# Teach me about Poker.... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 2, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-poker/205152 "2003-10-02T16:19:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-poker/205152/21 "2003-10-02T20:34:49Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by emulsified \* > \*\*This is weird to me. I’ve never played poker with a low ace, has anyone else? > > This [site](http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/poker/poker.html) seems to agree with me. \*\* The Hoyle Book of Poker says that an ace can be high or low; however, you can’t have a “wraparound” straight or straight flush, such as Q-K-A-2-3. Also, Bricker left out the 5 of a kind, though naturally you only see these in games with a wild (Cincinnati or baseball, for example), which beats a straight flush. Best hand I’ve ever held was five kings in a game of Cincinnati (also called Japanese poker… 5 in the hand, 5 community cards, center community card is wild on table and if it is also in your hand)… and it was beaten by five aces. C’est la vie. ---
**Author:** ![emulsified](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emulsified/32/2915_2.png) [@emulsified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emulsified)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-poker/205152/22 "2003-10-02T20:42:13Z")
Bricker This is what I was referring to in that site (in the paragraph under 1. Understanding The Cards And Their Values): > [@](#): > > The cards are ranked from high to low in the following order: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. Aces are ALWAYS high. The part there where it says “Aces are ALWAYS high” is what I thought agreed with me. Perhaps you read that differently. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-poker/205152/23 "2003-10-02T20:53:17Z")
You read it right, but I don’t know ANYONE who plays by that rule. I always played that not only is A-2-3-4-5 a straight, but that A-2-3-4-6 is the best low hand. ---
**Author:** ![emulsified](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emulsified/32/2915_2.png) [@emulsified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emulsified)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-poker/205152/24 "2003-10-02T21:34:40Z")
I believe it, I just felt the need to defend my reading comprehension. ---
**Author:** ![PhilAlex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@PhilAlex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PhilAlex)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-poker/205152/25 "2003-10-02T21:41:20Z")
Phil’s fastest poker lesson: The first hand you are dealt, ruin it with bad draws. Bet high, and make sure you are seen. Then play every single hand from then on as tight as ebeneezer scrooge. ---
**Author:** ![whatami](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/85f322/32.png) [@whatami](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whatami)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-poker/205152/26 "2003-10-02T21:42:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by LordVor \* > \*\*[Party Poker](http://www.partypoker.com) and [Poker Pages](http://www.pokerpages.com) both have free games that use the same software as their pay sites. Note that the games on both are the kinds more generally played in casinos, Texas Hold 'em, Omaha, 7 card stud, etc. I don’t know a good play for five-card draw… > > -lv \*\* Paradise Poker (no link, I’m at work) has quite a few games. I can’t remember them all but they do have pineapple, which is a cross between Hold’em and 5 card draw. I find that to be a much better site for playing with play money (never played real at party poker, so I can’t say) because of the ease to get a table. I found at Party Poker the waitlist is disabled (or was it just me) for play money. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-poker/205152/27 "2003-10-02T22:54:12Z")
It’s a little late in the thread, but I’d recommend [Hoyle’s Rules of Games](http://www.penguinputnam.com/Book/BookFrame/0,1007,,00.html?id=0452283132), (edited by Morehead (& son) and Mott-Smith) as both an introduction to rules and a quick strategy guide for many types of card games. It’s useful as an authoritative reference on card-playing etiquette if you ever need one, too. ---
**Author:** ![emulsified](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emulsified/32/2915_2.png) [@emulsified](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emulsified)\ **Post date:** [October 2, 2003, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-poker/205152/28 "2003-10-02T23:16:36Z")
If you go to [http://www.pogo.com](http://www.pogo.com) and create a free account, you can play 5 card draw poker for free (and other games too). Look for High Stakes Poker on the main page. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/teach-me-about-poker/205152.md?page=1)