GameTwist

How to play

The Poker lobby is different to the other lobbies on the platform.

The player has the option of choosing between the games Texas Hold’Em, Omaha and 5-Card Draw. Once the chosen tab has been clicked on, the open gaming tables in this area will be displayed. Only the tables open in this area will be shown, not the other area.

Player credit

• To begin with, each player receives a credit of 1600 chips. Should a player use up all of his/her 1600 chips, he/she may refill the credit every four hours.
• The refilling of credit works as follows:
  • Go to the Poker Detail View page. A number of links will be displayed to the left of the logo (such as "Play" and "Settings"). The link "Refill Credit" should be highlighted in green. By clicking on this link, a short text and a button (“Top Up“) shall appear to the right of the logo. Click on the button “Top Up” to replenish the credit.
• In the game, the player may take any desired amount of these 1600 chips to the table. Should the player run out of chips during a game, he/she may use the “Top Up Chips” button to bring another amount of chips to the table from those still available.

The games that have already been opened are shown in the lobby with the following information:

• Name of the player
• Poker variant
• Stake
• Number of players already in the game
• Maximum number of players that may take part

By clicking on the game, the names of the players already in the game are highlighted on the left-hand side of the lobby. To enter the game, the player can either double click on the game, or click on the “To The Table” button.

To begin a new game, the player must click on “New Table” at the bottom of the lobby. The player must then select the limit type (No Limit, Pot Limit or Fixed Limit), the maximum number of players (Texas Hold'Em: 2 to 10, 5 Card Draw: 2 to 5) and the stake (Stake Sum, Raise Sum, Limit, Small and Big Blind). Clicking on “OK” confirms the settings and takes the player to the game room.

The game room centres around an oval table surrounded by 10 seats. Irrespective of how many players will contest the game, each seat is marked with a yellow spot. The player can choose his/her seat by clicking one of the yellow balls, which will be replaced by a small box containing the name of the player, the player’s credit and the current activity (“Taking a Seat“, “Joining“). The player’s cards and the stake are displayed above this box. Once the player places a stake, the chips are shown on the table. There is also a red area on the table, which represents the pot. The figure shown is the amount currently in the pot.

To the bottom left of the screen, the following buttons are shown:

• Join: Once the time limit runs out, “Fold” is automatically selected for the player. Should “Check” also be an option in the given situation, “Check” is selected instead of “Fold”. To participate in the next round, the player must click on the “Join” button. Once the player is in the game, this button changes to “Sit out”. Should the player not wish to take part in the next round, he/she must click on the “Sit out” button. No cards will be dealt to this player. To re-join the game in the next round, the player simply clicks again on the “Join” button. If a player sits out 10 consecutive rounds, he/she automatically leaves the game.
• Top Up Chips: If the player has used up all of his/her chips that he/she brought to the table, the player may top up the credit with this button.
• Stand Up: The player can give up his/her seat by clicking on this button.
• Lobby: Clicking on this button takes the player back to the lobby. Here the player can either open a new game, visit another area or leave the poker lobby by clicking on “Leave”.
• Above these buttons, the player’s remaining credit (chips) is shown outside of the table. Below the name of the player, the number of chips brought to the table by using the slider is shown.

A big slider is displayed next to these buttons. This is used to regulate how many chips the player would like to take to the table. The player must select the desired amount and then click on the “Join” button. The amount will then be displayed below the player’s name. On the right is the chat window.

The slider is replaced by other buttons as soon as the game begins.

When it’s the player’s turn, he/she is shown the value of his/her cards and the buttons “Fold”, “Check” or “Call“ and “Call“ or “Raise“. Depending on the development of the game, the third option may be disabled. Before clicking on the button “Call” in a Pot or No Limit game, the player can determine the value of his/her bet using the slider. 

In 5-Card Draw, a player can exchange one, a few or even all of his/her cards after each betting round. To do so, the player must click on the unwanted card(s) and then on the button “Draw”. He/She accordingly receives the corresponding number of new cards in place of those discarded. If the player does not wish to exchange any cards, he/she need only click on “Draw” without highlighting any cards beforehand. Alternatively, the player can wait until the move time runs out

While the other players are taking their turns, instead of seeing the buttons “Fold”, “Check” and “Call”, the player is shown the following options:

• Check/Fold
• Fold
• Check
• Call
• Call/Check in any case
• Call/Raise
• Call/Raise in any case
• All In

If a number is shown in brackets next to the option, this signifies the amount that would be bet should the option be taken. The options can be selected simply by clicking on them, providing that the button is not disabled. As soon as it’s the player’s turn again, the clicked option will be carried out automatically, providing it is still possible. The selection is cancelled before the next round allowing the player to choose the same or a different option in advance, or to decide when his/her turn comes around.

