Welcome to JaPoker. JaPoker is a poker game developed by Chris Smith. It can play many common (and uncommon!) draw, stud and hold'em variants. It also features a variety of computer controlled players to play against. The latest information about JaPoker is available on its web page. The latest copy of these instructions can also be found online.
Contents
Using JaPoker
The config screen
The game screen
Playing Poker
The aim of the game
Hands
A poker hand is a set of five cards. There are nine standard categories of hand, described below. Hands are compared first by category, then by individual cards — the lowest possible straight flush will always beat the highest possible four of a kind, for example.
Straight Flush





Royal Flush
... beats ...





Ten-high straight flush
A straight flush is a hand that has five sequential cards of the same suit. The lowest possible straight flush is A-2-3-4-5, while the highest (normally called a Royal Flush) is T-J-Q-K-A. Aces may be high or low, but not both (Q-K-A-2-3 is not a valid straight). The suit of the flush is irrelevant — T-J-Q-K-A of hearts is equal to T-J-Q-K-A of clubs, spades or diamonds.
The hand is normally described by the highest card — a royal flush is "ace-high", 5-6-7-8-9 would be "nine-high".
Four of a kind





Four aces
... beats ...





Four tens
A hand containing all four cards of one rank (such as 4-4-4-4-7 or K-K-K-K-5) is classed as a 'four of a kind'. The 'spare' card is known as the kicker, and isn't used when comparing two hands with four of a kind. The higher the rank of the four cards, the better the hand.
Full house





Deuces among fours
... beats ...





Aces among threes
A full house is a hand that contains three cards of one rank, and two of another, such as A-A-A-3-3. Full houses are compared by the set of three cards (e.g., 3-3-3-4-4 beats 2-2-2-K-K), and are described by both sets of cards — a hand of 3-3-3-4-4 would normally be described as "fours among threes", or sometimes "threes over fours".
Flush





A-K-9-7-2 flush
... beats ...





K-Q-J-9-8 flush
A flush is a hand of five cards that all belong to the same suit. Any set of five cards of the same suit makes a flush (except for a set of five sequential cards, which would make a straight flush). Flushes are compared by each individual card, from high to low.
Straight





Ace-high straight
... beats ...





Ten-high straight
A straight is a hand of five cards in sequential order, of any suit (but not all of the same suit; that would be a straight flush). Straights are described and compared by their highest card, for example a hand of 4-5-6-7-8 would be described as "eight-high", and would beat a "seven-high" straight.
Three of a kind





Three tens
... beats ...





Three sixes
A hand containing three cards of one rank, and two other, different cards (if they were the same, it would make a full house), such as A-A-A-3-4 is classed as a three of a kind. Three of a kinds are described and compared by the set of three cards - A-A-A-3-4 is described as "three aces", and beats any other three of a kind hand.
Two pair
A two-pair hand contains two (different) pairs of cards, and one kicker. Two pair hands are compared by their highest pair, then their lowest pair, then the kicker. For example, A-A-2-2-K beats Q-Q-J-J-T, which beats Q-Q-T-T-J, which beats Q-Q-T-T-9.
One pair
A hand conaining only one pair of cards are classed as "one pair", and are compared first by their pair of cards, then by each of the three kickers individually.
No pair
Any other set of five cards is classed as "no pair", and each card is compared individually, from high to low.
On your turn
Poker Glossary
- The Flop
- The first three community cards dealt in a community card game. The flop is followed by the turn and river.
- Hole Cards
- A player's private cards
- Kicker
- A card that is part of a five-card hand, but is not needed for the category of the hand — e.g., the fifth card in a "four of a kind" hand, or the three non-paired cards in a "one pair" hand
- The River
- The fifth (and final) community card dealt in a community card game. The river is preceeded by the flop and turn.
- Showdown
- The phase that takes place at the end of a hand, where players reveal their hole cards to determine who has the best hand.
- Stripped Deck
- A deck that has had certain cards removed (stripped) from it beforehand. Stripped decks most commonly omit low-valued cards
- The Turn
- The fourth community card dealt in a community card game. The turn is preceeded by the flop and followed by the river.
The games
Texas Hold'Em
Texas Hold'Em is the most popular poker variant played in casinos worldwide. It is a community card game, which means that there are some cards (the 'community cards') that are shared by all players. The aim of Texas Hold'Em is to finish the game with the best hand.
In Texas Hold'Em, each player is dealt two hole cards. After an initial betting round, three community cards are revealed (called the flop). A further betting round then takes place, and a fourth community card (the turn) is dealt. After another betting round, the final community card (the river) is dealt, and one final betting round takes place.
After the final betting round is over, each player reveals their cards (called the showdown). The player with the best poker hand wins the content of the pot.
Royal Hold'Em
Royal Hold'Em is a variant of Texas Hold'Em. It is played in an identical manner, but the deck is stripped of all cards below tens (i.e., the deck only contains tens, jacks, queens, kings and aces).
Five Card Stud
Seven Card Stud
Omaha Hold'Em
Omhaha High/Low
Courchevel
Super Hold'Em
Super Hold'Em is a variant of Texas Hold'Em. It is played in an identical manner, but instead of two hole cards each player has three. The game is similar to Pineapple and Crazy Pineapple, where players start with three cards and discard one at some point in the game.
Five Card Draw
Pineapple
Pineapple is a variant of Texas Hold'Em. Each player starts with three hole cards instead of two, and chooses one to discard before the first betting round.
Crazy Pineapple
Crazy pineapple is a variant of Pineapple. As in Pineapple, each player starts with three hold cards, but they keep all three cards until after the flop; after which they chose one to discard.