How to play poker

Place your bets

Before the cards are dealt, players will place their bets. These can include ante bets, where all players put in an equal amount of money, and blinds, where the player immediately to the left of the dealer places a small bet and the player to the left of them places a larger one.

Players then receive two hole (face down) cards each. At this point, players must decide if they’re going to check (decline the opportunity to start the betting), bet/call any bets (match another player's bet), or fold if they have a weak hand. Each time a player decides to check, the opportunity to bet or check is passed on clockwise to the next player. Once a player makes the first bet, all remaining players must call, to match that amount.

The community cards

Once betting has concluded, the flop (three face up cards) is dealt. Players can now get a better idea of their hand strength, and another round of betting takes place

Time for the turn

Next, the turn (a fourth face up card) is dealt and can be used by players to build a better hand. Bear in mind that a hand consists of only five cards. This then is followed by another round of betting.

Hands Are Finalized

The river (a fifth face up card) is dealt, and players who are still in can see the actual strength of their hand. Before the showdown, it’s time for one final round of betting

The Winner is revealed

Now it’s time for the showdown, when players reveal their poker hands to see who has won the pot. A kicker, the highest card, may be used to break ties.

You'll only get two cards at the start of a hand, so make sure they're both strong. It's much easier to play a pot with a strong holding, particularly when you're starting out, as it negates any chances of getting into sticky situations. If you know you're beat even when holding a good hand, you shouldn't be in the hand - simple.

Even a new player can make a lot of money from micro and small-stake games online by playing a tight, solid, ABC game. If it's a good hand and a good situation, play it. If you know you can't win and the other player isn't going to fold, just muck your hand to fight another day.

So, what's a good starting hand?

Obviously, high pairs like A-A, K-K, Q-Q, J-J and 10-10 are worth raising with, particularly in late position.

A-K, A-Q and A-J, all suited, are more examples of strong hands you want to raise with pre-flop. They're also good hands for making Continuation Bets with, i.e. if you've raised pre-flop and have hit a flop that doesn't really help you (say, the three cards are all below yours) you may want to lead out with a bet to portray strength.

Next come the medium strength hands, like K-10, Q-10 and J-10, and medium pairs like 9-9, 8-8 and 7-7. They're all good raising hands, depending on position and the dynamic of your table, but can also be called with in an aggressive pre-flop betting round.

Finally, marginal hands like 2-2, 3-3, and A-9 are all decent hands for calling with pre-flop if in late position. You may disguise your hand by hitting trips (three of a kind) on the flop, then you can start to be aggressive.

The beauty of online poker is that no two tables are alike. If you have a particularly tight table you can mix things up by expanding your starting hand range to exploit weakness. For most beginners, however, a solid game with strong starting hands is sensible, if a little dull to start off with.

1. For example, let's say you hold a pair of fours at the start of a hand. To hit another 4, making a set, on the flop your odds would be around 7.5 to 1. You know this because there are only two other cards you need (2 out of 52), you hold two yourself, and the other players hold two apiece.

2. If you're not going to make more than 7.5 to 1 on your bet by playing, it's not worth playing; the 'pot odds' are not good enough for you to call. So, if the pot had $25 in it, and you had to bet $5, your pot odds would be 5 to 1: not enough to make the call.

3. Let's say you make the call anyway, and the flop misses you entirely, coming J-K-2. Your chances of hitting that 4 just went up, as there are fewer cards to come out. However, the action gets a bit crazy post-flop and you're being offered around 10 to 1 on your money to make a call, knowing that your hand odds are about 9 to 1. Now you DO make the call.