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Poker Academy

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New to poker? Learn the rules, hand rankings and gameplay of every poker game available on Nice Hand. Choose a game below and learn at your own pace.

Start with the basics Jump to Texas Hold’em

Six games

Choose a game

Every game on Nice Hand, explained from the beginning. Pick one and jump straight to its guide.

  • Texas Hold’em

    The world’s most popular poker game. Build the best five-card hand using your hole cards and the community cards.

    Learn how to play →

  • Omaha

    Receive four hole cards and combine exactly two of them with three community cards to make your hand.

    Learn how to play →

  • Draw Poker

    Build your hand by replacing unwanted cards during the draw.

    Learn how to play →

  • Chinese Poker

    Arrange your cards into three separate poker hands and compete against your opponent’s rows.

    Learn how to play →

  • Razz

    A seven-card stud game where the lowest five-card hand wins.

    Learn how to play →

  • Stud Poker

    Build the strongest five-card hand from a combination of face-up and face-down cards.

    Learn how to play →

Before you start

Poker hand rankings

Almost every poker game is won by the best five-card hand. Learn this order first, it is the one thing every game has in common. Strongest at the top.

  1. 1

    Royal Flush

    A, K, Q, J, 10 all in the same suit.

  2. 2

    Straight Flush

    Five cards in sequence, all the same suit.

  3. 3

    Four of a Kind

    All four cards of the same rank.

  4. 4

    Full House

    Three of a kind plus a pair.

  5. 5

    Flush

    Any five cards of the same suit.

  6. 6

    Straight

    Five cards in sequence, mixed suits.

  7. 7

    Three of a Kind

    Three cards of the same rank.

  8. 8

    Two Pair

    Two different pairs.

  9. 9

    One Pair

    Two cards of the same rank.

  10. 10

    High Card

    No pair and no sequence, the highest card plays.

Reading a hand: you always make the best five cards you can. If two players hold the same ranking, the higher cards inside that hand decide the winner.

Game one

How to play Texas Hold’em

Texas Hold’em is played using two private hole cards for each player and five shared community cards. You build your best five-card hand from any combination of the seven.

  1. Pre-Flop
  2. Flop
  3. Turn
  4. River
  5. Showdown

  1. The blinds

    Two players post forced bets before any cards are dealt: the small blind and the larger big blind. They start the pot and give everyone something to play for.

  2. Deal the hole cards

    Every player receives two private cards, face down. Only you see them.

  3. Pre-flop betting

    The first betting round. Looking only at your two cards, you fold, call the big blind, or raise.

  4. The flop

    Three community cards are dealt face up. They belong to everyone at the table. A betting round follows.

  5. The turn

    A fourth community card is added, then another betting round.

  6. The river

    The fifth and final community card is dealt, followed by the last betting round.

  7. Showdown

    Players still in the hand show their cards. Each makes the best five-card hand from their two hole cards and the five on the board.

Worked example. Your hole cards are the ace and king of spades. The board runs queen, jack and ten of spades, then a four and a two. Your best five cards are A‑K‑Q‑J‑10 of spades, a royal flush, the strongest hand in poker.

The winning five

Quick summary

  • 2 hole cards
  • 5 community cards
  • 4 betting rounds
  • Best 5-card hand wins

Game two

How to play Omaha

Omaha looks like Hold’em with more cards, but one rule changes everything, and it is the rule beginners get wrong most often.

The rule that matters: you must use exactly two of your four hole cards and exactly three community cards. Not one, not three, exactly two.

  • Texas Hold’em

    Use any combination of your hole cards and the board, both, one, or none.

  • Omaha

    You must use exactly 2 hole cards and exactly 3 community cards, every time.

Your four hole cards

  1. The blinds

    Same as Hold’em, a small blind and a big blind start the pot.

  2. Four hole cards

    Every player receives four private cards instead of two.

  3. Pre-flop betting

    The first betting round, played on your four cards alone.

  4. The flop

    Three community cards, then a betting round.

  5. The turn

    A fourth community card, then a betting round.

  6. The river

    The fifth community card, then the final betting round.

  7. Showdown

    Make your best five cards using exactly two from your hand and exactly three from the board.

