Texas Hold'em is currently the most popular Poker Game. Texas Hold'em is a community card game where each player may use any combination of the five community cards and their own two hole cards to make a poker hand, in contrast to poker games like stud or draw where each player holds a separate individual hand.

Dealing the Game of Texas Hold'em :

The object of Texas Hold'em is to create the best five-card hand using seven cards.
Betting Rules :

• Players will buy-in for the posted amount.
• Selected players will post blinds.

 

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The Dealer Button :

Unlike Seven Card Stud wherein the dealer deals each opening round clockwise around the table starting with the player closest to the left, the dealer in Hold'em will start to deal each game contingent upon which player has the "button." The button is a graphical representation ("D") of which player is the "dealer." Although our dealer will be dealing the Hold'em game, the player who has the button placed in front of his seat gets to play his cards as if he were the actual dealer. When the cards are dealt to players, they are dealt in a manner as if the player were actually dealing in a live environment.

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Blinds :

Because we have a player "on the button" we now ask two players to "post the big or small blinds please." The blinds serve a purpose similar to antes, in that they put forced money into the pot that gives other players an incentive to enter the hand. However, only two players will "post" or "put up" the blinds.

The first blind is called the "small blind". This bet is usually half the minimum bet of the game, although in some games, the fraction is slightly different. In $15-30, the small blind is $7, and in $5-10, the small blind is $2.

So, in a $2-4 game the small blind will be $1. The second blind is called the "big blind" and is always the same size as the game's minimum bet, e.g. in a 5-10 game, the big blind is $5.

The player directly left of the button will have the "small blind." The player directly to the left of the small blind will have the "big blind" of the full amount or the lowest game limit.

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Opening Deal :

Now that we have a Button and small and big blinds, we are ready to deal. The dealer always deals from the player closest to the dealer's left. Moving clockwise around the table, the game will "deal-in" each player. The players will be dealt one card face down, then a second card face down. A round of betting will occur starting with the player seated to the left of the big blind. Betting on Opening Deal :

The player seated to the left of the big blind will always have the action on the opening deal. This player may not check, but rather can only fold, call, or raise the amount of the big blind.

The game will now advance in turn to each player seated asking to fold, call, or raise until we reach the big blind for an action decision. If no one has raised by the time the play comes back around to the big blind, the big blind has the option to "check" his own BLIND wager or raise. Once all players have completed the first round of wagering, they will proceed to the flop.

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Flop :

The Flop The next cards to be dealt into the game will be the third, fourth and fifth cards in the game. These three cards will not be dealt to each player, but rather placed face up in the center of the table.

But before we "flop" anything, we must burn a card. The dealer will deal face down one card into the pot. After the burn card, the dealer will deal three cards face up in the center of the poker table. These three cards are called "community cards" which are available to all players for potential use to make a poker hand. The area in which these cards lie on the table is commonly referred to as the "board".
The look of the flop

Now the flop has landed on the "board" and all players have five cards available to make their hand, the two "hole" cards that were dealt on the opening round and the three "community cards" which all players may use. The rule of the determination of the action is as follows :

 

• After the opening deal, the player who is seated closest to the left of the button shall have the initial action for the remainder of the game. If the player who has the button folds, then the button is still active and will remain in front of that player's seat to keep the position of the button constant throughout that game.


• The player that has the action may check or bet. As soon as one player chooses to bet, then the other players in the hand can no longer check; they can only fold, call or raise the amount that is proper for that round (the lower betting limit on the first round and on the flop, and the higher betting limit on the turn and the river).

 

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The Turn :

The Turn The "turn" is the fourth card to be dealt onto the board and the sixth card available to the player. Some players call this "fourth street." However, the most common term used for this round is the "turn". As always, the dealer will burn a card and then deal one card face up onto the board to the right of the last flop card.
The look of the turn

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The 9 of spades is the "turn card".

At this point the players have access to the four cards on the board and their two hole cards. The game will now declare who has the action, which always begins with the player still remaining in the hand who is closest to the left of the button.

The bet on the turn is the higher level of the betting limit. In a $2-4 game, this would be $4. All raise will be in $4 increments with a cap of three raises. If there are just two players remaining, the number of raises is unlimited at our real money tables.

However, in tournament play, the three-raise limit applies even if there are only two players left in a hand.

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The River :

The dealer will then place the fifth and final card on the board. The Flop Cards turn River.

