Newbie Guide on How to Play Poker: No Limit Holdem

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I'm going to assume you never played poker before, and if anyone thinks I should add/edit anything to this post, please let me know in the replies.

All players are dealt two cards, usually 9 players per table. Each player uses two cards from their hand, and up to 5 cards from the community board to make the best possible hands.
In poker only five cards are used in total to make the best possible hand. The cards in your hand only come into play if it helps you make a better hand.

There's a dealer(button), small blind(sb), and big blind(bb). The button/dealer always sits to the right of the small blind.
The player to the left of the small blind, is always the big blind.

The blinds rotate around the table, so each player has to pay the blinds. The first player to act, sits to left of the BB also known as UTG(Under The Gun).
They can decide to raise, call, or fold before the rest of the table gets to make a decision.

Some/most tournaments also have an ante, which all players must pay.

An Ace holds the highest value in no limit holdem(NLHE), and a two is the lowest card you can be dealt. In NLHE each player is dealt two cards face down, there's also four betting stages, preflop, post-flop(or flop), turn, and river also known as the community board which all players can use with their face down cards to make the best hand.

On the flop theirs three community cards placed face up, then theirs a betting phase, turn 1 card, final phase river also one card followed by bets.

Here's a list of the best possible hands in poker.

  • Royal Flush: The absolute nuts. If you make a royal flush, you're guaranteed to have the best hand. A royal flush contains the following cards of the same suit: A-K-Q-J-10
  • Straight Flush:4 of a Kind:Example: 4-4-4-4
  • Full House: A full house, is any 3 cards that are the same, followed by a pair. Example: A-A-A & K-K (highest possible full house)
  • 3 of a Kind: Any 3 cards that are the same. Example: 3-3-3
  • Example: 2-2 & A-A
  • Pair: Pair is better than a high card, only beats a high card or a weaker pair. Example: A-A beats K-K
  • High Card: For Example: A-7 could beat A-2 if cards are the board equal a stronger hand for A-7, and there's no two on the community board.

Here's also a video guide on how to learn poker/no limit holdem:
 
Last edited:
Thank you for writing this guide! @bawse I never knew how to play, but now Ima try to play soon. Thanks to your guide.
 
Very nice write up. I will give it a read.
 
I'm going to assume you never played poker before, and if anyone thinks I should add/edit anything to this post, please let me know in the replies.

All players are dealt two cards, usually 9 players per table. Each player uses two cards from their hand, and up to 5 cards from the community board to make the best possible hands.
In poker only five cards are used in total to make the best possible hand. The cards in your hand only come into play if it helps you make a better hand.

There's a dealer(button), small blind(sb), and big blind(bb). The button/dealer always sits to the right of the small blind.
The player to the left of the small blind, is always the big blind.

The blinds rotate around the table, so each player has to pay the blinds. The first player to act, sits to left of the BB also known as UTG(Under The Gun).
They can decide to raise, call, or fold before the rest of the table gets to make a decision.

Some/most tournaments also have an ante, which all players must pay.

An Ace holds the highest value in no limit holdem(NLHE), and a two is the lowest card you can be dealt. In NLHE each player is dealt two cards face down, there's also four betting stages, preflop, post-flop(or flop), turn, and river also known as the community board which all players can use with their face down cards to make the best hand.

On the flop theirs three community cards placed face up, then theirs a betting phase, turn 1 card, final phase river also one card followed by bets.

Here's a list of the best possible hands in poker.

  • Royal Flush: The absolute nuts. If you make a royal flush, you're guaranteed to have the best hand. A royal flush contains the following cards of the same suit: A-K-Q-J-10
  • Straight Flush:4 of a Kind:Example: 4-4-4-4
  • Full House: A full house, is any 3 cards that are the same, followed by a pair. Example: A-A-A & K-K (highest possible full house)
  • 3 of a Kind: Any 3 cards that are the same. Example: 3-3-3
  • Example: 2-2 & A-A
  • Pair: Pair is better than a high card, only beats a high card or a weaker pair. Example: A-A beats K-K
  • High Card: For Example: A-7 could beat A-2 if cards are the board equal a stronger hand for A-7, and there's no two on the community board.

Here's also a video guide on how to learn poker/no limit holdem:
I can’t watch the video it says I can’t watch it in my country
 

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New article is up "Poker Math 101", under the strategy section, go check it out now 💯
Apologies for being absent. Been moving house, then World Cup!

Anyways I'm here now. I have a brand new strategy article coming to the page tonight!

If you ever wanted to learn some poker math, and didn't get around to it, I got you! Watch this space!
Good luck in the home games tonight

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