HowTo Play
General Poker
Poker in general has a lot of
rules and theory behind it.
Rules
- Playing Cards – Standard Deck
- Playing Cards – Miscellaneous Decks
- Standard Poker Hand Rankings
- Low Poker Hand Rankings
- Betting Basics
- Antes / Blinds
- Betting Structures
Articles
Downloads
- Records.xls
- A very simple Excel 2000 spreadsheet for poker record keeping.
Feel free to modify.
Standard
Deck
The standard deck consists of
52 playing cards, and is used in a
variety of games including poker, bridge, blackjack and solitaire.
Each card’s value consists of
one of the thirteen ranks and one of
the four suits. The values each of these may take on are:
- Ranks:
Ace, King, Queen , Jack, Ten, Nine,
Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four, Three, Two - Suits:
Spade (
),
Heart (
), Diamond (
),
Club (
)
In poker typically the ranks
are ordered from highest to lowest as
listed above, although an ‘Ace’ may count as either the highest or
lowest card. Suits rarely if ever are given an order in poker, as
opposed to bridge where suits are ordered from highest to lowest as
listed above.
Related Links
Brief History of Playing Cards
- The web site of
the International Playing-Card Society is for those interested curious
about playing cards.
Miscellaneous
Decks
Joker’s Added
One or more jokers can added to
a Standard
Deck
as wild-cards. This type of deck was commonly used at California poker
rooms in draw poker games. The jokers have an effect of making stronger
ranked hands more common and is thought to increase the amount of
betting.
Reduced Deck
Reduced decks consists of a Standard Deck
with some cards removed. A reduced deck sometimes used in European
poker games of stud or draw poker consists of 32 playing cards – the
2’s, 3’s, 4’s, 5’s and 6’s being removed. Again this has the effect of
making stronger hands more common and thought to increase the amount of
action.
Standard
Poker Hand
Rankings
Below is a ranking of five card
poker hands from a standard 52 card
deck.
Rankings are listed from highest to lowest.
When a hand may qualify for two different rankings the highest is
chosen.
Note: Suits are not used in poker hand rankings to break ties.
1. Straight Flush
Five cards in sequence all of
the same suit. An Ace can count as
either high or low – A
K
Q
J
T
and 5 4 3 2 A
are both possible straight flushes.
Ties are broken by the highest
ranked card (5 for a 5 4 3 2 A
straight flush) in the sequence.
2. Four of a Kind
Four cards of the same rank and
a fifth card of a differing rank.
Ties are broken firstly by the
rank of the four similar cards and
secondly by the rank of the fifth card.
3. Full House
Three cards of the same rank
and two cards of a different rank.
Ties are broken firstly by the
rank of the three similar cards and
secondly by the rank of the two similar cards.
4. Flush
Five cards all of the same suit.
Ties are broken firstly by the
rank of the highest card, secondly by
the rank of the second highest card, and so on to the fifth highest
card.
5. Straight
Five cards in sequence. An Ace
can count as either high or low.
Ties are broken by the highest
ranked card (5 for a 5
4 3
2 A
straight) in the sequence.
6. Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same rank,
and two other cards of differing ranks.
Ties are broken firstly by the
rank of the three similar cards,
secondly by the rank of the highest other card and thirdly by the rank
of the second highest other card.
7. Two Pair
Two cards of the same rank, two
cards of a different rank and a
fifth card of a different rank.
Ties are broken by the rank of
the highest pair, secondly by the
rank of the lowest pair and thirdly by rank of the fifth card.
8. One Pair
Two cards of the same rank and
three cards of differing rank.
Ties are broken firstly by the
rank of the two similar cards,
secondly by the rank of the highest other card, thirdly by the rank of
the second highest other card and fourthly by the rank of the third
highest other card.
9. High Card
Five cards of differing rank.
Ties are broken firstly by rank
of the highest card, secondly by
rank of the second highest card, and so on to the fifth highest card.
Appendix A – Frequency of Five
Card Poker Hands
The following table list the
frequencies of each poker hand ranking
given a selection of 5 cards from a standard 52 card deck. As can be
seen the order corresponds to how poker hands are ranked.
| Hand Type | Frequency | Probability(%) |
|---|---|---|
| Straight Flush | 40 | 0.00154 |
| Four of a Kind | 624 | 0.02401 |
| Full House | 3744 | 0.14406 |
| Flush | 5108 | 0.19654 |
| Straight | 10200 | 0.39426 |
| Three of a Kind | 54912 | 2.11285 |
| Two Pair | 123552 | 4.75390 |
| One Pair | 1098240 | 42.25690 |
| High Card | 1302540 | 50.11774 |
| Total | 2598960 | 100.00000 |
Low
Poker Hand Rankings
There are a number of games
where the low poker hand wins all of the
pot (eg Razz, Lowball) or a portion of the pot (eg Omaha Hi/Lo 8 or
better).
