Sky Poker: How To Guides

How to Play Texas Hold'em

What is Texas Hold'em?
Texas Hold'em has become the most popular poker format due to its simplicity and action-packed nature and is the most prevalent variant of poker being played today.

How is it played?
In Texas Hold'em, all players are dealt two cards face down (hole cards). There is an initial betting round, which is followed by "The Flop" - three community cards dealt face up in the middle of the table for all players to make use of. A second round of better is then followed by a fourth community card - "The Turn" - being added to the board. A third round of betting takes place, followed by the final community card - "The River". One final betting round takes place, and then the players go to showdown. All remaining players now have seven cards (their two unique hole cards plus the five community cards) to make the best five-card hand with.

What are the blinds like?
Hold'em doesn't use antes, but instead employs 'blinds'. These are two mandatory bets made before the cards are dealt. The small blind is always posted by the player on the immediate left of the dealer, with the big blind being to the immediate left of the small blind. These blinds slowly rotate around the table with each new hand to ensure all players pays them equally.

How much can I bet during the game?
Though Hold'em can be played as limit and pot-limit, no-limit is the most popular. In limit Hold'em, bet sizes are in set units, and raises an only be made in increments set by whatever the limit is on that table (this is nearly always a set amount for pre-flop and post-flop, followed by a doubling in the bet size for turn and river). In pot-limit games, players can only bet up to the size of the pot at any given point. In no-limit games, you can bet however much you want at any point in the game, right up to every last chip in your stack.

Are there any other variants of Texas Hold'em?
Nope - it's really the simplicity of Hold'em that has made it world-popular.

How to Play Speed Poker

Speed Poker is one of the newer formats of cash poker to be offered by Sky Poker, and can be played at either the Hold'em or Omaha tables. With Speed Poker you play against a pool of players rather than just one table of players. You'll also face a much greater variety of players, as - with each Speed fold - you'll be instantly taken to a new table and dealt a new hand straight away!

How do I start playing?
Simply click on the Speed Poker tab in the poker lobby and choose from Hold'em or Omaha. Once you've chosen, you'll be taken straight into the action. Don't like your starting hand? Just hit the 'Speed Fold' button at any time, and you'll be whisked away to a new table and a new hand!

When will the Game start?
All Speed Poker games start instantly as you join the existing player pool.

Are Speed Poker games a good place to start for beginners?
With low stake tables available - such as 0.05 Euro/0.10 Euro - beginners can very quickly play a lot of hands in a short space of time, experimenting with different starting hand combinations within the space of one playing session. It is however worth appreciating that playing higher stake levels can be dangerous, as losses can accumulate more quickly.

What is the blind structure?
As with all cash games, Speed Poker tables have set blinds which never change. If you go bust in Speed Poker games you can always re-buy rather than have to leave the table. However, be aware that as you move tables your seat position will be randomly set, so it's really the luck of the draw as to how often you get the button or are hit with the big blind.

What happens if I disconnect?
If you disconnect in any Cash Game you will be immediately sat out. Once sat out you'll not be dealt cards or be forced to pay blinds.

What are the cash games fees?
Speed Poker Games - as with all cash games - are charged on a system called 'rake'. Here a small percentage of the pot is taken by the house each hand (as long as the hand gets to the flop). This typically ranges from between one and five percent of the pot, depending on the size of the pot.

What different types of Speed Poker are played?
All Speed Poker games involve six player and can be played as either Hold'em or Omaha. A variety of stakes are available, from low (0.02 Euro/0.05 Euro) to higher (1 Euro/2 Euro). Hold'em tables play as no limit, while Omaha tables play with a pot-limit betting structure.

When can I leave?
You can leave a cash game at any point, making them the perfect format if you think you might be called away at short notice.

How To Play Sit and Go Tournaments

What are Sit and Go's?

Sit and Go's are small, single table tournaments, that run constantly at Sky Poker. All players buy in for the same amount and are then given an equal amount of chips. Play continues until only one player remains unless they are Double Your moneys which end when 3 players are left. Players are paid out on where they finish, not on the amount of chips they have at any given point.

How do I sign up?

To sign up to a Sit and Go you simply open up the Sit and Go lobby, find the stake and table size you want to play for, and click register.

When will the game start?

Sit and Go's start the minute that they are full of players. This means that the tournaments typically start very soon after you register, as the small and quick format means that players tend to sign up very quickly.

Are Sit and Go Tournaments a good starting point for beginners?

Sit and Go's are one of the best ways to learn to play poker. They offer a large number of hands; very small, set buy ins; and a large percentage of the field being paid (typically around a third of the field get something in a Sit and Go). Most of the top online players started out on Sit and Go's, and they are a great way to learn the basics of poker.

What is the Blind Structure?

Depending on whether you play regular format or turbo format Sit and Go's, the exact timing of the blind rises will differ slightly. All Sit and Go's have a constant rising of blinds to force the action; and the exact blind structure of any of our tournaments is always available in the tournament lobby, both before and during the tournament.

What happens if I disconnect?

If you disconnect during a Sit and Go you will immediately sit out. This means that you will still be dealt a hand, only that it will be folded. You will have to continue to pay the blinds as they rotate around the table.

What are the Tournament Fees?

Depending on the exact structure of the tournament, Sky Poker takes a small fee for running and hosting the tournament, typically around 10% of the buy in. For example, a £10, nine-man Sit and Go will have a tournament fee of £1, and be displayed as £9+1 in the lobby. Tournament fees are clearly shown next to the buy in when you're in the lobby.

What different types of Tournaments are played?

