Thanks to Dunkin [157749] and Gram [16010] for these great tutorials!

Dunkin's Tutorial has detailed descriptions of all of the options available to you in TC poker, along with a basic description of how to play.
Gram's Tutorial is a more in depth look at gameplay, still aimed at beginners, as well as some basics.

WARNING! Torn City Texas Hold 'em Poker, although out of beta testing and available to the public, isn't
bug free! Play at your own risk. Currently the following bugs are known;
-Aces considered low in some hands, such as flushes
-Pocket cards determining win when they shouldn't
-Pots split unevenly when all in
-6th card determining winner

If you lose money due to a bug in poker you will NOT be credited for your loss. Play is at your own risk.

Dunkin's Poker Tutorial


Setting Up Your Own Table

Setting Up A Regular Table

There are several options to setting up a table, I will explain each option and how it affects the game.

The first possible option is the name of the table. This is what you will tell friends to look for when searching to join your game. Usually using your nickname in the table name will help people to find you.

The second option is Stakes. This is the amount of money the first two players after the dealer will pay, Each player afterwards will be given the option to call this amount or fold. If the stake is set at $20, The first player after the dealer will pay half of that amount (called small blind - $10) and the second player will pay the entire amount (called big blind - $20) to begin the game.

The third option is Bet Limit. If left on, the amount players can raise is limited by the option above. If off... bets are unlimited, or limited to the amount of money they have at the table.

Fourth option is Minimum Money. This allows you to set how much money a user must have to be seated and play at your table.

Fifth option is Maximum Money. If you wish to limit how much money other players can set with, this is where that amount is set.

The sixth option, is Speed. This controls the refresh script, and determines how long a player has to make a move before their hand is automatically folded.

The seventh option is Minimum Level. This allows the table creator to limit what level players can be seated.

and the last option, Password, allows you to password protect your table, forcing players who wish to play to know the password to join. Players who do not know the password will not be able to seat themselves or watch the game.

Setting up a Tournament Table

The first option is Name, This is the name of the tournament. This is what you will tell friends to look for when searching to join your game. Usually using your nickname in the table name will help people to find you.

the second option is 'Buy In'. This is what it will cost others to join the tournament. This can be set to any amount allowed by the dropdown, and determines what the costs will be to play. In a tournament game, all buy ins are collected and become the prize for the tournament (if 5 people buy in at 10,000... the tournament prize will be $50,000) In a tournament game, each player is given 1000 dollars to play out the tournament, the last person left at table with money... wins the prize!

The third option speed, This controls the refresh script, and determines how long a player has to make a move before their hand is automatically folded.

The fourth option is Minimum Level. This allows the table creator to limit what level players can be seated.

and the last option, Password, allows you to password protect your table, forcing players who wish to play to know the password to join. Players who do not know the password will not be able to seat themselves or watch the game.

Seating At A Table

How do I Join A Game?

To join a game our tournament, Visit the casino and click the link to Poker. When you have opened the poker window, you will see two lists. The top list is a list of regular poker tables, the lower list is a list of running tournaments. If you are seeking a particularly named table, scroll down the list til you find the table you seek. If you are looking to join a table that you can afford to bet and play at, view the available options listed after each table name. To join a table, click the 'Join' link beside the one of your choice after the table options.

What do all those options mean?

The options listed after a table can be somewhat confusing to people who are unfamiliar with poker. Most can be explained above. I will quickly summarize them here.

Name - Name of game given to table by the table starter.

Players - Number of players and seats currently available. 3/8 means 3 people are at the table with a max of 8 players.

Stakes - This is the small and big blind amounts, also the minimum betting amount.

Bet Limit - This can be On for limiting maximum bets, Or Off for unlimited betting.

Min Money - This is the amount of money you must have to seat at the table to play.

Speed - This is how long you have to make a decision when it is your turn. Taking longer
then this time will force you to fold.

Level - This is the minimum level you must be to play.

Password - If set to yes, you will need to know the password to play.

Game Play

A Texas Hold'em poker game goes as follows:

Each player is dealt 2 cards face down. These are called your hole or pocket cards. Five cards are placed in the center of the table, these five are called the community cards.

The two players to the left of the dealer, then pay blinds (these are determined by the table settings, see above), and gameplay begins with the third person in the first round of betting. This is called the pre-flop betting round. You place your bet by either calling the blind amount, or entering an amount to bet (or sliding the slide bar) and reraising or you can also fold your hand if you do not wish to play your hole cards. This betting method is used in all rounds of betting in the game.

When betting for that round has completed. The dealer then displays what is called the flop. The flop is the first three cards of the community. These are communal cards that anyone can use in combination with their two pocket cards to form a poker hand.

The player to the left of the dealer begins another round of betting.

When betting for that round has completed, the dealer flips one more of the center cards. This is called the turn card. Players can use this sixth card now to form a five card poker hand.

The player to the left of the dealer begins another round of betting.

When betting for that round has completed, the dealer then flips over the final card on the table. This is called the river. Players can now use any of the five cards on the table or the two cards in their pocket to form a five card poker hand.

There is one final round of betting starting with the player to the left of the dealer.

