Understand the game
History of Poker
Poker is certainly one of the most popular games played worldwide. Its history is as manifold as the various types played today.
While some claim that historical origins go back as far as 900 to Chinese dominoes the most common theory refers to a Persian game called “as nas” – a 5-player game with 5 suits requiring a special deck. A later European variation in the shape of the French “Poque” arrived on the shores of New Orleans, where the game started its journey through the North American continent. Travelling slowly first, carriages, wagons, trains and steamboats spread the game further as the West was explored, civil-wars had to be fought or goldrushes had to be overcome.
Today, Poker is carefully regulated by gambling laws and the old saloons have been replaced by casinos. It is played in more variations than any other game and even known to non-gambling people from expressions such as “bluff” or “poker-face”.
Whether you play for fun or real money, the thrill of tactics, betting and sheer nerve will always draw people to this game of all games.
Online Poker
Online Poker has of course a much more recent history than the original game which dates back some 300 years at least. The first online casinos appeared in the mid 90’s but the real boost came with the change of the millennium when Internet-based payment became more widespread. Now, everyday-players entered the rooms and casinos on the net, causing online casinos to become larger and events to become bigger. Success-stories such as the one of Chris Moneymaker who entered the World Series of Poker tournament and walked away with $2.5 million after having beaten over 80 entrants (including some well-known pros) gave Online Poker the reputation and exciting appeal it has today.
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The Game
Poker, at its very essence, is a simple card game in which players with concealed or partially concealed cards bet through several rounds into a central pot which is finally awarded to the player or players with the best combination of cards. While the game of poker is played in hundreds of variations, most follow the same basic pattern of play.
For each hand the players are required to make bets to create an initial stake – the blind - to contest for. The dealer shuffles and deals out the appropriate number of cards one at a time.
For each hand the players are required to make bets to create an initial stake – the blind - to contest for. The dealer shuffles and deals out the appropriate number of cards one at a time. After this initial deal the first of several betting rounds begins. The betting usually follows the type of dealing: Players’ hands often change during the game as - according to the type of Poker - additional cards are being dealt or replaced. When a player places a bet opponents are required to match it or to surrender their cards and quit the hand.
At the end of the last betting round there is a showdown: The players reveal their previously hidden cards and compare their hands. The player with the highest ranking hand (in some Poker variants it can also be the lowest or certain cards) wins the pot.
If a player bets and no opponent chooses to match the bet, the hand ends immediately and this unchallenged player is awarded the pot. No cards are shown and the next hand is started.
This option to win a pot without showing a hand opens up a whole variety of mind games, the most well-known of which is the so-called bluffing. Bluffing is a technique originating from and still central part to playing poker.
Most popular poker variants can be loosely classified as draw poker, stud poker, or community card poker. The most commonly played games in these categories are Five-Card Draw, Omaha, Seven-card Stud, and Texas Hold’Em.
Hands
Each poker game uses a fifty-two (52) card standard deck. The cards are ranked from Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10 through to 2 in descending order. An Ace may also be used as a lower card ranking than a two in sequence.
A poker hand at the showdown consists or your best five cards ranked according to the following list, from lowest to highest.
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High Card
The hand with the highest card wins.
High Pair
Two cards of the same rank. If two players have the same pair, the highest outside card wins.
Two Pair
Two different sets of two cards of the same rank. If two players have two pair, the hand with the highest pair wins. If they have the same high pair whoever has the highest pair wins.
Three of a Kind
Three cards of the same rank.
Straight
Five cards in a sequence. Cards can be any suit
Flush
Five cards of the same suit. If there is more than one flush the hand with the highest card wins.
Full House
Three cards of one rank and two of another rank. If more than one player has a full house, the full house with the highest ranking three cards wins.
Four of a Kind
Four cards of the same rank.
Straight Flush
A straight with all five cards of the same suit.
Royal Flush
Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten of the same suit.
Rake Structure
Rake is generally the commission fees taken by a site operating a poker game.
Poker is played between players and the house does not wager against its players so the rake taken from pots is the only revenue of the house. In online poker it covers the various costs of operation such as support, software and personnel.
There are two different types of rake. In ring-games pots are raked according to the formula shown below. Rake is taken automatically by the game software according to the structure. The software we use shows the rake amount at the bottom of the poker screen and takes it incrementally between the rounds of betting.
Fixed Limit Rake
Lower than $0.50/$1.00 = $0.05 rake per $1.00.
(Maximum rake: $0.50).
$0.50/$1.00 to $2.00/$4.00 = $0.05 rake per $1.00.
Higher than $2.00/$4.00 = $0.25 rake per $5.00.
Pot/No Limit Rake
$0.25/$0.5 or lower = $0.05 rake per $1.00.
(Maximum rake: $1.5 (3+ players)).
Higher than $0.25/$0.5 = $0.05 rake per $1.00.
Maximum Rake
Maximum rake rules for all game types are (if nothing else is stated):
2 players = $1.00 max rake.
3-4 players = $2.00 max rake.
5+ players = $3.00 max rake.
• The rake never exceeds 5% of the pot size.
• The maximum rake per pot (rake cap) is $3.
• The heads-up rake cap is $1.
Interwetten Poker also adopts a “No Flop No Rake” policy, meaning if all players except one fold before the first three cards (flop) is out Interwetten Poker will not rake the pot.
In tournaments the rake you pay is the additional charge to enter a tournamentt, e.g. in a $5 + 50c tournament, the $5 go into the pot and are not raked, the 50c constitute the fee which Interwetten will take for hosting the tournament.
The fees are generally 10% but this can vary according to the tournament.
Player Points (PP)
Player points are automatically earned when playing for real money, whether in ring games or in tournaments. The amount of player points awarded in ring games depends on various factors.
Each player who is eligible earns 0.1 player points for every $0.10 raked from a pot, as shown in the table below.
Players who do not contribute any money to a pot will not be awarded any player points.
Rake Player Pts
<$0.10 0
$0.10 - $0.19 0.1
$0.20 - $0.29 0.2
$0.30 - $0.39 0.3
$0.40 - $0.49 0.4
$0.50 - $0.59 0.5
$0.60 - $0.69 0.6
$0.70 - $0.79 0.7
$0.80 - $0.89 0.8
$0.90 - $0.99 0.9
$1.00 - $1.09 1.0
$1.10 - $1.19 1.1
$1.20 - $1.29 1.2
$1.30 - $1.39 1.3
$1.40 - $1.49 1.4
$1.50 - $1.59 1.5
$1.60 - $1.69 1.6
$1.70 - $1.79 1.7
$1.80 - $1.89 1.8
$1.90 - $1.99 1.9
$2.00 - $2.09 2.0
$2.10 - $2.19 2.1
$2.20 - $2.29 2.2
$2.30 - $2.39 2.3
$2.40 - $2.49 2.4
$2.50 - $2.59 2.5
$2.60 - $2.69 2.6
$2.70 - $2.79 2.7
$2.80 - $2.89 2.8
$2.90 - $2.99 2.9
$3.00 3.0
