Poker Online

Looking for a reliable online casino to play poker online for real money? Check our list of the best online casinos to find and try poker games free versions or to directly start playing for real.

• The goal of the game – The goal is to create the best possible 5-card poker hand.
• Ante – The rules may state that a player or players must place a forced bet (ante) before a hand is dealt.
• Flop – The first community cards are known as the flop, and all remaining players can use them to make the best hand.
• Turn – Another community card (the turn or fourth street) is dealt after betting on the flop, so there are two hole cards and four community cards.
• River – After another round, the river or fifth community card (fifth street) is dealt and the showdown round follows.
• During the game, players can bet, call, raise or fold.
• Call – Put the same number of chips into the pot.
• Raise – To increase the chips to call.
• Fold – Put no chips and discard a hand until the cards are dealt again.

How to Play Online Poker Step by Step

1. Make a buy-in for the selected poker game
2. The dealer will then shuffle and start dealing the cards
3. Place the ante or blinds (starting bets)
4. You can now bet, call, or raise after each round
5. Check your cards in each round to see if you have the best hand
6. The player with the highest hand value wins after the final round or showdown

A proper understanding of card values and combinations is required when playing any type of poker. Cards can be ranked from the lowest to the highest as follows: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K and A. However, aces can have the lowest rank under certain rules.

Different winning combinations can be created based on sequences, ranks, pairs and suits. The Royal Flush is the best possible poker hand with the cards A, K, Q, J, and 10 from the same suit. The payout is usually 250 to 1 for bets between 1 and 4 coins. But it can pay off at 800 to 1 for a 5-coin bet. The High Card is the lowest possible hand. Check the table for all possible combinations.

Before anyone can play poker online, it's crucial to understand the possible bets. The most effective way to learn is to practise as many times as possible. That is not easy when playing poker for money, so it helps to start with free online poker machines. If you are determined, it won't take long to learn how to place bets at online poker NZ casinos. Let's look at some types of bets.

1. Donk bet – A bet placed out of position into the preflop aggressor. As the name implies, it is not a common one and only used in particular situations.
2. Continuation (C-bet) – A bet on the current street if the player was the last aggressor on the preceding street. Mainly used to pressure opponents.
3. Overbet – A bet that's bigger than the current pot size.
4. Underbet – A bet sizing that's lower than half the pot size.
5. Three-bet (re-raise) – A bet that entails placing the third bet during any round in poker.
6. Value bet – A bet that involves putting an opponent on a hand hoping to get paid with the opponent's worse holding.
7. Pot bet – The maximum bet which is almost equal to the pot size.

Odds of Being Dealt Certain Starting Hands

There are many possibilities in poker due to the sheer number of cards. The following table shows the odds of receiving a certain starting hand.

Unlike free online poker games, players can play real money poker with casino poker bonuses. The greatest poker sites will offer top poker games with a welcome bonus upon making a deposit. Online poker deposit bonuses can be awarded as match bonuses that can be claimed with a small deposit.

Besides poker signup bonuses, many poker sites have promotions for existing players. These include reload bonuses and free money poker no deposit bonuses. Poker players may also receive freeroll bonuses to enter poker tournaments free.

Poker online games not only require skills to play but must also be played with a strategy. Once a player grasps the basic rules of the game, they need to employ some tactics. Those who play with a strategy stand a better chance of winning than those playing blindly.

There are many types of online poker games inspired by the most common variants. They might be similar in one or the other, but players should also know the differences.

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  Texas Hold'em

  This is the most played version of poker at online casinos. It's an action-packed online poker game featuring two private or hole cards and five community face-up cards. Players use the community cards together with their hole cards to make the best five-card hand. Any 7-card combination can be used to create the best possible hand.

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  Omaha Hi-Lo

  Omaha Hi-Lo is another popular online poker game in which each player starts off with four private cards. The game also features five community cards that are dealt on the board face-up. Players use two of their private cards and three community cards to create the best 5-card hand.

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  Five-Card Draw

  Five-Card Draw poker is one of the easiest poker games to play for free or for real money online. The game can be played by two to five players using a standard 52-card deck. It features a dealer button and blinds. The goal is to make the highest 5-card hand using five pocket cards.

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  Pot-Limit Omaha

  Pot-Limit Omaha poker has gained popularity as one of the leading online poker games characterised by lots of action. This is probably because the game is similar to Texas Holde'm poker when it comes to game rules and betting options. However, Pot-Limit Omaha starts with four hole cards instead of two.