How to play poker games is a no-brainer, and the simplicity of playing poker depends on how well one understands poker rules. The game involves playing a particular number of poker cards as gamers strive to achieve the best hand. In the Philippines, poker started in the mid-2000s exclusively in land-based casinos.
XCASINO Experts Choice for Playing Online Casino in the Philippines 2023
| # | Casino | Rating | Bonus | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | Read Review | Up to 120€ | Visit |
| 2 |  | Read Review | Up to ₱25,000 | Visit |
| 3 |  | Read Review | Up to ₱18.000 | Visit |
| 4 |  | Read Review | Up to $1500 on Your First 5 Deposits | Visit |
| 5 |  | Read Review | Up to ₱6000 + 100 Free Spins | Visit |
However, its prominence saw the initialization of online poker with plenty of online casinos offering the game throughout the nation. Despite its popularity, there are many Filipinos who are yet to understand how to play poker and master the poker rules.
Where to Start
Playing poker is easy, especially if you know how to manage the cards at hand and the basic poker rules. The trick is to try as much as possible to end up with the highest hand rankings. How an individual achieves that is contingent on the poker game he or she is competing in. The challenging bit is that it is quite hard to know who has the winning hand. Most beginners tend to assume they have the best only to find out otherwise. However, with the right poker guide, it becomes easy to master the art and maximize a gamer’s winning chance. The first step in learning how to play poker for beginners is to know:
Basic Rules - How to Play Poker
One of the basic poker rules is to learn when to bluff and how to detect a winning hand. Bluffing at poker involves pretending to have the highest poker hand so that the competitor folds. But during a showdown, the two people remaining on the poker table will reveal their cards, and the one with the highest hand wins.
Card Rankings in Poker
The next step is to understand poker rankings. Each card in various poker games has a specific value. For example, the Ace is the highest poker card ranking, followed by the King, then the Queen. On the other hand, 2 is the lowest ranking card. In between, there are cards such as J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 in descending order. Once a gamer understands the card value, it becomes easy for them to know how to play properly and end up winners.
Hand Rankings
The goal of each player at a competition is to end up with the highest hand. That is an arrangement of cards value-wise so that the totals exceed that of all other contestants. Poker hand rankings start with the royal flush. It occurs if a gamer ends up with cards A, K, Q, J, and 10 from the same suit. At that point, the online casino declares the player a winner. The second-highest ranking hand is the straight flush. It is a hand consisting of 5 consecutive cards from the same suit. After that 4-of-a-kind, full house or boat, flush and straight follow.
Poker Variations You Can Play in the Philippines
Every Filipino who knows how to play poker online has a preference. However, there are specific online poker games that are favored in the region. For instance, Texas Hold’em, which is simple to play and understand. This variation involves dealing two hole cards to the player with the smallest blind, followed by five community cards. Thereafter, the action will continue until the person with the highest-ranking cards wins. Other popular poker variants in the Philippines include:
- Omaha Hi
- Omaha Hi-Lo
- 7-Card Stud
The variants have different poker rules however, the poker game rules are not that dissimilar from one another. Another popular variation is the Chinese 13-card poker online also known as “Pusoy”. It’s a favorite for Filipino players as well.
Top Poker Sites
Even with poker rules at the fingertips and a good strategy, a player still needs an excellent live poker room to enjoy the different variations. For instance, a reputable casino should have knowledgeable live dealers. It must also provide various features like live chat and multiple responsive controls to make gaming effortless. Those attributes ensure every session is fulfilling. Here’s how to play poker in a casino:
888poker
888poker is among the best poker rooms out there. It contains a variety of poker variants, most of which have simple poker rules. It is also mobile-friendly and provides poker enthusiasts with a chance to join the best poker VIP program. The poker room even won ERG best poker operator award thrice.
Online Games vs. Live Poker Tournaments
Anyone who knows to play poker online and understands the basic poker rules should have a hint of these two types of poker. Both are real money poker however, poker cash games involve making either the minimum or maximum buy-in while tournaments require players to make equal buy-ins. The latter is usually filled with professionals therefore, high-level strategies are mandatory.