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Poker Hand Rankings

One of the most confusing things for any new poker player is the order of hand rankings. The poker hands listed below are ranked from the Royal Flush (highest) to the High Card (lowest). These hand rankings are generally consistent throughout every variation of online poker.

The hand rankings in all poker games at Bodog Poker follow the method used in any standard poker card game. Texas Holdem, Omaha, 7-Card Stud and 5-Card Stud games are played with the player holding the highest ranking hand winning the pot. Omaha Hi/Lo and 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo are played with the pot being split between the highest ranking hand and the lowest ranking hand when a qualifying low hand exists.

Poker Hand Rankings

One of the most confusing things for any new poker player is the order of hand rankings. The poker hands listed below are ranked from the Royal Flush (highest) to the High Card (lowest). These hand rankings are generally consistent throughout every variation of online poker.

The hand rankings in all poker games at Bodog Poker follow the method used in any standard poker card game. Texas Holdem, Omaha, 7-Card Stud and 5-Card Stud games are played with the player holding the highest ranking hand winning the pot. Omaha Hi/Lo and 7-Card Stud Hi/Lo are played with the pot being split between the highest ranking hand and the lowest ranking hand when a qualifying low hand exists.

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Poker Hand Ranking for High

Royal Flush

Ace, King, Queen, Jack and Ten all in the same suit.

If two or more Royal Flushes exist at showdown, the pot is split.

Straight Flush

Five cards in numerical sequence all in the same suit.

Tied Hand: If two or more Straight Flush exist at showdown, the highest ranked card at the top of the sequence wins the pot. If two or more identical sequences exist, the pot is split.

Four of a Kind

Four cards of the same rank with fifth card being the highest eligible card.

Tied Hand: If two or more Four of a Kinds exist in a hand, the highest four of a kind wins. Games played with community cards where players have the same four of a kind, the highest fifth card by rank (kicker) wins. If the kicker is also of the same rank, the pot is split.

Full House

Three cards of matching rank with two cards of different matching rank.

Tied Hand: If two or more Full Houses exist at showdown, the highest three matching cards wins. Games played with community cards where players have the same three matching cards, the highest value of the two matching cards wins. If the hands are identical in rank, the pot is split.

Flush

Five cards of matching suit.

Tied Hand: If two or more Flushes exist in a hand, the player holding the Flush with the highest ranked card is the winner. When necessary, the second, third, fourth or fifth highest cards are used to break a tie. If two or more exactly ranked flush hands exist, the pot is split.

Straight

Five cards in ranked sequence.

Tied Hand: If two or more Straights exist at showdown, the player holding the Straight with the highest ranked card is the winner. If two or more exactly ranked straights exist, the pot is split.

Three of a kind

Three cards of matching rank with two cards of different ranks.

Tied Hand: If two or more Three of a Kinds exist at showdown, the highest Three of a Kind wins. Games played with community cards where players have the same three matching cards, the highest ranked fourth (or fifth when necessary) card wins. If the hands are identical in rank, the pot is split.

Two Pair

Two cards of matching rank with two additional cards of a different matching rank. The fifth card is an unrelated rank.

Tied Hand: If two or more players have Two Pairs at showdown, the highest pair wins. If the highest pair is the same rank, the highest second pair wins. If both pairs are identical, the highest fifth card by rank (kicker) wins. If the kicker is also of the same rank, the pot is split.

One Pair

Two cards of matching rank with three additional cards of unrelated ranks.

Tied Hand: If two or more players have One Pair at showdown, the highest pair by rank wins. If pairs of the same rank exist, the highest ranked unrelated card wins. The second and third highest ranked unrelated cards are used when necessary. If the hands are identical in rank, the pot is split.

High Card

Five cards that are not of the same suit, are not ranked sequentially and uniquely ranked.

Tied Hand: If two or more players have High Card at showdown, the highest ranked card wins. The second, third, fourth and fifth highest ranked cards are used when necessary. If the hands are identical in rank, the pot is split.

