What Are The Types Of Hands In Poker?
At its face, poker is a very simple game: everyone is dealt cards, asked to make the best five-card hand, and takes turns betting that they have the best hand. Think you have the best hand? Bet and hope you get calls! Think you're beat? Either fold, or make a bluff. But, despite this simple gameplay, there are infinite possibilities, based on how the cards land, and, more importantly, your opponent's psychology.
Types of Poker Hands
Poker gameplay follows a simple pattern with lots of variations. It usually goes as follows:
First, players enter blind bets, either blinds or antes, to get money in the pot. Then, cards are dealt, either by a player or a dealer. Next, there are rounds of betting, followed by more cards being dealt. This varies depending on the exact version of poker you're playing, but almost always, one player checks or bets, and then other players act in turn by either checking or betting when there is no bet, or calling folding or raising if another player bets first.
Then there are two options:
- If all players fold, the last bettor takes the pot, and another hand is dealt.
- If all bets are called on the last round of betting, players showdown, beginning with the last player who bet. Whoever has the best hand wins!
Poker Hand Rankings
The ranking of hands are as follows: