Some Ridiculously Simple Poker Basics
TelltaleGames
Former Telltale Staff
Now that Poker Night at the Inventory is here there's sure to be some perfecting of poker skills. I'll admit, I've never, ever, played a single hand of poker of any kind in my life. I've also been doing just fine in today's release, thanks to some of the tips the team put into the game - including a handy poker hands guide!
Now, I did go into Poker Night with a very low-level knowledge of card values, suits, and details like that so having a bit of that under your belt doesn't hurt. There's some poker jargon though that takes a bit of getting used to, and thanks to a number of online poker glossaries, I present you some key terms to know while playing. [readmore]
Blind - A blind is the bet that the first two players must put down before seeing any of their cards. The small blind is placed by the first player and the big blind is placed by the second player at the table. The blind positions rotate as players drop out of a game so you're not always stuck playing 'blind'.
Fold - Folding is to concede defeat on your hand and forfeit the money you've already put into the pot.
Call - Putting the same amount of money into the pot that everyone else already has is calling.
Check - Checking is when nobody's bet before you and you don't bet anything.
Bluff - Since your opponents can't see you, this is a bit easier in Poker Night at the Inventory. Placing a large bet on your hand, even if you don't have great cards is a good way to get other players at the table to fold. They might be convinced that you have excellent cards and thus, no chance at besting your cards with theirs. Of course, they might call your bluff and continuing raising the stakes, which would be a problem for you if they actually have better cards.
Raise - To place a bet that's higher than the last person's.
Do you want a larger version of that poker hand chart? You can find it in the help menus in Poker Night itself as well as right here (You can also click the image above for it). If you need a little more assistance, there's a handy dandy poker tip guide right in the game. Just click the 'question mark' button that appears when it's your turn to bet, call, or fold.
What's your favorite part about Poker Night at the Inventory?