Free Online Poker Strategy

The game of Poker has exploded in popularity and there has been an increase in players looking for winning online gambling systems and strategies. Poker is a game of skill and players who are armed with the best money management techniques and rules for playing out hands properly have increased their probability and odds of winning pots.

The standard poker hand refers to a series of five cards. This basic outline will show the strongest pokers hands in descending order. You may already be familiar with many of the names given to the hands but this article will show you specific hand examples to help make you familiar with the combinations.

To begin with, you must be familiar with the different suites in a deck of cards. These abbreviations will be used in the examples I have provided below.

h - Hearts
d - Diamonds
c - Clubs
s - Spades

Now that you know the 4 suits in a deck of cards, we are ready to look at the poker hand rankings.

Royal Flush: Ace, King, Queen, Jack and 10 of the same suit. This hand is also referred to as a "ace-high straight flush" and is the highest form of the straight flush.
- Example: 10h-Jh-Qh-Kh-Ah

Straight Flush: Five cards in sequence and of the same suit. Usually, aces can count either as high or low.
- Example "Straight Flush Eight to Queen": 8c-9c-10c-Jc-Qc
- Example 2, using ace as low card: Ah-2h-3h-4h-5h

Four of a kind: A hand with four cards of the same rank.
- Example "Four of a kind Fours": 4c-4d-4h-4s-9h

Full House: A hand with three cards of one rank and two of another.
- Example "Full House Eights over Queens": 8c-8d-8s-Qh-Qs

Flush: Five cards of the same suit.
- Example: Ks-As-8s-4s-3s

Straight: Five cards in sequence.
- Example "Straight Ace to Five": 5d-4h-3s-2d-Ad

Three of a kind: Three cards of the same rank.
- Example "Three of a kind sevens": 7c-7h-7s-Kd-2s

Two pairs: Two cards of one rank, two of another.
- Example "Two Pairs Aces and Eights": Ac-Ad-8h-8s-Qs

One pair: Two cards of the same rank.
- Example "One pair nines": 9h-9s-Ac-Js-4h

High card: A hand that does not qualify for any of the other categories.
- Example "High card Ace": Ac-Js-9h-6h-3s

If two players hold the same exact hand, the winner is the one with the better cards in his hand. For example a "High card Ace" beats a "High card Queen" and "Three of a kind Aces" beat "Three of a kind Tens".

With this basic knowledge of poker hands you are armed with the knowledge of exactly what playing system it takes to win at poker and what to look for in the cards dealt to you. It is a common online poker strategy to hold on to picture cards, meaning Kings, Queens, Jacks as well as Aces. These cards may not lead to a stronger winning hand for you but they will take these valuable cards out of the game and lower the chances of other players using these cards against you to win.