Low hands are ranked in the
reverse order of the Standard
Poker Hand Rankings
with some slight modifications. There are three common types of low
poker hand rankings: ace to five, ace to six, and deuce to seven.
Additionally, in some games like Omaha Hi/Lo there is a rule that the
hand must also qualify to win the low portion of the pot.
In all versions of low poker,
when breaking ties the highest cards
are compared first, followed by the second highest cards and so on. A
hand containing 7
6 5
4
2
will rank higher than 8
5
4 3 2
because the highest card in the first hand (7) is lower than the
highest card (8) in the second hand.
Ace to Five
In this form of ranking low
hands both straights and flushes are
ignored and an Ace counts as the lowest ranked card. The best possible
hand is Ace 2 3 4 5 of any suit, even if a flush. Note also that a pair
of aces beats a pair of 2s.
Ace to Six
Ace to six low hand rankings DO
count straights and flushes, but the
Ace still counts as the lowest ranked card. The best possible hand
contains cards of rank Ace 2 3 4 6 not all of the same suit.
Deuce to Seven
Deuce to seven low hand
rankings counts straights and flushes, and
the Ace is the highest card. This form of low poker hand ranking is the
exact reverse of the traditional Standard Poker Hand Ranking system.
The best possible hand contains cards of rank 2 3 4 5 7 not all of the
same suit. Note also that a pair of 2s beat a pair of Aces.
Qualifiers
In games like Omaha Hi/Lo 8 or
better to qualify, to win the low
portion of the pot a player must not have a pair and must not have a
card higher than an 8. For example, 7 6 4 2 A
qualifies for the low portion of the pot under these rules, while 9
4
3
2
A
and 5
3 3
2
A
do not. If no player qualifies at the showdown for the low portion of
the pot, the whole pot is distributed to the high hand winner.
Betting
Basics
Betting Options
When it is a player’s turn to
act, the following options may be
available.
1)
Fold
The player discards his hand and forfeits the chance to win any portion
of the pot.
2)
Check
If there has been no bet made on the current betting round a player may
choose to check,
putting no more money into the pot but
remaining in the hand.
3)
Call
If there has been a bet made in the current betting round a player may
choose to call
the bet, matching the current bet amount.
4)
Bet
If there has been no bet made on the current betting round a player may
choose to bet,
putting money into the pot, the amount
depending on the betting structure.
5)
Raise
If there has been a bet made on the current betting round a player may
choose to raise,
first calling the current bet amount then raising the current bet to a
larger size, the amount depending on the betting structure.
Antes
/ Blinds
Antes and blinds are forced
bets put into the pot by players before
any cards are dealt. A poker game’s betting structure may have either
or both of these bets. Antes and blinds are used to stimulate action as
without these bets players could fold all but their strongest hands
with no risk. In fact poker has correctly been said to be a fight for
the antes and blinds.
Antes
Antes are a forced bet that is
placed into the pot by every player.
This amount does not count towards the bets made on the first round of
betting. Typically antes are used in stud games and tournaments.
Blinds
Blinds are bets placed into the
pot usually by 1 or 2 players. These
amounts are counted towards the bets made on the first round of
betting. There can be blinds of different sizes as in Texas Hold’em
Poker or Omaha High Poker where the player one position after the
dealer places a small blind bet and the player two positions after the
dealer places a big blind bet twice the size of the small blind.
Betting
Structures
Limit
In poker games with a limit
betting structure the bet and raise
amounts are limited to a certain size. Each round of betting may have
different limits, normally with higher limits on later betting rounds.
Examples:
- With a $3 limit on the
current betting round and a current bet of
$0: The player to act may check or bet $3. - With a $3 limit on the
current betting round and a current bet of
$3: The player to act may fold, call $3 or raise the current bet to $6
(call $3 + raise $3). - With a $3 limit on the
current betting round and a current bet of
$6: The player to act may fold, call $6 or raise the current bet to $9
(call $6 + raise $3).
Pot Limit
In poker games with a pot limit
betting structure the bet and raise
amounts are limited to the size of the pot plus the bets and raises
made on the current betting round. The minimum bet size is equal to the
big blind and the minimum raise size is equal to the last bet or raise.
