Real Noob question regarding checking.

[TwistidChimp]

Hi there, I've only been playing a couple of weeks and am still getting my head round the rules of holdem, I have a question regarding checking that is probably really dumb but here goes.

At each betting round in holdem, you can either check, fold, call or raise right, being to either match the last bet, or match and raise the last bet, or throw in your cards, its checking that I dont understand. Having watched a few games it seems to be a way of remaining in the game without putting any money into the pot. If this is the case, then whats to stop you just checking every round and letting others bet, then just put your bet in at the last moment ?

I know I must be missing something here, and may have got all this totally wrong, but hey, I've only been playin a few days so go easy

Thanks for any assistance

[HalfSugar]

We've all got to start somewhere

U may only check if no1 b4 u has bet in that round. U can't just check if some1 has bet, u have to either see that bet, raise or fold - the check option is no longer available to you. Check is basically a way of calling a zero bet, u must always at least match the previous bet in that round to stay in, if it happens to be zero, u may check

I hope that helps, it's kinda convoluted!

[TwistidChimp]

Gotcha, thats great, thanks for clearing that up, I have one more question. Whats most common, Ace is high, or low ? or can it be both in the same game ? ie a,2,3,4,5 and a,k,q,j,t both being legitimate hands ?

[Dave B]

Ace can be either high or low.

You may be seeing 1 of 2 things that can answer your checking question. If a players is all in, he doesnt have any more to bet, but he keeps his cards. This creates 2 pots, the 1st the all in player can win if he has the best hand. A seconds pot is created for the remaining players and builds as they bet.

The second thing that may happen is a player has disconnected. He is typically treated as all in even if he has chips.

[TwistidChimp]

Awsome, thanks for the help, if ace can be high or low, can a royal flush be A,K,Q,J,T ?

[ballbp]

Yep that is a royal straight flush. 10 J Q K A all suited.

[american mutt]

Yeah, and when comparing straights, when 2 or more people
have them, the winning straight goes to the highest card in it.
So, A2345 is 'straight to the 5', and 10JQKA is 'straight to the ace'.
The second one winning, since it uses Ace as high card. Last
time I played with someone not so experienced, he formed a
straight with an Ace in the middle, QKA23. You can't do that.

[Silencer]

TwistidChimp, think of it this way. Ace is high with one exception. The only exception (called a wheel) is if the best 5 card hand you can make is an A2345 straight or straightflush. That is it. In any other situation ace is high. And note that the A2345 wheel must be the BEST 5 card hand you can make for ace to be low. Here is an example.

You hold Ad 2d and the community cards are...

3h, 4d, 5d, 8d, 9d

You can't use ace as a low card here even though it would give you a wheel. This is because you have a flush, which beats a straight, and in the flush the ace is high. If the 3h was instead a 3d than the ace would be low because you'd make a straightflush, which beats a normal straight or flush. If somebody else happened to have 6d 7d than they would win because their straight flush (5d 6d 7d 8d 9d) beats your straight flush (Ad 2d 3d 4d 5d) because your ace is being low in order to make your best hand and a 9 high straightflush beats a 5 high straightflush.

Hopefully that helps rather than confusing more but that is pretty much everything there is to ace being low. If it's not a wheel or wheel flush (how would you say that?) than ace is high.