How to play poker online

bet call raise fold

Once you are dealt a hand, the mechanics of the game will be self evident. You will have buttons popup when it is your turn to act. They will be labeled "BET, CALL, FOLD, CHECK" simply click the action you wish to take for your hand. If you are playing no limit you will have a slider to input your bet amount or you can type the amount directly into the text field of the slider. Keep in mind that the software will enforce the rules of poker as it pertains to the variants you are playing. If you are playing limit, the server will not allow you to make a bet bigger or smaller than what is allowed so you do not have to worry about your opponents cheating in any way by not putting the full bet into the pot or any other type of error that may be possible in a non online game either home or casino. Dealers
make mistakes, players count the wrong chips, disagreements over whether it was a call or fold. None of this is a concern in online games because the server enforces the rules strict. A timer will activate when it is your turn so you will need to make your decision within about 15 seconds. If you become distracted and don't act within the set time (phone rings, your cat spills your coffee, your internet connection drops) your hand will be folded If you lose your buy in, you can rebuy but only after the hand is over. You may not increase your buy in while in the middle of a hand so it is important to always have enough money on hand to make raises when you have a strong hand. There is nothing more annoying than to run out of money in the middle of a hand when your opponents are ready and willing to pay you off like if you flop a set but you cannot make any more bets because you ran out of money even though your opponent was betting and raising your monster hand. This is also why it is important to play within your bankroll limits. This will be discussed further in the TIPS section  .