Poker is a great game for players of all ages. Become a better player by learning about the history of the game, the players, and significant places. Interesting facts, trivia, and tidbits about the game. Practice your skills online in free and real games at Party Poker. Join in on the excitement!
Improve skills in live tournaments...
Non-standard poker hands
Non-standard poker hands are hands which are not recognized by official poker rules but are created by house rules. Nonstandard hands usually appear in games of five card draw poker. Other terms for nonstandard hands are special hands or
freak hands. Because the hands are defined by house rules, the composition and ranking of these hands is subject to variation.
Any player participating in a game with nonstandard hands should be sure to determine the exact rules of the game before play
begins.
The usual heirarchy of poker hands from lowest to highest runs as follows (standard poker hands are in italics):
High card
Pair
Four Straight - Also called Bobtail Straight. Four cards in consecutive order.
Four Flush - Also called Bobtail Flush. Four cards of the same suit.
Two Pair
Blaze - Also called Blazer. All cards are jacks, queens, or kings.
Flash - One card of each suit plus a joker.
Little Bobtail - A three card straight flush (three cards of the same suit in consecutive order).
Three of a Kind
Skeet - Also called Pelter or Bracket. A hand with a deuce; a three or a
four; a five; a six, a seven, or an eight; and a nine.
Five and Dime - All cards are fives, sixes, sevens, eights, nines, or tens with no pair.
Skip Straight - Also called Alternate Straight, Dutch Straight, or
Skipper. Cards are in consecutive order, skipping every other card. (Example 3-5-7-9-J).
Round the Corner Straight - Consecutive cards including a ace which counts as both the high and low card.
(Example Q-K-A-2-3).
Big Bobtail - A four card straight flush (four cards of the same suit in consecutive order).
Four of a Kind
Straight Flush
Skeet Flush - The same cards as a Skeet and all in the same suit.
Five of a Kind - Four of a kind plus a wild card, or three of a kind plus two wild cards.
A Kilter, also called Kelter, is a generic term for a number of different nonstandard hands.
Depending on house rules, a Kilter may be a Skeet, a Little Tiger, a Skip Straight, or some variation of one of these hands.
Directory of Poker Guides and Resources
All Vegas Poker - Reviews and trip reports from every poker room in Las Vegas. Also poker tournament news.
Card Games: Poker - A collection of annotated links and rules for several variants.
Card Player - Industry publication also featuring casino games and sports. Article archives, casino links, instructional books and tapes.
Gambling Poker - Rules for over thirty games, including common casino varieties and uncommon home games.
The Hendon Mob - Group of four UK-based pro players offering tips, a forum, a gallery and competitions.
Home Poker - Resource on non-casino games including the basics and a glossary.
Launchpoker - News, tips, forum, and poker celebrity profiles.
Live Action Poker - Forums, interviews, "tips from the pros", streaming video and radio.
Mike's Poker - Learn the rules for over one hundred variants, indexed by title and amount of players.
Play Winning Poker - Strategy articles, news and a variety of instructional resources for both casino and online play.
Pocket Aces - Archive of over one hundred fifty of Maryann Guberman's columns from Casino Gaming.
The Poker Forum - Articles, tournament information, rules, forums, book reviews, trip reports, and television schedules.
Poker Forums - General discussion forum with sections related to strategy, new players, and bragging about big wins.
Poker in the UK - Covers the playing public and informed list of places to play within the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Poker Pro - Membership site of an association providing advanced poker strategy and research for the professional players.
The Poker Project - Online poker room directory, where the players themselves provide reviews of each site. Also, poker rules, poker books, and strategies.
Poker Search - Cardrooms guide and forum topics about tournaments, trip reports, casino and online games.
Poker Tips - Strategy articles as well as cardroom reviews and other online playing information.
Poker Top 10 - Lists on topics such as online rooms, rules and players.
Poker UK - Guide to basics, etiquette and UK casinos offering poker.
Poker-Images - Poker photo library. Classic poker pictures as well as photographs from the latest tournaments.
PokerInEurope.com - Message board and coverage of European clubs and tournaments.
Poker.net - Articles, rules, cardroom directories and online tournament information.
PokerPages - Searchable database of cardrooms, daily-updated tournament results, player profiles, tips and articles.
Pokersyte - Games rules, strategies, and tips from "Bullet Bob" Maxwell.
Pokerworks - Stories from both sides of the green felt, as well as Bellagio Casino tournament information.
Professional-Poker.com - Online poker room news. Updated regularly. Also professional player profiles and interviews.
Rec.gambling.poker FAQ - Answers to frequently asked questions from the usenet newsgroup.
RecPoker.com - Web-based newsreader for the rec.gambling.poker newsgroup.
Serious Poker - Resources, links, articles and Dan Kimberg's dictionary.
TeachingPoker.com - Teaches several types of poker games by using full color example hands. Also, history of poker.
Two Plus Two Publishing - Moderated discussion forum hosted by David Sklansky, Mason Malmuth and Ray Zee. Also sells their books.
United Poker Forum - Moderated discussion forum hosted by authors Mike Caro and Roy Cooke.
World Series of Poker - Official website for the World Series of Poker. Summary of events, tournament schedules, news and history.
World Series of Poker Retrospective - University of Nevada, Las Vegas look at the history of the game's oldest tournament.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. Source: Original text from the article in Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Learning to Play Online
Step One - The first step to learning how to play poker is easy... practice, practice, practice.
If you've watched many tournaments on the TV, then you already know that many of the players got their start and learned skills by playing online. This is a great opportunity for you to learn how to play and improve your skills!
Step Two - Practice may not make you perfect, but taking poker lessons with Party Poker's poker school will improve your odds greatly. As you become more familiar with pot odds and good starting hands, you will see your game improve.
Step Three - By setting up a PartyPoker account and Full Tilt Poker player account, it's safe, simple, and secure...play as little or as often as you like! Games are being played around the clock...
Step Four - Always have fun! Online playing features many great tournaments and prize package games. Build up bonues, play heads up or against a group, or join in the excitement of online tournament play!!
!
Free Poker Games A collection of internet games available which allow players to play poker games with other players. Free games and tournaments available. Go to Download Free Software Want to Find Free Catalogs?
If you wish to find great magazines, then search the catalogs for clothes, recreation, and household items. Go to Free Catalogs Available
Discover the secrets of the game from the professional players themselves! Start improving your skills today. Learn from the Pros
Shop eBay Today!
Looking for a great bargain? Search the millions of products available on eBay where you will find great prices! Discover for yourself how easy it is to get started! Join eBay today!
