Base London's Gentlemen's Guide to...
September
Get It Right... Poker Night
The Poker scene has exploded over recent years; online poker sites have flooded the internet and tournaments get regular TV time. However seeing as there's nothing quite as annoying as losing all your money to some nerdy geek in some far off village on the other side of the world, we suggest that you take your new found interest and get your mates round to indulge in a good old fashioned poker night. To avoid your party being a flop, here's a heads up with Base London's guide to running your own... Poker Night.
What do you need?
- A big enough table with enough chairs
- Playing Cards
- Chips...(for decent chips and accessories visit www.pokerbits.co.uk)
- Markers - to indicate the dealer and for blinds
- Money - because this game's all about winning some cash
Rules of Texas Hold 'Em.
Texas Hold 'Em is the most popular poker games that is commonly seen on TV. In Texas Hold 'Em, seven cards are dealt in total, 2 privately to each player and 5 are public cards.
Gameplay - Each player gets dealt 2 cards, then the dealer deals three cards face up, which become available for all the players. This is followed by a round of betting, and then another 'public'card is dealt face up, then another round of betting and finally the public card is dealt, face up. Every player can use all the five cards combined with their private 2 cards to make the best possible hand.
Useful Terms:
FLOP - This term describes the three public cards at the beginning of the game, players look at their hand then the 'flop'and decide whether they have a strong hand to continue.
RIVER - This is the fifth 'public' card dealt and can make or break a player's game.
CALL - To bet the same amount as the current bet
FOLD - If a player doesn't think he can win the hand he folds and drops out of that round.
BLUFF - This is the process of pretending you have a better hand than you do, a psychological tactic and very risky
ALL IN - A bet of all your chips, a bet of 'All In' will knock you out of the game if you lose or double your monry if you win.
What Are the Hand Rankings?
1. ROYAL FLUSH - The best hand in poker, a series of A, K, Q, J & 10 all in the same suit.
2. STRAIGHT FLUSH - Any five cards in a sequence all in the same suit
3. FOUR OF A KIND - A hand containing four cards of the same value.
4. FULL HOUSE - Three cards of the same value plus a pair
5. FLUSH - Any five cards with the same suit
6. STRAIGHT - Five cards in sequence of any suit
7. THREE OF A KIND - Three cards of any matching value
8. TWO PAIR - A hand with 2 pairs of cards of the same value (Highest Pair Wins)
9. PAIR - Two cards of the same value
10. HIGH CARDS - A hand that doesn't match any other category
Now you've got all you need and know the rules, get your mates round,
crack open a few beers and dim the lights, this is going to be a long night.
