Poker

International

52 (36)

From 2 to 9

The real charm of poker is represented by a dilemma: does it count more luck or skill? Is it really important to be able to bluff, that is to say to dominate the psychology of the opponent, or do you have to rely on a good dose of memory and the application of probability calculation?

It is the card game par excellence. Practiced all over the world, it has been the protagonist of great films and played by famous characters.

The goal of the game is to have in hand the combination of highest value to win the pot.

The ritual of assigning the role of dealer and the players’ seats is fundamental. This is because the position at the table can affect the outcome of the game itself. Usually, you take a sequence of cards of increasing value starting from the Ace, as many as there are players, and you assign one to each. The recipient of the Ace takes the role of dealer for the first hand, while the other players sit around the table clockwise, each in order of increasing card. If someone wants to sit at the table at a game already started, they can take the place of the player who leaves or their position is drawn.

At the beginning of the game, each player buys a certain number of chips (or tokens) with which you can place bets; it is advisable to establish a cashier and a player-cashier to check the change of money at the beginning of the game and during individual hands. It is also necessary to determine whether the game will proceed with free cash (no limit in bets) or with a restricted cash. This means that each player responds, to each hand, only with the chips they have has in front of them; there is the possibility, however, to buy new chips from the cashier, between one hand and the other. Each player places their bet in front of themselves, so that the betting situation is clear at any time.
This betting area of the table is the pot.

The dealer shuffles the cards, submits the deck to first player at their left for the cut and starts distributing the cards, from the player at their left in a clockwise direction. Cards are dealt one by one, up to five per player. If one card is discovered by accident, the recipient must still accept it, while two cards are discovered, both for the same player, this can withdraw from the hand.

The opening requires a minimum combination, you must have at least one pair of Jacks (opening jacks or better). The game starts with the first player to the left of the dealer and continues in a clockwise direction; if you are unable to open, you must fold. The game continues until one of the players opens: once the opening has been made, the other people at the table must decide whether to accept the game or not, possibly even by raising.
The first player to the left of the dealer can open blind (or small blind), that is without looking at their cards and putting in the pot a sum that is double the one already in the pot. The other players can decide whether to follow the game, putting in the pot, each, the corresponding share: otherwise, the hand passes to the player who played in the dark.

The big blind can be a response to the blind: the second player, the one to the left of the one who made the blind, without looking at their cards, can put a value of four times the pot on the table. If all participants in the hand withdraw, the author of the big blind wins.
If no one can open the deck in a hand, the deck is passed to the player on the dealer’s left and the pot is enriched by an additional pot, which in technical language is called arrosage (‘rain’). If one opening has failed, the next must have a minimum base of a pair of Queens and, if the situation persists, three hands are played with an opening to Kings then back to Queens and again to Jacks.

In the case of a blind, only the player who called it can call raise, which is to say raising their bet. The player who accepts and decides to follow the game, puts the corresponding amount in the pot, but can also raise in turn. A player may decide to fold, but lose what has been in the pot up to that point.
If the bet opens with a base point, the first player to the left of the opening hand can start to adjust, raising and then increasing the bet, or leaving the game. After the opening and any raises, the remaining players begin the second phase of the game, the discard. Each person can ask the dealer to change from one to all five cards in their possession, to try and get a combination of greater value than the initial one.
The dealer then, always starting from the first player on their left and proceeding clockwise, begins to draw the cards that the players want to replace. The cards are to be taken back face down and placed by the dealer at the bottom of the deck, after which the dealer deals out the cards, always covered, in the opposite way: by taking the cards from the top of the deck. As a rule, the cards are handed out to each player one by one.

