KNOW YOUR TERMS

Blinds

Blinds are designed to induce player participation and betting by forcing players to have a monetary stake in the game. Otherwise, there would be no financial motivation for players to collect more chips in a timely manner. Over the course of a game or tournament the blinds periodically increase in amount in order to compensate for the increased size of chip stacks. By manipulating the size of the big blind or the amount of time between increases it's possible to control the duration and stakes of a poker game.

The small blind is placed by the player to the left of the dealer button and the big blind is then posted by the next player to the left. The one exception is when there are only two players (a "heads-up" game), when the player on the button is the small blind, and the other player is the big blind. (Both the player and the bet may be referred to as big or small blind.)

Generally, the "big blind" is equal to the minimum bet. The "small blind" is normally half the big blind.

Pre Flop

After all the players receive their hole cards, the pre flop betting round starts. After seeing their hole cards, each player has the option to play their hand by calling, folding or raising. Action starts from the left of the big blind and then proceeds clockwise around the table. If the big blind(also the live bet on the table) was 1€, it would cost 1€ to call, or at least 2€ to raise. Each player is given the option to fold, call the bet of the previous player or raise. If the previous player raised, the call amount is adjusted accordingly. Betting continues on each betting round until all the active players (who have not folded) have placed equal bets in the pot.

Note: Big blinds and small blinds will also get their chance to call/raise since their first bets were only blinds. Betting continues till all active players(those who have not folded) have put in equal amounts in the pot.

Flop

After the pre-flop betting round is complete, the flop is dealt face up on the table which is the first three community cards available to all the active players. Betting for the flop round begins after the cards are opened on the table. The rules of the flop betting round are the same as the preflop, with two small exceptions: the first player to act is the active player immediately clockwise to the button. This is the big blind position but in case he has folded then the next player in the clockwise direction starts the betting round.

Turn

After the betting round is complete for the flop, the turn is dealt face up on the table. The turn is the fourth community card in an Omaha game. Once the turn card has been dealt, the turn betting round starts. Betting starts with the active player immediately clockwise to the button.

River

After the turn betting round is complete, the river is dealt face up on the table. It is the fifth and final card on the table. The betting is identical to the betting round on the turn and also starts with the active player clockwise to the button.

Showdown / Show cards

After the betting rounds are complete, all the players left in the game will show their cards in what is also referred to as a showdown. The cards of all the players in the showdown are displayed on the table simultaneously. The player with the best five card poker hand using two of their hole cards and three of the community cards is declared as the winner in this poker game. If two players have identical hands then both are winners and the pot is divided equally between them.