Poker School

Learn more about poker according to the level of your game. This page is divided between Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. Each section contains information which is sure to improve your game and hence your chances of winning.  There is also a short introduction to the different poker games available at William Hill Poker.

Beginner

If you are new to poker, this section contains the basic rules for all the different games, basic strategic information and previews of each game.

	Rules This webpage will give you a brief overview of a basic round of different types of poker. It takes you through a game step by step explaining how each part of a round works. Betting rules are explained so you will know how much you have to bet and when.
	Table Positions This page explains to you the importance of your position on the poker table. Your position is determined relative to the dealer and effects how you should play your hand. The four different positions and how you should play accordingly are explained on this page.
	Game Previews This page gives a brief overview of four of the most popular poker games, Texas Hold’em, 7 Card Stud, Omaha High and Hold’em Blackjack.  Read these pages for a quick understanding of the main differences between them. There is also an explanation of Single and Multi table tournaments and what differentiates them.

Intermediate

For those who have mastered the basics of poker these pages contains advice on building winning hands and other areas of the game.

	Hand Rankings This page explains the ten different types of winning poker hand. They are explained in order of rank, beginning with the Royal Flush, the highest possible hand, and ending with High Card the lowest possible winning hand.
	Poker strategy This is a section of the William Hill Poker Times, a monthly collection of writings about poker. This section deals with poker strategy; it contains articles giving advice on a range of aspects of game play from bluffing to managing your bank role.
	How to Play Hole Cards This page gives advice on how you should bet depending on your hole cards (cards that only you can see). It is chart with advice on whether to Fold, Call, Raise or Re-Raise depending on your table position and the state of the bet. It also contains a chart for the blind players.

Advanced

These pages contain advanced strategy for experienced players. Learn how to calculate both your odds and your statistical chances of winning a round.

	Poker Odds This page contains a simple guide to understanding odds in poker. It explains how to calculate the odds of a card you need coming up and the terminology used when doing so. It also explains what the pot odds are, why you need to know them and how to calculate them.
	Playing Your Hands This page explains the statistical chances your hand has against other players in various circumstances. By reading this page you will understand the strength of your hole cards and the likelihood of you building a winning hand from them.

Games

Here are very brief descriptions of the five main variations of poker available here. Read them to find a particular variant which is suited to you.

	Texas Hold’em This is the most often played poker variation. Each player is dealt two hole cards and a total of five community cards are dealt to the table. A winning hand must contain the hole cards and any three community cards. Depending on the game, pot and bet limits will vary. Read More.
	Omaha High This is related to Texas Hold’em poker. The major difference is that players are dealt four hole cards; there is still a total of five community cards. A winning hand can only use two out of the four hole cards, and three community cards. Read More.
	Omaha Hi/Lo This is exactly the same as Omaha High except that there are two possibilities for winning hand. As well as a high hand winning, so can the lowest hand. A low hand is comprised of cards with a value of eight or lower. Read More.
	7 Card Stud In this game two hole cards are dealt to each player and one face up card, the player with the lowest value face up card begins the betting.  Four community cards are dealt and a hand is constructed using a player’s best five cards out of the seven. Read More.
	5 Card Stud This is much like 7 Card Stud; however, at the beginning only one card is dealt face down to each player alongside the face up card. A total of four community cards are dealt, each separated by a betting round and a hand is constructed using the player’s best cards. Read More.