Card game guides
All guides ▸- Texas Hold'em
Two private cards, five shared cards, four betting rounds. The game that defines modern poker.
Players: 2–10Cards each: 2 private
- Pot-Limit Omaha
Four private cards, but you must use exactly two of them. Bigger hands, bigger pots.
Players: 2–10Cards each: 4 private
- Seven-Card Stud
No shared cards at all. Three down, four up, and a memory test on every street.
Players: 2–8Cards each: 7 (3 down, 4 up)
- Five-Card Draw
Five cards, one chance to swap, two rounds of betting. The oldest poker most people know.
Players: 2–6Cards each: 5 private
- Blackjack
Beat the dealer without passing 21. One decision at a time, with a fixed house routine on the other side.
Players: 1–7 vs dealerCards each: 2 to start
- Gin Rummy
Collect runs and sets, shed the leftovers, and knock before the other player does.
Players: 2Cards each: 10
- Hearts
A trick-taking game you win by losing. Every heart costs a point and the Queen of Spades costs thirteen.
Players: 4Cards each: 13
- Spades
Bid what you can win, then win exactly that. Spades are always trump and overbidding is punished.
Players: 4 (2 teams)Cards each: 13
Hands, strongest first
Tie-break rules ▸Poker hands from strongest to weakest
| Hand | What it is | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Royal flush | A K Q J 10, all one suit | A K Q J 10 of hearts |
| 2. Straight flush | Five cards in sequence, all one suit | 9 8 7 6 5 of clubs |
| 3. Four of a kind | Four cards of the same rank | Q Q Q Q 3 |
| 4. Full house | Three of a kind plus a pair | J J J 8 8 |
| 5. Flush | Five cards of one suit, not in sequence | K 10 8 5 2 of spades |
| 6. Straight | Five cards in sequence, mixed suits | 8 7 6 5 4 |
| 7. Three of a kind | Three cards of the same rank | 7 7 7 K 4 |
| 8. Two pair | Two separate pairs | A A 9 9 6 |
| 9. One pair | Two cards of the same rank | 10 10 K 7 3 |
| 10. High card | No pair and no sequence | A J 9 5 2 |
Table topics
All topics ▸- Poker Hand Rankings
Ten hands, strongest to weakest, plus the tie-break rules that decide most showdowns.
- Betting Rounds and Bet Types
Five actions, one order of play, and the rules that decide how much you may put in.
- Table Position
The same cards are worth more when you act last. This is why.
- Pot Odds and Outs
Count the cards that help you, compare them to the price of the call. No advanced maths needed.
- Tournaments and Cash Games
Same cards, different clock. One format you can leave whenever you like; the other ends when the chips do.
- Table Etiquette
The unwritten rules that keep a game moving, and the ones dealers will actually correct you on.
- Bankroll Basics
Decide what the game may cost you before you sit down, not after.
- Card Game Glossary
Every term used across this site, defined once, in alphabetical order.
About this site
CardLore is a reference site for card games. Every page here answers the same three questions in the same order: how the cards are dealt, how a round is played, and how a winner is decided. Nothing is written as a tip, a system or a promise of profit.
What is on this site
The library is split in two. The game guides each cover one game from the first card to the showdown, written so that a reader who has never held a hand can follow the table. The table topics cover the ideas that appear in more than one game: which hand beats which, how a betting round runs, why the seat you sit in matters, and how players put a price on a draw.
Where a rule changes from one card room or one household to another, the page says so rather than presenting one version as the only version. House rules are normal in card games, and the differences are usually small enough to settle before the first deal.
How to read a guide
- Open the game you want to learn and read the quick facts at the top: how many players, how many cards each, how many betting rounds.
- Follow the order of play section once without worrying about strategy. It describes a single hand from start to finish.
- Check the terminology list at the foot of the page for any word you did not recognise, then read the order of play a second time.
- If the game uses betting, read Betting Rounds and Bet Types and Poker Hand Rankings before you sit down with other people.
Common questions
Which game should a complete beginner learn first?
Five-Card Draw or Hearts. Both use one short round of decisions and teach the habits — following suit, acting in turn, reading a hand — that the longer games assume you already have. Texas Hold’em is the game you will be invited to play, so it is worth reading next.
Do I need to memorise the hand rankings?
Yes, for any poker game. There are only ten of them and they never change between variants. The rankings page lists all ten with examples and the rules for ties.
Are the rules here the same in every card room?
The core rules are. Details such as the number of raises per round, whether a player may show one card, and how a misdeal is handled vary by room, and each page points out the variations that matter.