Also called jackpots, draw poker - jacks or better is a closed poker variation, where all cards are dealt face down (closed) and known only by the holder of that hand. It is played with two betting rounds. The first betting round occurs before the draw, when players have an opportunity to exchange up to three unwanted cards for new ones. In some games, players are allowed to draw four cards if their remaining card is an ace, and in casino draw poker, players may exchange up to five unwanted cards for new ones.

The second round of betting occurs after the draw. At the showdown, the highest hand wins the pot. If all other players have folded, the last remaining player is the winner.

THE PLAY OF THE GAME
Both the casino and private versions of jacks or better require antes. These must be placed into the pot before the cards are dealt. Antes usually range from 10% of the maximum bet (normal size) to 20% considered a high ante). In a $5-$ 10 game, a $1 or $2 ante would be the most common found.

Each player is dealt five face-down cards. The deal begins with the player to the immediate left of the dealer receiving the first card and continues clockwise, one card at a time, until all players have received their five cards. The first round of betting begins at this point, with the first player to have received cards, the one on the dealer's left, making the first play.

To open betting in jacks or better, a player must have a hand with a minimum ranking of a pair of jacks. For example, a pair of queens, three deuces or a straight are hands that could open betting, while a pair of 7s or an ace-high hand could not. A player holding jacks or better does not have to open betting, however. He may check his turn.
The first player to act must check if he cannot open betting or chooses not to open. The next player, in turn, must also check if he doesn't hold the requisite opening cards. Players continue checking until an opener, the opening bet with a hand of jacks or better, is made. 4 that he drew fell a little short of his needs. There's not much he can do with a 10-high hand.

Big Phil raises the bet to $20 (a $10 raise) and Vicenzo calls the bet. Since Vicenzo called Big Phil's raise, Big Phil must show his cards first. He turns over his trip 5s. Vicenzo sees that he is beat, and, mumbling something about his boss, throws his cards face down and concedes the pot.
Big Phil is the winner. He collects all the chips in the pot, giving them a new home in his private stack. A new deal is ready to begin.

Once an opening bet is placed, subsequent players, in order, may call, fold or raise the opener. Checking is no longer permitted. A bet has been made and players must call that bet to play for the pot. Play continues around the table in clockwise If all players check on the opening round of play, the hand is said to be passed out. The cards are collected and shuffled, and the next player in turn gets the dealer's position. New antes will be required of all players. These are added to the antes already in the pot.
The draw occurs after the first betting round is completed.

Each remaining player, beginning with the first active player to the dealer's left, can discard up to three cards (or five when allowed). The cards should be tossed face-down toward the dealer, who will issue an equivalent number of new cards from the unused portion of the deck. Players should draw in turn, waiting for the previous player to receive his new cards before making their own discards. The dealer draws last, if he is still in the pot.

Discards should be announced, so that all players are aware of the number of cards drawn. Players who do not draw any cards are said to stand pat. You can indicate your choice to stand pat verbally or by knocking on the table with your hand.

The second round of betting follows the draw. It is begun by either the opener or the last raiser if there were any raises during the round. If no raises occurred, and the opener has folded, the first active Player to the dealer's left opens the betting: This player may check or bet as desired. Each succeed-lng player has the option of checking or betting, but once a bet is placed, active players must call that bet, raise, or go out.
The showdown occurs after this betting round is completed. At this time, the player whose last bet or raise was called (as opposed to players calling those bets) turns over his cards first. Any opponent who claims a superior hand must turn over his cards for verification. Players holding inferior hands may go out without revealing their cards. The best hand wins the pot and gets to rake in the chips.

Let's return to our original crew and see how the betting works in a $5-$ 10 limit game of jacks or better. They're playing with a $2 ante, a high ante for this type of betting, and one which encourages aggressive early betting to "steal the antes." The pot holds $16 to start (eight players times $2).