Poker Hand Ranking for Low

For low hand rankings, the individual rank of each of the five cards must be unique. Suits and ranked sequences (flushes and straights) are not considered when ranking low hands making these hands eligible for both the low and high hands. Along with Aces being the highest card for High hand ranks, Aces are used as the lowest card for low hand ranks.

Five High

Also known as the 'bicycle' or 'wheel' - Five, Four, Three, Deuce and Ace.

Tied Hand: This is the lowest possible 'Low' hand. If two or more Five High exist at showdown, the pot is split.

Six High

Five uniquely ranked cards with the highest card being a Six.

Tied Hand: If two or more Six High exist at showdown, the lower second ranking card wins. The third, fourth and fifth highest ranked cards are used when necessary. If the hands are identical in rank, the pot is split.

Seven High

Five uniquely ranked cards with the highest card being a Seven.

Tied Hand: If two or more Seven High exist at showdown, the lower second ranking card wins. The third, fourth and fifth highest ranked cards are used when necessary. If the hands are identical in rank, the pot is split.

Eight High

Five uniquely ranked cards with the highest card being an Eight.

Eight, Seven, Six, Five, Four is the weakest hand that qualifies for the 'Low'.

Tied Hand: If two or more Eight High exist at showdown, the lower second ranking card wins. The third, fourth and fifth highest ranked cards are used when necessary. If the hands are identical in rank, the pot is split.

 

Poker Rules of Omaha

This variation of Texas Holdem is quickly gaining international popularity as an action style game that creates big pots. Omaha and Texas Holdem are played the same way, except that in Omaha, instead of two pocket cards face down, each player starts with four, and at the showdown players must use two (only two) of their four cards in combination with three (only three) of the community cards to create the best five-card hand.

If you're new to poker, or you haven't played Texas Holdem yet, here are the full rules:
Basic Rules for Omaha

Our poker room has three different types of Omaha, with the only difference between them being the amounts and limits available for each betting round. In a Fixed Limit game, both the bet and raise amounts for each round are a preset amount. For example, in a $5/$10 Fixed game, both the bets and raises for the first two rounds of betting must be $5, no more, no less. The last 2 rounds have a bet/raise amount of $10.

In a Pot Limit Game, the maximum bet/raise can't be more than the current pot amount. So, if the pot is $30, you can't bet more than $30. One thing to note: If you are raising on a player's bet, your call is already included in the pot. So, for example, let's say the pot is $100. Player X opens the betting with $100. Your maximum bet is now $300 (Pot = Initial $100 + Player X's $100 + your $100)

The final game type is No Limit. The name says it all; there are no maximum bet limits. You can bet as much as you like during any round of betting, with the minimum bet the same as the big blind amount. No Limit Omaha makes for some pretty big pots, and lots of action.

Now that you've chosen a game type, it's time to talk about 3 other betting concepts... The Stakes, The Cap, and The Blinds.

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The Stakes: The stakes are tied directly to the game type you select. For a Fixed Limit game, the stakes dictate the bet and raise amount for each round. Let's use our $5/$10 stakes example again. In the first two rounds of betting, both the bet and the raise must be $5, no more, no less. The last 2 rounds have a bet/raise amount of $10.

The Cap: In 5-card stud, each round of betting can consist of one bet and has a maximum of three of allowable raises, known as the cap. So, if a bet is made, that bet can only be raised three times, after which all players must call, or fold. However, if only two players remain in the hand the cap is increased, to a maximum of 5 raises.

In both the Pot Limit and No Limit games, the stakes represent the amounts posted as the blinds. More on the blinds next...

The Blinds: The blinds are mandatory bets posted by two players at the start of each hand, before any cards are dealt. The player directly to the left of the dealer posts the small blind, which in a fixed limit game is half the small stake, rounded down to the nearest dollar, and in pot limit/no limit games is equal to the small stake. The player to the left of him posts the big blind, which in a fixed game is equal to the small stake, and in pot limit/no limit games the big stake.

