Are you new to poker? Well, fear not; it is like most popular games: easy to grasp, but takes a lifetime to master. The rules are very simple, so here's a crash course.
Poker is a very simple game based on the following premise: Players are dealt cards and bet on the strength of their available cards, with all bets accumulating in a central pot. Once all the cards are dealt and all the bets are made, the player with the best 5 card hand wins. All that changes between the different forms of poker are how many cards are dealt, whether any cards are 'communal' or shared, and whether some cards are visible to other players.

The most important thing to learn in poker is the order, or rank of the various hands. Here is a run down, with the highest ranking first. Namely, a Running Flush beats four of a kind, which beats a Full House and so on.

As the most popular form of poker, we will use Texas Hold’em as the example game. For details of the differences between the different types of game, see Games and Tournaments. The game starts with each player being dealt two cards (their 'Hole Cards'). Each player can see their two cards only. Five cards will eventually be displayed in the middle (the 'River Cards'). These are the community cards, which each player can use to create their hand. The dealer is marked with a 'D' icon. Betting starts from the person to the left of the dealer and continues clockwise around the table. It is split into 4 rounds. After these four rounds, those players that have not folded will see a showdown, and the highest hand wins.

Before play begins, the player to the left of the dealer posts a small blind. The player to their left then posts a big blind. This is so that there is money in the pot before the game commences.

Each player is dealt two cards that only they can see.

Each player takes it in turn to call, raise or fold. To call is to match any outstanding bets by other players. Calling a bet of zero is called 'check'. Raising is where you bet more than the current bet (particularly if you have confidence that you will win). A player folds by throwing in their cards. This means they do not want to call the current bet, because they believe they will lose at a showdown. When a player folds, they lose all the bets they have put into the pot so far. This betting round continues until all non-folded players have bet the same amount.

Three cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table. These flop cards are the first part of the river or community cards that all players can use to make their best hands. Betting Round: A betting round, run in the same way as before.

Also called the turn card, this is a 4th community card, dealt face up in the middle of the table. Betting Round.

Also called the turn card, this is a 4th community card, dealt face up in the middle of the table. Betting Round.

At this stage, those still in the pot reveal their cards and the highest hand wins or is divided if there is a tie. To make their hands, each player can use the best five cards out of all the community cards and their hole cards, combined. In the case that 2 or more players have equally strong cards and it is a tie, the pot will be split. For example, if one player has 1D, 2S and another has 2D, 3H. River is QD QS KH KC KS, and then both have a best hand of full house, Kings over queens, so the pot is split between them. And that's about it. That is how to play Texas Hold’em. It's a good place to start for all other types of poker, and it takes a long time to master. There is no single winning strategy, but look around the forums and see if anyone suggests a formula that works for you. Good Luck.