Quick summary

  • 4 hole cards
  • 5 community cards
  • Must use exactly 2 hole cards
  • Must use exactly 3 community cards

Game three

How to play Draw Poker

Five-Card Draw is the simplest place to start. There are no community cards, your hand is entirely your own, and you get one chance to improve it.

  1. Five private cards

    Each player is dealt five cards, face down.

  2. First betting round

    Bet, call, raise or fold based on the five cards you were dealt.

  3. Choose your discards

    Pick the cards you want to throw away. You may keep all five if you are happy.

  4. The draw

    Replacement cards are dealt to fill your hand back to five.

  5. Final betting round

    One more round of betting with your completed hand.

  6. Showdown

    Remaining players show their hands and the best five cards win.

  • Before the draw, the two outlined cards are being discarded

  • Discarding 2 cards, the 3 and the 2

  • After the draw, two new cards complete a full house

Quick summary

  • 5 private cards
  • No community cards
  • 1 draw to replace cards
  • 2 betting rounds

Game four

How to play Chinese Poker

Chinese Poker is not one hand, it is three. You split your cards into three rows and each row is compared against the same row of your opponent.

  • Back hand

    5 cards, must be your strongest

  • Middle hand

    5 cards, weaker than the back

  • Front hand

    3 cards, your weakest row

The ordering rule: Back hand ≥ Middle hand ≥ Front hand. If your middle or front row is stronger than the row above it, the arrangement is fouled and the whole hand is invalid, so set your rows carefully before you commit.

Quick summary

  • 13 cards per player
  • 3 separate hands
  • Back 5, middle 5, front 3
  • Back ≥ middle ≥ front, or you foul

Game five

How to play Razz

Razz is a form of Seven Card Stud where the lowest five-card hand wins. Everything you learned about big hands is turned upside down.

Straights and flushes do not count against you. In Razz you are only looking for five low cards of different ranks, suits and sequences are ignored. Aces are always low.

The best possible Razz hand, the wheel

  1. Third street

    Two cards face down and one face up, then the first betting round.

  2. Fourth street

    One more face-up card, then betting.

  3. Fifth street

    Another face-up card, then betting.

  4. Sixth street

    A fourth face-up card, then betting.

  5. Seventh street

    A final card face down, then the last betting round.

  6. Showdown

    Make the lowest five-card hand you can from your seven cards. The lowest hand takes the pot.

Quick summary

  • 7 cards per player
  • No community cards
  • Lowest 5-card hand wins
  • A-2-3-4-5 is the best hand

Game six

How to play Seven Card Stud

Unlike Texas Hold’em, Stud uses no community cards. Every player receives their own seven cards, some face up for the whole table to see.

A finished Stud hand, two down, four up, one down

  1. Third street

    Two cards face down and one face up. First betting round.

  2. Fourth street

    One additional face-up card, then betting.

  3. Fifth street

    One additional face-up card, then betting.

  4. Sixth street

    One additional face-up card, then betting.

  5. Seventh street

    One final card, dealt face down. The last betting round follows.

  6. Showdown

    Choose the best five-card hand from your seven cards.

Quick summary

  • 7 cards per player
  • No community cards
  • 5 betting rounds
  • Best 5-card hand wins

Every game

Your betting options

Whichever game you sit down to, these are the only decisions you ever have to make.

  • Check

    Stay in the hand without betting, when no bet is currently required.

  • Bet

    Place chips into the pot and make the other players respond.

  • Call

    Match the current bet to stay in the hand.

  • Raise

    Increase the current bet, forcing others to pay more to continue.

  • Fold

    Give up your hand and any chips already committed to the pot.

  • All-In

    Commit every chip you have left to the pot.

New to poker?

Four things worth knowing

Not strategy, just the habits that make your first sessions go more smoothly.

Learn the hands

Start by memorising the basic poker hand rankings. Everything else builds on them.

Play your position

Players acting later have more information before making a decision. Use it.

Start small

Learn the rules first, before worrying about advanced poker strategy.

Watch the table

Pay attention to the cards, the betting action and your opponents.

Ready to Play?

Choose your game, take a seat and put what you’ve learned into practice.

How to Play