ONLINE POKER GUIDE
ONLINE POKER
Startup
Getting started is simple. Open a free account, grab the free Bodog poker software, and choose your table from the lobby. That's it. Three easy steps and you're ready to win your way to the top.
Strategy
So you're at the table. Know the difference between a stone cold and semi bluff? Or how to analyze your opponents' play online? Brush up your poker strategy in The Guide.
"Position is everything." !
Games
Once you've mastered Texas Holdem it's time to crush the opposition at Omaha and Stud. Play 'em hi, play 'em lo - c'mon, show us what you've got.
Play Online Poker for free
Before you run, you'll need to learn how to crawl, and the free online component of Bodog Poker is a great way to learn. This is an absolutely free application that gives all of the experience you'll need to step right into a real money table. You'll probably want to check out a few different types of games and tables so try it out for free beforehand.
To access all of Bodog's free poker tables, simply download the software and sign up for a free account. Then pick any table on the play money list, and start playing. The free online component of Bodog Poker is identical to our "real money" tables, so the transition will be easy when you decide you're ready. Once you've explored the free experience and become familiar with how Bodog Poker works, load up your account and try your hand at a real money table.
Where to find the free practice tables
When you open up the Bodog Poker application, just go to the main lobby and scroll down to the bottom of the table lists. Here you will see Play Money tables highlighted in gold.
Cheat Sheet
Hand Rankings
Hand Selection
Online Poker Chat
Poker is a social game and a lot of the fun comes from your interaction with your opponents. Here's a quick guide to help you with how the online poker community talks to each other.
Online Poker Game Limits
You may have noticed that the table listings in our lobby include a "Limit" column. In that column, you'll find the following abbreviations: NL, PL, and Fixed. Anyone new to online poker might wonder what these are for. This section will help to explain the game limits.
For several of our games we offer three different game types: No Limit, Pot Limit, and Fixed Limit. The game type you choose will decide the amount you are able to bet each turn for each betting round. We'll start with Fixed Limit:
Fixed Limit Poker
In a Fixed Limit game, both the bet and raise amounts for each round are a preset amount, which is listed under the "stakes" column for that table. For example, in a $5/$10 Fixed Texas Holdem game, both the bets and raises for the first two rounds of betting must be $5, no more, no less. The last two rounds have a bet/raise amount of $10.
The Cap: In Fixed Limit games, each round of betting has a maximum number (three) of allowable raises, known as the cap. So, if a bet is made, that bet can only be raised three times, after which all players must call or fold. However, if only two players remain in the hand the cap is increased, to a maximum of five raises. This rule is in effect for all the betting rounds, with the idea being to speed up play.
Fixed Limit games are popular because they're safe. While pots can still climb quickly, on average, Fixed Limit pots stay pretty consistent in size, and stay the smallest for the three game types. In other words, it's a lot harder to lose all your chips right away. (Although if you're really determined, it can still be done!) This makes a Fixed Limit game more attractive to beginners, who are still learning the game play.
Pot and No Limit Games
Once you understand the rules for Limit games, the rules for No Limit and Pot Limit games will be easy to learn. The difference between these games is the amount a player may bet at any one time.
Pot Limit (PL)
For a Pot Limit game, you can't bet more than the current pot amount plus whatever it takes to call the previous bet. The minimum bet is the big blind, ($10 in our $5/$10 game) and if a bet is made, any raises must be equal or greater than the previous raise.
Sound complicated? Let's look at an example: let's say we're playing a $5/$10 PL game, and the pot's reached $100. A player (we'll call him John) bets the minimum $10. You've got a great hand, and you want to raise the maximum. The most you can raise is:
Original pot ($100) + Previous Bets ($10) + Call Amount ($10) = $120, making your total bet amount $130.
Now a player to your left (call her Lisa) wants to raise you the maximum amount. Just add one more step to the formula:
Original Pot ($100) + Previous Bets [John's bet ($10) + Your bet ($120)] + Call Amount ($130)= $360, making Lisa's total bet amount $490 (your bet + her raise).
Now let's say you don't think your hand is good enough to bet the pot, but you still want to raise on John. Your raise must be at least equal to his bet, so your total bet must be at least $20. If you bet $20, and Lisa wants to raise you the minimum, her bet must be at least $40.
As you can probably imagine, the bets in a PL game climb pretty quickly, making for some exciting action. There is no cap to the number of raises per betting round, so you can keep raising until you run out of money.
No Limit (NL)
Just as the name implies, there are no maximum limits in No Limit poker. You can bet your whole stack at any time. The minimum bet is the high stake, or the big blind amount. ($10 in or $5/$10 game) Just like PL, your raise must be at least equal to the previous bets/raises. And just like PL, there are no caps to the number of raises per betting round, so a stack of chips can be lost pretty quick.
In both PL and NL, if somebody bets or raises you more than your current chip stack, you can call "all-in." In this case, any further raises go into a side pot, which you aren't a part of. So, if you've got the best hand, you'll win the main pot that holds your "all-in" bet, and the side pot will go to the person with the next best hand (as long as they contributed to the side pot).
For online poker PL and NL games a "bet slider" is displayed when it is your turn to act. The slider's boundaries represent your minimum and maximum bet, so you're able to move the slider to bet anything in between. Or, you can type your raise amount in the bet field.
*All buy-ins are in USD.
Caribbean Hold'em Poker
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