Online Poker Games

This game is one of the most popular gambling entertainment these days. Today one can find it in most land-based casinos. Recently, poker online became very popular especially in times of the COVID-19 pandemic when people were locked in their houses. There are plenty of online gambling websites where one can play various types of this classic card game.

History of Poker

There is no exact information about the origins of this game. Some say it came from Ancient China, others argue that the amusement was created in Persia. If the latter is right, the game came to New Orleans thanks to Persian sailors.

As for the name, Europeans used to call it “Poque” or “Pochen”. In German, “Pochen” means “to knock”. This is proof that poker may originate from Europe. Anyway, the game appeared somewhere outside the United States, and then it was “imported” there by the sailors or other way.

Once it appeared in America, poker moved from frontier towns to the inner country. However, while gambling became very popular on the South-Western frontier, the Western part of the country was less tolerant of this entertainment. Gamblers were forced to leave their places. They had difficulties carrying roulettes with them. That was the main reason why card games became very popular at that time. With the growth of the popularity, a 20 cards deck was replaced with a 52 cards deck.

The game became even more popular in the XXth century. With the appearance of legal land-based casinos, most of them offered poker as one of the integral parts of their gambling program. The invention of the internet and the appearance of special gambling websites have made another revolution in poker. One can play poker online games without the necessity to visit land-based casinos.

How to Play Poker

When it comes to poker rules, they are quite simple. All players get two cards at the beginning of each round. The player who sits to the left of the dealer is the first one to take any action.

All participants have two choices – to bet (or raise) or to check (doing nothing). If a player decides to bet, all other participants have the following options:

1. Call. Place a bet that is equal to the amount of the raise.
2. Fold. Skip the round. A player will lose all the chips he has already put in the pot.
3. Raise. Increase the volume of the bet.

This stage continues until no one is ready to call or to raise more. It may also end when all chips are in the pot. After the end of this round, the dealer puts three cards in the middle. Those are community cards. This round is called the flop.

Now all players that are still in the game (except those who have folded during the first round) can place bets (raise). If a participant thinks that fewer chances to win, he folds. At the end of this round, the fourth card appears in the middle (the turn).

At this point of the game, the rest of the players bet or fold. Once all bets are done, the fifth card is delivered (the river). Again, players can bet, check or fold.

The game ends when all bets are done. Now it is time to calculate the results. Those who have higher winning combinations, win.

Poker Strategy

There are various types of poker strategies that one can use. Here is a brief guide on the basics of tactics that may help gamblers to win:

1. Pot odds. This is the ratio between the amount that is invested in the pot and the amount of the bet one is going to put into the pot. If the pot includes $800 for example and your current bet is $200, the pot odds will be 4 to 1 which is not a bad result, by the way. The higher pot odds are the more chances you have to win higher amounts.
2. Bluffing. Poker is not only about math and chance. This is also a game of psychology. Bluffing is an integral part of many strategies. Even if you don’t have good cards in your hand, you can win the game by simply bluffing. The main rule of this strategy is to remain stone-cold in any situation.
3. Various types of players. Before a gambler will start playing the best online poker sites, it is important to understand what type of player he is. There are four main gambler categories such as Tight Aggressive, Tight Passive, Loose Passive, and Loose Aggressive. As one can see they are all about the aggressiveness in play. Tight aggressive gamblers try to dominate the others when they are in the game while Loose Aggressive players are considered to be true maniacs with their unpredictable poker style.
4. Profits from bad players. This is the simplest strategy ever. One needs to understand which of the players sitting around is a weak point. Taking advantage of those gamblers is the key idea of this strategy.
5. Bet size. When playing poker it is important to be careful with the money invested. Those gamblers who have larger chip stack sizes are more likely to push higher while those who proceed cautiously will be more conservative when playing.
6. Tilting. It is very important to stay emotionally stable when playing poker. Tilting often happens when a gambler has lost a big amount of money and his emotions are out of control. Those who tilt lose in most cases.

Types of Online Poker Games

One of the most popular types of online poker games is Texas Hold’em. When playing this game players have two hidden cards each and five community cards. This type of poker is one of the simplest for beginner gamblers. Moreover, one can play online poker free on most gambling websites.

Pot Limit Omaha is similar to Texas Hold’em but with one distinct difference. Players start with four cards in the beginning while Texas gamblers have only two cards. However, to create the final hand, one can use two cards only.

When it comes to Caribbean Stud Poker, a gambler plays against the dealer and not against his rivals. The dealer has to show one of his cards throughout the game. Both the gambler and dealer have five cards in their hands. There are also progressive jackpot varieties that increase the amount one can win.

Casino Hold’em is a variety of Caribbean Stud Poker but here one needs to create a combination of five cards to win. The gambler and dealer deal with two cards each.

In Pai Gow poker a player deals with seven cards, which are split into five and two hands. The joker can be used as a special card to fill both straight or flush.

Finally, there are video poker games online that are looking like land-based slot-like machines.

Online Casinos vs Real Casinos: Where’s The Best Place to Play Poker?

Online casinos have many benefits as compared to offline gambling sites. You can play free online poker for example. This feature is available on most websites if one chooses the table games category. However, playing demo mode with live dealers is not available.

Online casinos allow gamblers to play their favorite card games without leaving their place. The only thing to do is to find a good online casino and to create an account there.

Gambling websites are available on PCs and mobile devices. This is a big advantage as one can use smartphones or tablets to play with no need to install the app. Most online casinos offer the opportunity to play against the computer or live dealer.

Another advantage is the range of games. One can find plenty of video machines, poker games on a single website that is not the case with real casinos.

