Blue Square PokerIf you're new to the game of poker, this section tells you all about how to play the games we offer. The object of all poker is to get the best possible five-card poker hand. Poker hands are ranked according to the likelihood of them occurring. Royal flushes and four of a kind are rare hands and consequently are ranked higher than more commonly held hands such as two pairs or three of a kind. Before going any further you should acquaint yourself with the order in which poker hands are ranked. Poker hand rankingsWhen poker is played in real life players take it in turns to be the dealer, who deals the cards to the player to his left first and to his or herself last. After each hand the deal moves round and the next player, moving in a clockwise direction, becomes the dealer. In a professional card room a dealer is provided so players do not have to deal themselves. In the Blue Square Poker Room there is a virtual dealer. Even though players do not physically deal the cards in a professional card room or online, the position of the dealer is still important. In Texas Holdem, Omaha and Omaha Hi-Lo (the games on offer in the Blue Square poker room) the two players to the immediate left of the dealer are required to make compulsory bets known as blinds, prior to any cards being dealt. So, to ensure fairness the position of the dealer moves around the table after each hand. A small disk, with the letter D on it is used to signify who is the virtual dealer, even though they are not actually physically distributing the cards. This dealer disk is also referred to as the button. |