When learning to play poker one of the first things that one should learn is how the deck of cards is setup. Each deck of cards will consist of four separate suits. These suits do consist of clubs, spades, hearts, and diamonds. Through each separate suit the cards will have a numerical value the numerical values consist of king, queen, jack, ace, and numbered two through 10.



Playing poker is a lot like any other card game. The objective is to have the cards that you holding be higher then the cards that the other players at the table are holding. The major difference between poker and other other game of cards out there is that in poker there will be different weaknesses and different strengths in each hand. Lets go through those now.

Royal Flush: In poker there is not a hand that is higher then the royal flush. Since it is the highest hand it is also the hardest hand to get. Quite a few poker players will play their whole lives with never seeing this hand dealt to them. This hand consists of the ace down through the ten and all must be of the same suit.

A Straight Flush: A straight flush is slightly different then the royal flush. The straight flush still consists of 5 suited cards in a row, but they do not have to run ten through ace. It can be any five sequential cards all of the same suit. This hand can only be beaten by a higher straight flush or a royal flush.

Full House: Full houses are not all that uncommon in poker. This hand has three cards of the same number and two other cards of the same number all in the same hand. This hand could look something like 3 of spades, 3 of hearts, 3 of clubs, 5 of hearts, and 5 of spades. This is one of the strongest hands in poker and can only be taken down by a higher full house, a royal flush, and of course a straight flush.

Straight: This hand has 5 cards that are in numerical order. They do not have to be of any particular suit. One example of this would be 9 of hearts, 10 of diamonds, jack of spades, queen of clubs, and king of spades. If two players both hold straights the winner is determined by whose straight holds the highest numbered card.

Flush: This hand has all five cards being the same suit. The numerical value only matters in this hand when two players are holding a flush and the winner will be determined by whose flush has the highest numerical value card in it.

A set: The hand called the set is really nothing more then three cards of the same number value. This hand will also sometimes be called trips.