River Look
At this point, five cards are on the board and two hole cards are in the players' hands. The action again starts with the first player still remaining in the hand who is closest to the left of the button. All checks, bets, raises, and folds will be completed and then a showdown will begin.

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Who shows first?

The determination of which players' cards will and must be shown first will lie with the player who had initiated the action or with the person who had initiated the last bet, raise or re-raise. This simply means that whoever had the last action on the river must show his/her cards first.

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Suppose a Player wins by default?

A player who has a winning hand does not have to show his/her cards if his/her bet was not called.

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Who wins?

In our poker room, as with all, "cards speak." That means our dealer will find the best five-card hand using the five (5) community cards on the board and the two (2) pocket cards in the player's hand. The winner will be decided based on the universal poker hand rankings.

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Texas Hold'em Blind Rules :

All players must pay for their blinds in full before they are allowed to get the button. Therefore, the player who had posted the small blind in the prior hand will receive the button on the next deal of any game.

If in the event we have a new player to the game, then three (3) actions will occur.

 

1. If the new player is seated left of the blind, then he/she may choose to "post" the big blind or "wait." If the player does post, then his/her wager is active.
2. If the new player is seated in the big blind, then he/she is treated as such.
3. If the player is seated between the button and any blind, then he/she must wait for the button to pass.

 

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Missed Blinds rules and Procedures :

Missed big blind
If a player misses the big blind for any reason, then that player may not play in any hands until the sum of all blinds are made up. The game will place an "ML" button in that seat to declare the missed big blind. The game will ask the next active player to the left to post the big blind for the hand. If the missed player makes up the sum of all blinds, then the small blind portion is dead and must be put into the pot before the hand is dealt.

Missed small blind
If a player misses the small blind for any reason, then that player may not play in any hands until the small blind is made up. The game will place an "MS" button in that seat to declare the missed small blind. The game will ask the current big blind to please also post the small blind for the game. The game will further ask the next active player to the left to post the big blind. The player who had missed the small cannot return until after the button has passed. When and if the player does make up the missed small blind, then that money is dead and must be placed directly into the pot before any cards are dealt.

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A Winning Hand.com Texas Hold'em Games :

A Winning Hand offers a great variety of low, medium and high limit games. The offer may vary over time and therefore we do not list the games in this section. However, when setting up and specifying the limits of a game, we follow the general rules described below.

Lower Limit = (L) - Upper Limit = (U)	Example: (L) = $1 - (U) = $2
Maximum Number of Players: 2, 5 or 10	10
Minimum Buy-in: 10x(L)	$10
Small Blind: 50% of (L)	$0.50
Big Blind: (L)	$1

It is often said that Omaha is a game of "the nuts", i.e. the best possible high or low hand, because it frequently takes "the nuts" to win a showdown. It is also a game where between the cards in his hand and the community cards a player may have drawing possibilities to multiple different types of holdings. For example, a player may have both a draw to a flush and a full house using different combinations of cards. At times, even seasoned players may need additional time to figure what draws are possible for their hand.

Dealing the Game of Omaha :

The object of Omaha is to create the best five-card hand using exactly two out of four pocket cards and three out of five community cards.

Before the Deal: The game is played by 2-5 players.

Betting Rules :

 

• Players will buy-in for the posted amount.
• Selected players will post blinds.

 

The Dealer Button :

The dealer in Omaha will start to deal each game contingent on which player has the "button." The button is a graphical representation ("D") of which player is the "dealer." Although our dealer will be dealing the game, the player who has the button placed in front of his seat gets to play his cards as if he were the actual dealer. When the cards are dealt to players, they are dealt in a manner as if the player was actually dealing in a live environment.

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Blinds :

Because we have a player "on the button" we now ask two players to "post the big or small blinds please." The blinds serve a purpose similar to antes, in that they put forced money into the pot that gives players an incentive to enter the hand. However, only two players will "post" or "put up" the blinds.

The first blind is called the "small blind". This bet is usually half the minimum bet of the game. So, in a $2-4 game the small blind will be $1. The second blind is called the "big blind" and is always the same size as the game's minimum bet, e.g. in a 2-4 game, the big blind is $2.

The player directly left of the button will have the "small blind." The player directly to the left of the small blind will have the "big blind" of the full amount of the lowest game limit.

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Opening Deal :

Now that we have a Button and small and big blinds, we are ready to deal. The dealer always deals from the player closest to the dealer's left. Moving clockwise around the table, the game will "deal-in" each player. The players will be dealt four cards face down. A round of betting will occur starting with the player seated to the left of the big blind.

