Upswing Poker Lab is probably the most complete Texas Holdem course online where you will find all the essential knowledge. Some of the game best provide different segments of this poker training so that you can gain invaluable insights from the Lab. Welcome to Poker 101 for dummies – where beginners learn to play poker. Poker 101 will give you a grounding in the mechanics of the game and get you started with some winning strategies. Read through the following pages to get an understanding of all poker related info plus lots of extra tips and tricks.

Video Tutorials - Watch these videos and start playing poker

The Mechanics - 7:35

Don’t know your community cards from your royal flushes? This easy-to-follow video will show you the basic rules, hand rankings and actions that define poker’s most popular format: No-Limit Texas Hold’em.

Showdown Rules - 1:18

Discover what it means to get to showdown at the poker table, and when you do and don’t have to show your hand in No-Limit Texas Hold’em. Plus, learn key poker phrases like ‘muck’ and watch useful examples of hands in action.

Starting Hands - 3:32

Learn the differences between the starting hands in poker, what ‘non-paired’ and ‘suited’ mean and how valuable your cards are pre-flop. There are even a few basic strategies for winning at the tables thrown in for good measure.

Familiarise yourself with the 10 basic hand rankings that govern Texas Hold’em. For details on how to play other games like Omaha and Razz, check out the Games page.

Royal Flush

Poker’s most famous hand, a royal flush cannot be beaten. It consists of the ace, king, queen, jack and ten of a single suit.

Straight Flush

Five cards in sequence, of the same suit. In the event of a tie, the highest rank at the top of the sequence wins.

Four of a Kind

Four cards of the same rank, and one side card or ‘kicker’. In the event of a tie, the highest four of a kind wins.

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Full House

Three cards of the same rank, and two cards of a different, matching rank. In the event of a tie, the highest three matching cards wins.

Flush

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Five cards of the same suit, not in sequence. In the event of a tie, the player holding the highest ranked card wins.

Straight

Five non-suited cards in sequence. In the event of a tie, the highest ranking card at the top of the sequence wins.

Three of a Kind

Three cards of the same rank, and two unrelated side cards. In the event of a tie, the highest ranking three of a kind wins.

Two Pair

Two cards of matching rank, two cards of different matching rank, and one side card. In the event of a tie, the highest pair wins.

Pair

Two cards of matching rank, and three unrelated side cards. In the event of a tie, the highest pair wins the pot.

High Card

Any hand that does not qualify under the categories listed. In the event of a tie, the highest card wins, such as “ace-high”.