During a player’s turn, a time limit, in the form of a bar, counts down. Once the time runs out, the player automatically “Folds”. To play in the next round, the player must click on “Join”.

Rules - Texas Hold'Em

Texas Hold’Em is one of the most popular poker variants and is played with up to 10 players. The game is played over 4 betting rounds. The objective of the game is for a player to combine his/her hole cards and/or the community cards to achieve better combinations than the other players.

At the beginning of the game, the two players to the left of the dealer must place their bets or fold. The first player to the left of the dealer is the Small Blind. The second player to the left of the dealer is the Big Blind. The Small Blind must place his/her stake first, which is half of the minimum stake. The stake of the Big Blinds is the minimum stake. The stakes of the Blinds therefore are automatic. Each of the players then receives two cards (hole cards) face down. The remaining players then place their bets, call or fold, whereby they leave the game. Finally, the ‘flop’ (the first three community cards) is laid in the middle of the table.

The second betting round follows, beginning with the first player to the left of the dealer. The players call or check. To ‘check’ means to pass on the right to open the betting to the next player (clockwise). If, within a round, a player has already made a bet, none of the players after this player may check. Instead they must call, raise or fold. If every player in a round checks, the next card is dealt. The next card is also dealt out when each player has bet the same amount. If a player wishes to raise, he/she must, depending on the game, bet at least double of the Big Blind (e.g. with a Big Blind of 5, the player must bet at least 10).

Following completion of the 2nd betting round, the 4th community card, known as “Turn” is laid on the table. The 3rd betting round follows and is played in exactly the same way as the previous betting rounds. Upon its conclusion, the 5th community card is laid, known as “River”. The final betting round follows.

If there are more than two players still in the game at the end of the final round, the game is decided by a showdown, whereby the player with the best 5 card combination wins the game. This combination can be achieved by using the hole cards and/or the community cards. Both, one or none of the hole cards can be used here. If the best combination is formed by using just the community cards, the winnings are equally divided between the remaining players. If the players have the same card combinations, the kicker decides the winner.

E.g.: Player A has a 5 and a King. There is also a 5 in the community cards. Therefore, the player has One Pair and the King is the kicker. Player B also has a 5 and a Queen. Therefore, player B has One Pair with a Queen as the kicker. In this case, player A wins as his King kicker is higher than the Queen of player B.

Following the showdown, the role of the dealer is passed on (clockwise). This is displayed on the screen by the ‘D’ in the box of the player due to deal. The positions of the players also shift accordingly.

Positions

The players sit next to each other at the table. According to the position of the dealer button, the seating positions are fixed:

Early Position:

This covers both the Small and Big Blind as well as the player next to the Big Blind – all to the left of the dealer. These are the worst positions, as they are the players that must first bet.

Middle Position:

Seats four to seven.

Late Position:

Seats eight to nine. They have the best position as they can watch the moves of their opponents and react accordingly. The dealer is always the last to go. 

Rules - Omaha

In Omaha, each player receives 4 hand cards. The aim of the game is to achieve the best 5-card combination using 2 hand cards and 3 community cards. Otherwise, the game follows the same pattern as Texas Hold’Em. 

Rules – 5 Card Draw

5-Card Draw is the poker game made famous by westerns. The game runs over two betting rounds. The aim is to achieve the best card combination among the players by exchanging the cards in the hand.

At the beginning of the game, the two players to the left of the dealer must place their stakes or fold. The first player to the left of the dealer is the Small Blind. The second player to the left of the dealer is the Big Blind. The Small Blind must place his/her stake first, which is half of the minimum stake. The stake of the Big Blinds is the minimum stake. The stakes of the Blinds therefore are automatic. Each of the players then receives five cards face down. The remaining players then place their bets, call or fold, whereby they leave the game. The 1st betting round follows beginning with the player to the left of the dealer. The players bet, call or check. To ‘check’ means to pass on the right to bet to the next player. If, within a round, a player has already made a bet, none of the players after this player may check. Instead they must call, raise or fold. The players can bet the same amount. If a player wishes to raise, he/she must, depending on the game, bet at least the value of the Big Blind. In higher betting rounds in Fixed Limit games, the minimum stake is higher. In a No Limit game, the minimum amount for a raise is only higher if a player has already bet or raised. The minimum amount for a raise is then the amount that was bet previously, or by how much was raised.