Betting on Opening Deal :

The player seated to the left of the big blind will always have the action on the opening deal. This player may not check, but rather can only fold, call, or raise.

The game will now advance to each player seated asking to fold, call, or raise until we reach the big blind for an action decision. If no one has raised by the time the play comes back around to the big blind, the big blind has the option to "check" his own blind wager or raise.

Once all players have completed the first round of wagering, they will proceed to the flop.

Flop :

The Flop The next cards to be dealt into the game will be the fifth, sixth and seventh cards in the game. These three cards will not be dealt to each player, but rather placed face up in the center of the table.

But before we "flop" anything, we must burn a card. The dealer will deal one face down card into the muck. After the burn card, the dealer will deal three cards face up in the center of the poker table. These three cards are called "community cards" which are available to all players for potential use to make a poker hand. The area in which these cards lie on the table is commonly referred to as the "board".

The look of the flop

Now the flop has landed on the "board" and all players now have seven cards available to make their hand, the four "hole" cards that were dealt on the opening round and now three "community cards" which all players may use. In Omaha, a poker hand must consist of exactly two face down cards and three community cards.The rule of the determination of the action is as follows :

 

• After the opening deal, the player who is seated closest to the left of the button shall have the initial action for the remainder of the game. If the player who has the button folds, then the button is still active and will remain in front of that player's seat to keep the position of the button constant throughout that game.

• The player that has the action may check or bet. As soon as one player chooses to bet, then the other players in the hand can no longer check; they can only fold, call or raise.

 

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The Turn :

The Turn The "turn" is the fourth card to be dealt onto the board and the eighth card available to the player. Some players call this "fourth street." However, the most common term used for this round is the "turn". As always, the dealer will burn a card and then deal one card face up onto the board to the right of the last flop card.

The look of the turn

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The 9 of spades is the "turn card".

At this point the players have access to the four cards on the board and their four hole cards. The game will now declare who has the action, which always begins with the player still remaining in the hand who is closest to the left of the button.

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The River :

The RiverThe dealer will then place the fifth and final card on the board.

The Flop Cards turn River .
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River Look

At this point, five cards are on the board and fourhole cards are in the players' hands. The action again starts with the first player still remaining in the hand who is closest to the left of the button. All checks, bets, raises, and folds will be completed and then a showdown will begin.
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Who shows first?

The determination of which players' cards will and must be shown first will lie with the player who initiated the action or with the person who initiated the last bet, raise or re-raise. This simply means that whoever had the last action on the river must show his/her cards first.
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Suppose a Player wins by default?

A player who has a winning hand does not have to show his/her cards if his/her bet was not called.
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Does a Player have to show their Cards if they call a bet on the River?

A player is not required to show their cards if, and only if, they are not the player who had the last action. If a player calls a bet and sees that he/she cannot win, he/she may fold his/her cards. Players who are curious about the folded hand may request a hand history to learn it.
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Who wins?

In our poker room, as with all, "cards speak." That means our dealer will automatically find the best five-card hand using three out of the five community cards on the board and two out of the four pocket cards in the player's hand. The winner will be decided based on the universal poker hand rankings.
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Omaha Blind Rules :

All players must pay for their blinds in full before they are allowed to get the button. Therefore, the player who had posted the small blind in the prior hand will receive the button on the next deal of any game.

If in the event we have a new player to the game, then three (3) actions will occur.

 

1. If the new player is seated left of the blind, then he/she may choose to "post" the big blind or "wait." If the player does post, then his/her wager is active.
2. If the new player is seated in the big blind, then he/she is treated as such.
3. If the player is seated between the button and any blind, then he/she must wait for the button to pass.

 

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Missed Blinds rules and Procedures :

Missed big blind
If a player misses the big blind for any reason, then that player may not play in any hands until the sum of all blinds are made up. The game will place an "ML" button in that seat to declare the missed big blind. The game will ask the next active player to the left to post the big blind for the hand. If the missed player makes up the sum of all blinds, then the small blind portion is dead and must be put into the pot before the hand is dealt.

Missed small blind
If a player misses the small blind for any reason, then that player may not play in any hands until the small blind is made up. The game will place an "MS" button in that seat to declare the missed small blind. The game will ask the current big blind to please also post the small blind for the game. The game will further ask the next active player to the left to post the big blind. The player who had missed the small cannot return until after the button has passed. When and if the player does make up the missed small blind, then that money is dead and must be placed directly into the pot before any cards are dealt.

