land-based casinos, which means that to visit one, you have to travel there, pay for accommodation, etc.
- Hectic atmosphere – for some, buzzing activity at land-based casinos can be stimulating; others may find it hard to concentrate due to noise.
- Limited game selection – the most popular poker variant, Texas Hold 'em, can be found at any land-based casino around the world. Still, most casinos won't offer other options, which means that you won't be able to try your luck at different poker iterations.
Pros of playing poker online
- Convenience – at casinos online, you can play anytime you like, without the need to travel and you can also learn how to play poker game at your own pace.
- Perfect for newbies – online venues are ideal for new players as they usually offer lower betting limits and free play.
- No distractions – playing poker online from the comfort of your home means that you'll be able to concentrate more on your strategy.
- Keeping track of wins and losses – online casinos let you access your stats with a few clicks so that you always know how much you spent and won.
- Game selection – don't like Texas hold'em? No biggie, you can switch to Omaha Hi/Lo or Seven Card Stud at any point.
- Opponents can't read your hand – this comes in handy, especially if you're a greenhorn, because more experienced players are naturally better at calling your bluff.
Cons of playing poker online
- Lack of actual casino experience – visiting a land-based casino is a unique experience and playing online doesn't anywhere near to hanging out in a flashy poker room.
- You can't tell when other players are bluffing – not giving your bluff away is a good thing, but note that when playing online, you won't be able to tell if your opponents are bluffing either.
All Pokered Out
If we were to sum poker up, we'd have to say the game is so popular that there are even songs about poker!
Other than that, we hope that we managed to help you learn how to play poker and familiarise yourself with this ultimate game of skill. Now all that’s left to do is practice, practice, practice so that you master all of the aspects of poker and engage in some truly thrilling poker hands!
Until then, enjoy our other guides on popular casino games and always remember to play responsibly!
