Poker players should study very carefully the mathematical chances, because the whole theory of staking may be summed up asking oneself two questions: what are the chances of improving my hand? What odds are the table laying me?

Then, if the answer to the first question is greater than to the first question is greater than to the second the player should come in, if it is No-Trumps hew should throw in his hand.

The betting is the more difficult part of the game because it is largely psychology. At the same time a player has to be gifted with the quality that we call judgment because his betting must be dictated by the manner in which the other players are betting, and how they, on their part, will interpret his betting.

Particular note should be taken of the number of cards drawn by each of the other players and deductions drawn from the information gained. The subsequent betting should go a long way towards confirming whether the deductions are correct or No-Trumps, and whether the player has improved on the poker draw.

A good poker player is inscrutable and unpredictable, because he varies his game to make the most with his good hands and lose the least with his bad ones. He profits by the advice of Saint Mattew – ‘let not thy left hand know what they right hand death’ – and he is always imperturbable, because there is no future in gloating over a win and wailing over a loss. If he thinks that he holds the best hand he bets on it boldly: if he thinks that he is beaten he throws in his cards and cuts his losses.

Pot-deals, commonly called pots, are widely played, and are an important feature of all variations of the game. When a pot is played there is no ante and no straddle; instead every player contributes an agreed amount to a pot, or pool, that is independent of the staking and betting.

The player on the immediate left of the dealer has first decision whether to open the game by staking or No-Trumps. If he does not open, the option passes to the player on his left, and so on.

The essence of pot is that a player is debarred from opening the game, by putting up a stake, unless his hand qualifies him to do so by a prearranged standard. If no player opens, the deal passes, and the players sweeten the pot, by adding to it, for the next deal.

If the pot is opened, other players may come in even if their hands are below standard, and he who wins the deal also wins the amount in the pot as well as all the stakes put up by the other players. The player who opened the game must show that his hand qualified for opening.

Jackpot a player must have a pair of Jacks, or better, to qualify for opening.

Progressive jackpot, if no-one opens the first deal, the second deal is a Queenpot, and if no-one opens it the next is a Kingpot, and so on. Some stop at Acepots, other continue to two pairs before beginning again at a Jackpot if no-one has opened the game.

Freak pot, sometimes called Deuces wild, all the 2s are wild cards and may be used to represent any cards that the holder chooses. Fives (five cards of the same rank) is now a possible hand, and it is classed above a straight flush, but is beaten if the straight flush is headed by an Ace.

Double pot, or Legs, any type of pot is chosen, but a player must win it twice before he may take his winnings.

WILD WIDOW

This is variations of the parent game, but, after four cards have been dealt to each player, a card is turned face upwards in the centre of the table and is left there for the duration of the deal. The dealer then gives each player one more card, and the game is played with the three other cards of the same rank as the exposed card wild.

SPIT IN THE OCEAN

In this variation, only four cards are dealt to each player. A card is then dealt face upwards in the centre of the table. Each player considers this card as the fifth card of his hand. It is wild card, as also are the other three cards of the same rank.

STUD POKER

In this draw poker variation of the parent game the main feature is that some of the cards are dealt face upwards and some face downwards. There are several way of playing the game.

Five-card stud there is no ante unless agreed on. The dealer gives each player a card face downwards (it is known as the hole card) and then a card face upwards. The deal is then interrupted for a betting interval.

After the betting interval the dealer gives each active player another three cards face upwards, and after each there is a betting interval. If two or more players remain in the game after the last betting interval. If two or more players remain in the game after the last betting interval, they turn up their hole cards and the player with the best hand wins.

Each betting interval begins with the player who holds the best combinations of cards exposed, and if two or more players have equal combinations the one nearest to the dealer’s left bets first. At the first betting interval the player who opens must make a bet; at subsequent intervals he may check. Any player who drops out of the game must turn his exposed cards face downwards.

seven card stud, sometimes called Down the River, or Peek Poker is played in the same way as five-card stud, except that the dealer first deals to each player two cards face downwards and one card face upwards.

There is a betting interval, and, after this, the active players are dealt three cards face upwards and one face downwards, with the deal interrupted for a betting interval after each round of dealing. At the showdown, a player exposes his hole cards and selects five of his seven cards to form his hand.