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A Winning Hand.com Omaha Games :

A Winning Hand offers a great variety of low, medium and high limit games. The offer may vary over time and therefore we do not list the games in this section. However, when setting up and specifying the limits of a game, we follow the general rules described below.

Lower Limit = (L) - Upper Limit = (U)	Example: (L) = $1 - (U) = $2
Maximum Number of Players: 2, 5 or 10	10
Minimum Buy-in: 10x(L)	$10
Small Blind: 50% of (L)	$0.50
Big Blind: (L)	$1

A form of poker in which players are dealt five cards face down, bet or fold based on those cards, those remaining replace one or more cards or elect not to replace any.

Dealing the Game of 5 Card Draw :

The object object of 5 Card Draw is to win through the betting and through your hand from your 5 face down dealt cards.

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Games Summary :

Players

The game is played by 2-5 players.

Deck

A standard 52-card deck is used.

Betting Structures

5 Card Draw can be played as a Limit, Pot limit or No limit game.

Button and Blinds

The game is played with a dealer button, a small blind and a big blind just like Texas Holdem. The player to the left of the dealer posts a small blind and the player to the left of the small blind posts a big blind before the cards are dealt.

The Deal

Five cards face down are dealt to each player.

Play

After the deal, the first betting round starts. At the end of the first betting round, each player may discard and draw up to five cards. A second round of betting ensues, followed by the showdown.

Showdown

The winner of the hand is the player who holds the highest hand according to universal poker hand rankings.

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Before the Deal :

* Players will buy-in for the posted amount. No short buys are permitted.

* Selected players will post blinds.

* Players will place an ante into the pot by selecting "I'm in." Your ante will be placed into the pot by default. You may turn off this feature under the settings menu in the game.

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The Dealer Button :

The dealer button is a graphical representation ("D") of which player is the "dealer." Although our dealer will be dealing the game, the player who has the button placed in front of his seat gets to play his cards as if he were the actual dealer. When the cards are dealt to players, they are dealt in a manner as if the player was actually dealing in a live environment.

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Blinds :

Because we have a player "on the button" we now ask two players to post the large and small blinds. The purpose of the blinds is to put forced money into the pot that gives players an incentive to enter the hand. However, only two players will post the blinds.

The first blind is called the "small blind". This bet is usually half the minimum bet of the game, although in some games, the fraction is slightly different. So, in a $2-4 game the small blind will be $1.

The second blind is called the "big blind" and is always the same size as the game's minimum bet, e.g. in a $2-4 game, the big blind is $2.

® The player directly to the left of the button will have the "small blind." The player directly to the left of the small blind will have the "large blind" of the full amount or the lowest game limit.

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Opening Deal :

Now that we have a Button and small and big blinds, we are ready to deal. The dealer always deals from the player closest to the dealer's left. Moving clockwise around the table, the game will "deal-in" each player. The players will be dealt five cards face down. A round of betting will occur starting with the player seated to the left of the big blind.

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Betting on an Opening Deal :

The player seated to the left of the big blind will always have the action on the opening deal. This player may not check, but rather can only fold, call, or raise.

The game will now advance to each player seated asking to fold, call, or raise until we reach the big blind for an action decision. If no one has raised by the time the play comes back around to the big blind, the big blind has the option to "check" his own BLIND wager or raise.

Once all players have completed the first round of wagering, they will proceed to discarding cards and drawing new cards.

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Discarding Cards :

After the first betting round each player is asked to discard and draw from zero to five cards. This is done by clicking the cards that the player wants to discard. These cards will be shaded and slightly raised to indicate that they have been selected. Once the player is satisfied with the selections made, cards are discarded and drawn by clicking the DISCARD button.

A player may choose not to discard any cards. This is done by clicking the STAND PAT button. Standing pat means no cards will be discarded and drawn.

When all players have discarded and drawn cards, the second betting round starts.

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Second Betting Round :

The second betting round starts with the first player seated to the left of the dealer button. The options available to this player is to fold, check or bet. Should the player fold or check, the next player in turn will have the same options as the first player. If the first player bets, the next player to act will have the option of folding, calling or raising. Before a player acts, the number of discarded cards for that player is displayed to everyone. The rules state that this information should be available until there has been action after the draw.

In fixed limit games there is a maximum of four bets allowed in each betting round. A bet, a raise, a re-raise and a cap. A cap is the third raise in a betting round, after which no more betting is allowed. Pot limit and No limit games allow for an unlimited number of bets and raises.