Tips And Tricks for Playing Poker

Here are some important recommendations for beginner poker players:

1. Learn the rules first. Before stepping up in a poker career, it is better to understand what the gambler deals with. Rules are not the only thing to learn. One has to keep the winning combinations as well.
2. Starting with lower stakes. Beginner gamblers are better to make small bets to practice.
3. Choosing a type of game. Poker has many varieties. It is not a good idea to play all of them simultaneously. Beginner players are better to choose one type of poker to improve their skills there.
4. Learn one poker strategy at least. It is better to use some simple strategies to win. The basic aspect to understand is how pot odds or bluffing works.
5. Focus on the opponents’ cards. To do that, you need to monitor the opponents’ activities before and after the flop and other stages of the game.
6. Don’t bluff too much. While bluffing is a good way to earn money even in the pre-flop stage, if one uses this strategy too many times, he can end up losing a lot of money.
7. Folding is important. Many beginner gamblers try to participate in each game. However, if the position is not favorable at all, it is better to fold.

Top Poker Sites for 2021

When a beginner poker player is ready to place his first bets in video poker machines or other games, it is time to choose a casino. Here are the top poker sites that one can play in various countries and regions.

Best Poker Sites in Australia

Ignition casino poker room is one of the most attractive online poker sites to play. This brand is widely known even far from Australia. They offer various casino categories and a stand-alone poker room for gamblers. One of the benefits of this online casino is that gamblers can get up to $1,000 as bonus money. There is also a VIP program for loyal customers.

Ignition casino offers live dealer opportunities. This type of software is provided by industry-leading software developers.
PokerStars is designed for both beginner and skilled gamblers. One can find free poker games here. All new customers can claim a welcome 100% first deposit bonus. The website offers plenty of cash games and tournaments.

888poker is one of the biggest websites and one of the most popular places to play poker for Australian gamblers. Gamblers can get $88 as a no deposit bonus there and up to 100% for their first deposit. There are plenty of free games to start.

PlayAmo is not another poker room. This is a true Australian online casino where gamblers can play both table games and live dealer software. There are plenty of payment methods that customers can use to deposit and withdraw including cryptocurrencies.

The Best Online Poker Sites in Canada

Canadian gamblers can benefit from playing the most popular global poker rooms like PokerStars or 888poker. Other websites offer a great gambling experience to customers from Canada. GGPoker is within this list.

New gamblers can claim a 100% bonus or up to $100 in cash. There are various types of other promotions in GGPoker. This website focuses on Hold’em and Omaha poker types.

JackpotCity is an online casino for Canadian gamblers offering welcome promotions and live dealer games. The website is designed for both desktop and mobile devices. There are plenty of payout options allowing gamblers to choose among the fastest and the cheapest ones. There are more than 20 poker games including the most popular Hold’em, Caribbean Stud, and others.

Spin Casino provides Canadian gamblers with live dealing software that is considered to be the best in the industry. The range of games is not as broad as compared to JackpotCity but one can find poker varieties for placing bets and pleasure provided by the famous Evolution Gaming software provider. New customers are welcomed with the first deposit promotion.

Ruby Fortune is an online casino for those Canadian gamblers who like Hold’em and Caribbean Stud. There are also video poker titles there. Beginner poker players can try table games software for free and enjoy poker with no risks.

Best Online Poker Sites for US Players

Intertops is one of the most popular online casinos for US gamblers. There are plenty of games there including slots, video poker, and various table games. As for poker, both beginner and skilled players can benefit from the advantages of this website as they offer low-volume betting opportunities as well as unlimited stakes for high rollers.

BetOnline Poker is another website for US poker fans. There are live games where players can compete with live rivals and a dealer. This online casino for US gamblers supports Bitcoin. There are plenty of payment methods allowing customers to choose between the fastest ones.

Vegas Casino Online is one of the oldest websites in the industry. They offer a plethora of poker game variations and huge welcome offers. Some poker games are available for free allowing gamblers to enjoy them without risking their money.

888 Tiger Casino is operated by a Dutch company and is licensed by the CGC. They accept gamblers from the United States. While 888 Tiger Casino is famous for the wide range of slots, there are also poker varieties here.

European Poker Sites Online

Betsafe casino is considered to be one of the best in the industry when it comes to Europe. They offer more than 100 table games in various categories including live dealers. They accept various payment options including cryptocurrencies. Live Texas Hold’em tournaments attract many gamblers from Europe and other regions.

CasinoEuro offers more than 1,000 titles from various categories. Poker fans will find plenty of game types there as well as video poker. This online gambling website offers many banking options and generous prizes including a trip to a Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Novibet is extremely popular among UK, German, and Greece gamblers due to the huge amount of games that one can find there. Another reason for their popularity is that they are licensed by the United Kingdom and Malta.

Top 10 Poker Games 2021

Here are the top 10 poker games 2021:

1. Texas Hold’em. It is easy to learn the game but it takes a lifetime to master it.
2. Pot-limit Omaha. This game has a lot of action and is very popular among European gamblers.
3. Seven-Card Stud. This game used to be popular a decade ago but currently it takes third place after Hold’em and Pot-limit Omaha.
4. Razz. This is another type of poker that is very popular in 2021. The rules are way easier as compared to Seven-Card Stud.
5. Omaha Hi-Lo. This is a Hi-Lo variation of the famous Omaha poker. The pot is split between the lowest and the highest hands.
6. 2-7 Triple Draw. This game has no community cards. It is very simple but one has to learn the basics first.
7. Five-Card Draw. This is one of the simplest poker varieties that most gamblers played first prior to Hold’em.
8. Chinese poker. This is an Asian version of the famous game.
9. Horse. This game includes five famous poker variations except Hold’em.
10. Badugi. Another exotic variation of poker.