Examples:
- With a big blind of $5, a
pot of $100 and a current bet of $0:
The player to act may check or bet between $5 and $100. - With a big blind of $5, a
pot of $100 and a current bet of $50:
The
player to act may fold or call $50 or raise the current bet to between
$100 (call $50 + raise $50) and $250(call $50 + raise $200)
No Limit
In poker games with a no limit
betting structure there is no maximum
bet or raise size. The minimum bet size is equal to the the big blind
and the minimum raise size is equal to the last bet or raise.
Examples:
- With a big blind of $5, a
pot of $100 and a current bet of $0:
The
player to act may check or bet between $5 and however much the player
has on the table. - With a big blind of $5, a
pot of $100 and a current bet of $50:
The
player to act may fold or call $50 or raise the current bet to between
$100 (call $50 + raise $50) and however much the player has on the
table.
Improving Your Poker Play
Introduction
You have learned the rules of poker and have tried your hand at play
money or low limit real money. Maybe you are holding your own or even
losing a little. Now you want to improve your play and become a regular
winning poker player. This article will give an overview of the tools
that can help you improve your poker game and some suggested resources.
Play and analyse
It may sound like a cliché, but nothing beats experience
combined
with an honest analysis of your game. Play as much as you can, but
always review and analyse your play. Could you have played a hand
differently to win more money or lose less? Which of your opponents are
solid and which are playing worthless hands? These are just some
questions you should be asking yourself.
Suggestions:
See our poker
room reviews to find an online poker room to play at.
Books
Poker books provide a valuable source of information. There are many
poker books out there, of varying quality. I recommend that rather than
buying many books and only skimming over them once or twice, that it is
better to buy a few high quality books and really study them. You will
find that as you play more and read the books a second or third time
you will pick up concepts and strategies that you had previously missed.
Suggestions:
Winning Low-Limit Hold’em (Lee Jones) – An easy to read book that
provides a winning strategy specifically tailored for low-limit games.
Small Stakes Hold’em: Winning Big With Expert Play (Ed Miller, David
Sklansky, Mason Malmuth) – An excellent book explaining how to beat low
limit Hold’em games. This book offers intelligent, no-frills advice for
the aspiring poker player.
Hold’Em Poker for Advanced Players (David Sklansky, Mason Malmuth) -
This book is a must for serious hold’em players who have mastered the
low level games and are looking to move to higher limits.
Software
Poker playing software has advanced considerably over the last few
years. Although not up to the standard of world-class chess or
backgammon playing software, poker software gives a level of play
equivalent to a poker player who is well above an average skill level.
This allows for a much more realistic “free” playing experience than
the often ridiculous play at online play money poker tables.
Suggestions:
Poki Poker
- A commercial version of the software developed by the The University
of Alberta GAMES Group. Poki-poker is the result of over 10 years work
in game theory, machine learning and neural networks. It provides
opponents of varying strength in both full table play and heads-up
play. In my opinion Poki-Poker is the strongest poker playing software
available.
Turbo series by Wilson
software
- Available now for over a decade, the Wilson Turbo series was the
first poker software of a decent standard that was available to the
general public. Over the years the playing strength has improved
considerably and there is a product for almost any game type – Hold’em,
Omaha, 7 Card Stud in either cash game or tournament format.
Record Keeping
Record keeping is essential if you want to become a winning poker
player. Records will give you the information that you need to analyse
your win rates, discover weaknesses in your game, and also to give a
realistic assessment of how you are doing. Without record keeping you
will only be guessing as to how well you are playing and weaknesses in
your game may cause you to lose money indefinitely.
Although there are many excellent commercial products out there for
record keeping, beginner players may find an Excel spreadsheet an
excellent free option. I have constructed a basic spreadsheet that you
can download for free here.
Suggestions:
Poker Tracker
- Derives data from the hand history records available from online
poker rooms. Provides detailed statistics on you and your opponents in
almost every aspect of play plus the ability to replay each hand.
Poker Office
- Similar to Poker Tracker but also has the ability to track your play
in real time as you are playing.
Hand HQ – A
service that can provide millions of hand histories from the leading
online poker rooms. This can provide valuble information for those
wanting to do deeper research into a particular poker game.
Conclusion
Taking the step from a competent poker player to a regular winning
poker player takes some work and dedication. Although you might not see
the results at first, persistence and hard work does really pay off.
Online Poker Bots -
Threat or Not?
Written by Harrison Elliot
28 September 2005
Editors Note:
Harrison (not his real name) is a regular player in our poker games at
home. Late one night (and after a number of beers) the conversation got
onto online poker and another player complained about poker bots (short
for robot) ruining online poker. Harrison, being recently out of
college (with qualifications in pure math/finance and experience
working for an investment bank) told us a story about how he wrote a
poker bot and re-assured us that there was nothing to worry about. I
asked him if he would like to write an article for our website and he
kindly obliged. Here it is.