After the second betting round is finished, the showdown follows.

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Who shows first?

The determination of which players' cards will and must be shown first will lie with the player who had initiated the action or with the person who had initiated the last bet, raise or re-raise. This simply means that whoever had the last action must show his/her cards first.

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Does a Player have to show their Cards if they call a bet on the River?

A player is not required to show their cards if, and only if, they are not the player who had the last action. If a player calls a bet and sees that he/she cannot win, he/she may fold his/her cards. Players who are curious about the folded hand may request a hand history to learn it.

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Suppose a Player wins by default?

® A player who has a winning hand does not have to show his/her cards if his/her bet was not called.

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Do Players have to show their Cards if they call a bet on the Last Betting Round?

Players are not required to show their cards if, and only if, they are not the player who had the last action. If a player calls a bet and sees that he/she cannot win, he/she may fold his/her cards.

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Who wins?

In our poker room, as with all, "cards speak." The winner will be decided based on the universal poker hand rankings.

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5 Card Draw Blind Rules :

®All players must pay for their blinds in full before they are allowed to get the button. Therefore, the player who had posted the small blind in the prior hand will receive the button on the next deal of any game.

If in the event we have a new player to the game, then three (3) actions will occur.

1) If the new player is seated to the left of the blind, then he/she may choose to "post" the big blind or "wait." If the player does post, then his/her wager is active.

2) If the new player is seated in the big blind, then he/she is treated as such.

3) If the player is seated between the button and any blind, then he/she must wait for the button to pass.

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Missed Blinds Rules and Procedures :

Missed big blind

If a player misses the big blind for any reason, then that player may not play in any hands until the sum of all blinds are made up. The game will place an "ML" button in that seat to declare the missed big blind. The game will ask the next active player to the left to post the big blind for the hand. If the missed player returns to the game before the big blind comes back to his/her seat, the player is required to make up the sum of all blinds, "Post all." The small blind portion is dead and must be put into the pot before the hand is dealt. However, a player may avoid posting dead by waiting for the big blind to arrive at his/her seat naturally.

Missed small blind

If a player misses the small blind for any reason, then that player may not play in any hands until the small blind is made up. The game will place an "MS" button in that seat to declare the missed small blind. The game will ask the next active player to the left of the big blind to post a big blind for the hand as well. The original big blind player will "catch a break" and get the button on the next hand. The player who had missed the small blind cannot return until after the button has passed. If the missed player returns to the game before the big blind comes back to his/her seat, the player is required make up the small blind. The small blind is dead and must be put into the pot before the hand is dealt. However, a player may avoid posting dead by waiting for the big blind to arrive at his/her seat naturally.

A poker game, 5 card stud poker begins with one card dealt face down followed by four cards dealt face up, with betting commencing on the second card and continuing with each round of cards.

Dealing the Game of 5 Card Stud:

The object of 5 Card Stud is to win in the betting from your dealt one face down card, then 1 face up, then another 3 face up.

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Before the Deal :

* Players will buy-in for the posted amount.

* Players will place an ante into the pot. Your ante will be placed into the pot by default. You may turn off this feature under the settings menu in the game.

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Opening Deal :

The dealer always deals first to the player closest to the dealer's left and, moving clockwise around the table, will "deal-in" each player. The players will be dealt one card face down and then a second card known as the "door card" will be dealt face up. A round of betting will occur starting with the player with the lowest card by value and suit. This is known as the "force" or "bring-in" bet.

The player with the lowest card value (ace being high) will be the force. In the event that two or more players hold door cards of the same rank, then the lowest suit will make the determination. Suits are ranked, from highest to lowest alphabetically, spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs (i.e. the two of clubs is the lowest possible card). This is the only time suits will play a role in the game.

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Third Card (3rd Street) :

The next card to be dealt into the game will be the third card the players will receive in their hand. This is called "3rd street." The dealer will burn one card off the top of the deck and then always deals to the player closest to the dealer's left and, moving clockwise around the table, will deal each player one card face up. A round of betting will occur starting with the player with the highest two-card value. This is known as "having the action".

The player having the best hand on the board "has the action" and may make the initial bet of the round or check to the next player. If there is a tie between players as to the best hand, then the player closest to the dealer's left will have the action.

In fixed limit stud, if any player displays an open pair on third street, that player may bet the higher amount of the game limit (normally not available until fourth street).

If the player with the action chooses to make the lower limit bet, any other player still in the hand may choose to make either the lower limit or higher limit raise. Once any player has made the higher limit bet, all further bets and raises must be made at the higher level.

