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How To Play Online Poker Games

Betting Limits

Pacific Poker Online offers a variety of Tables, designed for different numbers of Players, and offering various Table Betting Limits.

In each type of poker game, each Table has both a Lower and Higher Limit Stake (Betting amount). A Table’s Lower Limit Stake is always half the Higher Limit Stake (i.e. a $1/$2 Table, or a $5/$10 Table).

In the first two Betting Rounds (see the Betting Rounds below), Members Bet (wager) in multiples of that Table’s Lower Limit Stake.

In the final two Betting Rounds, Members Bet in multiples of that Table’s Higher Limit Stake.

The Buy-in

In order to Sit-in (join) a Pacific Poker Online Poker Table, Members must purchase a minimum amount of Chips to play with (“Buy-in”). At Pacific Poker Online, the minimum Buy-in amount is 10 times the Lower Limit Stake of that particular table (i.e. at a $1/$2 Table the Member must Buy-in with a minimum of $10).

Posting

A Member entering a Pacific Poker Online Poker Table is required to pay an initial fee (“Post”), equal to that Table’s Lower Limit Stake. The Post follows the same rules as the Blind Bets (see The Blind Bets below) and allows the Member to Sit-in at the Table.

Members have the option of "Sitting Out", and waiting for the Big Blind before beginning to play. Posting ensure fairness to all Members, by preventing players from entering a Poker game in a Late Position in order to avoid placing Blind Bets.

The Dealer (The "Button")

In Pacific Poker Online’s Poker Tables, the Members take turns acting as the Dealer. The Dealer is identified by the Button: .

After each hand, the Dealer Button moves left, in a clockwise fashion, to the next Member who is Sitting-in at the Table.

The Blind Bets

In Pacific Poker Online, Antes do not “seed” the Pot. Instead, the Pot is formed, initially, through the use of “mandatory” bets, known as "Blind Bets".

The first Blind Bet, known as the Small Blind, is posted by the first Member Sitting-in to the left of the Dealer in a clockwise fashion. The amount of the Small Blind Bet is half of that Table’s Lower Limit Stake. On Tables with Lower Limits Stakes greater than $1, the Small Blind is rounded down to the nearest dollar.

The second Blind Bet, known as the "Big Blind", is posted by the second Member Sitting-in to the left of the Dealer in a clockwise fashion. The amount of the Big Blind Bet is equal to that Table’s Lower Limit Stake.

Both the Big and Small Blinds, in Poker, are considered “Live” (active) Bets and therefore, according to Poker rules, can be Checked, Called, Raised or Folded.

Missing the Blind Bets

Occasionally, a Member may choose to temporarily Sit-out from a Table:

1. If, while Sitting-out, the Member misses his/her turn to place the Small Blind, upon re-Sitting-in that Member will be required to Post. This Post consists of a live Bet equal to the Big Blind.
2. If, while Sitting-out, the Member misses his/her turn to place either the Big Blind or both the Small Blind and the Big Blind, upon re-Sitting-in, that Member will be required to Post. This Post consists of a live Bet equal to the Big Blind, plus an additional “Dead” (non-active) Bet, equal to the Small Blind , which is donated by the Member directly to the Pot.

The Betting Round

Pacific Poker Online’s Poker Game follows the conventional Poker Betting Round Structure.

There are four possible Betting Rounds in Pacific Poker Online’s Poker Game. The first two Betting Rounds are set at that Table’s Lower Limit Stake. The last two Betting Rounds are set at that Table’s Higher Limit Stake.

After the Members’ Pocket Cards are dealt, the first Betting Round is initiated by the first Member Sitting-in, in a clockwise fashion to the left of the Big Blind.

After each of the subsequent three deals ("The Flop", "The Turn " and "The River "), in which the Community Boardcards are dealt, the Betting Rounds are initiated by the first active (who has not Folded) Member, in a clockwise fashion, to the left of the Dealer.

Betting Rounds always proceed in a clockwise fashion, from one active Member to the next. Each Member must either:

1. Check – Pass the option to act to the next active Member.
2. Bet – Place a Betting Round’s initial increase to the amount that each of the following Members must place in the Pot, in order to remain in the game.
3. Raise – Place a Betting Round’s 2nd, 3rd or 4th increase to the amount that each of the following Members must place in the Pot, in order to remain in the game.
4. Call – Equal the previous active Member’s Betting amount in that Betting Round and remain in the game (In the first Betting Round each Member must at least equal the amount of the Big Blind).
5. Fold – Discard hand and no longer remain active to participate in that game. The Member forfeits the amount (if any) that he/she has previously Bet during that game.

In keeping with conventional Poker rules, within each Betting Round there can be no more than one Bet and three additional Raises ("Raise", “Reraise” & "Cap"). Once a Cap occurs, the following Members will only be able to Call or Fold.

A Betting Round is concluded when:

1. All active Members have Checked in Turn.
   or
   
2. All active Members have matched the last Member to increase the amount (Bet/Raise) to be placed in the Pot, during that Betting Round.
   or
   
3. All previous Members have chosen to Fold, leaving only one active Player. This last remaining player automatically receives the Pot. In this case both the Betting Round and game are automatically terminated.

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