Whether you play poker in a casino, at home, or at a private game with friends, official poker uses certain rules to ensure fairness and consistency. These rules govern the way bets are placed, the procedures for dealing cards and removing them from play, and the ways in which the game is scored. There are also rules that determine how many players may be seated at one table and when tables must break.

CASINO RULES

All casinos and most home games use a set of rules for poker that are called “table stakes” or “table rules.” They provide a minimum buy-in amount for cash game poker and the rules for adding and removing money from the table during the course of play. They also establish betting limits and define the manner in which a player’s hand must be played to win.

TOURNAMENT RULES

A tournament event has a set number of players that can be seated at each table. During the tournament, each table’s seat number can change as more players register and other tables join or leave. Unlike in cash games, the blinds increase at regular intervals during a tournament.

When two hands have the same rank of cards (suit doesn’t matter), the higher-ranking hand wins. A hand with a flush is a tie, and the prize, if any, is split evenly between the winners. It’s important to learn from the mistakes of experienced players, but it’s equally important to study their winning moves and understand why they were successful. This will enable you to incorporate elements of these strategies into your own game.