Before you jump into the world of online poker, you want to make sure you understand the core concept of the game: its hands. A poker hand consists of five cards and falls into one of several categories: a flush, a straight, pair, etc. If two players have hands in the same category, the tie is broken by who is holding the higher cards.

Straight Flush
A straight flush is the highest categories and consists of five cards in numerical sequence and in the same suit. The higher straight flush played will always win, with Ace-King-Queen-Jack-Ten (a royal flush) the highest-ranked hand in poker. The lowest possible straight flush is Five-Four-Three-Two-Ace.

Four Of A Kind
Four of a kind is exactly what it sounds like: four cards of the same rank with a kicker. Four of a kind is also known as quads. If two players have the same four of a kind hand, then the player with the highest kicker wins. Four of a kind is also known as quads.

Full House
A Full House consists of three of a kind and a pair with the higher three of a kind being the winner. If two players have the same three of a kind (which would occur if they used the community cards,) then the highest pair wins. Full house is also known as a boat.

Flush
A Flush consists of five cards of the same suit with the highest card winning if another flush is in play. If both players have the same high card, then the next highest card is compared, etc.

Straight
A Straight is five cards in numeric sequence with no gaps. The higher straight wins, naturally, with Ace-King-Queen-Jack-Ten being the highest straight and 5-4-3-2-Ace being the lowest. (5432A is also known as a wheel.)

Three Of A Kind
Again, exactly what it sounds like: three cards of the same rank with two kickers. If players are using community cards to create the same three of a kind, then the two kickers are used to break the tie. You might hear the term “a set” to describe what happens when a player holding a pair “makes trips” with a card in the flop, turn, or river.

Two Pair

By now, you can see the pattern here: if you are holding two pairs of cards (let’s use

Ace-Ace and Seven-Seven with a King as a kicker for this example,) then you’ve got two pair. If your pairs are equal to another players then the kicker is used to break any ties at the table.

Pair
A pair is two cards of the same value. Yes, it’s that simple. The pair with the higher value wins and if you and another player play the same pair, then the kickers are used to break the tie.

High Card
Let’s say you have King-Nine-Seven-Six-Two. Your king is now the “high card” and is your only weapon against other players. If, for some reason, you are playing the high card against another player, it’s probably fairly obvious which card should win.

Casino blackjack is one of those timeless events, having been played in its traditional form for nearly 200 years.  Although struggling to become accepted as a game in its earliest incarnation, it is almost unthinkable for Blackjack not to be the first game that is thought of when someone mentions a casino now.

Casino blackjack, like its equivalent in an internet casino is a game of supreme skill, nerve and experience.  That does not mean that the inexperienced player cannot win, but in a game of odds and probabilities, the more experienced you are, the better your skill and the steadier your nerve.  Of course that does not translate every time into greater success, but it’s a good barometer for that.

The preparation needed to enhance your chances of success at Blackjack is quite intense and if you look after the minutiae initially, you increase your overall chances of succeeding.  Take for example your choice of table to play casino blackjack.  You should always do this, but particularly when you are starting out, but find a table that is appropriate to the limit at which you want to play – that includes both minimum and maximum.  You have to feel totally comfortable about what you are doing and if you do not, it will probably hamper your chances of becoming a successful casino blackjack player.  It might seem like a small point, but even make sure that it is a Blackjack table that you are approaching.  It will usually say ‘Blackjack pays 3 to 2’ or something of that ilk on the green felt.

Online casino games have seen a huge boost in popularity and players lately thanks a lot in part to the success casino games have made in becoming televised events.  Probably no other game has gotten more out of this than backgammon, mainly because when people think of backgammon they tend to think of playing with friends at home and not playing for big money at a casino.  However, with the success of the world pro tour and exciting players like Gus Hansen, a new world of backgammon has been opened for people all around the globe.

This corresponds to the recent explosion of online backgammon.  Millions of players around the world have come to online backgammon to learn about the game or for competitive play.  Online casinos have responded by investing heavily in online backgammon and creating an amazing playing experience for online players.  When you play backgammon online you get the best real life graphics out there, special features like chat and video chat, and great options like playing different backgammon board designs or different variants of backgammon rules.  Plus since you can play free online backgammon as well as the real money games, playing backgammon online has become the best place for new players to learn the game and experienced players to practice new strategies and new styles of play, risk free.

I’ve been playing backgammon since I was a kid and never have I had as much fun as I do with online backgammon.  With the special features, great graphics, play from home, and the ability to make a nice profit, online backgammon is the best way to play backgammon today.