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Betting in 5 Card Stud :

1) If you choose not to bet, then you are said to "check," or pass on the option to bet to the next player.

2) If a player bets, you may "call" the bet, "raise" or "fold".

3) If a player checks and another player makes a bet, the player who checked may in turn raise the bet made by the other player. This is called a "check & raise".

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Fourth Card (4th Street) :

The next card to be dealt into the game will be the fourth card the players will receive in their hand. This is called "4th street." The dealer will burn one card off the top of the deck and then always deal to the player closest to the dealer's left and, moving clockwise around the table will deal each player one card face up. A round of betting will occur starting with the player with the highest three-card value. Starting with fourth street, and continuing through all further streets, all bets and raises in fixed limit games are made at the higher limit.

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Fifth Card (5th Street) :

The next card to be dealt into the game will be the fifth and final card the players will receive in their hand. This is called "5th street.". The dealer will burn one card off the top of the deck and then always deal to the player closest to the dealer's left and, moving clockwise around the table will deal each player one card face up. A round of betting will occur starting with the player with the highest four-card value. On fifth street, all bets and raises in fixed limit games are made at the higher limit.

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Who shows first?

In a live game, generally players who feel that they have a good opportunity to win a pot will show their hand voluntarily. However, in many instances, players all stare at each other wondering who will show their cards first. To avoid this situation, our game employs the following standard rule :

The determination of which players' cards will and must be shown first will lie with the player who had initiated the last bet, raise or re-raise.

This simply means that whoever created the last action on the 5th Street must show his cards first. If the player who had the action checked and all players checked, then the player who had the initial option to bet would show first. If a player checks and another player bets, then the player who bet will have his/her cards shown first. If a player checks, another bets and then another player raises, the raiser's cards will be shown first.

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Suppose a Player wins by default. Is the Hand required to be shown?

Players that have won a pot do not have to show their cards if they were not called.

This means that if two or more players were playing and one player bets and the other player(s) fold, the player who has won the pot by default will not under any circumstances have their cards shown automatically. The winning players may choose to "show" or "don't show".

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Do Players have to show their cards if they call a bet or a check on fifth street?

Players are required to show their cards if and only if they are the player who created the last action by betting or raising. If players call a bet and sees that they cannot win, they may "fold" or "show" their cards. However, if a player who has stayed in until the end mucks (fails to show) his hand, other players in the game may find out the hand by requesting that a hand history be e-mailed to them.

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Who wins?

In our poker room, as with all, "cards speak." That means our dealer will find the best 5-card hand on the table and declare it the winner based on the universal poker hand rankings.

It is theoretically possible that two or more players can hold the best five-card hand. If there is a tie between two or more players, then the dealer will "split" the pot equally between all the winning players.

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5 Card Stud Notable Rules "Fixed Limit Games" :

Most commonly called "fixed" limit games, this type of game limit structure is by far the most common betting structure you will find. A fixed limit game is one in which each bet will remain consistent through several betting rounds and then change at some predetermined point in later rounds. All bets will remain equal to the posted table limit. For example, in a 5-10 Five-Card Stud game, the bets will be as follows :

In the early betting rounds, a bet and any raises must be exactly $5. In later betting rounds, such as the last round, a bet and any raises must be exactly $10.

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How do you bet & raise in a fixed limit Game?

1) Each bet in every betting round will be in strict compliance with a structured game.

2) If you choose not to bet, then you are said to "check," or pass on the option to bet to the next player.

3) If a player bets, you may "call" the bet or "fold."

4) If a player checks and another player makes a bet, the player who checked may then in turn raise the bet made by the other player. This is called a "check & raise."

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How many raises will be allowed?

The general poker rule is a "cap" of three raises allowed per betting round with three or more players. However, if there is a "heads up" situation whereby only two players remain in the game, then raises are unlimited.

* The opening round will be a force wager determined by the game limit. The player with the lowest "door card" is forced to wager the minimum or "complete" it to the lower limit of the game. This is not a raise in the traditional sense. The player is only "bringing up" the bet to its normal minimum.

* Third Street : The bet shall be the lower limit and all raises will be in the same increments only.

However, an exception occurs on Third Street when there is an open pair on the table. Any player may bet or raise the lower or higher limit of the game. This is called the "Third Street Rule."

* Fourth Street: The bet shall be the higher limit and all raises will be the same increments only.

* Fifth Street: The bet shall be the higher limit and all raises will be the same increments only.