Introduction
Online games from chess and backgammon to 1st person shooters are
rife with people who use computer assisted play or computer robots -
even when there is no money at stake. With the appropriate program any
player is able to play at a world championship level ruining the game
for honest players. What makes online poker different, given that there
are huge amounts of money at stake?
In this article I will explain how I developed a poker bot and what
I learnt from this experience. My conclusion is that although it is
possible to construct a poker playing bot the threat from poker bots to
the online poker player is extremely small to non-existent.
“Games” Theory
For interest and college courses I had previously written computer
playing programs or bots for games including chess, Connect 4, Othello,
backgammon, bridge and various others. For games such as Connect 4,
Othello, chess and backgammon where all players have the same available
information about the game state, the theory on how to construct expert
bots is well known. Deep search techniques, looking many moves ahead,
are used for games such as Othello and chess. Recently (10 years ago)
it was discovered neural networks could be taught to play backgammon
better than almost any human player. Games such as poker and bridge
contain hidden information where the players can see their own hand but
not that of the other players. The published theory behind writing
expert computer bots for these incomplete information games is decades
behind the complete information games and there are doubts techniques
will be developed so that computers can play at expert or world
championship level. At present the best techniques for these incomplete
information games seem to involve some form of simulation and opponent
modelling.
Anatomy of An Online Poker Bot
There are 3 basics parts to a poker bot:
1) Data Gathering – observing the game state and history
2) Data Processing – using the information from the data gathered to
determine whether to fold, call or raise.
3) Output – Pressing the appropriate button on the poker room client.
My Poker Bot
My program was written in early 2004 with Microsoft .Net C++ and was
developed to play at one online room only. For the technically minded
the program relied heavily on MFC and the Win32 API.
1) Data Gathering
My bot gathered information about game state and history from online
poker tables by taking repeated screenshots and analysing the image. To
begin with I just observed games, taking screenshots automatically so I
could gather data on the position of the cards, chips and button. By
determining the color of a certain few pixels I was able to gather all
this information about the state of the game.
Eventually I was able to gather data from multiple poker tables (4 at a
time) by repeatedly bringing each window to the foreground and taking a
screenshot. From this screenshot I was able to determine my cards,
board cards, button position, who was left in the hand, pot size and
player bet sizes.
2) Data processing
This is the component that eventually bought my poker bot project to an
end, unable to develop a strong enough strategy to win consistently. I
tried various rules based, neural net and simulation techniques. At
best my bot was able to make a very small profit at $1/2 and $2/$4
limit hold’em, but nowhere near the thousands of dollars a week I
envisioned earning when I started the project. In the end it just
wasn’t worth my time to continue to put resources into developing my
poker bot further.
3) Output
This was the easiest component to write. This involved programmatically
moving the mouse pointer to the appropriate screen co-ordinates and
then sending a mouse down/mouse up command signalling a left-click. I
did give consideration to adding the ability for the bot to use chat
but never progressed that far.
Conclusion
Although you might run into a poker playing bot whilst playing
online the odds are it plays very poorly. At any level of play you are
much more likely to run into an expert human player than an expert
computer player.
Related Links
University
Of Alberta Game’s Group – World’s leading researchers into games of
all types. Home to Poki, arguably the world’s strongest poker AI.
Computer
chess programming – Excellent computer chess programming website.
Temporal Difference Learning and TD-Gammon
- Paper by IBM’s Gerald Tesauro on developing the first world champion
strength backgammon-playing program using neural networks.
Analysis of Party
Poker ‘Sidebet’
Introduction
With their latest update Party Poker have introduced a new betting
option named ‘Sidebet’. A Sidebet is a bet on the whether the flop will
be all of one color and is available on all real money and single table
tournament Hold’em and Omaha tables. In this article I will analyze
this Sidebet and how much the player is expected to win or lose for
every dollar bet.
Details
A wager is placed before any cards are dealt on one of two options -
whether the flop will be all red or all black. A bet of $5 or $10 can
be selected and if successful pays out at 8 for 1, which is equivalent
to odds of 7 to 1. This means for every $1 risked the player stands to
collect $8(win $7) if the bet wins.
Analysis of Bet
Whether you decide to bet on red or black the odds of success are
the same as there is an equal number of each color in a deck of cards.
Using the standard formula for selection without replacement we
calculate the expected win/loss for the player as follows:
Probability of winning = 26/52 * 25/51 * 24/50 = 0.117647059
Probability of losing = 1 – 0.117647059 = 0.882352941
Expected win/loss for player = (+$7 * 0.117647059) + (-$1 *
0.882352941) = -$0.058823529 for every dollar bet