These are the cards they hold after the deal:
Julian K 10 7 3 2
Eddie-boy 8 8 10 4 2
Vicenzo A A J 10 8
Fay 6 6 A 4 3
Donto A J 7 6 3
Flavian K 10 9 8 7
Uncle J. J J 5 4 2
Big Phil 5 5 5 8 7

Julian is on the dealer's immediate left, so he opens play. Not having a hand of jacks or better, Julian checks, as does Eddie-boy, who holds only a pair of 8s. Vicenzo can open, and he does, flipping a $5 chip into the pot. Fay has nothing worth betting on, and she folds.

Donto is excited enough by his ace-high hand to call the bet, but it's a poor play. He's a big underdog with those cards and has little chance of winning.
Flavian's cigar is blowing smoke like a train coming down the tracks. With two players in the action and a large ante, the $25 in the pot gives him good pot odds to go for his straight (26-5, greater than the approximately 4-1 odds he needs to make the play justifiable) and he calls the $5 bet as well.

Uncle J. knows that the opener, Vicenzo, holds jacks or better, and he figures that Vicenzo probably has at least kings or aces to have opened in such an early position. With two other players in the game, he folds his pair of jacks. He knows they're of little value.

Big Phil tosses $10 into the pot, calling the $5 opener and bumping that bet $5 more. His three fives are strong cards. If too many players are allowed to draw out against them, they could get beat.

Julian and Eddie-boy see that their free ride is over and fold in turn. Neither sees his cards being worth a $5 bet, let alone a $5 raise on top. Vicenzo calls the raise and flips his $5 into the pot. Donto finally folds, poorer by his earlier $5 call. Flavian is playing for the draw and calls the $5 raise.

The raise has now been called by all active players, and the first betting round is over. On this first round of betting, before the draw, all bets and raises are in the lower tier of the $5-$ 10 game, and are therefore in $5 increments. After the draw, all bets will be in the upper tier, or in $10 increments.

Three players remain for the draw: Vicenzo, Flavian, and Big Phil. Vicenzo throws his discards toward the dealer and draws three cards to his aces. Flavian calls for one card. After he receives his draw, Big Phil takes one card as well. Though Big Phil theoretically has better chances of improving his hand with a two-card draw, his one-card draw is a clever play, since opponents must figure him for two pair. Meanwhile, he's sitting pretty with his three 5s, a favorite against his two opponents.

Here's how the hands look after the draw:
Vicenzo A A 9 9 2
Flavian 10 9 8 7 4
Big Phil 5 5 5 K 6

The opener, Vicenzo, acts first and bets $10. His aces over 9s is a strong hand, and he figures it's a stronger hand than Big Phil's probable two pair. Flavian's train has slowed down, and he folds. The 4 that he drew fell a little short of his needs. There's not much he can do with a 10-high hand.

Big Phil raises the bet to $20 (a $10 raise) and Vicenzo calls the bet. Since Vicenzo called Big Phil's raise, Big Phil must show his cards first. He turns over his trip 5s. Vicenzo sees that he is beat, and, mumbling something about his boss, throws his cards face down and concedes the pot.

Big Phil is the winner. He collects all the chips in the pot, giving them a new home in his private stack. A new deal is ready to begin.

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The biggest difference between casino poker and private poker games is that in the casino games the house gets a cut of the action, called a rake, for its services. The rake varies from casino to casino. It's usually proportionately higher in lower limit games.

Don't play in a game where the rake is greater than five percent of the total bet made. It's too much of an overhead. Find a more reasonable game, where your winnings won't dwindle away to nothing because of weighty house cuts. Always ask how much the house rake is before you sit down to play.

THE RULES OF THE TABLE
Though poker is basically the same game played anywhere, at home or in the casino, rules can vary from game to game. Make sure that you're clear about the particulars of play before sitting down at a new poker game. The most important questions to ask are:
1. What are the betting limits?
2. Is "check-and-raise" allowed?
3. Are antes or blinds used, and if so, how much are they?
4. What is the maximum number of raises allowed?