7 Card Stud is a variant of stud poker. Until the recent increase in popularity of Texas hold 'em, 7 Card Stud was the most popular poker variant in home games. Two to eight players can play. Want to try your luck?

Dealing the Game of 7 Card Stud

The object of 7 Card Stud is to make the best 5 card combination from 2 face down hole cards and 1 face up card, then 3 face up cards, then one face down card.

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Before the Deal :

* Players will buy-in for the posted amount. No short buys are permitted.

* Players will place an ante into the pot by selecting "I'm in." Your ante will be placed into the pot by default. You may turn off this feature under the settings menu in the game.

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Opening Deal :

The dealer always deals first to the player closest to the dealer's left and, moving clockwise around the table, will "deal-in" each player. The players will be dealt one card face down, then a second card face down, AND then a third card known as the "door card" will be dealt face up. A round of betting will occur starting with the player with the lowest card by value and suit. This is known as the "force" or "bring-in" bet.

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Blinds :

The player with the lowest card value (ace being high) will be the force. In the event that two or more players hold door cards of the same rank, then the lowest suit will make the determination. Suits are ranked, from highest to lowest alphabetically, spades, hearts, diamonds, clubs (i.e. the two of clubs is the lowest possible card). This is the only time suits will play a role in the game.

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Fourth Card (4th Street) :

The next card to be dealt into the game will be the fourth card the players will receive in their hand. This is called "4th street." The dealer will burn one card off the top of the deck and then always deals to the player closest to the dealer's left and, moving clockwise around the table, will deal each one card face up. A round of betting will occur starting with the player with the highest two-card value. This is known as "having the action."

The player having the best hand on the board "has the action" and may make the initial bet of the round or check to the next player. If there is a tie between players as to the best hand, then the player closest to the dealer's left will have the action.

In fixed limit stud (i.e. a 4 to 8 game, as opposed to a 1 to 5 game), if any player displays an open pair on fourth street, that player may bet the higher amount of the game limit normally not available until fifth street.

If the player with the action chooses to make the lower limit bet, any other player still in the hand may choose to make either the lower limit or higher limit raise. Once any player has made the higher limit bet, all further bets and raises must be made at the that higher level.

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Betting in 7 Card Stud :

1) If you choose not to bet, then you are said to "check," or pass on the option to bet to the next player.

2) If another bets, you may "call" the bet, "raise" or "fold."

3) If a player checks and another player makes a bet, the player who checked may in turn raise the bet made by the other player. This is called a "check & raise."

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Fifth Card (5th Street) :

The next card to be dealt into the game will be the fifth card the players will receive in their hand. This is called "5th street." The dealer will burn one card off the top of the deck and then always deals to the player closest to the dealer's left and, moving clockwise around the table will deal each one card face up. A round of betting will occur starting with the player with the highest three-card value. Starting with fifth street, and continuing through all further streets, all bets and raises in fixed limit games are made at the higher limit.

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Sixth Card (6th Street) :

The next card to be dealt into the game will be the sixth card the players will receive in their hand. This is called "6th street." The dealer will burn one card off the top of the deck and then always deals to the player closest to the dealer's left and, moving clockwise around the table will deal each one card face up. A round of betting will occur starting with the player with the highest four-card value.

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Seventh Card (the River) :

Almost every poker player uses the term "the river" or "river" to describe the last card players will receive in the game. As always, we start with a burn card. The dealer will deal a card face down clockwise around the table.

Exception!

If there are 8 players who played all the way through the sixth card and are now about to be dealt their final card of the game, our dealer will only have one (1) card remaining in the deck. That's because 8 X 6 = 48 cards + the 3 burn cards that we burned on 4th, 5th and 6th streets will be a sum of 51 cards. Our rule in the case is as follows :

* In the event there may not be enough cards remaining in the deck to deal each player a final card, the dealer will calculate if the burn cards plus any cards in the deck will allow each player to receive a final down card. If the dealer can deal each player a last card, then the dealer will do so by taking all the burn cards plus any remaining cards in the deck, shuffle and then deal the final card to each player.

 

* However, if the dealer calculates that it's not possible to give each player his or her own card, then the dealer will take all the burn cards, shuffle and turn over a "community card." The folded (muck) cards may never be used in the game once they have been folded.

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Who shows first?

