Poker has recently become a big deal in India. Each day, thousands of people play poker games, both in-person and online. No matter how you want to play poker, there’s a way to do it.
Unsurprisingly, the majority of Indians prefer playing poker online. Online poker is:
- Fun
- More convenient
- Easier for beginners
Remember, when playing online, you’re not surrounded by other players in a busy casino building. Instead, you’re likely playing from the comfort of your own home. This is why it’s a much easier and more relaxing experience.
If you’ve recently seen poker being advertised, you might have the ambition to start playing it as a hobby. Sound true? Great – this guide is going to teach you how to play poker online in India.
Don’t worry: everything is easy to understand. Contrary to popular belief, online poker is a walk in the park!
Choose a Reliable Gambling Website or App
To play online poker, the first step you need to take is to find a reliable gambling website or app.
Tip: Whichever gambling website or app you choose, double-check that it has poker available!
After charging your smartphone or tablet, the next thing you need to do is open the web browser. From there, you can gamble online in India. There is a selection of different websites to choose from, so make your decision wisely. Make sure to look closely at the minimum deposit amounts, as these are incredibly important. As a beginner, you will probably want to deposit a low amount of money to start with, which is why you need an online casino or gambling website with reasonable deposit amounts.
When playing on a gambling site or app, make sure your device has a strong WIFI connection.
Learn the Rules of Poker
Poker is a strategy-based card game that requires both critical thinking and excellent control of your emotions.
There are many variations of poker, from Texas Hold’Em to 3-card poker, so make sure to find the variation you’re most comfortable with. For beginners, it’s recommended you go with 3-card poker, as it’s generally regarded as the simplest variation.
Texas Hold’Em is the most popular version of poker, especially in the online gaming world. Texas Hold’Em is also very popular in Las Vegas, which you might be lucky enough to visit one day.
The aim of Texas Hold’Em is to have the highest value hand by the end of the game. Sometimes, games don’t reach the final round due to the fact that all of the players (excluding the winner) have ‘folded’ due to the pot being too high in value.
In Texas Hold’Em poker, there are five rounds per game. These rounds are:
- Pre-Flop
- Flop
- Turn
- River
- Showdown
As the rounds progress, what usually happens is that players will ‘fold’ due to their hands being too weak. However, in some cases, players with weak hands will ‘bluff’ their way to the final showdown, raise the pot to an uncomfortable level for the remaining players, and then win the game as a result!
Here are the different types of ‘hands’ (card combinations) in poker, ordered from weakest to strongest:
- High Card: a single card with no combination available
- One Pair: two of any of the same cards
- Two Pairs: two sets of the same cards
- Three-of-a-Kind: three cards of the same rank
- Straight: five-card hand made up of a running sequence of cards
- Flush: the same as a straight, except all five cards are from the same suit
- Full house: three-of-a-kind and a pair together
- Four-of-a-Kind: All four of any given number
- Straight Flush: Five consecutive cards from the same suit
- Royal Flush: the best hand that you can get in poker. It’s incredibly rare, so consider yourself lucky if it ever happens to you! A royal flush consists of a Straight Flush that runs all the way to an ace, making it unbeatable. The odds of being dealt this hand are insanely high, which is why it’s incredibly rare to see.
Before playing poker, it’s highly recommended that you memorize and familiarize yourself with all of the hands. This way, you won’t become confused mid-game.
As you become a better player, you will find yourself creating stronger hands for yourself and will eventually start to pull Straights, Full Houses, and more.
Set Yourself a Budget
Before officially playing poker online, you need to set yourself a budget. This is because poker is a game that usually requires a significant amount of funds to play if you decide to play a handful of games in a row. For example, if you’re playing up against other players, you may find that some of them tend to raise the pots by a high amount each round, which can pressure you into increasing your budget.
Whatever happens, make sure you play responsibly and remain financially responsible. If you lose a couple of games of poker on the bounce, don’t be tempted to ‘chase your losses’. Instead, take a break, relax, and play again tomorrow, instead!
Learn How to Bluff
Even though the element of face-to-face interaction is removed from online poker, you still need to learn how to bluff. There will be times when you are dealt a bad hand but still believe in yourself to win the game – which is when you will need to bluff and trick the other players. Usually, this will involve raising the pot to convince them that you have a stronger hand than you really do! Learning how to bluff like a professional can take quite a bit of time, so be patient. After a while, you’ll become an expert. It’s all about staying calm under pressure.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading this helpful guide about how to play poker online in India. Now, you know all the information you need to move forward and enter the world of online poker – no stress, no hassle. It will more than likely take you a couple of weeks – or even months – to truly master the game of poker. Be patient, though, as the pay-off will be more than worth it in the end. Soon, your friends will be calling you the poker king or queen!
