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WHAT DO THE TOP FIVE ONLINE POKER SITES OFFER?
The best online casinos offer poker games for players of all levels, experience and ambition. Whether playing for fun or going for the big prizes, players are certain to find what they are looking for at one of Top Five Casinos’ recommended sites.
Poker has literally hundreds of variations and this is one of the reasons for its enduring popularity in casinos around the world.
POKER VARIATIONS
The best known of all poker games is Texas Hold ‘Em, perhaps because it is the form preferred at many major tournaments, including the World Series of Poker. Its popularity at online casinos owes a lot to its simplicity of play. Each player is dealt two cards face down, known as ‘hole’ cards, with which he can use one or more of the face-up cards, known as community cards that are available to all players around the table.
Terms and nicknames abound in poker. Although it is not necessary to know them all, it will help a player’s confidence when playing against others to know the basics. Of the community cards, the first three dealt are known as the ‘flop’, the next is the ‘turn’ and the fifth the ’river’.
Rounds of betting take place after dealing of the flop, turn and river, during which some players may retire. The winner is the player with the best five-card hand after all betting has finished.
Seven Card Stud was once the most popular poker game before Texas Hold ‘Em. Players are dealt two cards each – two in the hole and one face up. Betting begins with the player whose visible card has the lowest value, and continues in rounds after the deal of the fourth, fifth and sixth cards, dealt face-up, and the seventh in the hole. Again, the pot is awarded to the player with the best five-card hand. Variations include six- and five-card versions, although these are nowhere near as popular as the seven-card version.
A very popular and very simple form of poker is Five-Card Draw, although more popular with fun players than serious gamblers. Players are each dealt five cards in the hole, and can then replace cards from their hand by placing them at the bottom of the deck and drawing the same amount of cards from the top. Betting takes place both before and after the draw. Although Five-Card Draw is simple on the surface, it has just as many variations and nuances for this as any other form of the game.
These are just three of the most popular poker games available at the sites recommended by Top Five Casinos, but there are many more forms of the basic game, all with their special attractions for added gaming value.
Top Poker Sites
LIVE CROUPIERS AND LIVE GAMES
As with other popular casino games, players can choose between a virtual video game of poker or with a live croupier. Having a live croupier deal cards to you and other players at the online casino can bring players as near as possible to the real casino experience, and simulate the pressure and excitement of an actual environment. Newer players may prefer to take more time to think about their hand and the possibilities, in which case a video environment with no pressure will be a better way to learn the intricacies of the game.
LUCK VERSUS EXPERIENCE
Anyone who has played any card game knows that there is an element of the ‘luck of the draw’. One of the great things about online casinos is that they welcome all players, of all abilities and every level of gaming experience.
Top Five Casinos’ pick of the best online casinos all offer players the chance to learn games for free, then progress to playing with small stakes until they feel confident enough to take on the house.
Have a good look at our recommended sites and choose where to have fun and win!