Our full Poker audio range click here
Play Poker like the Pros Phil Hellmuth click here
Phil Gordon's little Green Book of Poker click here
Poker is a popular type of card game in which players bet on the value of the card combination ("hand") in their possession, by placing a bet into a central pot. The winner is the one who holds the hand with the highest value according to an established hand rankings hierarchy, or otherwise the player who remains "in the hand" after all others have folded (the player who makes an un-called bet.).
Poker has many variations, all following a similar pattern of play. Depending on the variant, hands may be formed using cards which are concealed from others, or from a combination of concealed cards and community cards.
In casual play, the right to deal a hand typically rotates among the players and is marked by a token called a 'dealer' button (or "buck"). In a casino, a house dealer handles the cards for each hand, but the button (typically a white plastic disk) is rotated clockwise among the players to indicate a nominal dealer to determine the order of betting.
One or more players are required to make forced bets (usually called a 'blind' or an 'ante') to create an initial stake for which the players will contest. The dealer shuffles the cards, cuts, and deals the appropriate number of cards to the players one at a time. Cards may be dealt either face-up or face-down, depending on the variant of poker being played. After the initial deal, the first of what may be several betting rounds begins. Between rounds, the players' hands develop in some way, often by being dealt additional cards or replacing cards previously dealt. At the end of each round, all bets are gathered into the central pot.
At any time during a betting round, if one player bets and no opponents choose to call (match) the bet, the hand ends immediately, the bettor is awarded the pot, no cards are required to be shown, and the next hand begins. This is what makes bluffing possible. Bluffing is a primary feature of poker, one that distinguishes it from other vying games and from other games that make use of poker hand rankings.
At the end of the last betting round, if more than one player remains, there is a showdown, in which the players reveal their previously hidden cards and evaluate their hands. The player with the best hand according to the poker variant being played wins the pot. A poker hand consists of five cards, but in some variants a player has more than five to choose from.
The most popular poker variants are as follows:
Draw poker
Players each receive five — as in five-card draw — or more cards, all of which are hidden. They can then replace one or more of these cards a certain number of times.
Stud poker
Players each receive five — as in five-card stud — or more cards; some cards are dealt face up, one at a time, and displayed to other players at the table. The key differences between stud and 'draw' poker are that players are not allowed to discard or replace any cards in stud poker and that part of a players' hand in stud is exposed rather than the entire hand being hidden as in draw.
Community card poker
Players combine individually dealt cards with a number of "community cards" dealt face up and shared by all players. Each player will attempt to make the best five card poker hand using the community cards and their own face down cards. Two or four individual cards are dealt in the most popular variations, Texas hold 'em and Omaha hold 'em, respectively.
Poker News
Bleznick's Aces Brutally Cracked in Six-Bet Pot in WSOP Main Event PokerNews
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 3:31 pm
Josh Giddey And Bulls Playing ‘Poker’ In Contract Negotiations Last Word On Sports
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 3:20 pm
Dream teams assemble! Follow the K Fantasy draft live Poker.org
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 3:01 pm
Vegas Dream Alive for Long Island Poker Player After Jamie Gold Poker Giveaway PokerNews
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 2:30 pm
'Depleted' – Negreanu foregoes 4th of July festivities ahead of Day 2 Poker.org
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 1:03 pm
"They Always Have It": Could You Find This Fold in the WSOP Main Event? PokerNews
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 12:30 pm
'Play my game': Shiina Okamoto working on her next WSOP streak Poker.org
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 11:17 am
Viktor Blom, Shaun Deeb carrying teams to fantasy glory Poker.org
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 10:54 am
WATCH: Poker GOAT Phil Ivey Busts on Day 1 of WSOP Main Event PokerNews
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 10:18 am
Mark ‘Cookie Monster’ Checkwicz: The WSOP Player of the Year contest needs fixing Poker.org
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 7:47 am
Big pot alert: Victoria Livschitz has aces in the Main Event Poker.org
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 7:43 am
Patti Harrison Felt “Invigorated” Working On ‘Poker Face’ Amid So Many Hollywood “Cash Grabs” Deadline
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 6:33 am
CNP Winamax Murcia Breaks Records in Spain as García Gets the Clover PokerNews