When betting for this final round has completed, all of the players remaining in the game reveal their hands. Players use a combination of their pocket cards and the community cards to form a poker hand. The player who shows the best hand wins! There are cases where players with equal hands share the winnings.

TOURNAMENT GAME PLAY - In tournaments, all buy-ins are collected by the bank, and each person starts the tournament with $1000. In tournament play, if you go broke... you are removed from the tournament. You cannot rejoin. The last player with money in a tournament wins the money held by the bank.

Official Ranks Of Poker Hands

#1 - Royal Flush - A, K, Q, J, 10, of any single suit
#2 - Straight Flush - K, Q, J, 10, 9, Any suited straight, all one suit
#3 - Four of a Kind - A, A, A, A, K, The Kicker determines ties
#4 - Full House - A, A, A, K, K, - 3 of a kind calls winner (Aces full of Kings)
#5 - Flush - A, J, 8, 7, 3, - of any single suit, Highest card determines winner
#6 - Straight - K, Q, J, 10, 9, - Highest card determines winner
#7 - Three of a Kind - A, A, A, K, Q, - Highest kicker breaks ties
#8 - Two Pair - A, A, K, K, Q, - Highest single pair determines winner
#9 - Pair - A, A, J, K, Q, - Highest kicker breaks ties
#10 - High Card - A, 8, J, K, Q, - Next highest card breaks ties

Other Considerations: No suit ranks higher than any other suit in traditional poker. In community games, it is common for two hands to get the same hand, even big hands. In that event, determine the winner by the rules above. In the event that two players in a community game have the exact same hand, kickers and all, split the pot.

Enjoy your games!

A little visual back up on the different hands:

Poker Hands

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Gram's Poker Tutorial


Introduction

This guide is aimed more toward people who are new to Texas Hold 'em Poker. If you are already
familiar with the game you might find some useful tips on the game as it applies to Torn City though!

The first thing you're going to need to know about poker, in general, is your hand rankings! Without
knowing the value of the cards you have in your hand you won't get very far playing poker. It's highly
recommended to memorize the rankings of hands, or to keep a reference close by if you're totally new
to poker.

As opposed to getting into details about poker hand rankings I would recommend taking a look Here for
a brief overview of the possible hands you can get while playing poker. The object of the game is to
have the best 5 card combination possible. This isn't necessarily the only way to win, but it's a safe way.

There are two tips I feel are necessary if you're reading this: Don't bet more than you're willing to lose
and know when to fold your cards!

The Basics of Texas Hold 'em

In Torn City you have two options for playing Texas Hold 'em poker... as long as you're level 13 or
higher! Otherwise you'll have to do some levelling up before you can play. This is to prevent
people from creating multiple accounts and scamming others with them.

In Torn City anyone can create a new poker table or join an existing on if it's not full. There are 8 seats
at each poker table, so up to 8 people can play at any given table You can also watch the game if you
like. You don't have to click [sit down] until you're ready. It can be helpful to watch at first because you
will get to know how your potential opponents play before you start betting your money playing against
them!

There are 4 rounds of betting in Texas Hold 'em Poker. There is a round of betting after each card, or
cards, are dealt.

Pre-flop - Everyone at the table is dealt 2 cards known as 'pocket cards' or 'hole cards'. Only you can see
these two cards.
The Flop - 3 'community cards' are dealt to the table. Everyone gets to use these cards.
The Turn - 1 more community card is dealt.
The River - 1 last community card.

Who goes first in any given round is determined by the 'dealer button'. It's a round object with a D in it,
you can't miss it. The game play moves clockwise, left of the dealer. As soon as your pocket cards are
dealt the two people to the left of the dealer are forced to put a 'small blind' and 'big blind' bet into the
pot. The big blind is equal to the minimum bet at the table and the small blind is half of the minimum
bet. Each person playing after that has the option to fold their cards, call the minimum bet, or raise.

IMPORTANT: In Torn City when you raise it will include the existing bet on top of whatever you raise!
Therefore if the bet is at $20,000 and raise $20,000 you will be putting $40,000 into the pot!

When you raise a hand the minimum amount of money you can raise is the minimum bet at that table.
So if the minimum bet is $20,000 you will have to raise the bet at least another $20,000. You cannot
raise $5,000 if the minimum bet is $20,000.

For the first round of betting, after the pocket cards but before the flop, everyone will have to put some
money in to continue playing their hand. After the flop has been dealt the option to 'check' appears if
nobody before you has bet. 'Checking' means that you're not betting any money, you're not calling
anyone else's bet, and you're not folding. Folding means you throw your cards away and forfeit any
money you've bet. The option to check is not available if someone before you has bet money during
any given round of play.

After all 4 rounds of betting, your hand will be the best possible combination of the two you have in your
hand and the 5 community cards. Since you get to use the community cards it is possible for those 5
cards that everyone gets to be the best hand! For example, if there is a Royal Flush dealt in the 5
community cards then -everyone- at the table has a Royal Flush! That is very rare, but it can happen.