When you're playing a casino game, most of the above information may be posted on a sign above the table, but if it isn't, ask the dealer or a player and find out. In casino games, you should also ask a tilth question: "How much is the rake?"

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Following the conclusion of all betting in the final betting round, if two or more players remain, the showdown occurs. The showdown is the final act in a poker game where remaining players reveal their hands to determine the winner of the pot.

The player whose last bet or raise was called is the first to turn over his cards and reveal his hand. If his hand proves to be the best, he wins the pot and collects all the money in it. However, any player who claims a superior hand must show it.

Players holding losing hands at the showdown may concede the pot without showing their cards.

The player with the best hand at the showdown wins all the money in the pot. In the event of a tie, or when there are two winners—as may be the case in high-low—the pot is split evenly among the winners. If only one player remains after the final betting round, or at any point during the game, there is no showdown. The lone remaining player automatically wins the pot.

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For illustrative purposes, let's follow the play in the first betting round of a private game of draw poker: anything opens. This game is played without a blind (as is jacks or better), and the first player to act may check or bet as desired. In the other games we'll discuss—hold 'em, draw poker: lowball, and the seven-card stud variations—the opening player has no such luxury. He must either make the mandatory opening bet or fold (when allowed). In these games, checking is not allowed in first round play. We'll look at the particular rules of play for each game in the individual games sections, and there I'll show which player is the first to act in a betting round and whether that player must make a mandatory opening bet.

Let's pick up the action now and see how the betting works. The eight players have agreed to play with a $1 ante, so the pot holds $8 before any of the cards are dealt. The participants are, in order, clockwise from the dealer: Julian, Eddie-boy, Vicenzo, Fay, Donto, Flavian, Uncle J. and Big Phil (the current dealer).

They are playing dealer's choice, a rule which allows each successive dealer to choose the variation played during his deal. In casino poker games, dealer's choice is not played, and players are limited to playing the variations designated for their table. If a player wishes to play a different variation, he must switch to a table offering the game he desires.

Big Phil is the current dealer, and he has chosen draw poker: anything opens as the game he wants to deal. The player sitting to the immediate left of the dealer goes first in draw poker. After the cards are dealt, all players await Julian's decision.
Julian raps on the table with his knuckles. This is a nonverbal signal used in poker to indicate that a player is checking. He may also indicate checking by saying "Check" or "Pass" or some such communication. Eddie-boy and Vicenzo, in turn, check as well. Play passes on to Fay, the next player.

Fay announces, "I'll bet $5," and throws a $5 chip into the pot. Now that a bet is placed, no player can check and remain in the game.
Donto, sitting at Fay's left, decides his hand isn't worth $5. He flips his cards face down toward the dealer. Donto is no longer a participant in the pot, and he forfeits his $1 ante. He must wait until the next deal to resume play.

Flavian draws a big puff out of his cigar. "Cuban," he claims, and throws $10 into the pot, calling Fay's $5 bet and raising it $5 more. He announces, "$10 to you, Uncle J."
Raises, like bets, are made by the physical placement of chips in the pot area. It is often the custom in a private game to announce them as well. Raising may be indicated by saying, "I'll raise you" or "I'll call that bet and raise," or any such communication that clearly indicates that a raise is being made.

Uncle J. must be daunted by either the $10 he's due or the cigar, and he folds. Big Phil, the dealer for this round of play, calls the $5 bet and the $5 raise, and re-raises $5 more. He places $15 into the pot.

Flavian's cigar whirls across his mouth like a brigate cannon searching out new targets, and sends the long overdue ashes crashing against the dizzying colors of his Hawaiian short-sleeved shirt. One ash, still hot, works its way into a palm tree, and then fades away in lasting glory.

Play now returns to Julian, who had checked earlier. To stay in the hand, he must call $15 worth of bets—one $5 bet plus two $5 raises. He throws his cards in without hesitation, and is followed by Eddie-boy, who does the same. Vicenzo, who had also checked, bets the $15. He may not raise, since this private game does not allow check-and-raise. If check-and-raise were permitted, he would be allowed to raise $5 more. Since this is the first round of betting, all bets and raises are in $5 increments. $10 bets and raises are not allowed in this round.

