To understand how to play Poker, it suffices to understand how the 5-Card Draw game is played. This is poker in its simplest form: all other games are variations that can be learned later.

Unlike many other card games, in Poker you use all 52 cards in the pack, from Ace down to two. Ace is the highest scoring card and comes before all the face cards, ranked highest as King, then Queen and followed by Jack. There are four suits in the card pack and they have equal value.

One player is assigned the dealer, who allocated five cards to each player. Winning the game involves holding the highest-ranking order of cards. They are arranged as follows:

Ranking order

Royal Flush - Since you need to have consecutive cards in the same suit, running from Ace to 10, this is the most difficult hand to get and the outright winner.

Straight Flush - This comprises another sequence in the same suit, such as J-10-9-8-7. It is also difficult to achieve this hand. 'Wrapping around' the sequence, such as A-K-Q-2-3 is not allowed.

Four of a Kind - The top hand here is four Aces, one from each suit. Any set of four is good, but clearly as close to the Aces as possible.

Full House - This is a three-two set i.e. three cards having the same value and then a pair of cards with the same value. You want the card values highest to Ace.

Flush - Here all you want is five cards of the same suit � they don't need to have a numerical sequence. If two players have a Flush, the one with the higher-scoring individual cards will win.

Straight - In contrast to Flush, here it is the sequence that counts, not the suit of the cards. It is not possible to 'wrap around' the numbers.

Three of a Kind - You should collect three cards, all of the same numerical value and as close to the Aces as possible.

Two Pair - Simply two separate pairs of cards, the winner having the higher values.

One Pair - One card pair - generally not allowing much chance of winning unless nobody else has anything better.

High Card - Over two rounds of the game, somebody usually has cards of higher order. If not, then the player with the highest-value single card will win.

Basic Rules

1)  You start by placing a token bet into a central pot. This can be a few coins or a wad of banknotes. The point is that everyone places the same amount.

2)  You then get your 5 cards, one card at a time as the dealer works his/her way around the group.

3)  You arrange your cards in ranking order and access your chances. This is the point when you start the betting process. If you are new to Poker, let somebody else start the betting.

4)  You will bet like this:

Open: meaning that one player 'enlarges' the pot by betting first.

Check : if you are unsure what to do, you say "check" so that bidding moves to the next player.

See : you will contribute into the pot the same amount as other players in order to remain in the game. As you do so, you say 'See'.

Raise : the next step is to increase the stakes by betting more than another player. If he places $5 for 'See', you can place $7 for 'Raise'.

Fold : after the first round of cards has been dealt, you may feel that you have a weak hand and not much chance of winning. In this case, place your cards face down and say 'Fold'. Of course your initial contribution into the pot is lost.

The second round of the game consists of exchanging up to three cards, face down.

5)  After the second round (where you replace 0-3 cards) you continue with your betting. Eventually all players make their bids and it is time to expose everyone's cards.