If you and another player have the same hand the pot will be split up amongst you. If you end up
betting all the money you have then you're considered 'all in'. If you are all in but betting continues
among other players, and you have the highest hand in the end, then you will only be entitled to the
amount you bet multiplied by the amount of people that call (including yourself)! That means if you
bet your last $100,000 (all in) against two other players but someone bets $200,000 and the other
person calls them, that means you're only entitled to $300,000 from that round if you have the best
hand. That money is considered in a side pot and it's all you can win. The rest of the money
bet ($200,000 in that example, $100,000 from the other two players) throughout the game will be given
to whoever has the highest hand among the remaining players.

Side pots can be a bit tricky to understand at first, but basically you can't win more than you bet from
each person who doesn't fold.

TIP: You don't have to call and you don't have to bet! If you're inexperienced it might be a good idea
to play conservatively at first. If you have lousy cards and someone else might have a much better hand
than you it might be a good idea to just fold! And if you don't have the best possible hand it might be a
good idea to check rather than bet sometimes. If you bring $100,000 to a table with a $10,000minimum
bet you can play up to 48 hands without ever betting if there are eight people at the table! That gives
you up to 48 hands to pick and choose which two cards you play and when you get the good ones, you
can bet on those. If there are less than eight people at the table your odds of winning with poor cards
increases and the frequency of paying blind bets will also increase

Game Types

Regular
In a regular game you can join in at any time and start playing the next hand. You can't jump into the
game while other people are in the middle of a hand, but you can sit down at the table to wait for the
next hand to start. Normally you would have to 'post' or wait for the big blind (more details on that to
come) at the beginning of your first hand, but that doesn't apply to Torn City poker (yet). You can leave
at anytime but if you leave in the middle of a hand you will forfeit any money you have in the pot. It is
best to leave as soon as the hand is finished and the pot has been divided, or after folding. If you lose
all your money you can return to the table and start playing again. However, in Torn City, when you lose
all your money you are kicked from the table at the end of the hand and you must rejoin a table. Some
online poker games will allow to 'refill' your money when you're 'bust' (out of money) but not in Torn
City. Be ready to leave and rejoin quickly if you are lose all your money and want to get in on the next
game!

Tournament
Tournament style Texas Hold 'em follows the same general rules but you aren't allowed to leave the
table and join again. When someone starts a Texas Hold 'em poker tournament style game in Torn City
it will be listed in the bottom section of the poker table page. The person who created the game has
control over when it starts. They can start the game with 2 people at the table or with 8 people, the
maximum amount. When you 'sit down' at the table you will have to pay however much money the
creator of the table determines. All people who join will have to pay the same amount. When the creator
decides enough people are at the table, he or she can begin the game and the money you committed to
the game is sent to the pot. After the game has started you CANNOT get your money back unless you
win! Unlike regular style, if you leave partway through the game your money will not be returned.

In tournament games winner takes all! These types of games are recommended for experienced poker
players since you might have to beat 7 other people! Feel free to try it out, but don't join a high
stakes tournament until you're ready.

Choosing a Table

There are a few different options when choosing a table to play at that you should pay close attention to.
The different poker table options are as follows;

-Minimum Bet
-Betting Limit
-Available Money
-Timeout Duration
-Minmum Level
-Table Password

Minimum Bet - This value will determine what the big blind is, the minimum amount of money you can
bet, and the minimum amount of money you can raise.

Betting Limit - Either on or off. If there is no betting limit in place then players can raise by as much
money as they have! This can be risky but can also lead to bigger payouts. Recommended for when
you have the hang of the game.

Available Money - This is how much money you're allowed to bring to the table. There are possible
values for the minimum and maximum amounts you can bring.

Timeout Duration - This is how long you'll get to bet. If you take longer than the timeout duration, lag
or no lag, you forfeit the money you've bet (if any). The lower the timeout duration the quicker the
gameplay will be but the higher your risk of a timeout during lag. Consider the state of Torn City lag
and your connection speed when picking or creating a table with a lot timeout.

Minimum Level - When creating a table you can choose a minimum level for the players. The game has
a built in hard coded limit of being level 13 to play at all but this limit can bet set higher on a per table
basis.

Table Password - This is for private games. A password will be required in order to join.

Gameplay tips specific to Torn City

-Don't chat when your turn is coming! It slows the game down and you might timeout.
-Refresh a few times when the person before you is going, that way you'll know it's your turn right away!
This helps speed up the game considerably.
-Choose a table that's right for you! Don't go to a high stakes table if you're betting all you have. Start
small and work your way up.
-If you can't find a table that's right for you, create one. Many times I've been unable to find a table
that'd suit my betting needs. After creating one it's usually just a few minutes before I'm playing with
people the way I want to play!
-Create tables with balanced options. There's no point in making a limited bet table with a $5,000
minimum bet but allowing people to bring unlimited amounts of money with them. A good rule of thumb
is to make the minimum and maximum amount of money available to players about 100 times the
minimum bet.E IE; $50,000 minimum bet and $5,000,000 you can bring at a time (give or take). This
is, of course, just an opinion and how you make your tables is entirely up to you!
-BEWARE OF LAG! If the game is lagging when you start playing be aware that you might lose your
money! Exercise extreme caution!

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