Fay plays next, and she must call the two $5 raises of her original bet to stay in. She might have called just one raise, but with two raises facing her and Flavian's cigar bent at a mean angle, she decides her hand is not worth $10 more. She folds. She's out her earlier $5 bet and $1 ante—that money now belongs to the pot.

Play passes by Donto, since he had folded earlier, and proceeds to Flavian, the first raiser, and his cigar. Since his raise had been upped $5 by Big Phil, he must call that re-raise to play. The cigar rotates slowly as Flavian weighs the possibility of raising again, and then pointedly stops, aimed dead ahead at the middle of Big Phil's forehead. Another sec-ond passes, drawn out by a long puff, and then Flavian flips a $5 chip into the pot, calling Big Phil's raise.

The only active players remaining are, in order, Big Phil, Vicenzo, and Flavian. Big Phil cannot raise again. He was the last player to raise, and a player cannot raise his own bet. Since all bets and raises have been called by the remaining players, the betting round is over.

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Poker is sometimes played as pot limit or no limit. These are betting structures often used in high stakes poker games. Pot limit games allow players to bet any amount up to the current size of the pot but no more. For example, if the pot holds $75, the largest allowable bet is $75. If a player then bets pot limit and places $75 more into the pot, the pot would now contain $150. The betting limit is now set at a maximum of $150.

No limit poker is even a wilder version. It states that a player's maximum bet is limited only by the table stakes rule. The World Series of Poker played at the Horseshoe Casino in Las Vegas every year plays no limit style of hold 'em poker with a $10,000 buy-in.

Pot limit and no limit poker are too vicious for the average player (unless comfortable maximum betting ranges are set by the players) and should not be considered by anyone but top level players with big purses. In this book, we'll assume just the limit variety of poker, the game almost universally played by most players in private and casino games.

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Table stakes is a rule in casino poker and almost all private games. It states that a player's bet or call of a bet may not exceed the amount of money he has on the table in front of him. For example, if the bet due from a player is $25, and he has only $10 remaining on the table, this player is considered tapped-out. He may call the bet only to the tune of $10. He is not allowed to withdraw money from his wallet, borrow from others, or receive credit during a deal. Those actions are permissible only before the cards are dealt.

In the above example, the remaining $15 and all future monies bet during this hand would be segregated into a separate pot, called a side pot. The tapped-out player can still receive cards until the showdown and play for the original pot, but he can no longer take part in the betting, and has no interest in the side pot. The other players, however, can continue to bet and wager against each other for the side pot as well.

Should the tapped-out player have the best hand at the showdown, he would receive only the money in the original pot. The side pot is won by the player having the best hand among the remaining players. Should one of the other players hold the overall best hand, that player wins both the original and the side pot.

If only one other bettor remains when a player taps out, then there is no more betting. Cards are simply played out until the showdown. In the above example, the opposing player would have $15 of his $25 bet returned to him, since only $10 of his bet can be called. At the showdown, the best hand would win the existing pot.

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Betting in poker is generally structured in a two-tiered fashion. The lower level of betting occurs before the draw in the draw poker variations or in the early rounds of the stud games. The upper level occurs after the draw in the draw poker games and in the later rounds in the stud variations. Some commonly used betting structures are $l-$2, $l-$3, $5-$ 10, and $15-$30, though other limits are found as well.

In a $5-$ 10 limit game, when the lower limit of betting is in effect, all bets and raises must be in $5 increments. When the upper range is in effect, all bets and raises must be in $10 increments. We'll discuss when the lower and upper ranges of betting are in play for each of the games during the sections covering the individual poker variations.

The betting limits of casino games are generally posted above the table. You can also learn them by asking the dealer or one of the players. The betting limits of private games are prearranged and agreed upon by the players before playing.

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