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Play Free Poker Games for Fun in Demo Mode
History of Poker
Poker is undoubtedly one of the most popular casino games ever, known for not only luck but also for the need for a good strategy! It’s a game with a fascinating history that’s worth exploring. Let’s see some of the most unique factors about the story of this casino game:
When it comes to origins of poker – it is debated. However, most likely, European and Persian card games were involved.
The Persian game “As Nas” and the French game “Poque” were involved.
The game we know as poker is believed to have ancient roots that date back nearly 1,000 years, crossing several continents and cultures. Some historians say the origins of poker can be traced back to a 10th century Chinese emperor, while others claim it is a descendant of the Persian card game “As Nas”, which dates back to the 16th century.
The closest ancestor of poker in Europe is the so-called Poque in 17th century France. Poque and its German counterpart, pochen, are based on the 16th-century Spanish game Primero, which involved three cards dealt to each player as well as bluffing as a key part of the game.
Poker came to America in 19th century and was brought by French settlers
The game became popular, and rules were standardized during the American Civil War
In 1970, the World Series of Poker were launched, and they played crucial role in the popularization of the game.
Why Play Online Poker for Free?
Playing online poker for free is surely not difficult and has some pretty good benefits, as follows:
- No risk for your money – when playing online poker for free, there is no risk for your money, and this is truly amazing benefit that made us love the free games. You are not risking anything, you are just having fun!
- Developing skills – when playing online poker for free, you are not limited by budget, so you can play as much as you want, which will lead to skills development! And yes – for poker, you need skills!
- Exploring the variations of the game – While playing poker for free, you are at liberty to explore the variations of the game since you can have tries at all of the different variants and just have fun as much as you want.
- You’re having the most fun – you can have a lot of fun, too, playing poker for free. You are losing nothing; you are not concerned with the results, so you just relax and engross in any game you opted for.
- No registration and personal data is required – the finest thing when playing poker for free is that you do not need to open an account or register.
How Does Poker Work?
Poker is game of cards where you have to bet on the strength of your hand. Your main goal is to win chips by having the best hand, or to convince players that you have the best hand and to fold.
Once the game starts – each punter is given combo of face-up and face-down cards, based on the variant of the game. Betting rounds occur and players can check, fold, raise, call and do a lot of other things based on their strategy and strength. The player who has the best hand after all folded is the winner.
How to Play Free Poker Online?
Now, you know the main benefits and you are probably wanting to play poker for free. Good, as we are also going to give you some steps to take to do so:
- Load our site – first – you have to load our website in order to see the free poker games available and to make your choice.
- Choose the poker game you want to play for free – choose the variation of poker you prefer to play for free now and have the fun you want to have!
- Get to know the rules and variation – remember – when playing poker, you must know the rules if you want to have success, so make sure you learn the rules and you know them good enough to play!
- Place your bets – now, it is time to place your bets with virtual chips that do not cost anything to you.
- Play the game and build your strategy – now, when you have understood the rules and you have placed your bets, it’s time to enjoy the game, and of course, to build your strategy…
Types of Online Poker Games
Poker comes in several variants, each giving a different flavor of online gaming that is surely worth the hype. Thanks to the variations – you can enjoy different nice experience. Here are some of the most popular types of online poker games:
- Texas Hold’em – The most popular version of the poker game, wherein each player receives two private cards and five cards face-up on table community cards; the best five-card hand wins.
- Omaha – In nature, very close to Texas Hold’em, except that each player is dealt four private cards; he/she has to use exactly two of these cards in combination with three out of five community cards to make the best possible hand.
- Seven-Card Stud – Classic poker variant in which players are dealt seven cards in all—three down and four up—over the course of five betting rounds. The best five-card hand wins.
- Razz – This is a form of Seven-Card Stud where the lowest hand wins. Straights and flushes don’t count against you.
- Five Card Draw – This is a game in which each player gets five private cards and can trade some or all for new ones to try to make the best possible hand.
- 2-7 Triple Draw – This is a triple draw game where players need the best lowball hand possible, changing cards up to three times to do so.
- Badugi – A draw poker variation where players’ objective is to form the minimum possible hand of four cards with different rank and suit.
Poker In-game Mechanics
The main objective of poker is to win chips by having the best hand or by making the other players fold. When it comes to hands and rounds, you should know the following specifics:
- Dealing – you and the other players receive initial cards
- Betting rounds – players have to bet in rounds and to make different decisions based on that.