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 6:26 am
Chip and a chair: Poker pro wins BetMGM title with stunning comeback Las Vegas Review-Journal
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 5:10 am
The Stage is Set: Day 1d of ,000 WSOP Main Event Kicks Off at Noon PokerNews
Posted on 6 July 2025 | 3:28 am
Posted on 5 July 2025 | 11:55 pm
2025 WSOP Day 39: Selbst and Lindgren Bag Day 1c Of Main Event PokerNews
Posted on 5 July 2025 | 11:00 pm
Poker Pro Nikita Luther wins Amazon Prime’s The Traitors, shares top prize with Uorfi Javed G2G News
Posted on 5 July 2025 | 10:36 pm
Watch: Building empires & breaking stereotypes in poker sigma.world
Posted on 5 July 2025 | 4:12 pm
160 pokies, 50m from houses, open until 3am: New club’s plan rejected Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Posted on 5 July 2025 | 1:57 pm
Go Behind the Scenes of Bridget's Cosmic Poker Game in Resident Alien Season 4 (WATCH) USA Network
Posted on 5 July 2025 | 12:31 pm
Poker Player Doubles with Wrong Stack in WSOP Event After Bag Mix-Up PokerNews
Posted on 5 July 2025 | 8:08 am
‘As big as it gets’ - Negreanu sends warning as new threat to poker emerges Poker.org
Posted on 5 July 2025 | 6:49 am
Kings Doom Poker Player Right Off the Bat on Day 1c in the 2025 WSOP Main Event PokerNews
Posted on 5 July 2025 | 5:45 am
Posted on 5 July 2025 | 1:30 am
Here's What Tax Experts Want Poker Players to Know About Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' PokerNews
Posted on 5 July 2025 | 1:24 am
Two World Series of Poker players involved in million chip dumping cheat scandal banned The Mirror US
Posted on 4 July 2025 | 11:04 pm
BetMGM Poker Championship Shatters Records in Fourth Year, Doubling Its M Guarantee Poker Industry PRO
Posted on 4 July 2025 | 4:11 pm
Shaun Deeb Wins Seventh WSOP Bracelet; Overtakes Player of the Year Lead PokerNews
Posted on 4 July 2025 | 2:48 pm
Review: Poker Face, "Day of the Iguana" | Season 2, Episode 11 Episodic Medium
Posted on 4 July 2025 | 12:12 pm
Last Year's Day 1b Chip Leader Busts First in Same Flight at 2025 WSOP Main Event PokerNews
Posted on 4 July 2025 | 5:59 am
'Very scary for poker' – Galfond sends warning as 'Big Beautiful Bill' passes Poker.org
Posted on 4 July 2025 | 5:40 am
Second Starting Flight of 2025 WSOP Main Event Kicks Off at Noon PokerNews
Posted on 4 July 2025 | 3:26 am
Poker Face's "Day of the Iguana" Guest Stars Explained: Haley Joel Osment, Taylor Schilling NBC
Posted on 4 July 2025 | 12:31 am
REVIEW: ‘Poker Face’ Season 2 Episode 11 Sets An Interesting Stage For The Season Finale Nexus Point News
Posted on 4 July 2025 | 12:13 am
Poker Face Recap: Cold Blooded Vulture
Posted on 3 July 2025 | 11:30 pm
Posted on 3 July 2025 | 6:50 pm
Poker Face's second season is nearing its end—and friends, it's getting good AV Club
Posted on 3 July 2025 | 6:30 pm
Moneymaker busts in brutal one-outer as WSOP Main Event starts with a bang Poker.org
Posted on 3 July 2025 | 5:15 pm
Posted on 3 July 2025 | 4:31 pm
Best Online Poker Sites for Real Money for 2025 ReadWrite
Posted on 3 July 2025 | 4:30 pm
Faraz Jaka Busts WSOP Main Event Aggressively Playing Seven-Deuce PokerNews
Posted on 3 July 2025 | 4:08 pm
You Won't Believe How This Major Poker Tournament Ended PokerNews
Posted on 3 July 2025 | 3:00 pm
Busted Player Regrets Retrieving Mucked Cards on WSOP Main Event Day 1 PokerNews
Posted on 3 July 2025 | 11:40 am
Two players banned as fallout from major WSOP controversy continues Poker.org
Posted on 3 July 2025 | 10:44 am
Event #75: ,000 Mini Main Event | 2025 World Series of Poker PokerNews
Posted on 3 July 2025 | 8:49 am
Poker Player Busts Early in WSOP Main Event with Top Pair PokerNews
Posted on 3 July 2025 | 5:47 am
‘Bad for poker’ – Negreanu says third player approached in WSOP chip-dump deal Poker.org
Posted on 3 July 2025 | 2:32 am
The Wait Is Finally Over! The 2025 WSOP Main Event is Here! PokerNews
Posted on 2 July 2025 | 8:03 pm
Michael Wang Completes One of WSOP’s Greatest Comebacks in K PLO PokerNews
Posted on 2 July 2025 | 4:54 pm
Update: Daniel Negreanu Finishes in 4th Place at Fifth Final Table of 2025 WSOP PokerNews
Posted on 2 July 2025 | 6:50 am
News: WSOP pay Millionaire Maker players but withhold bracelet PokerStrategy.com
Posted on 1 July 2025 | 11:33 pm
Event #67: 0 Gladiators of Poker | 2025 World Series of Poker PokerNews
Posted on 1 July 2025 | 1:31 pm
No Bracelet Awarded to Milly Maker Winner Following Alleged Chip Dumping Scandal PokerNews
Posted on 1 July 2025 | 12:59 pm
We are Witnessing One of the Most Legendary Runs Ever at the WSOP PokerNews
Posted on 30 June 2025 | 6:34 am
Review: Poker Face, "The Big Pump" | Season 2, Episode 10 Episodic Medium
Posted on 27 June 2025 | 9:30 am
Method Man Says 'Poker Face' Role Is 'Different From Anybody I've Ever Played Before' CNET
Posted on 27 June 2025 | 1:05 am
‘Poker Face’ Recap, Season Two, Ep. 10: ‘The Big Pump’ Vulture
Posted on 26 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
The Poker Face and the Profound Heart of Friendship: Remembering Jane Hitchcock New York Social Diary
Posted on 25 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
‘Tricky ethical space’: endometriosis centre funded by family with links to poker machine giant divides experts The Guardian
