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Poker FAQ

Updated

WHAT

  • The most common and popular type of poker is No Limits’ Texas Hold’em, this is a Poker game where players try to make the best 5 card hand out of the 2 cards that are dealt to them, and the 5 community cards that are dealt for the entire table.Players typically bet according to the perceived value of their hand and its worth, compared to other players. The person with the best hand out of all other players ends up taking home everything that was bet previously.
  • Pot Limit Omaha, or PLO, is a Poker game that operates very similarly to Texas Hold’em. The main difference is that players have 4 cards dealt to them and must make the best possible hand using only 2 of their cards and 3 of the 5 community cards. Additionally, as the name would suggest, the maximum bet amount that’s allowed depends on the size of the pot. Unlike No Limit Hold’Em, you can’t bet an unlimited number of chips, you must only bet amounts that go up to the pot limit, or less.

WHERE

  • You can quickly join a poker table based on your current bankroll by navigating to your Holotable in your Casino One Suite and selecting “Poker” and then “HOLD’EM” for No Limit Texas Hold’em (NLHE), or “POT LIMIT OMAHA” for Pot Limit Omaha (PLO).

    You can also join the poker tables from your Menu by selecting “Poker” on the main page. From here you can choose “Hold ‘Em Cash quick play”, “Pot Limit Omaha quick play”, “Select table”, “Spin & Go”, and “Tournaments” as well as “+ Create your own game”. The “quick play” options function similarly to the quickjoin options on your Holotable described above.

    “Select table” allows you to search through tables based on criteria set by you. At the top of this menu, you can change how rooms are arranged, or how they are filtered. Press the refresh circle to update the list if needed. Once there, you can select a specific room, by stake level, and even join private rooms if you know the passcode!

    You can host a poker table by either selecting “+ CREATE GAME” in the main menu, or “+ Create your own game” after selecting “Poker”. From here you can choose the number of players, the table stakes, the location, password protection, as well as ante and straddle options (NLHE only) for Cash games. For Sit & Go tournaments, you can choose the max players, buy-in for the tournament, the location, password protection, and the speed of the tournament.

    Spin & Go tournaments cannot be hosted, and start automatically when 3 players are seated at the table.

    Multi-Table Tournaments can be found here also, and once registration is opened for a tournament, you can register from this menu.
  • There is also a poker tutorial where you can learn the basics of the game. Open your Menu and select “Poker” on the main page. On the left side will be an option for “Poker Tutorial” (VR only). Select “Yes, learn” to begin the tutorial.
    • Note: You will get 100 Creds for completing this tutorial