In a live game, generally players who feel that they have a good opportunity to win a pot will show their hand voluntarily. However, in many instances, players all stare at each other wondering who will show their cards first. To avoid this situation, our game will employ the following standard rule :

The determination of which players' cards will and must be shown first will lie with the player who had initiated the action or with the person, who had initiated the last bet, raise or re-raise.

This simply means that whoever created the last action on the river must show his/her cards first. If the player who had the action checked and all players checked, then the player who had the initial option to bet would show first. If a player checks and another player bets, then the player who bet will have his/her cards shown first. If a player checked, another bets and then another player raises, the raiser's cards will be shown first.

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Suppose a Player wins by default. Is the Hand required to be shown?

Players that have won a pot do not have to show their cards if they were not called.

This means that if two or more players were playing and one player bets and the other(s) fold, then, the player who has won the pot by default will not under any circumstances have their cards shown automatically. The winning players may choose to "show" or "don't show."

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Do Players have to show their Cards if they call a bet or a check on the River?

Players are not required to show their cards if and only if they are not the player who created the last action by betting or raising. If a player calls a bet and sees that they cannot win, they may "fold" or "show" their cards. However, if a player who has stayed in until the end mucks (fails to show) his hand, other players in the game may find out the hand by requesting that a hand history be emailed to them.

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Who wins?

In our poker room, as with all, "Cards Speak." That means our dealer will find the best 5-card hand on the table and declare it the winner based on the universal poker hand rankings.

It is theoretically possible that two or more players can hold the best five-card hand. If there is a tie between two or more players, then the dealer will "split" the pot equally between all the winning players.

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$ 1-2 through to $20-40 7 Stud Notable Rules "Fixed Limit Games" :

Most commonly called "fixed" limit games, this type of game limit structure is by far the most common betting structure you will find in the casinos. A fixed limit game is one in which each bet will remain consistent through several betting rounds and then change at some predetermined point in later rounds. All bets will remain equal to the posted table limit. For example, in a 5-10 Seven-Card Stud game, the bets will be as follows.

In the early betting rounds, a bet and any raises must be exactly $5. In later betting rounds, such as the last round, a bet and any raises must be exactly $10.

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How do you bet & raise in a fixed limit Game?

1) Each bet in every betting round will be in strict compliance with a structured game.

2) If you choose not to bet, then you are said to "check," or pass on the option to bet to the next player.

3) If a player bets, you may "call" the bet or "fold."

4) If a player checks and another player makes a bet, the player who checked may then in turn raise the bet made by the other player. This is called a "check & raise."

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How many raises will be allowed?

The general poker rule is a "cap" of three raises allowed per betting round with three or more players. However, if there is a "heads up" situation whereby only two players remain in the game, then raises are unlimited.

* The opening round will be a force wager determined by the game limit. The player with the lowest "door card" is forced to wager the minimum or a player may open for the lower limit of the game. If another player wishes, they may "raise" the bet and "complete" it to the lower limit of the game in the event the player with the force wagered just the force amount. This is not a raise in the traditional sense. The player is only "bringing up" the bet to its normal minimum.

* Fourth Street: The bet shall be the lower limit and all raises will be in the same increments only.

However, an exception occurs on Fourth Street when there is an open pair on the table. Any player may bet or raise the lower or higher limit of the game. This is called the "Fourth Street Rule."

* Fifth Street: The bet shall be the higher limit and all raises will be the same increments only.

* Sixth Street: The bet shall be the higher limit and all raises will be the same increments only.

* Seventh Street or the river: The bet shall be the higher limit and all raises will be the same increments only.

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A Winning Hand Poker 7 Card Stud Games :

10c-20c Stud	25c-50c Stud	50c-$1 Stud
Maximum number of players: 8	Maximum number of players: 8	Maximum number of players: 8
Buy-in: $1	Buy-in: $2.5	Buy-in: $5
Ante: $.05	Ante: $.12	Ante: $.25
4th street $.1 ($.1 or .2 w/ pair)	4th street $.25 ($.25 or .5 w/ pair)	4th street $.5 ($.5 or 1 w/ pair)
5th street: $.2	5th street: $.5	5th street: $1
6th street: $.2	6th street: $.5	6th street: $1
7th street: $.2	7th street: $.5	7th street: $1
Unlimited raises heads up	Unlimited raises heads up	Unlimited raises heads up

Lower Limit = (L) - Upper Limit = (U)	Example: (L) = $1 - (U) = $2
Maximum Number of Players: 2, 5 or 10	10
Minimum Buy-in: 10x(L)	$10
Small Blind: 50% of (L)	$0.50
Big Blind: (L)	$1