On any decent casino floor there should be at least a handful of poker tables to choose from. But playing poker has become even easier and more accessible with the popularity of online casinos. You now have the opportunity to choose from hundreds of poker games to play in the comfort of your own home. The game, even the online version, is still very interactive and you may find yourself playing with players from all corners of the globe.
Poker Rules and How it Works
The first thing you need to do is find a casino site at which to play online poker. Online casino NZ should be chosen based on their reputation, their history and which games they offer. Not all online casino sites will offer your preferred poker variant so it is best to check that out beforehand.
Upon choosing and opening a poker game of your choice, you are dealt two cards which only you can see. The player directly to the left of the dealer places the small blind bet and the next player places the big blind bet. Continuing clockwise, other players need to choose whether to call or raise the big blind bet. This first round ends when each player has had the chance to bet. Players can choose to ‘fold’ and withdraw from the game at any time that it is their turn to bet.
3 community cards (also known as ‘the flop’) are now dealt face-up in the middle of the table. The flop can now be compared to your hand and give you an idea of how high or low you should bet. The aim is to have the best possible hand in order to win. The bets circulate in a clockwise direction once more.
Another card, called the ‘turn’, is dealt alongside the flop. A round of typical betting ensues, where the stakes are usually heightened. A final card called the ‘river’ is dealt next to the turn. All players who have yet to fold now reveal their cars or cards and whoever has the best combination with the community cards wins the pot.
Poker Strategies and Systems
Poker is known to be one of the most fair casino games online out there. In online versions, the house edge is normally as low as 1% or even less. Poker is, for the most part, a game of luck, but there are a few strategies and styles you can make use of to assist you in winning that ever-enticing pot!
Jacks or better strategy- This strategy is definitely the most popular and certainly easiest strategies when it comes to the game of poker. Basically the strategy involves sticking with cards that are jacks or better and getting rid of all others. The cards, as well as combinations that are advised to bet on, are made up of; a straight flush, a royal flush, four of a kind, 3 of a kind, a full house, high pairs.
Deuces Wild- Deuces Wild is a rule that is often not explained to new players. If you are dealt a 2 card, instead of discarding it, you can replace it with any other card to create the best possible winning combinations. You can use this deuces wild system to make truly creative combinations.
There are also many approaches you can take when playing online poker. You can play aggressively by making hard, fast bets in an effort to scare off your opponents. You can play passively, which is the opposite, and is characterized by more calling than betting.
Two more typical poker styles include the tight style and loose style. The tight style is characterized by low risks and conservative bets while the loose style takes a more high risk approach with a number of hands
Hand Values
Hands in poker are made up of a combination of 5 cards. Below is a list of all the possible hands in descending order:
- Royal Flush (5 consecutive suited cards of 10, J, Q, K, A)
- Straight Flush (a combination of any 5 suited cards following in a sequenced order)
- Four of any kind
- Full House (3 of a kind as well as a matching pair)
- Flush (5 cards of the same suit)
- Straight (5 cards of any suites in a straight sequence)
- Three of a kind
- Two pairs
- One pair
- House Edge
Online Poker is known for having one of the lowest house edges in online casino games, usually coming in at 1% or lower. Online Poker games RTPs are normally as high as between 98% and 100%. It doesn’t get much better than that!
Game Variations
There are dozens of choices available when it comes to playing online poker. Different casinos offer different variations, each their own unique set of rules but same basic principles. Variations you can expect to easily come across include Texas Hold ‘Em, Casino Hold ‘Em, Caribbean Stud Poker, Cyber Stud Poker, 3 Card Poker as well as live versions of all these games. Some online poker games may even be themed with corresponding animations and certain live dealer games have dealers in an assortment of fancy dress outfits.
Reasons to Love Online Poker 
- Online Poker is a relatively simple game to learn and players with even zero experience in poker should get the hang of it fairly quickly. Strategizing in poker can be fun and exciting as you start learning more and more about the game.
- You can play online poker at any time from anywhere with a stable internet connection, you may just need to wait for other players to sign in and join the game.
- Online poker is famed for being one of the most fair casino games out there because of its exceptionally low house edge.
- There are so many options and variations out there that you are sure to find the online poker game that is perfect for you!
