Register

Play Your Favorite High Stakes Poker Online Today

Playing online poker has lately become an additional (or even main) source of income for many people around the world. The accessibility and popularity of the game have increased substantially in the last few decades, causing the emergence of numerous poker websites and communities around the web.

However, most of the players worldwide play micro or small-stakes games, looking to make a long-term profit by playing a large number of hands and winning just enough of these to generate sufficient margins. Switching to higher stakes is often seen as too risky, and sometimes players simply can’t afford large bets and buy-ins.

While you should definitely be careful about starting to play high stakes poker, keep in mind that the element of luck in poker is actually quite limited. Poker is much more a game of skill than it is a game of chance.

So if you’re looking to make money online, you have a knack for math-based games, and you enjoy the rush of adrenaline, you might be interested in online high stakes poker. Here are some things you should know in advance.

PlayYourFavoriteHighStakesPokerOnlineToday

History of poker

Early history

So first of all, how did this sudden rise in popularity of poker even happen? Well, let’s start from the very beginning.

The modern version of poker has actually spread throughout the United States back in the 19th century. It probably evolved from the French game Poque and Persian As Nas. As Nas was played with a 20-card deck and poker has inherited some of its rules and practices related to betting and hand strength.

The real expansion, however, happened on the North American continent, especially during the Gold Rush and, later, the Civil War. It was played pretty much everywhere – on the front, in the saloons, as well as on the steamboats, further spreading the game throughout major ports and cities.

Early versions of poker often included 20-card decks, and most early 52-card variants used to resemble some sort of today’s draw poker. During the 19th century, new rules and new branches of the game were periodically introduced, leading poker to become one of the most popular card games in the world.

Global expansion

In the 20th century, the growth continued. Real game-changers were televised tournaments and the appearance of online gaming in the 80s and 90s. Online poker has made the game more accessible and more practical, enabling people to play just for fun or to try small-stake games against other players, without the pressure of encountering seasoned players in the dodgy atmosphere of your local casino.

What made poker even more popular was when big tournaments like the World Series of Poker enabled amateurs who manage to win satellite online tournaments to compete with the best players in the world for the main prizes. And once some of these amateur players started winning these tournaments (and millions of dollars) it was an inspiration for poker fans around the world. This hugely accelerated the expansion of the game at the turn of the century.

Hand rankings in poker

Now, as we said, there are many variants of poker, with new ones emerging all the time. While Texas Hold ‘em is undoubtedly the most widespread and played on main events at the biggest tournaments, many others have also been widely accepted and globally popular.

Nevertheless, most types share some common features, including hand rankings. While there are some variants (such as some types of Lowball poker) that have their own system, for most of them, hand strength rules are the same. And for most of them, the goal of the game is to connect 5 cards so that they form one of the following hands, ranked from highest to lowest:

  1. Royal flush – this hand includes 5 highest-ranked cards of the same suit. For instance: 10♠, J♠, Q♠, K♠, A♠
  2. Straight flush – this hand contains 5 cards of the same suit and of any rank arranged in sequential order. For instance: 7♥, 8♥, 9♥, 10♥, J♥
  3. Four of a kind – to get a four of a kind, the player needs to acquire four cards of the same rank. For instance: 6♥, 6♠, 6♣, 6♦
  4. Full house – full house includes three cards of the identical rank, plus another two cards of the identical rank, but different compared to the first two. For instance: 5♥, 5♣, 5♠, J♦, J♣,
  5. Flush – this hand contains 5 cards of the same suit, regardless of their rank. For instance: 2♦, 6♦, 8♦, Q♦, K♦
  6. Straight – if a hand includes 5 cards of any suit arranged in sequential order, that’s called a straight. For instance: 6♦, 7♣, 8♦, 9♥, 10♠
  7. Three of a kind – three cards of the same rank. For instance: A♠, A♦, A♥
  8. Two pair – two pair consists of two cards with matching ranks and another two cards with matching ranks, but of course different from the first two (otherwise we’d simply have four of a kind). For instance: 6♣, 6♠, K♠, K♦
  9. Pair – two cards of the same rank. For instance: 7♥, 7♠

10. High card – whenever there are no active players whose hands meet any of the above mentioned criteria, the player with the highest card wins.

