Title: Poker Made Simple – Learn How To Play Poker Quickly And Easily Word Count: 836 Summary: Playing poker is very simple and anyone can learn to play, even people who don’t like to play cards or haven’t played cards before. It is a game that involves skill and strategy, but also has an exciting chance component. There are four versions of the game that are the most popular. These are Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha High-Low and Seven-Card Stud. Texas Hold’em: The game of Texas Hold’em is the single most popular poker game out there. It is a community card game ... Keywords: poker,texas holdem,texas hold\'em Article Body: Playing poker is very simple and anyone can learn to play, even people who don’t like to play cards or haven’t played cards before. It is a game that involves skill and strategy, but also has an exciting chance component. There are four versions of the game that are the most popular. These are Texas Hold’em, Omaha, Omaha High-Low and Seven-Card Stud. Texas Hold’em: The game of Texas Hold’em is the single most popular poker game out there. It is a community card game that consists of four betting rounds. Here’s how to play: 1. One player will act as the dealer for the first hand. This position is marked by the dealer button, which is rotated clockwise as play progresses after each hand. 2. The two players to the left of the dealer post the small blind and the big blind. They are the only players who have money in the pot before the cards are dealt, unless there is an ante. 3. The dealer gives each player two hole cards and the first betting round commences. It begins with the first person to the left of the big blind and continues around the table. 4. When the betting is complete, three community cards, called the flop, are placed face up on the table and a second betting round begins with the player to the left of the dealer. 5. At the end of this betting round, the fourth community card is flipped. This is called the turn. After this, another betting round begins. 6. When the third betting round ends, a fifth community card is flipped face up on the table. This is called the river and is followed by the fourth betting round. The object of this game is for the players to combine their hold cards with the community cards to make the best hand and then collect the jackpot in the middle of the table. The ranking of hands follows the hand ranking of a typical poker game: Royal Straight Flush, Four of a kind, Full house, Flush, Straight, Three of a kind, Two pair, Pair and high card. Omaha: Omaha is also a community card game with three betting rounds. It is the same as Texas Hold’em, except that in Texas Hold’em a player may use any combination of hole or community cards to make a five card hand. In Omaha, a player must use two of the hold cards and three of the community cards to make a hand. Omaha High-Low: Omaha High-Low is a split pot game. That means that you must win the pot by making both the best high and low poker hand. Half of the pot is awarded to the player with the best high and half is allocated to the player with the best low hand. The goal is to scoop the pot and have the best high and low hand at the same time. The High Hand is one that is exactly the same as in regular Omaha or Texas Hold’em. Just like in Omaha, a player must use two of the hole cards and three of the community cards to create a hand. The Low Hand is more difficult to strategize. One of must two of the hole cards and three of the board cards to get the low hand. However, all low hands must be eight or lower and the lower they are the better it is for the player. In order to get a low hand, there must be at least three cards that are eight or lower on the board. Seven-Card Stud: Seven-Card Stud is a game like Texas Hold’em with some differences. There are five betting rounds instead of four and the game is played with antes instead of blinds, meaning that all players make a forced bet, not just the two players to the left of the dealer. The most important difference is that the players’ hands decide the order of action during the game. During the first betting round, the player with the lowest card has to make a bring-in bet and on the later betting rounds the player with the best hand showing has to act first. Here’s how to play: 1. All players are dealt two hole cards and one card dealt face up. The cards are dealt at one time. 2. The player with the lowest upcard has to make the bring-in bet and then the betting continues clockwise. 3. A fourth card is dealt face up and the action begins with the player who has the best upcard and continues clockwise. 4. A fifth card is dealt face up. The action starts with the player with the best upcards. 5. A sixth card is dealt face up and then the action begins with the player who has be the best upcard. 6. A seventh card is dealt face down. The action begins by the player who has the best upcards and continues clockwise. 7. All players make the best possible five card poker hand.