Sound complicated? It really isn't. Let's use our trusty $5/$10 stakes again. In a fixed limit game, the small blind posts $2 (half of $5 rounded down). The big blind posts $5. In a $5/$10 pot limit/no limit game, the small blind posts $5, and the big blind posts $10.

In Omaha we use blinds as an incentive for players to play a hand, and build the pot. Consider the blinds like a mandatory bet and raise; any players that want to play the hand must match the big blind to stay in. The blinds are considered live bets, so when the action goes around the table and returns to them, they have the option of checking, calling, raising or folding as they see fit.

Some other notes about blinds: Any player has the option of sitting out and waiting for the big blind to reach them. However, if a player sits out and misses posting the big blind, then that player will be required to post a big blind and a small "dead" blind before returning. This rule is in place to prevent potential abuse from players who join a table and then leave before having to post the blinds.

One thing we haven't talked much about is the dealer. In poker each player in turn plays as the dealer. At the table we represent the dealer position with...

The Dealer Button: The Button is a graphic symbol that represents the theoretical dealer. After each hand the button moves clockwise to the next active player, who becomes the dealer for that hand. This player is considered to be "on the button," and is the last person to act in the betting round. The first player to the left of the button is the first player to be dealt cards, and is the first player to act in each betting round.
The Gameplay:

OK, let's play some Omaha. You've bought in to a table, sat down and posted your big blind. What's next?

Pre Flop...The Pocket Cards: (AKA the Hole Cards). The dealer deals each player 4 cards face down. Only the player can see his/her hole cards. After the deal, the next player after the big blind decides whether to call, raise or fold the big blind. Each player in turn is given these options, until all bets are called and the big blind checks. Don't forget, in a fixed limit game, any raises are limited to the lower stake amount, and in a pot limit game, the bet can't exceed the pot amount.

The Flop: Now the dealer turns over the first three community cards, called "the flop". All betting rounds start with the player directly to the dealers left. For fixed limit games, this round of betting still uses the lower stake, so in our example $5/$10 game, any bets or raises must be $5. The pot limit and no limit rules don't change.

The Turn: (AKA Fourth Street). The fourth community card is dealt, and a new betting round begins. The bet amount for fixed limit games increases to the upper stake. Betting continues until all bets are called.

The River: Here the final community card is shown, and the last round of betting takes place. The bet amount for fixed limit games is still the big stake.

The Showdown: All the bets have been called, it's time to show the cards. The last player to bet or raise during the final betting round will show their hand first. If all the players checked through (nobody bet) the river, the player to the left of the dealer will show first. The remaining players' hands will be automatically revealed moving clockwise, unless a hand is weaker than the winning hand shown. In this case, you'll have the option to show, or muck (fold without showing). The best five card hand takes the pot. Remember, a winning Omaha hand must use 2 hole cards and 3 of the community cards to make the hand. For a complete list of hand rankings, please consult the Hand Rankings page.

Buying the pot: If during a betting round you make a bet and all players fold to you, you've bought the pot. You have the option to show or muck your cards.

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Online Poker Tournament Types

Tournaments are available in many styles and formats for all major poker games. The popularity of tournaments has exploded due to the televising of many large scale live events, and many players are choosing to become tournament specialists.
Multi-Table Tournaments

Players start multi-table tournaments with a fixed number of chips and play until one player has all the chips. Blinds and antes increase as the tournament progresses, and as players are eliminated tables are consolidated together. The number of tables is eventually reduced to one final table which is composed of the top table winners of the field. The total sum of all the entry fees is divided up and awarded to the top players in accordance to the total amount of entries for the tournament.
Freerolls

A Freeroll tournament is a multi-table tournament in which there is no entry fee. Many freerolls have prizes either in terms of money, player points, or entries to other tournaments. Freeroll listings can be found under the “Scheduled Tournament” tab in the Poker Software. Keep in mind, Freeroll tournaments usually have a restricted number of entries, so early registration is suggested.
Bodog Poker Point Tournaments

As you play in the Bodog Poker Room you earn Bodog Poker Points. These points can then be used to buy into special tournaments that pay cash and/or prizes to the top finishers. You will be able to find these tournaments in the Main Lobby under the “Scheduled Tournament” tab in the Poker Software. When looking through the available tournament listings you will see a buy in amount followed by 'PTS' - this denotes that it is a 'Points' buy in tournament and the value before the 'PTS' will be the number of points required to buy in.