Handrankingsinpoker

NOTE: in general, in cases of ties, when multiple players have hands of the same value, the rank of their cards will be key. For instance, if two players have a pair each, the highest pair wins. If two players have two pairs each, the player with the highest top pair wins. If their top pairs are the same, then the one with the highest low pair takes the pot. And if their hands contain the same pairs, then a player with the highest card among the remaining cards (“kicker” cards) will win. For instance, let’s imagine these two hands:

Player A: Q♥, Q♠, 6♦, 6♥

Player B: 9♥, 9♣, 8♦, 8♠

In this case, player A wins because of a higher top pair (Qs vs 9s).

Let’s see another example, so we can explain how the kicker cards work:

Player A: 7♥, 7♣, K♠, 9♠, 5♦

Player B: 7♦, 7♠, J♦, 8♣, 3♠

Player A wins – they both have a pair of 7s, but player A has the higher kicker. But what if their highest kicker is also the same? For example:

Player A: 5♥, 5♦, Q♣, 9♥, 2♠

Player B: 5♠, 5♣, Q♥, J♦, 3♦

Now, player B wins. They both have a pair of 5s and their highest remaining card is also the same, so now the second-highest kicker is what counts. B has the highest second kicker (J vs. 9) and the pot goes to player B.

Rules of high stakes Texas hold ‘em

While hand rankings are the same for most variants, a lot of other rules regarding the betting process or the very flow of the game can differ substantially.

In this guide, we’ll start with the rules employed in Texas hold ‘em. If you wish to play high stakes poker online, it’s best to first get familiar with the basics. Texas hold ‘em is the most popular type of poker and is also very similar to some other widespread variants, so it’s really convenient to learn its rules at the very beginning.

RulesofhighstakesTexasholdem

Start of the game

At the beginning of a Texas hold ‘em hand, every player gets two cards, turned face-down so that only the player who got these cards dealt can see them. These are called “hole cards”. The dealer button is placed in front of one of the players and it determines the dealer of a specific hand. The button moves clockwise after each hand so that every time a different player deals the cards.

The first person to start the hand is the third person on the left from the dealer. This position in poker is called under-the-gun (UTG) as it’s the least desirable and the most dangerous position. The player who plays the last preflop (the player sitting right of the UTG) has a big disadvantage and is called the big blind (BB).

In order to generate action, the BB has to place a blind bet of pre-determined value before the start of the hand. The player sitting right to him also needs to place a bet in advance, but a smaller one though, and this is called the small blind (SB).

The importance of positions

Before we move on, let’s explain why some positions in Texas hold’ em are more favorable than others. Namely, it’s because of how betting works in this variant.

After the cards are dealt, players are trying to estimate their chance to win the hand, based on the two hole cards they have. Until the end of the hand, they’ll get 5 more cards (we’ll get into details of this in a second) but they all have to place their first bets right away.

In this scenario, every player can match the bet placed by the big blind, raise it, or give up from the hand (“fold”). The first player on the move in this first round of betting has no info about other players whatsoever. The last player can’t see other players’ cards, but he can watch them react, bet, or fold, and adapt his strategy based on that.

This advantage might seem small, but it’s basically all you need in a really close game. That’s why the last two players to act in the first round of betting have a handicap by placing their bets before they see their cards, to compensate for their good position.

Role of community cards

After the first round of betting, players get more cards. But they don’t get separate cards. They all get the same ones. These cards are displayed on the table and they are called community cards. Each player combines them with his own two cards, trying to get the best possible 5-card hand.

So, the first round is finished. The dealer reveals the first 3 community cards, or the “flop”. Then the second round of betting commences. We’ll get into the details of betting very soon – for now it’s important to know that when you can’t match another player’s bet, you have to fold. So all the players who still haven’t folded are involved in the second round of betting.