TERMS

  • Ante
    • A small bet all players are required to make before a hand is dealt. An ante is similar to a blind, but everyone has to contribute before a hand commences. Antes give the pot a value right off the bat.
  • Straddle 
    • An optional pre-deal bet, typically made by the player to the left of the big blind. The straddle amount is twice the big blind (same as a legal raise). The straddler earns the "option" from the big blind. They may re-raise when the action comes around to them. A straddle is a cash game convention and is not usually permitted in a tournament.
  • Blinds
    • The generic term for either the big blind or the small blind.  If you are one of the blinds, you are sitting either immediately to the left of the dealer button (small blind position) or one position left of the small blind (big blind).
  • Pot
    • The place in the center of the poker table where wagered chips are placed, ready to be won. The winner of the hand can win all the chips in the pot.
  • Call
    • To contribute the minimum amount of chips to the pot necessary to continue playing in a hand.
  • Raise
    • To wager more than the minimum required to call, forcing other players to put in more chips as well.
  • Fold
    • To opt out by placing your cards face down on the table, losing whatever you have bet so far. 
  • Action
    • (1) One's turn to act during a hand.
    • (2) To bet or raise.
    • (3) Used to describe a game in which there is a lot of betting and raising.
  • Dealer or Button
    • The nominal position of the dealer. In live poker, it's usually denoted by placing a plastic disk in front of the dealer. It rotates clockwise each time the dealer shuffles for a new hand. The dealer button is an advantageous position, for they act last in a betting round.
  • Small Blind
    • The smaller of the two blind bets. The amount of chips the first player to the left of the dealer has to bet. Like an ante, it is a posted amount that makes the pot worth playing for before the action begins. It is equivalent to one complete first round bet. It's called a blind because it amounts to placing a bet without seeing the cards first.
  • Big Blind
    • The amount of chips the second player to the left of the dealer has to bet. The amount depends on the stakes. Like an ante, it is a posted amount that makes the pot worth playing for before the action begins. It is equivalent to one complete first round bet. It's called a blind because it amounts to placing a bet without seeing the cards first.
  • Hole Cards 
    • These are the two cards that are dealt face down to each player at the beginning of the game.
  • Community Cards 
    • Cards that are dealt face up in the center of the table, available for all players to use in making a hand.
  • Flop
    • The first three community cards dealt out after the first round of betting is complete.
  • Turn
    • The fourth community card. Dealt face-up, by itself. Also known as "Fourth Street". 
  • River
    • The final of the five community cards.
  • Showdown
    • The point in the game where all remaining players reveal their hands to determine the winner.
  • High Card
    • In a hand of poker that has 5 different cards that do not form any kind of match based on their value, the highest card is the high card and it is only useful against another hand of 5 unmatched cards if a showdown takes place.
  • Pair
    • Two cards of the same rank
  • Two Pair
    • Two pairs of two cards of the same rank
  • Three of a Kind/Triples/Trips
    • Three of the same card of the same rank
  • Four of a Kind/Quads
    • Four of the same card of the same rank
  • Straight
    • A hand consisting of 5 cards in sequence but not in suit.
  • Flush
    • A poker hand consisting of five cards of the same suit.
  • Straight Flush
    • A hand consisting of 5 cards in sequence and the same suit.
  • Royal Flush
    • An ace-high straight flush, the best possible hand in standard poker.
  • Full House 
    • A hand consisting of three of a kind and a (different) pair.
  • Board
    • The community cards that everyone uses in combination with their hole cards to form the best hand.
  • Rake
    • The amount that the house takes out of a poker hand
  • Run it Twice (PLO Only)
    • When one player is all in before the river, players can agree to run it twice, with the remaining streets being dealt twice.

HOW

  • Poker consists of 4 main events/stages
    • (Pre-flop) Everyone gets two cards (dealt face down) in No Limit Texas Hold’em, or four cards in Pot Limit Omaha.
      • Small Blind pays their required amount
      • Big Blind pays their required amount
      • All players can either fold, call the big blind, or raise
        • If one player raises, all subsequent players have to fold, call the raised amount, or re-raise
    • (Flop) Three cards are dealt face up in the middle of the table.
    • (Turn) A fourth card is dealt face up in the middle of the table.
    • (River) A fifth card is dealt face up in the middle of the table.
    • After the cards are revealed at all of these stages, all players have the option to bet, call, raise or fold their hand
    • The player with the best 5 card hand at the end of the river, wins the entire pot
  • There exist a few different types/game modes for Poker in Vegas Infinite
    • Cash
      • Regular, casual mode where players can come and go whenever they please, and can continue to reload chips as many times as they want
    • Sit & Go
      • A tournament style that starts when enough players join - with no designated start time
      • Operates like a single table tournament - players pay a set entry fee and all start with the same amount of chips, competing to be the last one standing for a prize
      • Sit & Go's either start when 2 or more players all throw in their Ready button, or when the table hits full capacity
    • Spin & Go
      • 3 person game mode where players pay a set amount and spin a prize wheel at the start determining what the prize is for winning the Spin & Go.  
    • MTT (Multi-table tournaments)
      • Tournament where 100s/1000s of players all register and pay a buy-in, and compete for a large prize pool
      • These tournaments are all scheduled starts 
      • As player count gets smaller and smaller, players will be moved to new tables to play against other players, slowly working its way down to a final table 
      • MTTs have multiple payout structures but we employ a Top 10% payout model for most events

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