Pokeriad / Learn
Learn poker one decision at a time
110 guides, grouped by what you want to learn. Every one explains the idea in plain English, shows the real numbers and lets you practice on the spot.
Start here
How to play pokerThe whole game from the first card to the showdown, and a hand you can deal yourself.Texas Hold'em rulesBlinds, minimum raises, all-ins and who shows first, with a raise calculator.Poker hand rankingsAll ten hands with real cards and exact odds, and a dealer you can run yourself.Poker termsOver a hundred words you will hear at the table, searchable and in plain English.Poker positionsWho acts when, and why the same hand is a raise on the button and a fold under the gun.Poker tipsFifteen habits that save the most chips, each with the numbers behind it.Poker quizTwenty questions, the reason after each one, and a breakdown by topic at the end.
The hands, one by one
Royal flushThe best hand in poker, the four that exist and the exact odds.Straight flushFive in a row in one suit, and the only hand that beats it.Four of a kindQuads: what they beat, how rare they are and who wins a tie.Full houseThree of one rank and two of another, and which one wins.FlushFive cards of one suit, how ties work and the exact odds.StraightFive in a row, where the ace can go and who wins a tie.Three of a kindSets, trips, kickers and how often a pocket pair gets there.Two pairHow to compare them, the kicker and getting counterfeited.High cardThe lowest hand, how it is compared and when it still wins.Royal flush oddsEvery game, and how long you should expect to wait.Worst poker handsIs it really 7-2 offsuit? It depends how many are at the table.Dead man's handAces and eights, Wild Bill Hickok, and what nobody can prove.
How a hand runs
BlindsWho posts them, how they move and what they cost you.Flop, turn, riverThe five community cards, in order, and when you bet.Split potsWhen the pot is split, when it is not and who gets the odd chip.RakeThe fee the house takes, and what it costs you per hour.StraddleA blind raise before the deal: the rules and what it costs.Bad beatLosing when you were ahead, and how often it happens.
Which hands to play
Best starting handsAll 169 hands ranked against one opponent and against a full table.Preflop chartsA clickable chart for every seat, and how to read one in ten seconds.What is a 3-betWhy a re-raise is the third bet, how big to make it and which hands to use.Poker rangesPaint a range, count the combos and see how your hand does against it.
The math
Poker odds calculatorPick any two hands and any board and get the chance of winning in a moment.Poker odds chartPocket pairs, sets, flush draws and flops, all counted exactly.Pot oddsThe one-line sum behind every call, with chips, a calculator and 1,000 test hands.Poker outsA full outs chart and a deck that lights up every card you need.Expected valueThe sum behind every decision, with a calculator for any spot.Side potsEnter the stacks and see exactly who can win which pot.EquityYour share of the pot, real matchups and how to estimate it.Implied oddsThe money still to win, and when it justifies a call.Fold equityWhat folds are worth, and why semi-bluffs make money.Straight drawsOpen-ended, gutshot, the odds and the price you can pay.
Playing the hand
Poker strategyTen ideas in order of how much they are worth, each with the numbers behind it.Continuation betWhich flops to bet, which to check and what size to use.Bet sizingWhat every bet size does to the price, the pot and the folds you need.How to bluffHow often a bluff has to work, which hands to use and who to try it on.Poker tellsWhat the research found, and why betting patterns beat staring at faces.GTO pokerWhat game theory optimal means, with a small solver you can run in your browser.Poker solverWhat a solver really does, with a small one running in your browser.Check-raiseIs it allowed, when it works and what a bluff one needs.Value bettingGetting paid by worse hands, and how big to bet.Heads-up pokerOne against one: the blinds, the hands and what changes.Poker HUDWhat the numbers mean and how to get the read without one.
Tournaments
Tournament strategyWhat to do at each stage, by the size of your stack.Push/fold chartSlide your stack from 2 to 20 big blinds and watch the shoving range change.ICMTurn any set of stacks into prize money with the calculator.The bubbleWhy you need much more than 50% to call all-in.Sit and goA small tournament: how it pays and how to play each stage.
Money and other games
Bankroll managementHow many buy-ins you need, with a risk of ruin calculator.Poker varianceRun 100,000 hands and watch how far a winning player can fall.How to play OmahaFour cards and one rule that catches every Hold'em player out.
Questions beginners ask
Poker for beginnersThe order to learn everything in, from your very first hand.How many cards in pokerHold'em, Omaha, Stud and Draw, and how far one deck goes.Flush vs straightYes. Here is why, with real cards and the exact odds.Full house vs flushYes. Real cards, exact odds and how ties are decided.Straight vs three of a kindYes, and in Hold'em the two come up almost equally often.What beats a full houseThree hands, how rare they are and which full house wins.What is a kickerThe side card that decides more pots than beginners expect.What are the nutsLearn to find the best possible hand on any board.Check, call, raise, foldYour five options, and exactly when you can use each one.Poker hands cheat sheetOne page to save or print and take to your next game.
Your first game
Hosting a poker nightWhat to buy, stacks, blinds and how to keep it friendly.Poker chip valuesColors, starting stacks and a calculator for your game.How to deal pokerBurning, pitching and running the betting without a fuss.How to shuffle cardsHow to riffle, and why seven shuffles is the number.Poker with 2 peopleThe blinds, who acts first and which hands to play.Poker without chipsCoins, paper, phones and how to keep score.First time at a casinoGetting a seat, buying chips and how not to look lost.How much to bringWhat to buy in for, and how to set a limit before you sit.Poker etiquetteActing in turn, slow rolls, tipping and when to leave.
Getting better
How to win at pokerThe habits that earn the most in beginner games.How to get betterWhat to study, how to review hands and what to skip.Best way to learnShort practice, instant feedback and one idea at a time.How long to learnIn hours and hands, from your first game to a real edge.Beginner mistakesThe ten that cost the most, and what to do instead.Why you keep losingBad luck or bad play? A simple way to tell.Poker mathThree simple sums cover most decisions at the table.Player typesHow to spot each one fast, and what to do against them.How to read playersStart with what they play, then how they bet.Beating loose playersBet bigger with good hands, and stop bluffing.Beating tight playersSteal the blinds, and believe them when they bet big.Poker tiltWhat sets it off, what it costs and how to stop it.
How to play these hands
How to play pocket queensWhat to do when an ace or king lands on the flop.How to play acesHow much to raise, and when aces are no longer good enough.How to play kingsHow often an ace flops, and when you should fold.How to play jacksWhy they are tricky, and what to do when an overcard comes.How to play ace-kingWhat to do on the two flops in three that miss you.Small pairsSet mining, and how much you can pay to see a flop.Suited connectorsWhen they are worth playing, and what to do with a draw.How to play top pairWhen to bet it, how much, and when to let it go.How to play flush drawsCall, raise or fold, and how to tell if the price is right.
Other poker games
Five card drawThe classic game: the deal, the draw and what to keep.Seven card studUp cards, down cards and who acts first on each street.Types of pokerHold'em, Omaha, Stud, Draw and lowball, side by side.Short deckHold'em with 36 cards, and why a flush beats a full house.
Is it worth it?
Luck or skillWhat the studies found, and how long skill takes to show.Is online poker riggedWhy it feels that way, and what the numbers say.Making money at pokerHourly rates, the rake, and why most players lose.Tournaments for beginnersBuy-ins, blinds, payouts and your first event.What is a freerollNo entry fee: what you can win and how to use them.Best poker booksThe classics, what each one teaches, and the order.Best poker moviesThe classics, and what they get right about the game.World Series of PokerHow it started, how the main event works, and who can play.