This second round doesn’t start with a player in BB position anymore. Instead, it starts with the person sitting immediately left of the dealer. In the first round, this position is the SB, but keep in mind that some of the players have probably already folded (potentially including SB and BB), so the starting move can go to virtually anyone.

Once the second round of betting is finished, the dealer reveals the fourth community card, or the “turn”. It is followed by another round of betting. Then the fifth community card gets uncovered (the “river), and the players get their fourth and last chance to bet. When the betting is over, everyone shows their cards and the best hand takes the pot, containing all the money that was laid down throughout four rounds of betting in this hand.

Roleofcommunitycards

Let’s see an example of how community cards work and how players can connect these with their hole cards. Imagine we have three players playing the game:

 

Player A: K♥, 6♠

Player B: 4♥, 8♥

Player C: 9♣, 9♦

 

After the flop, the turn, and the river, players can combine any (or none) of their cards with any of the 5 cards on the table. So if these three players are faced with these 5 community cards:

5♥, 9♥, J♠, K♣, A♥

Player A has a pair of Ks (combining K♥ from his pocket and a K♣ from the board), player B has a flush in hearts (with two hearts among hole cards and 5♥, 9♥, A♥ that were dealt afterwards), while C has a three of a kind (two 9s from the pocket and one more from the board). Player B wins.

 

Betting rules in high stakes Texas hold ‘em

It’s time to see how betting works in Texas hold ‘em more closely. This is probably the most complicated part of the game so we’ll take it step by step.

The beating heart of poker betting is the following: in order to continue the game, you always have to match or surpass other players’ bets. Have in mind that in the first round of betting (the round before the flop) there are already two bets placed at the very beginning, so you have to spend some money from the onset in order to remain active in the hand.

In the first round of betting, there are three possible actions you can take:

  1. “Fold” – give up on the hand because of weak hole cards and avoid risking more chips
  2. “Call” – match the previous highest bet. At the very beginning, the BB bet is the biggest bet.
  3. “Raise” – match the previous highest bet and raise it further. Now other players will have to match your bet in order to continue. If none of them does that and they all fold, you win the hand. Keep in mind that you can’t raise your own bet unless someone else has exceeded it. So if you bet $5 and everyone else folds or calls, you can’t just raise your bet again. But if someone else raises it to $20, you’re allowed to call that bet, or even raise it further.

The betting round is over once every active player has placed the same bet into the pot. This works for any round of betting.

Now we move on to the second round. The player starting it doesn’t have to call or raise anything now (because there’s no BB in this round). So there’s another option for him: to “check”, or to simply be idle and wait for other players to move. If everyone checks, the round is over. If any of the players decide to raise, the others will have to match his bet until everyone’s bet the same. The third and fourth rounds work in a similar manner.

NOTE: If there are only two players left in the entire game, the dealer is then the small blind, while the other player is the big blind. The dealer acts first in the first round, but in all remaining rounds, the dealer will act second.

Bettinglimits

Let’s see an example of how community cards work and how players can connect these with their hole cards. Imagine we have three players playing the game:

Player A: K♥, 6♠

Player B: 4♥, 8♥

Player C: 9♣, 9♦

After the flop, the turn, and the river, players can combine any (or none) of their cards with any of the 5 cards on the table. So if these three players are faced with these 5 community cards:

5♥, 9♥, J♠, K♣, A♥

Player A has a pair of Ks (combining K♥ from his pocket and a K♣ from the board), player B has a flush in hearts (with two hearts among hole cards and 5♥, 9♥, A♥ that were dealt afterwards), while C has a three of a kind (two 9s from the pocket and one more from the board). Player B wins.

Betting rules in high stakes Texas hold ‘em

It’s time to see how betting works in Texas hold ‘em more closely. This is probably the most complicated part of the game so we’ll take it step by step.

The beating heart of poker betting is the following: in order to continue the game, you always have to match or surpass other players’ bets. Have in mind that in the first round of betting (the round before the flop) there are already two bets placed at the very beginning, so you have to spend some money from the onset in order to remain active in the hand.

