How To Play Poker

What is the objective of the game?

The object of the game is to win the pot by forming the highest ranked five-card Poker hand or have all the other players surrender the pot to you by folding to your bet (bluff).

How do I play?

SKYCITY Auckland offers two variations of poker; Texas Holdem and Omaha.

Unlike other casino games, players of Poker play against each other - SKYCITY Auckland provides the dealers and equipment to conduct the games for a small fee, usually in the form of commission taken from the pot.

To join a game a minimum amount of chips is required to Buy-In as specified at the table. Chips can be purchased from the Poker cashier.
After any blind betting required for the variation of Poker being played, players are dealt their hole cards.
A set sequence of betting and dealing of community cards follows specific to the Poker variety.
Players decide through the betting rounds whether to call, raise or fold.
After all community cards are dealt and all betting rounds are completed the player with the highest ranked hand without folding wins the pot.

Differences between the games

Game	Deck	Hole Cards	Best 5 card hand	Betting rounds
Holdem	Full	2	Any combo of hole + community cards.	Two players blind bet to begin. All players bet after hole cards are dealt. Again after the flop, 4th and final community cards are dealt.
Omaha	Full	4	Any 2 of 4 hole cards + any 3 of 5 community cards.

Poker terminology

All-in

A wager of all of ones chips. A player cannot be forced out of a pot because they have run out of chips. A separate pot will be created for the remaining players wagers.

Betting Round

A single cycle of players checking/betting/calling/raising/folding. During a betting round each player acts on their hands in turn, in a clockwise direction.

Blind

A bet made by a player or players without seeing their cards. Two players in Omaha and Holdem place blind bets prior to each hand being dealt.

Dealer Button

A marker used to indicate who is last to receive cards and last to act in a betting round. Originally this player would have been dealing the cards.

Call

To match the previous bet and or raises made in a betting round. A player may call with all their chips even if it is insufficient to meet a bet/raise. This player is said to be 'going all-in'.

Check

To refrain from betting - without folding. A player may not check if a bet (including blind bets) has been made.

Community Cards

The cards face up in the middle of the table used by all players to make their best five card poker hand.

Flop

The first three of the five community cards in Omaha and Holdem. These cards are dealt simultaneously.

Fold

To discard one's cards and play no further part in that hand.

Hole Cards

A player's cards - dealt face down.

Pot

The sum of all antes, blinds and bets wagered in a round.

Raise

To increase the amount already wagered in a betting round.

Showdown

The exposing of players hands and the determining of the winning hand prior to the pot being awarded.

Wager

The placing of chips into a pot by a player in any betting round.

Further Questions?

If you are still unsure about how to play Poker, for further information or if you have any questions please ask one of the SKYCITY Poker Supervisors for assistance.