Wed, 08/24/2011 – 05:52 – PokerPages Staff

The classic game of seven-card stud poker is one which any beginner poker player should learn. Read the following poker information to find out how to play the most traditional high-hand wins all variation of the game.

What you need:
•    52 card deck
•    chips
•    two to seven players

How to play:
•    Each player bets an ante.
•    The dealer then gives each player three cards starting from the left. Two of the cards, known as the pocket or hole cards, are placed faced down and the other is dealt face-up.
•    Each player can look at their pocket cards.
•    Whichever player has the lowest card facing-up bets the ‘bring in’ bet. Betting then resumes from that player’s left.
•    Once the betting has finished, a face-up card is dealt to each player. This card is referred to as ‘the turn’ or ‘fourth street’.
•    The second round of betting is started with the player who has the highest card. With each subsequent round of betting this will now be the case.
•    Once this round has finished a fifth card, known as ‘the river’ or ‘fifth street’, is dealt.
•    A sixth round of betting commences after the fifth round is complete.
•    The seventh and final card is dealt facing down and each player takes it into their own hand. This is then the final round of betting.
•    After this, each player shows their hand. The winner is the player who made the best five-card hand from the seven dealt.

To learn more visit PokerSchoolOnline – the Internet’s #1 poker education site. Or try a game of seven-card stud free and without risk at PokerStars.net.

Mon, 08/15/2011 – 06:02 – PokerPages Staff

Every poker player bets with, and plays by, their own poker rules and strategies. However, as a beginner poker player there are a few points you should be aware of that are universal within this game.

Recklessness
Avoid playing recklessly. If you want to take the game seriously and bet with really money then this is important: you need to be disciplined and make good decisions.

Making mistakes
As a beginner poker player you’re bound to make mistakes. However, resist dwelling on them and move on. If you want to get better at poker then it’s good to make errors but then learn from them.

Playing like a fish
‘Fish’, or ‘calling stations’ as they’re otherwise known, are notorious for calling when they realize they’ve been beaten and, therefore, end up handing out a lot of money. Any money you lose adds up eventually. So, even though it might be cheap to stay in it doesn’t automatically mean that it’s the best move.

Rushed decisions
A great aspect about poker betting is that you can take your time: think over your decisions carefully, consider all the information and don’t be tempted to rush in.

Poor cards
A common mistake made by beginner poker players, especially online, is playing a poor hand. Occasionally they can work against your opponents. However, it makes more sense to stick with good hands.

If you want to learn more tips on how to improve your poker betting visit PokerSchoolOnline – the Internet’s #1 source for poker education. Then test out your new knowledge free at PokerStars.net.