The third stage begins now. The game continues as following: in the case of a point-based opening, the first person who opened the game speaks; while, in the case of a blind or big blind opening, the player sitting to the left of the player who declared it speaks first. The speaker can withdraw from the game, raise and propose an additional bet, or temporarily leave the word to the next player, exclaiming words. The other players can fold, accept the bet proposed (saying call, and adding the sum in the pot) or to make new raises. The one who calls must always add to the pot the amount of balance, while the one who raises must add the amount of balance plus that of their raise; the player who folds loses all of their bets up to that point. At the end of all raises, the remaining players see the cards of the last bet, who must show their own combination first on the table (showdown). The others, if they have a higher score, must show their cards; if, on the other hand, their combination is of a lower value, they have the right to declare defeat and not show their cards. The pot is won by the player with the highest combination.

If all players withdraw in front of a single bet, the pot goes to the player who placed such a bet and is not required to show their cards. If the player who has won is the same one who opened, they must show only the cards that can justify their opening. If all players declare words, the hand is closed and no one wins the pot. All players who have withdrawn from the game in previous phases must make a deposit into the pot to compensate for the amount reached by the others.

The game combinations are the basis and mechanism on which Poker is based. Having a higher value combination, or making your opponents believe it, allows you to win the hand. The value of the combinations in ascending order is as follows: no pair, one pair, two pair, three of a kind, straight, flush, full, poker, straight flush.
The No pair
This combination is purely academic, as it is not even sufficient for the opening of the game, but becomes decisive in case of parity between some types of combinations. (probability 50.1%)
The One pair
The pair is formed by two cards of the same value plus three different cards (so-called unpaired). The highest pair wins, while if both pairs have the same values, the third highest card wins, and so on. If, on the other hand, all five cards are of equal value, the hand is in tie. A pair of cards formed by two figures (Jack, Queen or King) is called “dressed”. (probability 42.2%)
The Two pair
Between two pairs the highest pair wins and in case of a tie, the second pair prevails. If the situation persists, the fifth card unfolded is counted. If all five cards are of equal value the hand is in tie. The highest double pair is the one made up of two Aces and two Kings, a combination also called Titanic. (4.75% probability)
The Three of a kind
Formed by three cards of the same value plus two unpaired cards: between two triplets wins the highest one. Since no three of the same value can be matched in the same hand, a tie is not possible, while the other two cards in the hand are irrelevant for scoring purposes. (probability 2,11%)
The Straight
To get a straight, it is sufficient to have in hand a continuous sequence of five cards where the suit is not taken into account but only the correct succession, starting from any value. Middle and intermediate scales are defined as those that do not have an Ace in the sequence, placed neither before the lowest card nor after the highest. The highest card is referred to when you call ‘straight to King’, ‘straight to Queen’, ‘straight to Jack’ and so on. The lowest scale is obtained when the Ace precedes the lowest card; the highest scale when Ace is after King. Between two scales, the highest maximum value always wins and a tie is possible. The hole scale (or missed) represents the case where you failed to complete the sequence and is worthless. (probability about 0.4%)
The Flush
It is obtained with five cards, not sequentially, of the same suit. Between two suits, the card with the highest value wins and in case of a tie, the second card’s value prevails, and so on. If all five cards are of equal value, the hand is in tie. (probability about 0.2%)
The Full
Also called full house. It is obtained by dropping a three of a kind and a pair. Between two full, always wins the one with the highest three of a kind, while the pair is not important for scoring purposes: it only serves to make the combination. There is no such thing as tie. (probability 0.14%)
The Poker
Also called four of a kind. It is the combination that gives the name to the game: it is the most prestigious and is obtained with four cards of the same value. In case more players have a poker, the combination formed by the highest cards wins. The highest poker possible is the Aces, which can only be beaten by a straight flush. In this combination the fifth card that accompanies poker has no value; a tie is possible. (probability 0.02%)
The Straight flush
It is the highest score in the game of Poker. It is a continuous sequence of cards of the same suit. The highest maximum value wins between two color scales and parity is possible. The flush that starts at 10 and reaches the Ace is called a royal flush. As with the Straight, the Straight flush can be minimal, medium or maximum. (probability 0.0015%)