Captain Awesome's Guide to Gambling: Poker

So, I guess it's that time again, where I get to post the final post of a series of posts. I don't know if anyone will head my gambling advice, but I feel it is all worthwhile, though not quite as worthwhile as my hunting series of posts.

Today, I am going to make a post on the form of gambling that got me through college, and may even one day be what I do for a living. Either way, we'll see. If you remember correctly, I am a legend of poker now, so I have legitimacy in writing about this. This however will not be in depth, and if you are serious about learning, I would recommend a poker book.

Poker is a very broad term, that is used to play several different forms. Most of you all probably know at least a little bit about 5 Card Draw, which you may have played with you family for pennies when you were growing up. If you didn't do that, then there is still an extremely likely chance that you know something about Texas Holdem, if only from seeing it on one of the many channels on TV that you can see it. In fact, the sudden surge over the last 7-10 years in poker (known also as the poker boom) is largely behind this TV trend (thanks to the WSOP on ESPN or the WPT on the Travel channel, etc.). There is also the online poker boom that has helped inspire this trend of poker players coming of age in the 2000's. I am going to ignore talking about some forms of poker, such as 5 card draw/stud, or Razz, or the hi/lo games, but today will focus on three of the more played games: No Limit/Limit Texas Holdem, 7 card stud, and pot limit Omaha.

I have been playing poker since I can remember. I grew up in a family where gambling is somewhat of a normal thing, so I would play blackjack and 5 card draw for pennies, nickles, and dimes growing up. Over time I go particularly into 7 card stud. 7 card stud may be one of the easier games to learn in poker apart from 5 card draw. This is because you essentially get to see 4 of the other players cards while they bet, and this gives you a pretty decent idea of what they may have (like if they have 4 hearts showing and they are betting it, then a flush is very likely).

In 7 card stud, generally a limit game (your bets are limited based on the size of the blinds/antes), you are dealt 7 total cards. The first three come 2 down, and one up as your hole cards. Bets begin by the lowest up card bringing in a bet. From there the betting begins. You will get get several cards dealt to you face up, before you get your 7th card (the river) dealt face down. Betting will ensue after every card dealt. You are trying to make the best 5 card hand (hand rankings will be posted at the end) out of your 7 cards. After the showdown, the player with the best hand will take the pot.

Another game frequently played in the World Series of Poker (WSOP) and shown on TV, is Omaha. This game is generally played as a pot limit game, meaning you can only bet up to the size of the pot. In this game you are dealt four cards face down, and have 5 community cards that are flopped out in a 3-1-1 sequence known as the flop, turn, and river. You are required to use 2, and only 2 of your 4 hole cards, and 3 of the community cards to make the best possible 5 card hand. Betting ensues preflop, after flop, after turn, and post river before a showdown. The best 5 card hand at the end will take down the pot. This game is tricky to most because they don't understand the rules completely. This is actually one of my top games in the poker realm, and I have actually done quite well over the years when playing Omaha.

The final game is Texas Holdem, the game which many of you have seen on television. In Texas Holdem, you can play limit, pot limit, and no limit (no limit on the amount you can bet at any time). In holdem, you are dealt 2 down cards, and you share 5 community cards, dealt out in the same way as they are in Omaha. The difference is, between your cards and the community cards, your goal is to make the best 5 card hand with the 7 available cards. You do not have to use your hole cards if they don't help out the cards in the community in anyway. The betting order and structure is the same as Omaha.

Here are the hand rankings for all poker games:

1. Royal Flush (A-K-Q-J-10 of Diamonds, etc.)
   
2. Straight Flush (3-4-5-6-7 of Spades, etc.)
   
3. 4 of a Kind (Q of Spades, Q of Hearts, Q of Clubs, Q of Diamonds, and any other card)
   
4. Full House (A-A-A-K-K)
5. Flush (2-7-9-J-A of Hearts)
6. Straight (7-8-9-10-J any suit)
7. 3 of a Kind (7-7-7-4-A any suit)
8. 2 Pair (A-A-8-8-3 any suit)
9. Pair (K-K-5-8-9 any suit)
10. High Card (A-3-6-10-J any suit)
    

These games can be played in 2 major scenarios, the first is tournament play (what you have seen on TV), in which you play throughout a period of time, with your entry fee, and when you are busted out, you are no longer playing, or you win by outlasting every other tournament entry.

The other form is known as a ring game or a cash game, in which you buy in for a certain monetary amount, and you can leave at anytime, and you may also rebuy at anytime as well.

There are advantages and disadvantages to every game you play in poker, and if you want to be able to make money playing, I suggest reading books, and playing for free online until you really understand the games and their rules. If you have any specific questions regarding this or any other casino game, please feel free to ask at anytime and I will answer to the best that I can. Hope this helps, and don't forget to tip the dealer every time you rake in a pot. And tip your cocktail waitress as always.

So, stay awesome, and have a good ole hot streak the next time you are in a casino just for Captain Awesome. Enjoy!