Playing poker doesn't require any new player to learn any complicated rules. You can in fact explain poker to a complete beginner in less than 15 minutes. Of course the beginner has a steep learning curve in front of him when he does play in an actual game. Much of poker can't be taught. Some experts believe that playing a good game of poker is as much in your genetic makeup as say not having bad breath in the morning.

Poker is played in a multitude of variations, but most follow the same basic pattern of play. The right to deal each hand typically rotates among the players and is marked by a token called a 'dealer' button or buck. In a casino a house dealer handles the cards for each hand, but a button (typically a white plastic disk) is rotated clockwise among the players to indicate a nominal dealer to determine the order of betting.

For each hand, one or more players are required to make forced bets to create an initial stake for which the players will contest. There are tables which may have a designated betting stake, or other tables may have multiple. For example, a limit table will have blinds set up, and no bet may excede the big blind. In a NL (no limit) table, you may bet all your chips at any time during the hand.

The dealer shuffles the cards, he cuts, and the appropriate number of cards are dealt to the players one at a time. Cards may be dealt either face-up or face-down, depending on the variant of poker being played. After the initial deal, the first of what may be several betting rounds begins. Between rounds, the players' hands develop in some way, often by being dealt additional cards or replacing cards previously dealt. At the end of each round, all bets are gathered into the central pot.

At any time during a betting round, if a player makes a bet, opponents are required to fold, call or raise. If one player bets and no opponents choose to match the bet, the hand ends immediately, the bettor is awarded the pot, no cards are required to be shown, and the next hand begins. The ability to win a pot without showing a hand makes bluffing possible. Bluffing is a primary feature of poker, one that distinguishes it from other vying games and from other games that make use of poker hand rankings.

At the end of the last betting round, if more than one player remains, there is a showdown, in which the players reveal their previously hidden cards and evaluate their hands. The player with the best hand according to the poker variant being played wins the pot.

The most popular poker variants are as follows:

Draw poker

Players each receive five - as in five-card draw - or more cards, all of which are hidden. They can then replace one or more of these cards a certain number of times.

Stud poker

Players receive cards one at a time, some being displayed to other players at the table. The key difference between stud and 'draw' poker is that players are not allowed to discard or replace any cards.

Community card poker

Players combine individually dealt cards with a number of "community cards" dealt face up and shared by all players. Two or four individual cards may be dealt in the most popular variations, Texas hold 'em and Omaha hold 'em, respectively.

Poker Tips and Strategies

For serious gamblers there is nothing quite like the thrill of playing a high stakes game of poker. Reading your opponents correctly, gambling everything on the chance that you might catch an ace on the river, or winning on a bald faced bluff.

This is the stuff that drama and real life is made of. Poker has gained in popularity the last few years mainly because of television shows such as ÒCelebrity PokerÓ have introduced the game to thousands of new fans. However learning to play poker just by watching it on television can be disastrous for your game. Television after all exaggerates everything.

Here are some things you have to keep in mind in order to beat your opponents senseless.

Keep reading up on Texas Hold 'Em! Become familiar with as much material as you can. This will not only help you understand Hold 'Em from your perspective, but it will help you to understand why other players play the way they do.

Play! The occasionally repetitive process of playing the same game can lead to boredom, but it helps you build on the cognitive skills you need to be a better player. For example, I've flopped the nuts quite a few times since I've started playing, and it used to be really exciting. It still is. Now though, I don't flip out and start rationalizing what my next play should be. It's automatic. That's because I've played my fair share of poker.

Play for keeps! Playing at an online casino's free table can be a minor learning experience. However, it doesn't truly help you improve your game. Most players at a free table will bluff their ass off for no good reason. They have nothing to lose by doing so. When real stakes are involved, players start to consider the real elements of poker. Suddenly these outrageous bluffs are no longer feasible, and players realize that there are also "check" and "fold" options.

Don't give up! I lost quite a substantial amount of money in my early days when I didn't understand poker. I'm still debating whether I have evened out yet. Each big loss was a lesson though. Without any of these losses, I'd never have become a modestly decent player.

Step up! The higher the stakes, the more exact the play gets. This is because higher stakes attracts more skilled players. If you can clean up on the $1/$2 table all day, try the $2/$4. You'll learn from the better players, and soon you will graduate to that next level.

Watch better players! If someone rocks your wallet for all you've got, see how they did it. Single out and analyze these opponents by trying to predict what they might have, and what their next play might be. Once you can do that, they are no longer the better player.

Throw down! Try different styles of play. It's good to play tight as a beginner, but when you're branching out, try being that aggressive freak who everyone knows is bluffing. Learn how other players react to individual styles of play, and how they react when you change from passive to aggressive.

Be a bastard! Hold 'Em is ultimately about making money. If you see a leak in someone's game, exploit it! That player will learn his or her lesson eventually, as we all did. Make them pay to learn that lesson. If you ever start feeling guilty about taking some fool for all he's worth, remember a time when it happened to you. Don't feel bad anymore, do you? Its part of the game.

Those are a few quick tips to help you out. Follow those, keep practicing, and you'll be beating the pants off your friends at home games (or maybe even online poker rooms) in no time. Ready to practice?