iPhone poker has many of the standard variants of poker, and uses the same basic rules as the physical card game. For our explanation of poker rules, we will use the most basic variant of poker: Five Card Stud. In Five Card Stud, each player is dealt five cards. Because they cannot draw new cards, like in many other types of poker, they simply must make the best hand with what they are given. The players who think they have a good hand bet, while those who don’t will fold (unless you want to trick everyone else into thinking you have a good hand, encouraging them to fold, which is called a bluff). The remaining players show their hands, and the player with the best hand collects the winnings.
The hands in standard poker are, from worst to best, as follows:
The hands possible in standard poker are ranked, from worst to best, as follows:
High Card: No other hands, highest card’s value.
Pair: Two cards of the same value, suit does not matter.
Two pair: Two pairs, different values, suit does not matter.
Three of a kind: Three cards of the same value, suit does not matter.
Straight: Five cards in ascending value. For example, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen. A straight of all the same suit is a “straight flush.”
Flush: Five cards of the same suit. If these cards are also a straight, it is a “straight flush.”
Full House: One pair and one three of a kind, suit does not matter.
Four of a kind: Four cards of the same value.
Straight Flush: Five ascending cards of the same suit. A ten, jack, queen, king, ace of the same suit is an unbeatable hand.
(Five of a kind): This technically beats a straight flush, but is only possible in poker variants with wild cards.
Playing iPhone poker is quick and easy, and is equally useful for beginners and experts. Beginners will be able to enjoy matches against AI opponents for practice, while skilled players can find real people of the same skill level with whom to play. There are a number of different poker iPhone applications, and you can choose the one that best suits your particular style of play. For example, suppose you are a new player just learning the game. You might choose an application that has tutorials on the game, and offers guides for learning to play better. If you are a skilled player, you might want to pick an app that allows you to jump right into playing with other people. The fact of the matter is that virtually anyone who enjoys poker or any of its variants will find an iPhone poker application that they will enjoy.