In the first round of betting, there are three possible actions you can take:

  1. “Fold” – give up on the hand because of weak hole cards and avoid risking more chips
  2. “Call” – match the previous highest bet. At the very beginning, the BB bet is the biggest bet.
  3. “Raise” – match the previous highest bet and raise it further. Now other players will have to match your bet in order to continue. If none of them does that and they all fold, you win the hand. Keep in mind that you can’t raise your own bet unless someone else has exceeded it. So if you bet $5 and everyone else folds or calls, you can’t just raise your bet again. But if someone else raises it to $20, you’re allowed to call that bet, or even raise it further.

The betting round is over once every active player has placed the same bet into the pot. This works for any round of betting.

Now we move on to the second round. The player starting it doesn’t have to call or raise anything now (because there’s no BB in this round). So there’s another option for him: to “check”, or to simply be idle and wait for other players to move. If everyone checks, the round is over. If any of the players decide to raise, the others will have to match his bet until everyone’s bet the same. The third and fourth rounds work in a similar manner.

NOTE: If there are only two players left in the entire game, the dealer is then the small blind, while the other player is the big blind. The dealer acts first in the first round, but in all remaining rounds, the dealer will act second.

Howtoplayhighstakesonlinepoker

How to play high stakes online poker

If you’re interested in playing high stakes online poker, you can register to Coinpoker and start playing today. But first of all, let’s take a look at the criteria for a high stakes game as well as some tips that could help you start.

What is considered high stakes in poker?

Of course, “high stakes” can be considered quite a relative notion. However, a common standard is that anything above $10/$20 (meaning a $10 small blind and a $20 big blind) is considered a high-stake game.

This may not seem like much to the untrained eye at the first glance, but in truth, these games can get very pricey. Have in mind that $10-$20 is just a starting bet for just one hand, and in no-limit games a hand that starts with this amount of money in the pot can easily get massive.

Here are some tips you can use to maximize your success playing high stakes online poker.

Wisely manage your money

In order to play a really good high stakes game, you need to have a strong financial reserve. Never invest all your money. This is hugely important in the long run as you don’t want to end up forcefully playing weak hands when your chips have been depleted.

You can’t have thoughts of going broke while playing the game. Correct bankroll manage is an essential poker skill that is often overlooked. There should be no distractions to you choosing the hands you want to play and playing them the best you can.

Don’t think about the amount of money you’ve lost

By the same token, you shouldn’t think about past hands and how many chips you have lost in previous hands.. This is something you should think about beforehand – don’t invest more than you can afford to  lose. There will be winning and losing opportunities, you have to ensure that you only risk playing funds that may afford great rewards through superior skill and well judged betting strategies.. .

High stakes poker brings good players money only in the long run, and how you manage wins and losses is what separates pros from skillful amateurs . It’s just how the game works.

Adaptthestrategytostrongplayers

Adapt the strategy to strong players

In general, whenever you play poker, you need to adapt your reasoning and your style to the players you’re playing with. Have in mind that high stakes players are usually high-quality players as well, and you’ll have to count that in when placing bets and choosing your approach in general.

Study the mathematics behind the game

As it was already said, poker is the game of skill, calculations, and probabilities. You need to know your exact chances with each starting hand, regardless of other players’ cards. Knowing your odds at every point of the game is hugely important in order to increase your chances of winning a hand and making a profit in the long run.

High stakes poker may be a lot of fun or may be really stressful, depending on your character and temperament. It can also be a very strong source of income for top-class players.

Just make sure you have some sort of an initial capital that can back you up in cases of strings of bad hands. Also, be methodical, detail-oriented, and watch every move of every opponent closely. Try not to get emotional or erratic as that rarely ends well. Stay focused, stay true, and always keep learning.

Once you’re sure you did all that, register to CoinPoker and start playing high stakes poker online today!

Did you find this article helpfull?
particle
particle
particle
particle

Can’t find what you’re looking for?

Get in touch and let us know how we can help you.

Contact Us