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.

Thu, 08/18/2011 – 05:01 – PokerPages Staff

A major issue for a beginner poker player is knowing when to walk away. It’s good to have confidence but you shouldn’t believe that you’re capable of winning every hand. Therefore, one of the important, unwritten poker rules is knowing when to call it quits.

There are two main situations when it really matters:

•    The first scenario is when you’re consistently losing and find yourself no longer in the game. If you find that your poker betting has taken this turn, walk away from the table or sign out. Don’t be tempted to try and win back your money. Take what you have left for betting to another game.

•    The second scenario, in which it pays to walk away, is the complete opposite. It is when you’re on a winning streak. This is where all of your bets seem to be the right ones. Remember though, you’re not invincible. If you start getting too cocky, it’s time to take your profits and run.

It’s worth knowing when to stop betting and walk away. Avoid stubbornness. You’ll only end up losing a lot more money than you should have or throwing away all your profits. As soon as you’re able to figure out when to leave a game and stop betting, you should start seeing your winnings increase.

Are you a beginner poker player who wants to find out more? Visit PokerSchoolOnline – the home to future champions. Then, you can test out what you’ve learned free at PokerStars.net.