Free Online Poker

Playing free online poker is a good means of learning how to play poker. There are many websites that offer free poker games for recreational play. Many of these sites do not involve any exchange or gambling of real money and are thus not considered gambling websites. Some offer their services free but the games involve gambling. Free online poker websites can also offer programs or applications for download to play against simulated opponents or real human opponents through the internet. Modern wireless phones have free applications available for download that involve some form of online poker.

Free online poker is a good venue for beginners to practice poker. There is nothing to lose as the play does not involve money of any sort. Some of Free online poker websites do not require any subscription or registration. Beware of online poker websites that offer their services free for a limited time. Pay close attention to what these website say because membership charges may be imposed after the probationary period has expired. Usually a give-away of this kind of “free” online poker is when a credit or debit card number is required to sign up. Beware of these sites because these could easily be identity theft scams. Many free online poker websites have forums in which players can give each other pointers on poker strategy and discuss the game. Many of these websites are community oriented.

Many free online poker services offer their websites as a venue of gambling as well. Customers use their websites, they usually have plenty of advertisements on their websites, and gamble with opponents on the site. These sites should be generally regarded as risky because since no money is exchanged with the virtual gambling institution, the gambling site may not be liable if winnings are unfairly lost or not paid. There is no institutional means of legal recourse and lawsuit could be done on a personal basis. However, this is usually not likely to happen because international players generally do not have standing in court. International law is not generally favorable to lawsuits involving individuals taking very small claims.

Free online poker is a fun way to learn the game; however, always use caution when signing up for websites. Do not give up information that is unreasonable. Pay close attention to what type of free online poker site is being chosen as some sites offer different services. Some free sites are also known to give visitors spam and viruses too. Have fun and always use caution.

Poker Strategies

The famous poker strategist David Sklansky stated in the Fundamental Theorem of Poker, “Every time you play a hand differently from the way you would have played it if you could see all your opponents’ cards, they gain; and every time you play your hand the same way you would have played it if you could see all their cards, they lose. And the converse of the original theorem is also true; “every time opponents play their hands differently from the way they would have if they could see all your cards, you gain; and every time they play their hands the same way they would have played if they could see all your cards, you lose.” This theorem is the basis of almost all poker strategy, the strategy a player chooses depends on probability. This theorem is true; however, the application thereof can lead to confusion because of the variables of probability. Therefore, the best poker strategy always involves making the best decisions based on the probable circumstances of a given situation.

If a player feels that his or her opponents are playing their cards the same way in similar circumstances, then play the cards differently. If a player feels that his or her luck is changing due to his or own actions, change strategy accordingly. Experienced players get circumstantial information from intuition and the reading of body language. The amount of money a player bets could also give information as to the value of the hand that a player was dealt. There are many different types of strategies that apply to different situations in a poker game. Knowing which strategy to use at the right time comes with experience. Here are a small sample of common poker strategies:

Deceptive strategies

The employment of a deception requires good acting skills to convince opponents of the fortune or misfortune of a given scenario in a poker game. Bluffing is a form of deception in which a player induces the folding of each players’ superior hands. This is normally done when a player does not have a good hand but still wants to win. Despite the lousy hand, the player still best as though his or her hand were good. A player who bluffs successfully wins by default as a result of forfeiture of the other opponents. The risk in bluffing is that opponents could call a bluff and then refuse to fold, which would result in a more probable loss. Bluffs most often pay off for players who do not have a reputation for bluffing.

Slow-playing is another form of deception in poker in which a player bets low on a good hand. It is roughly the opposite of a bluff. The objective is to lure opponents into raising their bets instead of folding. If a slow-play strategy works, it is unlikely to lose badly, good gains are to be expected when opponents are enticed into staying in the pot. Knowing the proper amount of bait comes with practice. Successful slow-plays generally happen under these conditions:
• The player must believe that he will drive out opponents by showing aggression, but can win a big pot if the opponents stay in the pot.
• The hand must be very good.
• The pot must not yet be very large.

Poker Hands

The poker family of card games all involve a combination of cards that are dealt to players known as a “hand.” Each type of poker hand is given an assigned value and there are 10 different types of possible hands in poker. Each hand is display from strongest to weakest.

Royal Flush

This type of poker hand is the highest ranking hand possible. It beats everything. It is a form of Strait flush with Aces High. It is a hand that contains five cards in sequence, all of the same suit with an ace at the highest. For example: Ace of Spades, King of Spades, Queen of Spades, Jack of Spades, and a Ten of Spades. The probability of drawing this combination in only five cards is approximately 649,739 : 1.

Straight Flush

This type of poker hand is a sequence of five cards, all of the same suit. The sequence of numbers can be descending or ascending but they must all be of the same suit. For example: Queen (of Clovers), Jack (of Clovers), 10 (of Clovers), 9 (of Clovers), and 8 (of Clovers). The probability of drawing this hand in only five cards is 64,974 : 1.

Four of a Kind

This type of poker hand involves a sequence of five cards with four cards of one rank. The last card in the sequence does not have to fit any pattern. Each card could be of a different suit. For example: 9 of hearts, 9 of spades, 9 of diamonds, 9 of clovers, Queen of hearts. The approximate probability of drawing this hand is 4,165 : 1.

Full House

Full Houses are a sequence of 3 cards with each matching ranks and the other two have to be of a different but matching rank. Suit does not matter For example: 3 of diamonds, 3 of spades, 3 of clovers, 5 hearts, and 5 of diamonds. If two or more players draw a full house, the one with the higher ranking full house wins. The probability of drawing a this poker hand is roughly 694 : 1.

Flush

A flush is a type of poker hand in which 4 out of the five cards are of the same suit. Numbers do not have to match. The last card in the sequence does not have to follow any specific pattern. The probability of drawing this hand is in the vicinity of 509 : 1.

Straight

This poker hand consists of a sequence of five cards in an ascending or descending order. Suit is disregarded. If there are two straights drawn, the player with the highest total rank wins. Suit is not considered in cases of ties. The probability is approximately 255 : 1.

Three of a Kind

This type of poker hand contains three cards of the same rank, plus two unmatched cards. Suit is not considered. Roughly 1 out of 47 draws are Threes of a kind.

Two Pairs

Two pairs contain two cards of the same rank, plus two cards of another rank. The last card does not follow any specified pattern. Multiple two pair drawings are settle by total rank. 21: 1 is the probability of getting a two pair hand.

One Pair

One pair is two cards of the same rank, plus three others that do not have to follow any pattern. 1 in 2.36 is a one pair, so nearly half of all drawings have at least a one pair poker hand. Highest pairs win in the case of multiple one-pair drawings.

Only Singles

No pattern is possible, given the cards. Roughly one in two drawings are of this sort. Nevertheless, they sometimes win a pot if the other players fold or even at a showdown. Two high-card hands are ranked by comparing the highest ranking card. If those are equal, then the next highest ranking card from each hand is compared, and so on until a difference is found.