For some Points buy in tournaments you may be able to buy in using real money if you do not have sufficient points. These 'real money OR points' buy in tournaments will be indicated in the tournament listings with a dollar value and a point value separated by an 'or'. For these tournaments, the real money buy in will be added to the prize pool.

Qualifiers

Qualifiers, sometimes referred to as 'Satellites', are tournaments designed to allow players to win seats in a bigger tournament at a fraction of the buy-in. A multi-table tournament can have several Qualifiers that players may enter to win a seat at the bigger event. A player can enter a $10 Qualifier and win a $100 seat in a multi-table tournament. Qualifying events for various multi-table tournaments can be found under the “Scheduled Tournament” tab.

Qualifier tournaments will payout in Tournament Credits (displayed as 'T$'). These credits can then be used to buy into the next level of the tournament. When you win a Qualifier Tournament you have the option of selecting which event you would like to play in based on the Tournaments offered at Bodog Poker and your personal schedule. Unlike many other online poker sites, we do not pre-register you for any tournaments when you win a buy in - we give you the choice. Tournament Credits cannot be converted to real money, though if you do not use them for the tournament series they were paid out for, they may be used like cash to buy in for almost all scheduled Multi Table Tournament that Bodog Poker offers.

Multi Table Sit and Go

A Multi Table Sit and Go (MSG) is a mini-tournament that does not begin at a designated time, but rather when all of the seat are filled. We currently host multi-table sit and go tournaments that include anywhere from 18 to 45 players (2 to 5 tables). Blind levels increase based on time depending on the type of tournament you decide to play in. Our regular MSG's have blinds increase at 10-minute intervals, where as our turbo MSG's will have blinds increase at 5-minute intervals. Payouts for these tournaments range depending on the size of the tournament that a player chooses to participate in. To view the payout structure for any given tournament, a player simply needs to double click on the tournament in question to open the tournament lobby.
Re-Buy Tournaments

A typical multi-table tournament has only one buy-in and once a player is out of chips they are eliminated from the tournament. Re-Buy tournaments are different from traditional multi-table tournaments in that they allow players to purchase additional chips during the course of the tournament.

Players will be offered a Re-Buy option whenever they run out of chips, although they may choose to Re-Buy at anytime their chip stack falls below the designated amount.

Most Re-Buy tournaments have a set period of time in which re-buys may be purchased and there may be a limit to the number of re-buys a player may purchase during the course of a tournament.

Re-Buy tournaments typically offer a last opportunity to purchase chips known as the 'Add-On'. The Add-On is offered at the end of the re-buy period and is normally available to all players regardless of their stack size. The amount of a re-buy or Add-On is usually the same as the original buy-in.

The prize pool and payouts will not be announced until after the Re-Buy and Add-On period is finished, as the prize pool will be increased by the additional Re-buys and Add-ons.
Sit and Go

A Sit and Go is a mini-tournament that does not begin at a designated time, but rather when all the seats are filled. Blind levels go up based on time; with a standard 10-player Sit and Go, blinds go up every 10 minutes. Payouts for a 10-handed Sit and Go are generally to the top 3, with first winning 50% of the prize pool, 2nd winning 30% and 3rd winning 20%. The payouts are displayed in the Main lobby of the tournament that is highlighted.


A Sit and Go Turbo is a variation where blinds increase faster. Instead of blinds moving up every 10 minutes like a standard Sit and Go, in Turbo, blinds go up every 5 minutes. As for a "Super Turbo" sit and go, blinds go up every 3 minutes.
Sit and Go - Short Handed

Sit and Go Short Handed Tournaments can be played with 2 or 6 players. With these variations payouts are altered to payout 2 players in a 6 handed game, and 1 player in a 2 player game. These tournaments are generally very fast paced and can provide some exciting action.