After completion of the betting round, each player has the opportunity to exchange some or even all of his/her cards. Exchanging the cards, however, is not compulsory. To exchange cards, the player need only click on the unwanted card(s), and then on the button “Draw”. Should the player not wish to exchange cards, he/she need only click on the “Draw” button, without selecting any cards beforehand. Alternatively, the player can wait until the move time runs out. The second betting round then follows. Following completion of this round, the results are calculated. The winner is the player who holds the best card combination.

Following the calculation of results, the role of the dealer, indicated by the letter “D” in the box of the corresponding player, passes on to the next player in a clockwise fashion. The positions of the players change accordingly.

General information

Poker Hands

Royal Flush

e.g. Ace of Hearts, King of Hearts, Queen of Hearts, Jack of Hearts, 10 of Hearts This is the best hand – a Straight Flush including an Ace.

Straight Flush

e.g. 3 of Clubs, 4 of Clubs, 5 of Clubs, 6 of Clubs, 7 of Clubs 5 cards of the same suit in order.

Four of a Kind

e.g. 8 of Hearts, 8 of Clubs, 8 of Spades, 8 of Diamonds, Ace of Hearts 4 cards of the same value and one other card.

Full House

e.g. King of Hearts, King of Clubs, 3 of Spades, 3 of Clubs, 3 of Diamonds3 cards of the same value (3) and two cards of the same value (King).

Flush

e.g. 4 of Spades, 6 of Spades, 7 of Spades, Jack of Spades, Ace of Spades Any 5 cards of the same suit.

Straight

e.g. 6 of Clubs, 7 of Diamonds, 8 of Hearts, 9 of Hearts, 10 of Diamonds 5 cards in order (6 to 10) irrespective of the suits.

Three of a Kind

e.g. Queen of Clubs, Queen of Spades, Queen of Hearts, 5 of Diamonds, 7 of Clubs 3 cards of the same value and 2 other cards.

Two Pair

e.g. 5 of Diamonds, 5 of Clubs, 3 of Hearts, 3 of Spades, King of Spades2 pairs of cards. The higher pair determines the value of the hand.

One Pair

e.g. Ace of Diamonds, Ace of Clubs, 4 of Clubs, 9 of Spades, 2 of Clubs 2 cards of the same value and 3 Kickers. If two players have a pair of the same value, the kickers make the difference.

High Card

In the case that none of the hands could be built, the highest single card is counted.

Points

Straight Flush

The Straight Flush with the highest card wins.

Four of a Kind

The player with the higher Four of a Kind wins. If two players have the same Four of a Kind, the higher kicker is the decider.

Full House

For a Full House, the higher Three of a Kind is the decider. If two players have the same Three of a Kind, the higher Pair decides.

Flush

For a Flush, the player with the highest card wins. If the two highest cards are the same, the second/third best cards decide.

Straight

The highest card wins. If two players have the same Straight, the pot is divided between the players.

Three of a Kind

The highest Three of a Kind wins. If two players have the same Three of a Kind, the highest 4th or 5th card decides.

Two Pair

  The highest pair wins. If both players have the same highest pair, the player with the lowest pair wins. If the lowest pair is also the same, the 5th card is the decider. Should the 5th card also be the same, the pot is split.

One Pair

The highest pair wins. If two players have an equally high pair, the highest 3rd/4th/5th card is the decider.

High Card

The highest card wins. If the two highest cards are of the same value, the next highest card decides.

Stake Limits

No Limit

The player may place an amount of his/her choice. However, it is not possible to place an amount less than the minimum stake.

Pot Limit 

The player cannot bet a higher amount than is already in the pot. 

Fixed Limit

In games with a fixed limit, players may only raise by a particular amount. Four raises are allowed per betting round (cap). This rule, however, does not count should there be only two players remaining.

Main and Side Pots

As soon as a player goes ‘all in’, he/she no longer has the possibility of winning the chips that the opponents pay into the pot. This means that the player can only win the same amount from each opponent that he/she bet with the all in. For this reason, the pot is divided into the main pot and a side pot. The chips that the all-in player can win are placed in the main pot. The side pot holds any chips that the all in player cannot win. If multiple players go all in within one game, an according number of side pots are made. 

Rake

The rake is the fee retained from each player by the game bank for participating in the game. If, for example, the Flop is not laid in a game of Texas Hold’Em, no rake is deducted from the pot (No Flop-No Drop). The maximum rake depends on the number of players. Should all but one player fold, the player is refunded the amount he/she paid – no rake is deducted from this amount.