We’ve all seen horror movies and wondered if poker is really as bad as they say. In the films, the hero is outnumbered, out of options, and dragged into darkness. Then, he’s chomped to pieces by zombies. What can we learn from this? Poker can be just as bad. Here are three tips to help you avoid making these mistakes. o Know your hand’s strength and weakness.
o Know the game’s rules and betting limits. While rules differ, the basic rules of the game remain the same: each player is dealt two cards. Before they are dealt, players make blind bets or ante bets, usually $1 or $5. They then take turns dealing cards to each other. If one of them has a pair, they can raise their bet and win the pot. If a player does not have a pair of aces, they may have a pair of aces.
o Count cards. Poker hands are dealt face up, in a rotation. A hand reaches a showdown if there are callers in the last round of betting, or if the first player has an all-in before the last betting round. A side pot is created, separate from the main pot, by adding additional money bet by the remaining players. This side pot may contain a large number of players. The player who is all-in is only eligible to win the pot he contributed to.