Chapter 11

"So, what will be doing?"

"Margip poker…"

"What's that?"

"Margarita strip poker."

"Again what's that?"

"Well we play poker, obviously. Everyone drinks at the end of each round and well the losing hands strip."

"You guys will have to teach me how to play poker but other than that we are good."

Daniel sighed and said, "Alright, Arsenio's elegance lets teach you poker."

"Arsenio's elegance?"

"Yes Athena that's what I am going to call you. Don't try to debate it. I have spoken… that's what I am going to call you whether you like it or not."

"Whatever…"

"I will first tell you the ten rankings…"

Daniel placed a deck of cards the ten, jack, queen, king and ace of spades.

"This right here is a royal flush nothing beats it. No matter what."

Pushing them aside, he placed 2, 3,4,5,6 of hearts.

"This is the straight flush. Basically, its five cards in sequence, of the same suit. In the event of a tie, the highest rank at the top of the sequence wins. That's the second highest set."

He then moved on to place four Aces and a ten.

"Four of a kind. Four cards of the same rank, and one side card or 'kicker'. In the event of a tie, the player with the highest side card ('kicker') wins. Next up is Full House. That's basically, three cards of the same rank, and two cards of a different, matching rank. In the event of a tie, the highest three matching cards wins. You're following?"

"Yes"

"Alright, then. We move on to Flush. Five cards of the same suit. They do not have to be in sequence. In the event of a tie, the player holding the highest ranked card wins. Then, comes, Straight. That's five cards in sequence but not of the same suit. If like we have a tie, then the highest ranking card at the top of the sequence wins."

Daniel looked up at Athena to make sure she was still with him.

"Don't worry... go on…"

"Now comes in Three of a Kind."

���Let me guess, Three cards of the same number while two are not of that number?"

"smart girl. Alright, if we have a tie the player with the highest, and if necessary, second-highest side card ('kicker') wins. Next is the two pair. Two cards of matching rank, two cards of different matching rank, and one kicker. If both players have an identical Two Pair, the highest kicker wins."

"Go on…"

"Pair is two cards of matching rank, and three unrelated side cards. In the event of a tie, the player with the highest, and if necessary, second or third-highest side card wins. And last one is highest card. Any hand that does not qualify under the categories listed. In the event of a tie, the highest card wins, such as 'ace-high'. Got it this far?"

"Yes."

"Why don't you repeat the ranking for me?"

"Okay. The royal flush, straight flush, four of a kind, full house, flush, straight, three of a kind, two pair, pair and high card. Did I get it right?"

"Yes! Now let���s go over the rule while Freda makes Margaritas"

"Okay." The girls said in unison.

"Let's talk about winning first. Typically, the winner of each hand of poker is the player that holds the highest ranked hand when all cards are shown at the end of the hand – known as the 'showdown' – or the player that makes the last uncalled bet, thus winning without needing to reach a showdown.

Poker starts with a forced bet. These forced bets comprise the starting pot in any given hand of poker, which is the first incentive players have to win the hand. Action arising from the subsequent rounds of betting further increases the size of the pot.

After any initial cards are dealt, players are usually called upon to act in turn, moving clockwise around the table.

Each player can usually take one of the following actions:

Check – To check is to decline the opportunity to open the betting. Players can only check when there is no bet during the current round, and the act of checking passes the action clockwise to the next person in the hand. If all active players check, those players remain in the hand and the round is considered complete.

Bet – Players may bet if no other players have bet during the current round. Once a bet has been made, other players must 'call' by matching the amount bet, in order to remain in the hand.

Fold – Players who fold forfeit their cards and cannot win or act again during the current hand.

Call – Players can call if other players have bet during the current round; this requires the calling player to match the highest bet made.

Raise – Players may raise if other players have bet during the current round; this requires the raising player to match the highest bet made, and then make a greater one. All subsequent players are required to call the raise or raise again ('re-raise') to stay in the hand.

The pre-flop betting round begins as soon as all players have received their hole cards, before any community cards have been dealt; betting on the flop occurs after the first three community cards are dealt; on the turn after the fourth community card; and on the river after the fifth and final community card.

On each betting round, betting continues until every player has either matched the bets made or folded. When the betting round is completed, the next dealing/betting round begins, or the hand is complete.

In the version we are playing we have to hole cards and five community cards. I can use variable of it to make my well you holding hand. Be it a flush, or a straight or whatever.

Then, we have a showdown. You want to avoid this. As I always say it's about playing the man not the game. You can with shitty cards by well bluffing. So, if you played it right a showdown may never happen and you win.

Once the last bet or raise has been called during the final round of betting, a showdown occurs; the remaining active players must show or 'declare' their hands, and the players with the best ranking hands win the pot.

Bets usually have limits but I don't like that so you know. Bet as much as you like.

Finally All – in. That's when you put all that you have on the round.

Oh Lord! That monologue was long! Did you understand everything?"

"I think so..?"

"Then let's start."