We offer heads up, six man, and nine man Sit and Go's. All are types of our Sit and Go tournaments, and are clearly displayed in the Sit and Go lobby.

How to Play Multi-Table Tournaments

What are Multi Table Tournaments?
Multi Table Tournaments are large-scale poker tournaments which can have a virtually unlimited number of players. Everyone buys in for the same fee, and all players receive the same number of chips. Participants are split at random across as many tables as necessary, and as players are eliminated, the number of tables slowly shrinks down to one. At this 'final table' the tournament continues until one player has all the chips in play. Players are paid out according to where they finish, not how many chips they have at any given point.

How do I sign up?
Simply find a tournament you would like to play in under the "Scheduled Tournaments" tab; open its lobby and click 'Register'.

When will the game start?
Unlike Sit and Go tournaments which start when a certain number of players have registered, Multi Table Tournaments start at specific times.

Are Multi Table Tournaments a good start for beginners?
Although more complex in strategy and structure than Sit & Go's, Multi Table Tournaments still provide a great place to learn and improve your game. The mix of big prize pools, a longer time spent playing, and a deeper structure all make Multi Table Tournaments one of the best places to take your game to the next level.

What is the Blind Structure?
Just like in Sit and Go's, the blinds steadily rise in Multi Table Tournaments to force the action along. Multi Table Tournaments also usually include an ante at a certain level, increasing the action towards the later stages. The full blind structure is always available in the lobby of that specific tournament, both before it starts and during the game.

What happens if I disconnect?
If you disconnect during a Multi Table Tournament you will immediately sit out. This means that you will still be dealt a hand, only that it will be folded. You will have to continue to pay the blinds and antes as they rotate around the table.

What are the Tournament Fees?
Multi Table Tournaments always include a tournament fee of around 10%, so a £10 buy in multi table tournament would include a fee of £1, and the buy in would be shown as £9+1. Tournament fees are always clearly shown next to the buy in when in the lobby.

What different types of Tournaments are played?
Multi Table Tournaments come in a variety of shapes and forms at Sky Poker. We have nine handed, six handed, and even heads up Multi Table Tournaments. They also come in a variety of structures, ranging from slower paced, deep stacked events, all the way to action-packed turbos.

What is the payout structure?
Multi Table Tournaments typically pay the top 15% of the field. Most of the money is weighted towards those who make the final table, with the majority going to the top three finishers, of which first place takes the lion's share.

What is (Pot Limit) Omaha and how do I play it?

Pot Limit Omaha (or PLO) is one of the most action-packed and popular games around. It's a great balance of skill and luck; with a far greater chance of making the big, exciting hands than - say - Texas Hold'em. You can expect lots of action and lots of big pots!

How is it played?

Pot Limit Omaha is effectively structured exactly the same as Texas Hold'em but players begin with four hole cards instead of two. Unlike Hold'em, where you can use one (or even none) of your hole cards to make the best hand, Pot Limit Omaha requires you to use two of your four hole cards in conjunction with three of the community cards come showdown. For example, holding the ace of clubs in your hand when there are four clubs on the board would give you a flush in Hold'em regardless of what your other card is. However, PLO requires you to hold two clubs in your hand in order to have a flush in this situation.

What are the blinds like?

Pot Limit Omaha uses a system of forced bets called 'blinds' just as in Hold'em. These are two bets made before the cards are dealt, one small and one big, that slowly move around the table each hand to ensure everyone pays them equally. The Blinds always fall to the left of the dealer button, with the small blind on the immediate left of the dealer, and the big blind to the immediate left of the small blind.

How much can I bet during the game?

Omaha can be played as both a limit or a no limit game, but is almost always played as a pot limit game because neither of the other formats suit so well. This means that you can bet up to and including the size of the pot at any point, but no more.

Are there any other variants of Omaha?

Yes - Omaha is also played as a High/Low split game. You can find a full guide to this varient of Omaha in the Poker School.

How to Play Omaha High/Low

What is Omaha High/Low?

High/Low is variant of Omaha where you qualify for half of the pot a 'low' hand and half of the pot with a 'high' hand. The mechanics are the same as in Pot Limit Omaha, but with a few key differences.

Are the Blinds the same as in Pot Limit Omaha?

Yes, Omaha High/Low is structured identically to Pot Limit Omaha (Omaha Hi) and Texas Hold'em, with a dealer button, a small blind and a big blind. These blinds rotate one position clockwise after each hand, ensuring that all players are affected by them equally over the course of the game.

How much can I Bet?

Omaha High/Low is nearly always played as a limit game, where the size of bet is fixed. Omaha is split into two sizes of bet - big bets and small bets, with big bets typically twice the size of small ones. Pre-flop and on the flop players can only make small bets, and on the turn and river they can only make big bets.

As a basic example, in a 2 Euro/4 Euro limit Omaha High/Low game the big blind would be 2 Euro and the small blind would be 1 Euro. During the betting intervals pre-flop and on the flop, you can bet or raise 2 Euro, and during the betting intervals on the turn and river you can only bet or raise 4 Euro.

What exactly counts as a low hand?

A player must have five unique cards ranked eight and under to qualify for a low hand. If you have the best low hand you are entitled to half of the pot at showdown. If there is no low hand possible (ie the community cards do not allow it), then the hand can only be contested by high hands. If you have both a good low and a good high hand you can win the entire pot (a 'scoop' - the Omaha8 players' dream!). If you share an identical low with another player, you both must split the low half of the pot, a practice commonly referred to as 'quartering' (because you only win a quarter of the pot if you have no high).