Posted on 24 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
On ‘Poker Face’, Alia Shawkat Will F*ck Your Grandma Autostraddle
Posted on 20 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
NFL Legend Involved in Huge Brawl at Poker Event Men's Journal
Posted on 19 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
‘Poker Face’ Recap, Season 2, Ep. 9: “A New Lease on Death” Vulture
Posted on 19 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
Posted on 19 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
'Rampage' Struggling to Spin it Up at 2025 World Series of Poker -- 'Ready to Quit' PokerNews
Posted on 19 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
Dine Out: The Balvenie Whisky & Poker Experience at The Gidley Broadsheet
Posted on 19 June 2025 | 10:07 am
My Dad Won a Restaurant in a Poker Game — But It Was Losing Money. Now It's a Historic Business. Entrepreneur
Posted on 16 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
Chris Minns blows up Crown pokie dream at Sydney casino AFR
Posted on 13 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
Unions NSW attacks Labor for ‘woefully inadequate’ poker machine strategy after damning audit The Guardian
Posted on 12 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
In parts of Sydney 'entire salaries are disappearing into poker machines' Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Posted on 12 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
Crown’s secret lobbying operation to get poker machines at Barangaroo The Sydney Morning Herald
Posted on 12 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
Review: Poker Face, "The Sleazy Georgian" | Season 2, Episode 8 Episodic Medium
Posted on 12 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
I Found Power, Confidence And Calm At A Poker Table Full Of Men HuffPost
Posted on 12 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
Poker machine regulators fail to reduce gambling harm in NSW Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Posted on 12 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
Casino giant slapped down in latest poker machine bid Yahoo
Posted on 12 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
A professional poker player on how to save face and think fast Monocle
Posted on 11 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
Amateur poker player hits 1,000x return for monster payday at WSOP Poker.org
Posted on 10 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
Poker Face Recap: Feel the Heat Vulture
Posted on 5 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
Review: Poker Face, "One Last Job" | Season 2, Episode 7 Episodic Medium
Posted on 5 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
NSW gamblers losing m to poker machines every day, analysis shows The Guardian
Posted on 4 June 2025 | 4:30 pm
2025 World Series of Poker begins Tuesday, features 100 bracelet events ESPN
Posted on 28 May 2025 | 4:30 pm
Pollies should kick their poker machine addiction AFR
Posted on 23 May 2025 | 4:30 pm
‘Poker Face’ Recap, Season 2 Episode 5: ‘Hometown Hero’ Vulture
Posted on 22 May 2025 | 4:30 pm
Pokies reforms delayed by years after Vic government backdown Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Posted on 21 May 2025 | 4:30 pm
Posted on 15 May 2025 | 4:30 pm
How to play ‘Poker’: The game that requires a deck of cards in addition to your clubs Australian Golf Digest
Posted on 10 May 2025 | 4:30 pm
Review: Poker Face, "Last Looks" | Season 2, Episode 2 Episodic Medium
Posted on 9 May 2025 | 4:30 pm
Poker Face season two review – Natasha Lyonne’s fun detective show is painfully close to being a classic The Guardian
Posted on 8 May 2025 | 4:30 pm
Review: Poker Face, "The Game is A Foot" | Season 2, Episode 1 Episodic Medium
Posted on 8 May 2025 | 4:30 pm
Poker Face is back, with another winning hand of star-studded murders Flicks.com.au
Posted on 6 May 2025 | 4:30 pm
Encore: The poker-playing cardiologist Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Posted on 10 April 2025 | 4:30 pm
Victoria’s Poker Machine Reform and What Does It Change? Bairnsdale Advertiser
Posted on 2 April 2025 | 5:30 pm
A trial to curb pokies losses is set to roll out in Victoria — not everyone's happy Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Posted on 18 March 2025 | 5:30 pm
NSW government drops plan to remove 9,500 poker machines, saying ‘it would make no difference’ The Guardian
Posted on 4 March 2025 | 6:30 pm
The pokies giant, the ministers, the reports, and how reform was scaled back Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Posted on 28 February 2025 | 6:30 pm
Posted on 25 February 2025 | 6:30 pm
Gamblers now losing more than m an hour on NSW poker machines The Sydney Morning Herald
Posted on 21 February 2025 | 6:30 pm
‘Extraordinary’: More than .5 billion slotted into Qld poker machines Brisbane Times
Posted on 17 February 2025 | 6:30 pm
million lost to poker machines each hour Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Posted on 18 December 2024 | 6:30 pm
Victoria to introduce Australia’s strictest poker machine rules, with ,000 limit to be slashed by 90% | Gambling The Guardian
Posted on 25 November 2024 | 6:30 pm