- Community cards – some variants of poker such as Omaha have five community cards that are being delt in stages.
As a player, you can do the following actions:
- Fold – to surrender the hand.
- Check – to pass the action to the next player without betting.
- Call – to match the current bet.
- Raise – to increase the current bet.
- Bet – to place a wager if none has been made yet.
As we noted – in poker there are two options to win – by showdown (one player remains after the betting round with the best hand) or by bluffing.
You must know the hand rankings if you want to play poker, here are the rankings from highest to lowest:
- Royal Flush – A, K, Q, J, 10 – all of the same suit.
- Straight Flush – 5 cards of the same suit.
- Four of a kind – four cards with same ranking.
- Full house – three cards of kind plus a pair.
- Flush – 5 cards of same suit but not in sequence.
- Straight – 5 consecutive cards of different suits.
- Three of a kind – three cards of the same rank.
- Two pair – two different pairs.
- One pair – one pair
- High card – the highest single card if no other hand was made.
Must Know Poker Terms
When playing poker, there are some terms you must know:
- Blinds – Forced bets posted by you and other players to the left of the dealer button before any cards are dealt.
- Flop – the first three community cards that dealt face up in Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
- Turn – The fourth community card dealt in Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
- River – the fifth and final community card dealt in Texas Hold’em and Omaha.
- Button – A marker that indicates the dealer position and determines the order of betting.
- Pot – The total amount of money or chips bet during a hand.
- All-In – A bet where a player puts all their remaining chips into the pot.
- Check-Raise – checking initially with the intention of raising when the action comes back around.
- Kicker – The highest unpaired card in a hand used to break ties.
- Muck – Discarding a hand without showing it to other players.
Poker Games Strategies
You must already know that poker is a skills-and-strategy game, so you do need a strategy. Some of the best strategies and tips you can use are:
- Starting Hand Selection – This is probably the most important aspect of the game of poker – knowing what to play and what to fold. This will make you save a lot of money in the long run.
- Position – Where you are seated at the table is essential. Late position allows you an opportunity to see everyone else act in front of you, with at least some strategic advantage based on their choices.
- Observe others’ betting patterns – It gives a hint of what their hands may look like. Besides, it helps in making a more informed and good decision.
- Bluffing – Bluffing is a part and parcel of poker. Use it sparingly, trying to read at what point your opponents might fold.
- Pot Odds – Be aware of the pot odds and, in some cases, implied odds, to be in a position to call, raise, or fold. This is simply working out the chance of hitting your hand in relation to the size of the pot.
- Bankroll Management – Your bankroll has to be managed properly. Set a budget per session and stick to it; do not chase losses.
- Reading Opponents – It’s from reading opponents’ body language and betting patterns that you can gain the biggest edge in this game.
Free vs Real Money Online Poker
Let’s explore the main differences between free and real money online poker:
| Real Money Poker | Free Poker | |
|---|---|---|
| Money | Real Deposits | Fake Money |
| Payout Potential | High payout potential | No payout potential |
| Bonuses | You can use bonuses for better winnings & experience | No bonuses can be used |
| Purpose of the game | Adrenaline, fun and winning | Fun and building a strategy for real money poker |
| Risk | There is risk | No risk |
| Game strategy | Players must be strategis as there can be loses | Players can be less strategic and can experiment |
| Social aspect | There is social aspect as you can play with real dealers and other puntters | No social aspect, you play against the computer |
Mobile Poker Games
If you want to play poker on mobile device – this is absolutely possible, as playing poker on mobile phone has never been easier! All you need to do is to find a gambling website with mobile application, or a mobile version – to load the game you want and enjoy.
Most casino poker games are adaptive and can easily be loaded on mobile devices. You can even play live!
Popular Poker Providers
Now, let’s check the best poker providers in 2024:
- PokerStars – this is one of the most liked online poker platforms globally – it offers wide selection of poker variations, including Omaha, Texas Hold’em and Stud. It also hosts major events such as WCOOP.
- Playtech – one very good provider when it comes to poker games – it offers very high-quality games with advanced tracking tools that punters love.
- Microgaming – another pioneer in cutting-edge poker games. It supports a lot of tournaments and offers great user experience to all punters.
- Evolution Gaming – Evolution has always been one of the best providers of poker games, and not only – you can enjoy high-quality videos and games with professional dealers.
- NetEnt – NetEnt is gambling provider known for high-quality graphics and interesting gambling experience to punters.